Role of faith-based organizations in
social services is in the news again
[12-21-00]
Debate
continues on Bush proposal to use religious groups to provide social
services with government funding [1-26-01]
President-elect George W. Bush met on Wednesday (Dec.
20, 2000) with some 30 representatives of various religious groups, to
discuss his ideas about using religious organizations to administer
programs for the poor, using government money to strengthen their
efforts.
A report from the Cox News Service highlights the
differing opinions on this approach to compensating for the reductions
that have been made over the last few years in federal aid programs for
the poor. While some groups give their hearty support to this idea
(including the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty in
Grand Rapids, Mich., which helped to develop of Bush's proposal), others
expressed concern at the breaking of the separation between church and
state.
One such view came from Carter Echols, executive
director of Call to Renewal, a multidenominational nonprofit group that
addresses poverty and social injustice issues. Echols was quoted as
saying, ''There have been times in the past where relying on faith-based
groups is a way for government not to do its fair share.''
Click
here for the full story.
A
New York Times report on the Austin meeting records more
of the discussions at the meeting itself, along with comments by people
such as Jim Wallis of Call to Renewal, an ecumenical coalition that
focuses on poverty issues, and the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, executive
director of the Interfaith Alliance.
Witherspooner Gene TeSelle wrote some time ago
about this issue. Click here
for his comments and links to other background material.
