Joshua Dubois appears to have been named the director of the Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. According to the New York Times, the President and Dubois are looking for new ways to make this organization work for the common good. It may be especially important during this difficult economic times.
There are still some thorny issues, as the Times explains:
The most contentious issue that Mr. DuBois will have to help resolve is whether Mr. Obama should rescind a Bush administration legal memorandum that allows religious groups that receive government money to hire only those who share their faith.
Mr. Obama said in a campaign speech last June, “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.”
To quote myself from an earlier post:
Perhaps most sticky of all is the question of non-discriminatory hiring. If a group maintains their right not to hire say, a Muslim or a homosexual, then the President will have to draw on his time as a constitutional law professor to either draw the line, or at least make sure that there is equitable outreach to the Muslim and gay religious communities to make sure that they realize that the Council is a resource for all Americans.
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posted January 30, 2009 at 8:55 am
What does “equitable outreach” mean? Does that mean the Council is required to seek out Muslim and gay religious groups and hand money over to them for the sole purpose of “plurality?” This is where critics find grounds to attack. It is the responsibility of the group seeking funds to contact the Council for support. Isn’t it? And it’s the responsibility of the Council to evaluate all groups asking for support on the same criteria and provide reasonable as well as equitable support, and perform due diligence in following up. This doesn’t have to be complicated.
The employment issue is a sticky one, however, the religious beliefs of these groups should be considered in hiring, but they must serve ALL constituents no matter of faith or sexual orientation. The number one criteria is “faith-based” of course, and there are many churches in America who are accepting and even ordaining gays into their congregations, so it is incumbent upon them to create the kind of programs where gay believers can do “good works” and receive the support of the Council. To expect an established intiative from a religious group that won’t hire gays or Muslims to start hiring them because of federal money is just laziness. Start your own initiative and seek your own Council support.
posted January 31, 2009 at 9:48 am
“To expect an established intiative from a religious group that won’t hire gays or Muslims to start hiring them because of federal money is just laziness.”
Not really. We make a lot of demands on federal contractors we don’t make on other employers and businesses. These organizations are taking public money–my money–to do their work. If they come to the government with hand outstretched for grants to do good works, why is it unreasonable for the government to place some conditions on that money?
The janitor at a homeless shelter doesn’t need to be Catholic just because the shelter is run by the church.
posted February 2, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I don’t understand why churches or religious institutions should get ANY federal money. They are money making enterprises. They are mutually exclusive and antagonistic to each other. They are large, successful cults. They actively profess that its a virtue to believe in things without sufficient evidence (in fact with NO evidence). How is that a useful life skill? How will that help us through very REAL problems that needs REAL solutions? In fact, not only does it not help, it hurts. Its part of the problem.
Just as I do not want to fund with my money a muslim house of worship, I don’t want to fund a christian one. If I want to fund them in any way shape or form, I will hand them money directly. For which they should be taxed.