Losing Faith: Congress May Investigate ‘Faith-Based’ Initiative

[Ian David]

December 15, 2006
Losing Faith: Congress May Investigate ‘Faith-Based’ Initiative

President George W. Bush’s “faith-based” initiative may be headed for some long overdue scrutiny from the U.S. Congress.

The Boston Globe reported recently that two leading Democrats who sit on the House of Representative’s International Relations Committee say they want to investigate the initiative to determine whether taxpayer funds are being used to reward Bush allies in the conservative Christian camp and if the initiative is being used for proselytism.

U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and William D. Delahunt (D-Mass.) say they are especially interested in how faith-based money is being spent on foreign-aid programs that allegedly have the goal of combating the spread of AIDS overseas.

The Globe reported that “Bush has doubled the percentage of US foreign aid dollars going to faith-based groups and…systematically eliminated or weakened rules designed to enforce the separation of church and state. As a result, some faith-based providers attempted to recruit members immediately before or after providing government services, and others favored Christians over Muslims.”

Lee told the newspaper, “When you look at what has been exposed and revealed, I think we have a factual basis to move forward with this.”

More:
http://blog.au.org/2006/12/losing_faith_co.html

[BOSSHOG]

1. Tax money to support "faith based" anything is Unamerican,

unconstitutional and just a ploy by religious zealots to undermine our democracy. If zealots respected the constitution as much as they do the bible our country would be stronger, wiser and richer for it.

[TlalocW]

2. Hell, just investigate them to see if they're living up to their responsibilities

and are using resources wisely. I can guarantee that the answers will be no. Once that's found out, cut them off the government teat.

TlalocW

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord!

Now, let's have some serious separation of Church and State.

Amen.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. rAMEN!

Pass the loot. . . back to the taxpayer.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. two words

A B O U T
T I M E

(I am tempted to add a gratuitous "ASSHOLES" to this, but my count would be off)

[NMMNG]

6. The whole program should be disbanded

Taxpayer money should not be going to religious programs, particularly considering all of the disparities between them and secualar service providers.

[blondeatlast]

7. Amen and Hallelujah!

Says this pro-separation Christian!

Somehow I doubt Christ would be working through the Office of Homeland Security anyway...

[annabanana]

8. They are going to squeal like stuck pigs...

"Help help! I'm being oppressed"