President Obama…[Thursday] announced the creation of his faith-based outreach office, expanding its agenda beyond funding social programs to work on policies aimed at strengthening family life and reducing abortion.
Obama’s office leaves in place rules that allow faith-based groups receiving federal funding to hire only people of their own faith, but White House aides said the hiring rules would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis when there are complaints and that the Justice Department will provide legal assistance.
Obama’s move more fully formalizes the partnerships between the federal government and faith groups that first began under President Bill Clinton and was expanded by President George W. Bush. But where Bush used the faith office primarily for funding programs — drawing criticism that he was mainly assisting his political supporters — Obama said he wants to use the office for policy guidance, as well.
Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Hilton Washington yesterday, Obama said the goal of the initiative “will not be to favor one religious group over another — or even religious groups over secular groups. It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line our Founders wisely drew between church and state.”
As one whose institution benefitted from the Bush Administration faith-based initiative, I say “Beware” and “Read the fine print.” Government is moving into many areas of American society, and along with government aid comes government regulation.
[blockquote]Obama’s office leaves in place rules that allow faith-based groups receiving federal funding to hire only people of their own faith, but White House aides said the hiring rules would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis when there are complaints and that the Justice Department will provide legal assistance.[/blockquote]
This would make me [i][b]very[/b][/i] nervous if I were such a group. Nevertheless, I hope he is successful in incorporating these groups.
[blockquote]Obama said he wants to use the office for policy guidance, as well.[/blockquote]What does this mean?
Katherine —
It means, as pointed out above, that Mr. Obama wants to expand the reach of government into all spheres of our civil life. Mr. Obama (and the democrats) live by this theory: there is little or no room for institutions which are not controlled by government. Government is all powerful, and, to the extent that other institutions of civil society exist, they exist at the sufferance of government.
It’s time for me to re-read Burke and de Toqueville, although it will be small comfort.
And where, may I ask, is the Democrat opposition to anything involving faith being funded by the Government? It seems to me that they were all over Bush for this. Yet for Obama — not a peep???