Friday, March 29, 2024

Bushs charity could lead to religion-based discrimination

President Bush’s plan to allow faith-based programs to be federally funded opens the door to discrimination against a variety of religious groups.

On Monday, Bush signed two executive orders establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He also signed an order he said would help get rid of barriers “that make private groups hesitate to work with the government.”

He gave directions to the Justice, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services and Labor and Education departments to open faith-based centers within 45 days to help eliminate obstacles to faith-based participation in providing social services.

Bush’s plan also includes extending tax deductions of charitable donations to all taxpayers.

The president was expected to offer legislation to Congress on Tuesday to further his initiative.

To allow religious groups to receive government funds is a direct violation of the separation of church and state doctrine that our country was founded on. Charities should be supported, but it is not the government’s place to fund religion or religious agendas.

While charity is a key aspect of many religions, charity is not necessarily faith-based. Bush’s agenda allows the federal government to establish an unbreakable connection between charity and religion, discounting the charitable actions of those not affiliated with a religion.

This agenda allows too much opportunity for discrimination. While Muslims, Jews, Catholics and many other Christian leaders were present at Bush’s signing of executive orders, many groups were left out. Only two of the groups present were of non-Christian faiths. The absence of members of Hinduism, Buddhism, the Church of Scientology, Native American religions and many other faiths seems to foreshadow possible discrimination against those groups in the future of this agenda.

No group will be hurt if this initiative does not pass. Under current law, religious organizations are required to create separate groups that do not discriminate in hiring practices or promote religion to seek government funding, but are not denied funding.

The state of Texas is being sued because it gave $8,000 to the Jobs Partnership of Washington County, a program that required participants to study the Bible and taught participants “to find employment through a relationship with Jesus Christ.” One-third of the program’s participants said they were pressured to join a church or change their beliefs.

The beliefs of all people should always be respected. This agenda gives funds to faith-based groups with no regulation of hiring practices or the advance of religious agendas. Situations similar to the one in Texas could occur throughout the country under this plan.

Bush’s agenda leaves too much room for discrimination against the many faiths in this country. While no one will be hurt if this initiative does not pass, many groups stand to face discrimination if it does pass.

Our country was founded on the principle of the separation of church and state, and our leaders should not propose legislation to close the gap between those institutions.

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