The Faith-Based Erosion of the U.S. Government Continues
The Bush administration continues the push to move federal funds into the hands of religious organizations, now weighing in at the state level. I continue to be resolutely opposed to this. Yes, many of these organizations do effective, humanitarian work, but I insist that they do not warrant federal or state funding.
These charitable organizations, if they are effective, should draw solely upon private contributions including those - in cash or volunteers - from those people they've helped. Giving federal funds to organizations that, no matter how much they insist they aren't proselytyzing, is a de facto promotion of those faiths; they will preach to those who come to them, more and more as time goes on, eventually claiming that that is a vital component of their therapy. In the meantime the religious groups running these facilities will have more of their own private contributions freed up to spend on prmoting their faith. Oh, they'll keep the books separate, but if they weren't receiving the state funds they'd have to choose between one mission and the other.
Further, it's an attempt to absolve the government of its obligation (at least according to the social contract many of us believe is or should be in place) to provide a safety net for its citizens.
Allowing religious-/faith-based organizations to have these funds is just the first step.
A few years down the road - if not sooner - there will come a time when people will attempt to do an audit of these organiztions' costs, efforts and effectiveness versus those of increasingly ill-funded state and federal government programs, which (largely because these faith-based organizations call upon a substantial number of volunteers, as opposed to a government-run organization with civil service employees) will result in a specious cost accounting justification for giving more funds to the faith-based groups and less to the seemingly less efficient, non-faith-based state and federal programs. Then, it will grow outward from there, from drug, alcohol and other recovery-directed programs to economic recovery programs, as Welfare programs will become the next target.
Can't you hear it already? "God-fearing people make better citizens and employees?" If this path is permitted to persist and broaden, there will come a time when those in need will be virtually required to bend knee and mouth prayers if they want any help. A mindset will be fostered where to seek help and refuse to accept Jesus or some "higher power" into one's life will become like committing one's self to a psychiatric institution and refusing medication. It will become virtually unheard of as an option.
(Thanks, Tammy, for passing this one along.)
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