[[Speaking of “Easter” and all that…]]

Phew, what a hard post to complete! I am still not at all happy with it, but posting the information for future reference, while figuring out better ways to communicate it. We are in the realm of public direct payments to evangelical (faith-based) organizations — from HHS — for the primary purpose of evangelizing. It just so happens that these days many faith-based (Christian) organizations are evangelizing throught adoption, as they’ve been trained to. They have been social service organizations for many years as all, but the more I look at the tax exemption angle — and what churches are, meanwhile, doing to men, women and children in the name of God — I’m starting to understand this as every bit as much “PR” to make up for the damages as I also understand that the Rockefellers, Carnegies, Fords, MacArthurs, (Rhodes), Guggenheim, (Annie E. Casey) and etc. tremendous philanthropic organizations — donating millions (if not billions) to build libraries, concert halls, and other monumental institutions, are doing it (a) with taxes they didn’t pay and (b) with the profits from cartels, monopolies, and in general treating their menials like dirt, if not quite slave labor, and (c) for PR.

What do they have that wasn’t donated to them, or that the followers weren’t talked, or bullied (forced) into handing over? I mean, how many of us really have a say (agreed) to the special tax status churches enjoy and with which to expand infinitely (see internet) without having to file tax returns like regular nonprofits. And then how many nonprofits are simply situated right in church buildings? They cannot really stand independently of government while taking privileges from the same (collectively) to even exist. Meanwhile, government these days is using church-based networks for its own purpose and in my opinion, both have specialized in the hiding assets and money-laundering aspects (while covering up other kinds of abuse) from their followers.

This may not be universally true, but it is institutionally (and in general) true.

~ ~ ~ I was genuinely surprised to realize how blatantly this is happening as we speak.

I would love some morally justifiable excuse NOT to deliver this message, or to sugar-coat it, but see none… I would cut out entire sections, and more would grow in their place, as I continued simply telling what I see — and from government sources (databases, tax returns, corporate registrations, charitable registrations, and public websites advertising the same groups). Finally, it is just getting posted. The substance of it shows up in tables — if you do nothing else, scroll down to them and bypass narrative; AFTER running a search!

So, this post got its start an “Adoption Opportunities” grant series I found (foster care and adoption has been on my mind a while — see page in Children’s Law Centers (NCLN) which thrive off this — and this industry has affected family courts also, by way of promoting the use of GALs for custody cases with even a smidgen of conflict (or domestic violence). To better understand it, please read the comments thread at the bottom of the March 30, 2013 post.

We are talking about the influences of religious groups on removing children from competent women by fetching men out of prison to fight them for custody. The comment came from an independent single mother, and I am familiar with the case, including the prison docket. Any number of mothers coming out of the “faith” tradition (from sort of religious background) could’ve written some version of the same theme — we used to believe that living a responsible, adult, and solvent life, raising kids to respect the law, like we did, and paying our own way in general — would be sufficient. Or that even staying off welfare was good enough.

In this country, it no longer is. ANYONE who has children and either doesn’t marry to start with, or doesn’t stay in the relationship, is at risk of having to personally take on the weight of this industry, while being treated like a pariah by the faith-based community for not holding on to a man, abuse or no abuse. And EVERYONE, from what I’ve learned, is participating in this cruelty — by funding it, unawares or awares. It’s about the federal funding to the states….

In this context, I already knew that some of the “perpetrating” associations (AFCC, NACC,** ABA, etc.) already were in on some “Adoption Opportunity” grants and had connected the dots that HHS was helping them do it, and have blogged this. However, I am coming to now see the role of religious agencies — taking fatherhood grants also — in getting the public (male, female, atheist, religious, parents, and nonparents) to literally PAY THEM to recruit membership — Adoption Evangelism, starting REAL young. Like at the embryo stage.

** Speaking of which, I fail to see why a nonprofit organization comprised of probably two-thirds attorneys (AFCC; many judges were former attorneys), an organization focused on getting more attorneys in more children’s lives (NACC), AND a nationwide organization OF attorneys (ABA) even deserves a single cent’s worth of “grants.”
We’re already paying this profession coming and going to fight each other, fight sometimes government (how much of government — like the child support agencies, for example) requires a stable of attorneys to defend itself against insulted, aggrieved (or in the case of wrongful death, grieving) members of the public — is already attorneys on the payroll) and to fight to stay alive (protection orders), or to protect our children (family law attorneys) or our livelihoods (ditto). If we can’t afford them, then there are pro bono law firms, maybe, in fact there’s hardly any aspect of legal and corporate life these days that doesn’t require the services of an attorney. I don’t believe the profession can be eradicated, but I definitely don’t believe either that they need one cent of HHS grants, to further widen the gap between the working individual and their own best interests.

How much do you think the ABA is worth as an organization?
(I just looked — and I’m looking at a 2011 tax return (53 pages long) which said its ASSETS (that doesn’t even include revenues) out of Illinois (Chicago, where else?) are $239.9 million.
And that doesn’t even include related organizations. I dare you to even look at page one of the return, here.
Over $6 million of contributions (over $100 million of Program Service Revenue). Of the $6 million, $1+ million was from HHS (I just looked).

