Preaching the GOP gospel?

Church & State, Sep 2003 by Conn, Joseph L

Observes Myers, "I can't imagine that all these admiring politicians have looked deeply into the cost-effectiveness of the learning center they are holding up as a model for the nation."

Many African-American members of Congress have also criticized the president's faith-based initiative and his spending priorities. They charge that the White House is trying to cut many social service programs. That means more and more applicants are being invited to apply for a smaller and smaller pool of money. They also note that religious groups can already participate in many federal programs by complying with the same rules as other groups. The only major difference in Bush's proposal is that publicly funded church-run programs would be allowed to discriminate in hiring staff, a major roll-back of civil rights law.

On the same day in July that Bush met with black clergy, members of the Congressional Black Caucus held a press conference to criticize the White House's funding moves and its faith-based agenda. The focus was administration-backed provisions in a House bill that shift some Head Start programs to state control and allow church-run Head Start centers to hire and fire employees on religious grounds.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the CBC, said, "We can't afford to let our children down." His concerns were echoed by Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who has helped lead congressional opposition to the faith-based scheme.

Scott notes that religiously based hiring policies at publicly funded social service programs can easily become de facto race-based policies.

"If there is discrimination based on religion," he says, "there can effectively be discrimination based on race. Sunday at 11 a.m. is still the most segregated hour in America. Churches can discriminate with their own money, but not with federal taxpayers' money."

Critics also note that long-established and widely respected programs may lose federal support as the administration shifts funds to favored faith-based and community agencies.

Despite such concerns, Bush's faith-based initiative is lumbering forward. Congress has refused to pass faith-based legislation, but the administration is pushing ahead on other fronts. Here are four recent examples:

* Drug Czar John P. Walters in July announced a "partnership" with faith communities to educate youth about substance abuse. Representatives of mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish and Muslim groups appeared with Walters at a National Press Club event to tout the initiative. Sayyid Syeed of the Islamic Society of North America said his organization is "very proud to be part of this jihad on drugs and alcohol in America."

* HHS Secretary Thompson in July announced $15.2 million in new grants to support abstinence education for teens. Catholic Charities of Honolulu landed $735,032, while Metro Atlanta Youth for Christ received $363,936. Centers for Disease Control director Julie Gerberding presented the evangelical group with its check.