Faith Based Initiatives
Faith Based Initiatives:
After reviewing several historical documents and cases based
on the Separation of Church and State issues stated earlier, it brings a very
controversial question upon the constitutionality of the Faith Based
Initiatives that were introduced by President George W. Bush in two executive
orders in 2002. The policy he established would allow “faith-based” groups to
receive federal and state grant money to fund certain social programs in a
localized setting to better reach the impoverished and needy families of their
community. At first glance this would seem like a great idea, but after further
study, this policy has many areas for confusion and corruption.
First let us look at the confusion this policy creates. 1)
America is home to a wide diversity of religious and non-religious peoples,
some are more extreme in theology than others and when taxpayers are forced to
give their money to an institution they already do not trust and can barely
handle the responsibility of debt and other responsibilities, why should people
trust this very government to dole out grants to cunning and crafty religious
organizations with little accountability and record of their success or failure
report to the public that funds these grants. 2) When a FBI receives this
money, they enter into a contract with the government that must uphold job
discrimination issues and further puts the control of a religion in the hands
of government. 3) Although it was
interesting to see so many different religious leaders come together and
discuss policies relating to the poor and needy, putting a heavy tax burden on
the people, controlled by the federal government to support all religions, and
then for this policy to create more bureaucracy in Congress to form committees
to oversee the distributions of these funds seems rather counterproductive and
is not supported by the Constitution. We should have learned by now how
important it is to make sound, stable policies that can withstand the test of
time and can be secured from one administration to the next and not be breeding
grounds for countless judiciary atrocities.
Second is the level of corruption this political entity
creates. Several churches and religious groups have applied and received
millions of dollars from our government to support jails, community safe houses
and single-parent support groups and other noble social interest programs;
however, this money has been used to secure votes from the supporters who
received these special funds and is not clearly a benefit to those who are
forced to attend for fear of losing the basic necessities from these
organizations. Furthermore, Americans have no decisions or choice of the matter
should Congress vote to send billions of dollars to other countries to build
Mosques or other religious programs and ministries used to coerce citizens in
joining their organization. We must be very careful that any political party cannot
use grants as a means of coercing entire religions or vise versa.
Let me be very clear, America has a chance to a hopeful and
brighter future based on true liberty and freedom. We can support philanthropic
organizations but must safeguard America from becoming theocratic cults who proselytize
those of different beliefs. And that door swings both ways. We need to be
mature in policy making, but as citizens, we need to grow up and not be so thin
skinned and offended by those of other beliefs. We can encourage faiths of all
types by allowing them more freedom to enter into commerce to raise necessary
funds for their goals, this would eliminate their dependence on 501c3 contract
and as stated in the Constitution they are already a non-taxable institution
and that should be reinforced through allowing them the ability to openly
discuss governmental policy where ever and whenever they see fit. Congress has no responsibility to take
money from one hand to feed another based on a person’s religious prerogative
but instead should encourage and defend any group to reach out to their
community and help those in the local community. The States should be given every opportunity to work with
religious and non-religious leaders to address this issue and as long as
taxpayers or grants are not involved, innovative and simple solutions can be
obtained.
This stand on Faith-Based Initiatives is in no way shape or
form to be misinterpreted as being non-Christian or non supportive of religious
organizations, but instead to eliminate the control and leverage the Federal
government has on the taxpaying citizens that if given their choice could make
better use of their money in their own community to the organization of their
choice and remove the bureaucracy of having to create more government paid
officials that would be better left to the people. If we allow the state and
federal government to enter into contracts with religious organizations without
the peoples discretion, then the government can use these doles as a means to solicit
votes, create a mountain of litigations on our court system, and as more
community leaders see a way to receive these grants it would create more titles
of “religions” just to be eligible to receive these grants.
America is not a country of one religion, but a country that
owes her freedom, prosperity and future to Almighty God.
[GREAT]