Also, to see that grant series in full bloom, please do take just a few (maybe three to five) minutes to run the search yourself, and scroll through the names of the organizations that come up. It’s a good skill to have also. When you get a paycheck with deductions on it, know that some of that is probably going to these grants (give-aways) from the US Treasury under the banner of Public Health and Welfare (42 U.S.Codes). It was your time earning the money, your loss when it was withheld — and it’s your business to know WTF is being done with it.

The game is, after they’re in the foster care system (by hook or by crook), to then come to the public, or Congress, and say, well, now we need money to help them get adopted faster:

So, being (me), I looked at that award series (90CO####), which brought up over 1600 grants (about 371 of them “new”). YOWZA! If this search result holds,** we can see ADOPTION is really big business at HHS, that in some states, the Courts themselves are being paid directly, but in others nonprofits, many of the grantees missing “DUNS#,” which grantees are supposed to have.

[**to reproduce the search in just a minute or two: From this site (which is TAGGS advanced search), set YEARS to “ALL” and “Grant Award,” type in only (nothing more than) “90CO” which is that series. OR as it turns out) select “CFDA Program (a dropdown menu) 93652/”Adoption Oportunities”.” Then go to the bottom of the search page, where several columns of fields can be clicked to choose columns on the resulting report. Click, for example, GRANTEE INSTITUTION and State, but in the middle, do NOT click “Fiscal Year” “Program Office,” or “OpDiv” if you want it to sort by grantee, not year. Below that, set the “results per page” high (like 500)..

Select Columns Help [suggested fields to select — Bold]

[*As preselect is 93562, Adoption Opportunities, no need to check these two]

If you don’t approve, then it’s your voice that is going to say something or say nothing about it to the House Ways and Means Committee, to or to whoever represents you in the US Congress (Senate or House of Reps).
Here’s an example of an individual who actually said something to that House Ways and Means Committee last Summer (June 2012) in protest.

Here’s another (July 27, 2012 transcript of House Ways and Means on “How Welfare and Tax Benefits Can Discourage Work”. By “Work” is meant, working in the corporations that a lot of Congress invests in, and invests collectively its holdings in as well, i.e., for the corporations and foundations that are running this place. There seems to be an innate fear that we might catch on how the top 1 percent is actually making its money (private equity, leveraged buy-outs, stock in private prison industry, etc.) and figure out other ways to do business. You can scroll down to Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin’s comments, and I hope you do. We should acquire much better concepts of what this government is doing with public funds and what it thinks of the public, than we do. Looking at it — is at least a start.

It is obviously hard to speak about, but unconscionable NOT to speak about, what simple searches of HHS grants have unearthed, and their very disturbing message which comes from simply paying attention to Who’s paying Whom and Why — in evangelism by adoption industry, whose primary customers are orphans (allegedly) from overseas or US disasters (i.e. Hurricane Katrina) OR children moved into the US foster care system and ASAP into adoption.

Most truth WILL be uncomfortable — for a while; a lot of life depends on suspension of reality-checks. But at a certain level, “let’s pretend all’s well,” is stretched beyond belief. Once truth is acknowledged, after the shocks, there’s a kind of peace that comes with, well, integrity of understanding; calling things what they are, or surely seem to be based on the evidence. A good, hard look at reality AND a decision on what to call it, can provide a foundation of understanding what the better reality should, or could be. It’s healing… But The Looking AND Labeling are equally important; if the basic labels contain fundamental falsehoods, then no amount of windowdressing or spin will turn them into something better than their foundation of — a lie.

“On the Road to Emmaeus” references a passage in the gospel of Luke, common to Easter Season celebrations. I began this post on Easter Sunday. Discussion below (background color, pink).

I began with simply comparing the change of heart those disciples had to go through, after some very life-changing moments, on having a personal visit from the risen Jesus “on the road to Emmaeus.” Only, as it seemed holiday-appropriate (if a little sarcastic on that matter) and as I was looking into a group with the word “Bethany” in its name.

But as I looked closer, and looked, and looked (as no doubt some of those men had to, in their time), I saw religious groups recruiting babies for their denominations through government, at public expense, and a particular set of Virginia-DC-based organizations attempting to influence government to enable this — without the least regard for what the same circles (i.e., evangelical AND conservative protestant groups, in particular) have been doing, “stateside” to grown women and mothers.

So, overall, it looks like I’m on my own “road to Emmaeus” in these matters, again. And, there are times in life when “we cannot but speak what we’ve seen and heard.”

My stance on religious holidays these days is “conscientious objector.” Holidays take on a different flair after the courts completely remove children and family; and I haven’t been allowed or able to celebrate a holiday with an immediate family member for many years. Rather than waste the time, I blogged what was on my mind. Another mother commented on her experiences (check it out)– and in responding to that, I commented on “public grants to help the California Judicial Council get more kids adopted after removal from their parents and/or mothers,” looked some up.

