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| Interfaith leaders expressed renewed
concerns about Bush's "faith-based initiatives"
Potential beneficiary of proposed program tells
House panel about conversions and "completed Jews"
[A media release from Equal Partners in Faith]
Washington DC - June 2, 2001 - Leaders of Equal
Partners in Faith, a national multi-racial and multi-faith network of
progressive people of faith, today expressed renewed concerns about
President Bush's efforts to give tax-payer money directly to religious
groups and organizations that provide social services.
The renewed concerns came as a result of comments by John Castellani,
executive director of Teen Challenge International, one of President
Bush's favorite faith-based organizations. During testimony before the
House Government Reform subcommittee, which was investigating the
effectiveness of religiously provided social services, Castenelli
reported that his organization has converted Jews to Christianity,
thereby making them--in his words--"completed Jews."
After his congressional testimony, in which he also stated that his
organization does not hire non-Christians, Castellani attempted to
clarify his remarks about "completed Jews." "In a sense,
it's a complement," he told reporters. "They're not a
Christian, they're still Jewish. They've just found another part of
themselves."
"These statements on the part of Teen Challenge clearly illustrate
that Bush 's faith-based initiatives will actually fund religious
intolerance, proselytizing and discrimination," said Rev. Meg
Riley, Director of the Unitarian Universalist Washington Office for
Faith in Action and the Co-Chair of Equal Partners in Faith.
"Conservative religious organizations can proselytize and
discriminate if they want to, but they have no business receiving
government money to subsidize their efforts."
EPF Co-Chair and Managing Director Leslie Watson agreed with this
assessment. "It is truly a shame that the leader of President
Bush's favorite faith-based organization has such a disrespectful view
of Jewish people of faith and their religion. It is even more shameful
that President Bush wants to fund such an organization with tax-payer's
money."
 | Equal Partners in Faith is a multi-racial national
network of religious leaders and people of faith committed to
equality and diversity. Our diverse faith traditions and shared
religious values lead us to affirm and defend the equality of all
people, regardless of religion, race, ability, gender, sexual
orientation or gender identity. As people of faith, we actively
oppose the manipulation of religion to promote exclusion and
inequality. Please join us and help us promote a more inclusive
vision for religion and society. |
Equal Partners in Faith
2026 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-4672 ext. 14
(202) 296-4673 fax
email: epf@voicenet.com
http://www.us.net/epf
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An index of
our reports
from
BECOMING NEIGHBORS:
An Invitation
to Global Discipleship
A Witherspoon conference
on global mission and justice
September 16 - 19, 2007
Louisville, Kentucky |
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Check out our report from the
Conference
on
Terror, Torture,
and Security |
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