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Obama Bests Bush, Clinton on Faith-Based Government Funding

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Cool page.

low cost links of AL 8:16AM May 07, 2010

+1

soundtracks of AL 5:21AM July 17, 2009

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eldanseabo of 12:30PM July 05, 2009

bonnie's first draft of this story: the bush administration abandoned any pretense of an objective guideline for faith based funding, instead admitting that it will simply make decisions on a case-by-case basis. In effect, this decision gives Bush an unholy power over federal funding of...
oh wait, this is obama... new headline: "praise be to obama... courage... brilliant...
who reads this author? oh, right, readers who want to convince themselves that they too are smarter than the governor of alaska.

John G. of IL 6:11AM February 08, 2009

Last year, I had occasion to witness some of these "faith-based initiatives" in action, at a conference promoting healthy marriages. I was exhibiting my new book, on how Adult ADHD affects relationships. And boy was I surprised to see that mine was the only offering that addressed the role that unrecognized and untreated brain conditions play in troubled relationships and families.
I was aghast at the redundancy and the lack of substance behind so many of the programs designed promote healthy marriages and families. Moreover, many of the state representatives for these programs said they were flush with cash! The exhibit hall was absolutely toxic with the smell of expensive, four-color printed materials.
What's really troubling about these programs duplicating each other's efforts many times over is the implication that "communication skills" and "committing to marriage" or "committing to fatherhood" will take the place of legitimate, evidence-based strategies.
Faith-based groups have their place. But nothing is going to obviate the need for community mental health centers where qualified mental health professionals can treat these disorders as well as honest-to-goodness jobs.
Talk about passing the buck.
Gina Pera
http://www.ADHDRollerCoaster.org

Gina Pera of CA 9:52PM February 06, 2009

What’s curious then is that among the fifteen leaders who have been named to the new Advisory Council, only Rabbi David Saperstein from the Union for Reform Judaism is an outspoken supporter of women's reproductive choice, although several of the named persons are vocal anti-choice supporters. Given the President's public commitments and the published White House, the lack of denomination and religious organization leaders who are known to be supporters of these issues and who have expertise working on them is troubling and disappointing. It’s also deeply troubling that only one of the council members is a woman religious leader, that only one third are women, and that none are out gay and lesbian religious or secular leaders.
The last is particularly concerning because the President in establishing the office left in place a Bush executive order that s specifically authorizes religion-based employment discrimination in publicly funded programs, what seems like a reversal of candidate Obama’s strong statement in July: “if you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them or against the people you hire on the basis of their religion.”
http://debrahaffner.blogspot.com

Religious Institute of CT 11:20AM February 06, 2009

Government should steer clear of religion. I just wish Obama, the courts, schools, the media, government bureaucrats and politicians felt the same way about the religion of "Environmentalism". It's nothing more than neo-pantheism and it has become the new State Religion.... No, even beyond that, it has become the world's religion. Yes the truth the worlds religion but i think bonnie is ok with that kind of religion!!!!

R wallace of MI 8:45PM February 05, 2009

This won't work, because funds are fungible. Religious organizations can funnel taxpayer monies to proselytizing efforts yet claim they are not doing so, and no one can prove them wrong.
For a similar example, consider Citigroup's $20 million/year stadium naming expenditure, and their insistence that none of the TARP monies they received are being used for the stadium naming.
I agree with "Larry of CA" and his "The whole program needs to be cut" comment.

Curtis Jackson of CA 6:48PM February 05, 2009

If these organizations are important there will be plenty of donations to fund them. The Federal governemnt should not be funding any organization like this.
Bonnie you are one sad cheerleader -- You go, guy!
Give me a break.

Larry of CA 5:39PM February 05, 2009

Government should steer clear of religion. I just wish Obama, the courts, schools, the media, government bureaucrats and politicians felt the same way about the religion of "Environmentalism". It's nothing more than neo-pantheism and it has become the new State Religion.... No, even beyond that, it has become the world's religion.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 4:21PM February 05, 2009