[[See search table & instructions, above, or look at them if the window is still open in your computer]]

Of these, I picked Bethany Christian Services to look at. Which brings us to this grantee and its $22+ million worth of grants. This established nonprofit already has (per that 2002 return) $33 million of program service revenue (including government fees and contracts), and $9 million of assets.

On the front end, some churches are losing population, but supplementing it quite well, thank you, by collaborating with the US government (and networking religiously) to get infants from overseas, kids from foster care, and it turns out, even embryos. Apparently little needy babies are a lot easier to indoctrinate than adult women who have been mothers, and have something to say about a few matters within the church.

So we are having a collective and universal “On the Road to Emmaeus” experience of our own, about this country and the possibility of a future with hope, and some vision to it. I hope we can break through somehow.

Looks like enough happened at the place “Bethany” religious organizations, and churches, and people have been named after it.

In light of the recent holiday, “EASTER,” (unfamiliar to Jesus or his disciples, or for that matter, the apostle Paul,) still being a major festivity in the “Christian” “church” [two other words probably not familiar to them either] calendar, I’ll bet part of this resurrection account in Luke 24 two disciples “on the road to Emmaeus,” (cf. Google Search on the phrase) shows its popularity) was read aloud across the United States, even as the front end of the same gospel gets read aloud, often, at “Christmas” (another term not familiar to Jesus, his disciples, or Paul, for obvious reasons. Such is life… Politics is Politics and Emperors have a way of changing habits of the faithful….)

So, here, two disciples all downcast at the recent events (like, their master had been just killed in an entirely gruesome and humiliating manner, common to the practice those days (=long, involved discussion of the practices], and as a criminal) took a long time to get (understand) that Jesus was actually alive. No sooner did they recognize him, than he vanished. Quite a lot to process in the course of one day..

It’s along those lines I’m going to speak today — there’s a lot to process… Understanding is required.

The afterglow of the encounter. (I’m setting up a comparison, so ye agnostics and others, bear with me a bit, OK? I’m hardly recruiting here!):

32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. 35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Yep. Now there are some things also burning in my heart, as an ex-attending “woman of faith,” both about churches — these days — and a certain HHS grantee with “Bethany” as its name, its scope of activities…and what that signifies to us. It’s not just this one group — it’s the significance of the situation.

36And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the middle of them, and said to them, Peace be to you. 37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. …(then, while they are in shock, doubt, or simply wonder, he eats in front of them— so much for the ‘we just saw a spirit’ theory …) 44And he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

46And said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father on you: but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high.

{{By the end of this post, you will also be witnesses of some things that are happening in another “Bethany.” … Apparently just telling others was going to be difficult, judging by how hard it was for the disciples to believe! Not to mention, what about danger of challenging the status quo, also?}}

50 And he led them out [[of Jerusalem, that is]] as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52And they worshipped him, and returned ,strong>to Jerusalem with great joy: 53And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing him (oops, sorry…) God. Amen.

OK, some basic points about that Passage:

1. BETHANY was near Jerusalem.

2. To the Bible-toting/quoting religious over the following centuries, this and other related, memorable accounts at Bethany have resulted in some “Bethany” namesakes. The last chapter of Luke claims it was the place from which Jesus went up into heaven. So, we now got kids, churches, and, as we’re going to see, nonprofit faith-based organizations after this “Bethany.” Ergo when you see that name, you are probably dealing with the religious, possibly VERY religious, and all that entails.

This also may entail, in our time (not necessarily in those times):

3. Shifts in understanding//processing dramatic but contradictory evidence takes time! Even the disciplined followers of Jesus under his (presumably) expert instruction didn’t “get” (understand) that what he (and the scriptures) had been saying all was, in fact, true. The Christ had been prophesied, now, this was “the Christ,” even after a recent, apparently stunning defeat in the form of his punishment (torture), death, and burial.

Obviously, this could be perplexing, especially “up close and personal,” which both sets of evidence were.

In fact, the clear evidence (that he was alive) actually made no sense to them, until he came alongside two men, systematically went through a more familiar and trusted source of information, (“the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms,”) explained the perplexing (new) evidence in the terms of the familiar, and then finally (as the story goes) was made known to them when sitting down to eat at the end of the day. THEN, they connected the dots.

Once they understood, it was, “Did not our hearts burn within us?” and then off to tell their friends (“the eleven”). Understanding of this sort causes a serious shift in consciousness, and other things to align around this fundamental truth.

OK — so I have some fundamental truths, relevant to believers and unbelievers alike. See title of post. It takes a lot to even surprise me these days, in these matter — but this weekend, again, I was, and have come out more determined that we cannot continue with “business as usual” in allowing the HHS to have so much clout, which is being given, liberally, to conservative religious organizations to help swell their ranks which (face it) are diminishing by the percentage of women like myself who’ve survived religious abuse, courts, and watched the silence — and collusion [Saddleback] — of all kinds of churches (in particular) against us specifically — and against others in our class collectively. In general, this may be known, but it is just not comprehended. (site from a woman who survived and left religious abuse is a little more spiritualized, but this shows the economic fallout; “how it is.” Her story also is crystal clear about the church role in rationalizing violence in their homes…

FAQs on Another Needed Shift in Consciousness, if not “Change of Heart”

After some discoveries this past weekend (hey, I didn’t waste the time NOT spent participating in Easter services), I am even more convinced it’s time for another shift in consciousness — for all people, too. At least for all United States citizens….

