11-07-2009, 02:36 PM
Quote:Not really. If the activity is promoting the religion, then the government doesn't provide aid. If the activity is helping people who need help regardless of their affiliation, then the government does provide aid. It makes sense to me that the government shouldn't need to build parallel secular aid agencies to perform the same functions that are already being provided by local churches and religious organizations.I think something got tangled up here. I was just asking what a "faith-based" initiative would be, if not religious? If they were performing charitable functions, but were not religious, then there would be no "faith" to base it on. So, it seems obvious to me, faith-based charities are religious ones, regardless of whether they are promoting their religion directly through charity.
For myself, I think it's too entangling to have government supporting religious charities, no matter what the terms. Churches are already tax exempt, which is an enormous advantage, and donations to their charities are tax deductible. Direct support strikes me as crossing the line, but I guess that's for the Supremes to decide, and not me.
-Jester