Comments on: Obama says faith-based is okay if it isn't entirely based in faith

By: Nick R

Nick R — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:21:50 +0000

Warren,
Why should my taxes be used to discriminate against me?
Thank you for explaining.

By: Norm!

Norm! — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:53:15 +0000

Sen. Obama’s proposal makes sense to me. Taxpayer money should not go to organizations with discriminatory hiring practices or to covertly supplement religious leaders’ income (i.e. requiring taxpayer-funded ministries’ managers to be clergy).
That said, I think this issue could be a major blunder for Obama. This issue could give McCain an opportunity to connect with evangelical/fundamentalists. McSame seems to support Bush Jr.’s view that religious fundamentalists should have the right to use taxpayer funds to discriminate against non-believing employees.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:45:35 +0000

From the NYT article cited:

“If you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them — or against the people you hire — on the basis of their religion,” Mr. Obama said. “Federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples and mosques can only be used on secular programs.”

Yeah, I think you have got the basic message right. This is a much better application of faith based initiatives than Bush II. On the governmental side there should be a separation of church and state (by design, from our founding documents). On the church side there is an incentive to maintain the division between a federally funded program and church function because there should be no compromising the message of faith.