But, I’m not Jesus, so give me a little time here, OK? I’m going to present some “conflicting evidence” with what you may have taken for granted, and accepted as “normal” in some other spheres, and with consequences on your personal future (not just mine).. And you’ll get to either engage in understanding its significance, or go back to business as usual, only desensitized to the obvious.

This has to do with taxes, tax-exempt, and religious-exempt organizations. My intent is that there indeed be a “shift in consciousness,” and I do have evidence that this shift is timely (NOW is the time) and appropriate.

Again — patience please! I’m not Jesus, and I’ve got to work with this html and more than one source of information, i.e., with different databases. And this message is not yet widespread enough — and it (to quote a friend) ‘reverses the polarity’ of our understanding of what government is there for, and what it’s been doing on our “behalf” with those pension funds, retirement funds, and in short, it’s major profits at our collective expense.

Eventually this research leads to the inevitable — many have been deceived into participating in the abuse of women and children in the name of helping them; of their decent neighborhood Dads in the name of “fatherhood.gov” (which supports the worst, not the best, examples of the species) and into funding National Networks claiming they are Against Domestic Violence (NCADV, PCADV, MNCADV, etc. — pick your state) while collaborating with groups like “women in fatherhood, Inc.” (WIFI), and taking (NCADV at least) a sliding scale fee from nonprofit organizations that get public funding, and writing off the conference costs and travel. etc.

After you’ve looked, you can then either go into denial and try to pretend you saw and heard nothing important (continue to go along with the crowds…)– OR, get endued with some sort of power to communicate, and then go bear witness to it.

Kind of like people do with that resurrection thing, or evidences of the inexplicable (i.e., of the “supernatural”) — AND like they have been doing, for years, with clear evidnece of the religious physical (including domestic) abuse of women and children, not to mention financial abuse of government privileges.

Which brings me to:

FAQs on another “Bethany” and its $23 million++ of HHS Grants

And, what’s it doing with them ….

SEE NEXT POST! – SAMPLE STUDY IN AN EVANGELISM THROUGH ADOPTION OUT OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

The non-attending and non-religious ought to think hard about allowing their tax money, through “Health and Human Services” to federally fund evangelism-by-adoption-and-social-services out of Grand Rapids Michigan, in this particular case.

(see my comments on last post, underneath “eralyn’s” comments, including pulling up the various nonprofit incorporations that have filed with the IRS.)

In responding, for some reason I looked up funding to the California Judicial Council. Probably not a good idea, after from there I saw “ADOPTION OPPORTUNITIES,” expanded the search field, and got an eyeful. Given what some of us have experienced by virtue of being Christian, I tend to look when a grantee contains the word “Christian” in its title, as did Bethany Christian Services out of Grand Rapids Michigan.

However, just like abuse of kids and spouses — it still goes on Under Cover. So let me pull back the covers on at least one. Again, this is just an accidental find, when I looked up an “Adoption Opportunities” grant series (CFDA 93652) without typing in a year OR state, recovered from my initial shock, and then picked one to look at, out of the 371 NEW grants (over 1600, if “noncompeting continuation” etc. is counted). I would think it wise to know who, in my state, was organizing such things.

IRS SEARCH FOR THE TAX-EXEMPT CORPORATION shows only the NATIONAL ONE in Grand Rapids, MI is listed

IRS exempt Corporations Search (pick one category to search). SEARCH FIELDS PAGE (I’ve checked “eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions)

“BETHANY” is a common religious name (if I searched on ‘Bethany Christian Services” it would pull up every YMCA in the country….), so I got all 397 results, alphabetized them by corporation name, and scanned the list.

Bethany Christian Services and ONLY two others out of the list are listed as exemption style, “GROUP.” Some others were listed “SOUNK” (supporting organization). As we can see, most of them are simply churches. The top row is the group I’m talking about:

