Federal Funds For Abstinence Group Withheld

[BR_Parkway]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082201230.html

Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services ordered the group to submit a "corrective action plan" if it hopes to receive an expected $75,000 grant this year.

In a letter to the program director, Harry Wilson, associate commissioner of the Family and Youth Services Bureau, concluded that the project funded with federal dollars "includes both secular and religious components that are not adequately safeguarded."

<snip>

"Any religious teaching that goes on is separate in time and place from what the government is funding," said Joel Oster, senior litigation counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the Silver Ring Thing. "They offer a religious program and they offer a secular program; kids can choose which one they want to go to."

In an advertisement on its Web site for a set of educational materials on DVD, Silver Ring Thing promises: "A secular program is also in development."

Shocked, I can't tell you how surprised I am that they would do this
(where the hell do I find that Sarcasm smiley?)

[TwilightZone]

1. Here you go:

:sarcasm:

It's close to the bottom of the smilies lookup table. Or you can type it as : sarcasm : (without the spaces)

So, in other words, they lied. They claimed to have both programs, but the secular program is "in development."

How nice.

[louis-t]

2. "not adequately safeguarded"

nor funded, who'd a thunk it?

[tanyev]

3. Ooooh, will that make the fundies howl?

George is not making anybody happy these days, is he?