WASHINGTON (RNS) Americans look less favorably on mosques applying for government funding than other religious charities, a new survey shows.
While 27 percent of U.S. adults polled oppose religious charities applying for government funding to provide services to the needy, more than half — 52 percent — were against Muslim houses of worship being eligible for such money, reports the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
The opposition to mosques seeking such funding increased slightly from 2001, when 46 percent were against it.
The only charities that received greater opposition were “groups that encourage religious conversion as part of the services they provide,” whose eligibility for funding was opposed by 63 percent of respondents.
Overall, the survey conducted with the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that the faith-based initiative started by President Bush and continued by President Obama receives broad support from the public.
The results of the telephone survey results were based on a total nationwide sample of 4,013 adults and have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0 percentage points.
By Adelle M. Banks
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission
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posted November 18, 2009 at 10:32 pm
It that were instituted, I’m thinking very few religious charities would qualify. But it’s encouraging.
posted November 18, 2009 at 10:41 pm
nnmns wrote:
“The only charities that received greater opposition were “groups that encourage religious conversion as part of the services they provide,” whose eligibility for funding was opposed by 63 percent of respondents.
It that were instituted, I’m thinking very few religious charities would qualify. But it’s encouraging. ”
And you are basing your statement, that most religious charities encourage religious conversion, on what?
You’re simply flat out wrong about that.
posted November 19, 2009 at 12:28 am
I hope so.
posted November 19, 2009 at 8:00 am
Why is it so hard to believe that a religion that tells it’s followers to evangelize would actually be doing so?
posted November 19, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I don’t want any religious charities to get government money. That’s just me though. They wouldn’t be able to separate the charity from the church.
posted November 20, 2009 at 1:43 am
ignoramus’ cut off their noses to spite their faces. most charities were founded by religious organization they have been on the forefront of helping people in need as long as we were a nation. They do things the government fail at miserably if you’d rather see people denied of their services because you hate religion then you are a cold piece of work indeed.
posted November 20, 2009 at 10:51 am
It’s true that most charities were founded by religious organizations. It’s also true that they weren’t able to help all those in need and so the government needed to come up with a system to cover everyone.
Not everyone is being helped still but far more are being helped now then when only charities were helping people.
posted November 20, 2009 at 2:05 pm
confess quote, “Not everyone is being helped still but far more are being helped now then when only charities were helping people.”
Not: Actually there are more needs and far more people falling through the cracks. And some are the cracks are being made even larger like when our great governor cut funding in mental health areas. Hospitals drop people off at the door of our homeless shelters with only partial recovery. You’ve got to get out here in the real world and start trying to do something to help and you will see the real volume of need.
posted November 23, 2009 at 10:40 am
Darling, cover up, your ignorance is showing.
Please don’t presume to know what I do in the world. I don’t use comment boards for works like you, cknuck. I find that to be crass behavior.
Please provide evidence that more people are not being helped since only charities provided for the needy?
Time to really show that you aren’t afraid of admitting your ignorance, and willful ignorance at that.