38-1405282 Bethany Christian Services Inc. Grand Rapids MI United States GROUP

56-2667726 Bethany Church Box Springs GA United States PC
83-0412916 Bethany Church Bloomington MN United States PC
90-0411296 Bethany Church Los Angeles CA United States PC
95-1799940 Bethany Church Sierra Madre CA United States PC
20-1787458 Bethany Church Historical Foundation Highland IL United States PC
30-0182854 Bethany Church Inc. Rushville IL United States PC
56-1534693 Bethany Church Inc. Weddington NC United States PC
20-2124815 Bethany Church Incorporated Bowie MD United States PC
31-1116947 Bethany Church of Christ Foster KY United States PC
34-1181291 Bethany Church of Christ Lima OH United States PC
31-6032477 Bethany Church of Christ of Kettering Ohio Kettering OH United States PC
25-6065234 Bethany Church of Faith Export PA United States PC
93-6088396 Bethany Church of Franklin Oregon Junction City OR United States PC
23-7047083 Bethany Church of God in Christ Los Angeles CA United States PC
36-4624211 Bethany Church of God in Christ Avondale AZ United States PC
03-0179405 Bethany Church of Randolph Vt Randolph VT United States PC
48-0543734 Bethany College Lindsborg KS United States PC
55-0356985 Bethany College Bethany WV United States PC
55-0743341 Bethany College Cnt Tweedy Fd Wilson NC United States PC
48-1114249 Bethany College Endownment Fund Lindsborg KS United States SOUNK
55-6024420 Bethany College West Virginia Centennial Endowment Fund Wilson NC United States SOUNK
43-1832385 Bethany Community Betterment Organization Bethany MO United States PC
55-0489428 Bethany Community Cemetery Association Bethany WV United States EO
27-5026523 Bethany Community Church Millsboro DE United States PC
95-3349616 Bethany Community Church Long Beach CA United States PC
86-0339938 Bethany Community Church Inc. Tempe AZ United States PC
33-0568191 Bethany Community Church of San Pedro San Pedro CA United States PC
33-0665652 Bethany Community Church San Diego Incorporated San Diego CA United States PC
56-1389671 Bethany Community Fire Department Incorporated Albemarle NC United States PC
73-1102781 Bethany Community <Foundation Bethany OK United States SOUNK
56-2144157 Bethany Community Middle School Inc. Reidsville NC United States PC

(etc.)
The right-hand column shows what kind of tax-exempt: PC, SOUNK or GROUP:

“GROUP Generally, a central organization holding a group exemption letter, whose subordinate units covered by the group exemption are also eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, even though they are not separately listed.” How much is tax-deductible to such groups? “Depends on Various Factors” (the other two categoris — PC & “SOUNK” (supporting Organization) — one can deduct (write off) up to 50% of donations to such a group). You can see the “tax shelter of the wealthy” factor at play in charities, obviously….

What got my attention, when I saw “Adoption Services” and clicked on this name, there was $22 million of HHS grants. Looking at the grants, we can see the basic Marriage/Abstinence (plain and community-based), Relationship Education, plus helping victims of torture recover from trauma — plus things about (getting frozen embryos adopted out? You tell me??).

That one had all kinds of marriage-promotion grants, and my curiosity was off and running. So, let’s get right down to it, without all the intro about why I’m looking this up. It caught my attention, OK?

“BETHANY CHRISTIAN SERVICES” (a PO box in Kent Michigan) is in on this — and marriage education — AND abstinence education AND community-based Abstinence education — AND relationship education — AND a bunch of other stuff, like Healing for Survivors of Torture AND “embryo donation/adoption opportunities” (HUH?) — over $22 million of funds:

(FROM TAGGS.hhs.gov, where the HHS grants are searchable; to see the fuller scope, get on-line and look!)

For starters — the ones in “tan” color represent Healthy Marriage Demonstration Grants (close to $2.5 million) although certainly not the only Healthy Marriage ones, for Years, 2006 & 2010, plus one in 2009. One might want to know why one nonprofit in GRAND RAPIDS getting almost $23 million in grants — well, why IS it getting $23 million in grants, for one. For another, why does it need three different DUNS# for one location?

Really, a picture is worth a thousand words, particularly mine on this post, so I trust the curious will actually go to “TAGGS’ key in “recipient search” “Bethany Christian Services” (don’t specify year or state) and start clicking around. Search links aren’t saved.

Next — and this is what I saw — here’s a sample year (2008) of the types of grants the Grand Rapids one is getting. Only one grant below is from Iowa, all the others from Michigan. I picked specific fields — you can see under how many different CFDA’s and grant series, this ONE nonprofit (and it is ONE — Michigan is the National office) is getting grants. This only represents their grants in 2008 alone.

I looked up one of the investigators above: “Donna M. Abbott, Bethany Christian Services.”

Let’s Talk About: Adopting Embryos?

You tell me — “Embryos for Adoption”???

Yep, 61 Awards to a number of organizations to spread awareness of embryo donations…. Geezh!

I just looked them up, and feel somewhat ill (searched by typing in the first 5 letters of the grant# only.
Including the Principal Investigators in the search field, I found out we (that’s, the USA) has a “National Embryo Center,” a “Christian Legal Services” (Ronald L. Stoddart, life begins at conception, probably don’t abort- adopt!) out of (where else — Colorado).

That is another post. In honor of it being APRIL 1st, I think the title is, “You’ve GOT to be Kidding!” But, to the tune of millions, I assure you, they are not.

Yes, our government is paying Christian organizations (personhood begins at conception) millions of dolllars in an Public Awareness Campaigns for “Cryo Embryo Donation Adoptions,” which is to say, when infertility is treated, resulting in some “extras” — Christian compassion (and family focused church membership) are all into it.

Anyhow….re: Bethany Christian Services’ phenomenal commitment to getting kids into good, Christian homes… Who are they? How many states are they operational in, and how many properly registered as a corporation to do business in? Just how much government money is supporting this, and what exactly are the religious beliefs of the group?

