http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLibertylist.cfm?c=37
I see every reason to exclude religious organizations from funding if they intend to discriminate in their hiring practices.
Bush to Divert Funds to Church Groups
by pettygrudger 21 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Black Man
If the WTS decide they want to get in on these funds, who wants to bet that they'll try to convince peeps that the door-to-door/bible study work is a social service that should thus benefit from satan's........oops I mean federal dollars?
-
jelly
I am a bush supporter but I am not a schrill. I dont agree with this. Let the churches build their own buildings.
Terry
-
Yerusalyim
I ENTIRELY support this. Why discriminate against religions from using tax dollars to do more efficiently what private sector organizations are already doing.
Ya'll are losing me on this one. What's your beef? These funds have been used by private sector organizations in the exact same way, building "admin centers" along with shelters for the homeless. Religious organizations have done a lot better with less money than most of the sectarian organizations. I say GIVE EM THE MONEY and lets take care of the poor GEEZ already.
-
pettygrudger
Yeru - if you can't see the problem with the separation of church & state issue I feel sorry for you.
As I said - who will monitor that these buildings are being used for the "secular" purposes for which they are created? Who will monitor that the charity being done is being administered without God attached? Who will monitor that religion is not imposed on all persons to which charity is being ministered to?
Did you not notice that the money is coming from funds already directed towards helping the poor - WITHOUT GOD ATTACHED? For you not to see the problem with this, really makes me shake my head here.
-
Yerusalyim
CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RELIGION OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THERE OF.
Doing this neither establishes a state religion nor infringes upon the free exercise thereof. I thought helping the poor was the point of this money. Let the ones who do it best do so. Who will watch? THE ACLU (American Communist Liberal Union)
-
NameWithheld
Who wants to bet that if this program flies that the WTBTS will 'suddenly' get 'new light' about charitable work?
-
pettygrudger
Yeru - I don't want my tax dollars funding your churches next bingo hall that incidently works a soup kitchen maybe a couple of times a year.
And on a side note, I truly believe this will also work against churches, as the regular members won't feel the true need for donations to keep their community afloat. Also, one of the good things that comes from an individual churches "charity" work is that it is just that - charity work on a volunteer basis. Any souls that make use of this will know that it is out of the kindness of the members hearts - NOT just a payout by the government. If you were one of those "poor" ones - wouldn't that tell you something about the persons you're dealing with?
By doing this, this gives the government is setting the stage to set themselves smack dab in the middle of religion, don't tell me this is a good thing!
-
Yerusalyim
Petty,
If ya don't like it have the ACLU challenge it in court.
-
BONEZZ
This will be the next WTBS scam. I've been following this for some time. The "Faith Based Intiatives" are already in place. Bush signed an Executive Order after they were stalled in Congress. If you go right now to any of the Federal sites such as HUD, Education, etc....type in "Faith Based Initiative" ...you will see it's already in place. I have been trying to get ahold of a list of those churches/religions that have asked for funds. Have not got a definitive answer yet. I firmly believe that WTBS will have their greedy hands out...of course using the fact that they are furthering an educational program worldwide. Think about it...wasn't it just recently that they "gave away free" the special Awake issue for single parent families. What other organization has the sales team that the WTBS has? What better way to set themselves up for some of the money from the trough?!
-BONEZZ