Obama Discusses Expansion of Faith-Based Initiatives
Wednesday July 2, 2008
In what's most likely an effort to court the evangelical vote in the upcoming presidential election, candidate Barack Obama told an audience the other day that he hopes to revamp the Faith-Based Initiative program instituted by the Bush administration. In a speech in Zanesville, Ohio, Obama proposed working to make sure that any charity receiving government funding be monitored, ostensibly to keep them from prosetylizing to those who would benefit in their programs, and "to prevent any religion-based discrimination against potential recipients or employees".
While I'm somewhat disappointed to hear him even discuss this -- because I don't think the government has any business getting involved in faith-based anything -- there's a part of me that wonders if maybe restructuring the existing system isn't such a bad idea after all. Obviously, faith-based charities are here to stay, so maybe if they were more strictly regulated, people wouldn't find themselves at the receiving end of a "no food until you hear a sermon" situation.
I've also heard people complain with this logic: "Would a Wiccan charity be embraced as much as a Christian or Catholic charity is?" Well, my response to that is "Start one up and find out." If a Wiccan or Pagan group can present themselves with the level of organization and forethought that some of the charities run by mainstream religious groups have, then by all means, give it a shot.
What do you guys think? Should the government do away with faith-based initiatives completely, or regulate the system so that it's fair for everyone who might be receiving the benefits of those charities?
While I'm somewhat disappointed to hear him even discuss this -- because I don't think the government has any business getting involved in faith-based anything -- there's a part of me that wonders if maybe restructuring the existing system isn't such a bad idea after all. Obviously, faith-based charities are here to stay, so maybe if they were more strictly regulated, people wouldn't find themselves at the receiving end of a "no food until you hear a sermon" situation.
I've also heard people complain with this logic: "Would a Wiccan charity be embraced as much as a Christian or Catholic charity is?" Well, my response to that is "Start one up and find out." If a Wiccan or Pagan group can present themselves with the level of organization and forethought that some of the charities run by mainstream religious groups have, then by all means, give it a shot.
What do you guys think? Should the government do away with faith-based initiatives completely, or regulate the system so that it's fair for everyone who might be receiving the benefits of those charities?
Comments
I am pretty sure he is talking about expanding it to include more than just christianity. But he is also backing the groups to hire and fire based on faith at the higher levels of the organizations… that part seems a little troublesome.. but they are faith based groups so I guess it is only natural… I would just be worried it would extend to other organizations that are not faith based.
From a legal standpoint the whole thing should be done away with, seperation of Church and State and all. I don’t think it is possible for these groups to be regulated enough to be sure that they don’t prosetylize through these programs. If, however unlikely, these groups could help people just to help people, and not help to gain converts then I don’t see any problem with it. It would be good to see more charities around.
scares the pants off me! in my state we already have business’that only hire you if you are xn. yes its illegal. but we will see alot more of this if obama gets in office. i see the usa as becoming a country that doesnt have freedom of religion. and i would give my time and money to help make a wiccan help center in my town. but we are a rather secret lot here. most dont want to be known. if obama comes into office i see more pagans hiding in, than coming out, of the broom closet.
you know decades ago they said the boy scouts wouldnt discriminate. they got a little (alot) of government funding. now you cant join unless you are a christian.
i see the future with obama in office, as a christian future. i see america becoming a christian country. and that scares the pants off me.
The question is would we be better off with John McCain? Personally, I believe that the country would go MORE religious based with McCain. If you want more of what we have had for the past 8 years than go for it. As I see it, better Obama (who at least has some experience with non christian faiths) than another fundamentalist who says that our faith is not a religion and is laughable. As it stands, the military allows Pagan religions to practice and even has Wiccan rites included in the Chaplain’s Manual. If McCain is elected, you will see more attempts to remove this. Bush has been trying for 8 years now.
It’s not suprising to see a presidential cannidate use religion to get people’s votes. I don’t think it should even be a topic either, but it is used and it will always be used. I watched a little of Obama the other day and how a group sat around speaking of how they liked the idea and that it feels good to be a christian and not be afraid of it. They spoke as if they were in hiding this whole time. “AFRAID!” Afraid of what? Someone please explain this to me. I found it to be bizarre.
blessed be
It seems to feel like there is no other religion other than Chritianity, that no others exist at all. I mean I am a Jewish pagan but my Jewishness comes first to me I incorpotate judaism into pagamism. I don’t use g-d this and g-ddess this I use Hashem/the name and Adoni/the lord and on fridays for sabbath I use Shekinah which is the femine presence of g-d. but anyway all i see christianity taking over everything and there won’t be anything else
Was appalled to originally start seeing the Faith Based Initiative thing a few years ago because visuals of the “no food until” came to mind, not to mention the separation of church and state deal..
Someone very much does need to study a moderately sized, successful faith-based org then create one that then applies for these grants. Nope, the chances of receiving a grant are pretty much nil, but, for now, the application will serve as a point made to the system to be followed up on in greater depth soon after.
Additionally, a push needs to be put on to make sure that the percentage of population worshipping each religion is represented DIRECTLY by the same percentage of faith-based orgs receiving funding from the same government to whom involved individuals pay their taxes..
;)
It seems the alternative to regulating faith based charities is to pull all federal funding from these programs. Even though I am a strong supporter of separation of church and state, I think this would be a shame. There are large numbers of people in need who are getting help from these organizations already, and I wouldn’t want to be the one to tell them that the lunch they ate today or the bed they slept in last night was unconstitutional.
I believe that Obama is fighting for religious equallity in the best way he can. By candy coating the regulation, he’s making it more acceptible to the christian majority while still taking (subtle)steps toward protecting the rights of “non-believers.”
I love the idea of Pagan charities. It would be especially great if we could avoid the “denomination” wars that the christians tend to get into.
For I heard that Obama switched his religion to his wifes.
I can tell you what they are going to do , take away all the religions but just one type and that is the one everyone is going to have to follow.
I agree. Regardless of whether or not Obama or McBush get in it does not matter. Until you get someone in who truly does believe in religious freedom we are doomed unless we stand bravely and say, yes, I’m pagan and BTW….Arlington Cemetary has Pentagrams on the headstones now. So if DoD will finally say uncle (Uncle?) why can’t we stand proud? Pagans are dying in this oilwar too. Sorry to be so political on this post. BB
In Obama’s Renewal Speech.. His current aim is to unite people and not divide them by faith. Yes, in that speech he was talking to a majority Christian audience for them to accept the fact we are a diverse nation of cultures and faiths.
I doubt McCain would be able to get that sort of point across since he is about as revoltingly evangelical as the next politician.