Would it be better for public (HHS) money to go into getting more kids adopted, and then pumping fatherhood and marriage promotion money in, or would that marriage and fatherhood money have been better spent with actual, literal, help to individuals before kids are snatched into foster care initially? And why is the government pouring public money into private adoption agencies?

How are these same religious groups treating women, in general, (especially single mothers), in their ranks — are they accepted, or rejected? Are they anti-contraception? How do these same groups deal with violence (as in, domestic violence or child abuse in their own ranks? And if not very well, then why are they being helped to adopt out babies, esp. privately?

WHERE TO LOOK:

After locating a grantee, self-labeled “nonprofit” or 501(c)3 (and taking donations, one is interested in, it’s time to look, among other places– as a routine matter, at a few time-consuming, but relevant, things:

• Its IRS Tax-exempt Designation from the IRS site (Above, shows ONLY the main one is registered as OK to receive contributions. THis is significant when it gets HHS — but if one then goes to individual states and looks at the fililngs, those are NOT showing government grants. … They don’t have to. The grants are coming from the “mother ship” in Michigan. (I used that word just to be oppositional, as they are obviously emphasizing fatherhood…).

• Their EIN# filings (national) — for which states are they filing in. This shows a pattern.
  A tax return or so– this shows where money is coming from and going to, or it should, as well as who are the directors, and their highest paid employees, what are the programs they’re operating, and what kind of real estate, etc.

• State Corporation Filings (some states record better than others. California’s is lousy, other states give more detail. Some have begun to charge for the privilege of even looking, which is a crying shame…

• State Charitable Organization filings (in California, these show may interesting items)

• Articles of incorporation, if possible. I did. This is where it openly states that their purpose is evangelism, and no one gets on the board of directors without subscribing to the articles of faith. From what I can see of the first dozen or so board of directors listed, it’s primarily men (hardly surprising in this field, but it’s still a LITTLE rare among all the 990s I’ve looked at)….

• Some of its board members, street addresses, etc.

All those lookups are timeconsuming, a pain-in-the-ass, AND education. It builds an awareness of WTF is happening, at least on some levels. Particularly reading tax returns has been an eye-opener for me. Depending on one’s motivation level (and if a group is functioning, for example, in one’s own jurisdiction) — how about getting a hold of some of the government contracts.

(If some of my links (URLs) do not work, a link from a data search may have expired; or other times, it may have an extra “;” at the end of the URL; remove that “;” at the far-right (CTRL-rightArrow) of the address bar (top of screen), and try again.

Grand Rapids Michigan-based Federally Funded Evangelism shows in the Articles of Incorporation (re-stated);
This 24 pages should be read with care; obtained from California Charitable Organizations search, as it had to file as a foreign (i.e., Michigan-based) corporation to do business in California. California has three “Bethany Christian Services” corporations active — and from what I can tell, ALL of them are prospering (and filing properly); one of them is multi-million-dollar nonprofits.

This link is from one of THREE California-based “Bethany Christian Services”, only, but references the National Michigan not-for-profit. Here’s the state-level record. notice: one in 1981, and two more within a week of each other in 1990.

The Corporate numbers also (minus the “C”) can be keyed into the charitable search field, another database; those results will appear in sky-blue and white charts, with the corporation name a hyperlink opening up into a larger table. I have many examples in various posts on the blog.

(The link will expire; search again “Bethany Christian Services” at California’s charitable organization registry, clicking on one of the three organization names, and looking at the documents listed underneath all the amounts received, click on “Founding Articles.”) I looked at the first one. Perhaps a glance at some of the assets may pique your interest:

Read Left to Right first (for chrono), notice progression of assets to Revenue $$ by year.

{{BELOW THIS typically are links to the 990s, state RRFs, and other documents of interest. Sample only, here…which read here, and may read things like:}} Related Documents
00000551 CT-551
0004EF8B Founding Documents
0004EF8C RRF-1 2008}} (An RRF is usually 2 pages, or if government funding has been received, at least three, as the sources must be named. What’s interesting here — the RRFs show no government contributions. However, that’s misleading — because no doubt this organization receives help from the National one, which obviously does.
That was for just ONE of three incorporations in California (only) of this National Organization.

Somehow (except what happened in 2009?) while the price of commodities (like gas) are going up much faster than, say, wages — and we are constantly being harrangued about closing of courthouses, reduction of social services (including — of all things — WELFARE) and last I heard (in SF), the Housing Agency services — somehow nonprofits getting government fundint (which this one is — through its Home Office in Michigan) — are doing quite well overall — both in their ASSETS and in their REVENUES.

In 1990, Bethany Christian Services of Northern California (AND of Southern California) were also formed, and founding documents clearly focus on child placement, foster care, pregnancy counseling AND acquiring or renting real estate — AND providing residential services — for some of the same. It also is a stock corporation (1,000 shares). The focus is definitely, however, on child placement. Here’s a 2011 tax return, showing (2nd page) what they do. It is a smaller size operation..All its unpaid directors say they work “0.5 hours per week”….

Does the sponsorship of OUR tax funds (i.e., HHS grants) in combination with tax-exempt status, and contributions of churches (which are also more than tax exempt), have much to do with this? Who’s to know?

