We’ve heard the details of all the ‘pork’ in the so-called ‘economic stimulus’ bill. What we are not hearing about is at least two specific provisions in the bill which specifically target people of faith for discrimination.
Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) calls our attention to
a provision that bans any university or college receiving funds to renovate buildings, from allowing “sectarian instruction” or “religious worship” within the facility. This would in effect bar use of campus buildings for groups like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Crusade for Christ, Catholic Student Ministries, Hillel, and other religious organizations.
And former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee pointed to a provision in both the House and Senate versions banning higher education funds in the bill from being used on a “school or department of divinity.”
The provision was removed in the Senate version, but it was put back in to the final version. It should be an interesting battle in the courts. At least the lawyers will become wealthy.
And according to the house rules committee, the section of the bill that we’re talking about just passed was still there. You guys have to start reading government websites, no offense. ACLJ seems way to biased.
Well the Democrats aren’t anti-christian, there is a logical reason behind this. The Democrats and Obama want this as a pure stimulus bill. Not a free for all. They want to place stimulus where there will be a better chance of creating new jobs, and really the church doesn’t create too many jobs, my church doesn’t have more jobs than say a normal sized McDonald’s. And also by doing this it makes sure that the church is never government influenced (taken over by big scary government) so they can stay purely as a non-profit organization. It’s not a revision against GOD or Christianity in any way. Just making sure that churches stay independent from Government influence so we can praise GOD freely.
Looks like there is good news, the anti-religion provision has been cut from the so called “stimulus” bill in the Senate revision. This is from the ACLJ website:
“Among those programs cut, billions of dollars for colleges and universities, including the discriminatory provision”
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” Psalm 22:27-28
The problem is that the provision states:
“Funds may not be used for “modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities -(i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity”
This specifically states that funds may not be used for facilities used for religious worship. It doesn’t say how long, of how often, it just says “may not”. If I were a member of the ACLU, I would be watering at the mouth.
While I agree that Christian organizations should not be taking government money, (especially since our president gave the speech about how all religions are the same), all it will take is one successful law suit against a university, and ever liberal college board in the nation will be banning all religious activities from its buildings.
This may seem alarmist, but this is exactly how the ACLU accomplishes its goals.
Let’s take a look at what the actual language in the bill is:
Grants awarded under this section shall be for the purpose of modernizing, renovating, and repairing institution of higher education facilities that are primarily used for instruction and research,” according to ACLJ, which specializes in protecting religious liberties.
Funds may not be used for “modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities -(i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission.”
Now here’s how I think of this. I live in Seattle and Seattle University is a Jesuit school. They may be eligible for some of these federal funds.
The way I read this is that Seattle U would be able to use funds in their school, except for in a chapel or in the divinity school, but could be used for the rest of the school.
Now to flip this over, what if a school had a Baha’i temple on campus? Or a Muslim studies building? Or a Buddhist Meditation Center? Would you be OK with federal funds going to those sorts of building projects as well? I know I wouldn’t be.
The wording is vague I agree. However, I don’t think that Campus Crusade using a school room in a building for an hour once a week would be considered “substantial” use.
I also think something important to think about here as well is, do we really want our churches and religious institutions to be dependent on the government? I certainly don’t. Once the church becomes dependent on government funds, then you’ll start to be beholden to the government as a religious institution. Separation of church and state works both ways. That is why people left England for the new world after all, so that they would be free to worship as they saw fit.
This frankly seems like alarmism to me. This is pretty typical of lobbying groups (both lib and con) to take something out of context and put an alarmist voice to it in order to generate more funds for said organization thanks to fear. Fear sells almost as good as sex sells.
I’ll admit that I was being somewhat sarcastic in my previous comments, but I was just trying to make a point. More directly I’ll say that any humanistic society that puts mankind above all, necessitates the removal of any higher power (ie. God) from said society. And as well the removal of any recognition of the fact that all such societies have failed in human history.
My fear with this clause and clauses related to the health care portion of the so-called stimulus package is the fact that it is vague (as you pointed out Chris). The vagueness creates more opportunity for those not seeking the general welfare as laid out in the Constitution but for the purpose of control/power.
I sense paranoia here.
The truth is that both sides are overracting to this. On the one hand, I don’t understand why they would include this provision in the stimulus, except as an overreactoion to wanting to meet the Constitution’s “Establishment Clause.” I can understand not allowing schools to build churches or chapels for specific worship…but not allowing organizations like Campus Crusade or Intervarsity to meet there is a bit much…although I do have to wonder if we’d say the same outrage here if there was a clause saying that only Muslim groups couldn’t meet there.
But also, I think the wording is vague. No, i don’t want my tax dollars to be used to help colleges create churches—the Church creates churches. But I don’t see any particular wording that prohibits organizations based on faith from meeting there. An Intervarsity meeting is not a worship service, per se. I think there’s probably more going on than meets the eye.
and I have no idea why when I previously wrote this, it was not published.
A press release that may someday come to pass:
“In order to insure a smooth acceptance of the administration’s policies, the President has issued an executive order that all history records contrary to the current direction of the government, and the values of its supporters, will be sealed indefinitely. Anyone found believing that the past is true will face federal prosecution”
Us “Cold War” survivors remember a bit more than is profitable for the current regime…It shouldn’t take long for that to be targeted for expungement…
I can’t imagine what the current administration has to gain by removing God from higher education. Oh wait, I remember, Stalin said this was the first step in producing a loyal citizen…