Church of Scotland approves adoptions by gays

The Church of Scotland has given its qualified backing to a new law allowing unmarried and gay couples to adopt children. The church acknowledged the claim by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals that the proposals could be seen as undermining marriage but concluded "on balance" it should support the legislation. And it welcomed the fact that the "enduring family nature" of the relationship between would-be adoptive parents would still be seen as crucial.

The Scottish Executive's Adoption and Children Bill is aimed at modernizing the law on adoption in a bid to increase the number of adoption applications and reduce the number of youngsters being fostered or in residential care. It is already possible for single people to adopt, but the new bill would for the first time allow joint adoption by unmarried couples and same-sex couples.

The Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference has voiced "deep concern" at the plan to extend adoption to unmarried and same-sex partners. (Sirius OutQ News)

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