I’m struck by the (1982-83) boards of directors, a certain ethnic similarity back in Michigan: Last names: “Boss, Buist, DeJonge DeVries, Kloote, Koning, Lee, Mulder, Plekker, Vanden Bosch, (Rev. Duane) VanderBrug, Visscher…” It seems to me some other states (esp. California) are a little more ethnically diverse. Similar names go for the other states it was in at the time: California, Iowa, New Jersey, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee,…”

About Us
Who We Are

Bethany Christian Services is a global nonprofit organization caring for orphans and vulnerable children on five continents. Bethany is recognized as a prominent leader in social services worldwide, and we are the largest adoption agency in the U.S. Founded in 1944,** our mission calls us to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by protecting and enhancing the lives of children and families around the world.

Bethany Christian Service [sic*] is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

What We Do

Bethany is about kids in families. We serve children of all ages as we strive toward a world where every child has a loving family. Our services include family support and preservation, adoption, foster care, pregnancy counseling, training, refugee services, sponsorship, and infertility ministry. We are called to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ to vulnerable children around the world. 

Leadership

Bethany is blessed to serve you through our extensive national network of over 100 offices in more than 30 states and over 1,000 experienced professionals.

I see they also have a trademarked “SFFC” (Safe Families For Children) which isn’t foster care — but is described here. Allegedly the children hosted by other families are NOT victims of abuse or neglect; however situations in which they may host kids includes: domestic violence, and/or one incarcerated parent. They also advertise for foster care.

* [“sic”] — the name is plural on the IRS (Bethany Christian Services, Inc.) and from what I can tell on the multiple nonprofit filings producing 990s. Minor detail, but any time dealing with corporations + HHS, is time to pay attention to details. From what I can tell, there are MULTIPLE 501(c)3s — and state filings More, below.

**So, wars make orphans — so this is a World War II relief organization initially?

(please read the rest of the site, explore a bit to see “location” and “services.” Notice the website copyright at the bottom is “2013.” Not surprising — I saw $160K being put into software services on one tax return.
(note: the website redirects to a location-sensitive site if one is using a cell phone, tablet, etc. — based I guess on GPS).

The Leadership Profile of Bethany Christian Services shows, besides Calvin College (and a Wheaton graduate), the President (Blackquiere)’s former involvement in Michigan Social Services, and other expertise. There’s no question they’re very well organized. (please view). I also see a Brian DeVos and, curious whether this is some relative of the famous (and very politically active, conservative) Rick DeVos of Amway. I didn’t find out, however, this article quotes him, in reference to:

Musician Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter killed in accident

by Terry DeBoer | The Grand Rapids Press
Thursday May 22, 2008, 4:53 PM

Maria Sue Chapman was struck by a car driven by one of her teenage brothers, according to authorities in Franklin, Tenn., who added they believe no charges will result from what they termed “a tragic accident.”

The child died 10 days after her fifth birthday. Chapman’s manager, Jim Houser, also noted in a Web site posting the family had been hours away from hosting a high school graduation party for their son Caleb when the accident occurred.

Maria was the youngest of three Chinese girls the family had adopted, two of them [[WHICH TWO?]] through the the Nashville, Tenn., office of Bethany Christian Services. Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, also have three biological children — two teenage sons and a 21-year-old daughter.

“They are loving and wonderful parents and a great family — they must be devastated,” said Brian De Vos, manager of Michigan operations for Bethany Christian Services. “He’s been such an advocate for adoption — I know their commitment to kids.”

DeVos has known the Chapmans for eight years and worked with them on Shaohannah’s Hope, a foundation the couple named for one of their adopted daughters and established to help families through the often expensive adoption process. During Chapman’s most recent concert tour — which included a stop at Sunshine Community Church last September — the singer raised $340,000 for the foundation. While here, he awarded a grant of about $3,000 to a local family for adoption expenses.

He also has raised funds for construction of an orphanage in China for special-needs children who likely will never be adopted.

Chapman, 45, has sold more than 10 million albums, has had dozens of No. 1 Christian radio hits, and has won more than 50 Dove Awards — exceeding any other individual artist. Yet he would much rather talk about his family or his work with adoptions and orphans.

Of the three little girls in the photo, the one on the father’s lap is the one who was run over and killed in the driveway by one of the two teenaged boys. (His site “stevenchapman.com” has “BIO” and “ADOPT” right next to each other. The Chapmans and Adoption

Also see “Remembering Maria” and the story of her adoption, as a special needs child, and her short, five years of life with the Chapmans. Which boy did it is not mentioned….

[[Follow up on this reference — connects to an HHS grant series “90WX####” which has the ABA and the NACC (a select group of recipients) connecting Child Welfare Law (NACC project/$600K) to Adoption Opportunities; with many recipients not showing a DUNS# as they should (like, NACC’s grant should have). Shaohannah’s hope — a Steven Chapman foundation (Shaohannah being one of the other adoptees) — got an $180K grant from a certain McLean, Virginia Address — which (i.e., Virginia being right near our nation’s capitol) to even MORE “adoption groups out of the (exact same) street address with close Congressional Connectinos — in fact, one of them which lobbied for the passage of the acts of Congress which PSSF (Promote Safe and Stable Families) and, in short, encourage adopting more kids out of foster care, faster — plus international adoptions. These are interlaced closely with the fatherhood personnel (i.e., one of the groups had Wade Horn on its board). In short — that needs to become another post.., showing some of the networks “Bethany Christian Services” is actually hooked into. Like, for example, Congress…. And it’s doing this as an overtly religious nonprofit.]]

