Faith Based Government
A discussion of 'faith-based' initiatives, by a concerned Christian.
I love supporting crises pregnancy centers and other charities that promote abstinence and counsel women against having abortions. I donate to them regularly. But I don't see any provision in the U.S. Constitution that gives the president of the United States the right to direct billions of dollars of taxpayer money (our money) to the charities of his choice.
Perhaps the most frustrating fact about this faith-based fleecing of American taxpayers is that the gate-keepers of much of this government pork are the very organizations and individuals who sought to de-fund leftist groups during the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations.
I love supporting crises pregnancy centers and other charities that promote abstinence and counsel women against having abortions. I donate to them regularly. But I don't see any provision in the U.S. Constitution that gives the president of the United States the right to direct billions of dollars of taxpayer money (our money) to the charities of his choice.
Perhaps the most frustrating fact about this faith-based fleecing of American taxpayers is that the gate-keepers of much of this government pork are the very organizations and individuals who sought to de-fund leftist groups during the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations.
posted by Management at 2:24 PM
1 Comments:
'Faith-based' ... in big government
The religious right feeds at the federal trough
Guest View
Matt Chancey
Special to The Augusta Free Press
OK, here goes. I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but I don't care. As a card-carrying member of the Christian Right, it is my responsibility to be an unbiased critic when my friends go off reservation.
With that caveat, allow me to express my shock at the conservative pundits who are attacking fellow commentators Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher for accepting $240,000 and $41,000, respectively, in bribe money from the Bush administration to support White House programs on education and marriage. Such criticism represents the height of hypocrisy.
A couple months ago, it was reported that the Bush administration, through its Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, has doled out millions of dollars to conservative Christian organizations. Pat Robertson received $1.5 million. Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship Ministries was one of four groups selected to receive a $22.5 million grant. Catholic Relief Services, World Vision and the Salvation Army have all received pork from Uncle Sam; and Campus Crusade for Christ, Samaritan's Purse (Billy Graham's son's ministry) and other evangelical organizations have applied for access to the government trough.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love supporting crises pregnancy centers and other charities that promote abstinence and counsel women against having abortions. I donate to them regularly. But I don't see any provision in the U.S. Constitution that gives the president of the United States the right to direct billions of dollars of taxpayer money (our money) to the charities of his choice.
Perhaps the most frustrating fact about this faith-based fleecing of American taxpayers is that the gate-keepers of much of this government pork are the very organizations and individuals who sought to de-fund leftist groups during the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations.
A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that the Bush administration hired independent experts to review grant applications for one of its abstinence programs. Reading the list of grant reviewers is like reading off a list of who’s who in the Religious Right. Summit Ministries, Turning Point, the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, the Christian Coalition, the Traditional Values Coalition and Paul Weyrich's Free Congress Foundation are all gate-keepers in President Bush's faith-based welfare program.
So why are conservatives angry at Armstrong Williams for accepting a $240,000 bribe? If you ask me, Armstrong sold himself cheap. Chuck Colson and Pat Robertson received millions to keep their mouths shut. You didn't catch these men criticizing the Bush administration during the fall of 2004 for his drunken-sailor spending binge during his first term of office. The simple, undeniable fact is that President Bush has grown the size of the federal government to levels of which President Clinton never dreamed. Yet we hear nothing but crickets chirping from many leaders of the Religious Right. And why shouldn't we? Why should these conservatives bite the hand that feeds them?
The operating philosophy of conservative groups should not be "Big Government is only bad when we don't control it." The bedrock principle of conservatives - especially Christian conservatives - is that government is not God. Big Government, no matter who is in control, is always, always, always BAD.
Christian conservative organizations fighting for so-called "individual liberty and personal responsibility" disgrace their charters by taking welfare from the Bush administration. Paul Weyrich, Chuck Colson, Pat Robertson, Beverly LaHaye, Lou Sheldon and Franklin Graham have all read the Constitution and should know better. Government money always comes with strings attached. The most obvious string evident in the faith-based funding farce is a general gag order on critical statements against the Bush administration.
Love of country and commitment to principle should animate conservative leaders to boldly challenge any reckless, unconstitutional or just plain stupid policies coming from the Bush administration (or any administration, for that matter). If they really care about their president, Christian conservative leaders will confront him when he goes off reservation. They should stop accepting government hush money and start demanding lower taxes, lower spending, smaller government, less regulation and constitutional budgets. Fidelity to their principles requires nothing less.
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