It would be irresponsible on my part not to report it; I have already discussed with a few (educated on these matters) friends:

########
Not the end of the story, however:
Women subjected to faith-based and fatherhood grants policies — including women that I KNOW — have been driven onto welfare, are fighting to keep their kids OUT of foster care improperly, and at times have been homeless. No mercy for these American women who abandoned the “Stand by your Man” song when that man was violent; they are strung out across the land in trauma and despised/marginalized by the religious institutions who STILL minimize abuse. No wonder certain Christian groups are much more interested in cute, adoptable children from across the globe (particularly in some very Caucasian neighborhoods, there is a love of Asian babies) who will not remind them of scripture from a different point of view: “Let love be without dissimulation” (hypocrisy//Romans 12).

Let the Religious Fund the Religious, 100% MINUS Special Tax-Exempt Privileges.

Let the REST of the Public Get Educated about What HHS (and government in general) DOES with the harvest of income tax, sales tax, investments on assets co-opted (things both given by consent and taken by graft) from the public — and keep it on a tighter leash. NO MORE FUNDING EVANGELIST (OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF RELIGION, INCLUDING “NEW AGE”) CAUSES IN THE NAME OF “CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.”

At some point in time, the religious exemption for organizations needs to be revised — and become a regular nonprofit status. After that, the nonprofit status should probably also be eradicated — it is simply creating a caste system of those who form nonprofits — and those who do not. The money trail is muddied through these organizations (intentionally so), and the groups which have MOST (from what I can tell) taken advantage of this are our leaders themselves — lawyers, judges, psychiatrists & psychologists dealing with the courts (AFCC sorts) — and the religious leaders throughout the land. Anyone have a grasp of what kind of political clout that represents?

It was bad enough before 2001 (Stolen Election, George W. Bush, Faith-based), Obama didn’t reverse the same faith-based office, just gave it his own brand. The office was inappropriate — it was established by Executive Order from a family line with clear ties to profiting from war, not to mention racism/Eugenics movement!!

(A New Year’s Eve (almost) post on “The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood” (nonprofit) — see “Dr. Randall Turner” linkedin and activities, i.e., child and family therapist, when not working for National Fatherhood Initiative or helping treat sex offenders returning from prison. More on Saddleback on the same post).

Or see comments from “eralyn” on the bottom of my last post, and her experience with having a (fake) pastor go help fetch her ex-batterer (who was carried away from the home via SWAT team) get back on his feat and start terrorizing the family (daughter never knew her Dad), supervised visitation trauma, etc. (I’ve seen the prison and some other records on that one, or wouldn’t reference it). These are women who have enough self-respect to vacate these institutions on the basis to what they have done to our families, personally — and to the class of women as a whole. The women who continue to stay and support them, do not help the safety factor, or the accountability factor — at all. Again, I suffered for years in a violent marriage with small children, and had I not finally found a group that helped me file a restraining order (or learn that they existed!!), we’d probably be all, or most of us, dead by now. After learning my rights, I continue to be amazed at how this happened, and is still happening.

So, the expansion and evangelism is going to have to overcome the “bad reputation” (well-deserved) and track record. AS IT TURNS OUT — Evangelism by Adoption (all over the world) seems a very attractive alternative… Infants are a little less resistant to indoctrination…. and of course (forget the track record), this from compassion — and not a need to swell the ranks of the various churches involved in it, and definitely not for tax write-offs, or anything financially improper.

SUMMARY

Time to re-evaluate the wisdom ofgiving our government money UP FRONT through wages (income tax) and contributions to a government-managed pension plan. We REALLY need to get a hold of this Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) material ($8 Trillion Surplus in California Characterized as a Deficit; i.e., economic fraud//Carl Herman, 6/2012 article), digest it, and quit just kneeling down at the altar of more taxation while the government pays the professional (and religious) classes to keep the po’ folk in line, claiming the real problem is the po’ folk – -and not the government/religious thieves!

Plus the social security based auction block, that’s willing to pay OUR million$ to organizations (staffed by attorneys, no less) SELLING frozen embryos to help build church membership, while in the same breath, the same organizations, won’t give grown-up women, and mothers, the time of day when they come reporting abuse, fleeing abuse, or demanding that the corporation either start complying with the law (as mandated reporters), or forfeit their special tax status — and of course, our support.

There needs to be a serious shift in consciousness. I hope this can be done by peaceful means, and soon, but it has to be done. Meanwhile, some of us who’ve already undergone this, will continue speaking and preaching to the issues. These are life and death matters, and they cut to the very core of what we are doing, every day, at work, and (as the shoe fits) in compliance with religious organizations.