President Obama outlines allowable religious practices for federally-funded organizations

Catholic World News ^ | 11/18/2010

[markomalley]

President Barack Obama signed an executive order on November 17 outlining the allowable religious practices of faith-based social service organizations that receive federal funds. Such organizations will not be permitted to offer federally-funded social services in the same location in which “worship, religious instruction, or proselytization” takes place.

Among the key points in the executive order:

• “Organizations, in providing services supported in whole or in part with Federal financial assistance, and in their outreach activities related to such services, should not be allowed to discriminate against current or prospective program beneficiaries on the basis of religion, a religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or a refusal to attend or participate in a religious practice.”
• “The Federal Government must implement Federal programs in accordance with the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, as well as other applicable law, and must monitor and enforce standards regarding the relationship between religion and government in ways that avoid excessive entanglement between religious bodies and governmental entities.”
• “Organizations that engage in explicitly religious activities (including activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization) must perform such activities and offer such services outside of programs that are supported with direct Federal financial assistance (including through prime awards or sub-awards), separately in time or location from any such programs or services supported with direct Federal financial assistance, and participation in any such explicitly religious activities must be voluntary for the beneficiaries of the social service program supported with such Federal financial assistance.”
• “A faith-based organization that applies for, or participates in, a social service program supported with Federal financial assistance may retain its independence and may continue to carry out its mission, including the definition, development, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct Federal financial assistance that it receives (including through a prime award or sub-award) to support or engage in any explicitly religious activities (including activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization), or in any other manner prohibited by law. Among other things, faith-based organizations that receive Federal financial assistance may use their facilities to provide social services supported with Federal financial assistance, without removing or altering religious art, icons, scriptures, or other symbols from these facilities. In addition, a faith-based organization that applies for, or participates in, a social service program supported with Federal financial assistance may retain religious terms in its name, select its board members on a religious basis, and include religious references in its organization's mission statements and other chartering or governing documents.”
• “If a beneficiary or prospective beneficiary of a social service program supported by Federal financial assistance objects to the religious character of an organization that provides services under the program, that organization shall, within a reasonable time after the date of the objection, refer the beneficiary to an alternative provider.”

  Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

  • Executive Order -- Fundamental Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations (White House)

[markomalley]

Reason #1 why churches should not accept government moneys. (I wish the Church would figure this one out at some point in time)

[pnh102]

This is so wrong. No religious organization should ever, under any circumstances, be allowed to accept any taxpayer money.

[Sacajaweau]

Faith Based...Boy scouts??

[Uncle Miltie]

Does this apply to Muslim Imams in Federal Penitentiaries?

[cherry]

what a bunch of communist crap.......

I will support faith bases charities that accept NO govt money....

Lutheran Servicies and Catholic Charities have dined mightly at the govt trough.....and IMO that is why the Catholic hierarchy seems to support the communist agenda ....its big $$$$$$$.

anyone know about the Salvation Army?

[Tennessee Nana]

Few churches can afford to own or rent other property..

Most churches operate their soup kitchens and food pantries out of the church building..

[Uncle Miltie]

If Atheists run a soup kitchen with a Federal grant, can the Buddhists next door run a soup kitchen with a Federal grant?

[ClearCase_guy]

This is as close to the establishment of a state-approved religious structure as we have ever come.

I can't believe what has happened to my country.

[pnh102]

If Atheists run a soup kitchen with a Federal grant, can the Buddhists next door run a soup kitchen with a Federal grant?

They could, if there was a constitutional justification for the Federal government to fund soup kitchens.

[Sacajaweau]

Christian Schools, Hospitals??

Then there are churches like "Reverend Wright's".

[bboop]

That’s right — the soup kitchens get Federal food/ help. Usually done through the churches. Marxist Buzzard.

[TigerClaws]

A heads up re gay marriage:

Should they become legal, ANY church which refuses to perform gay marriage will lose its tax-exempt status.

Gays are already setting up to do this — go from church to church and go after those that turn them down. The legal argument it’s legal and to refuse is similar to churches which refused interracial marriages and lost their tax exempt status.

Basically, any church opposing gay marriage will be wiped out of existence.

[Sacajaweau]

I don’t think this is anything new...In fact IIRC, it’s an already existing policy via Bush.

[CodeToad]

“This is so wrong. No religious organization should ever, under any circumstances, be allowed to accept any taxpayer money.”

You obviously do not know or understand the constitution. It does not say this nation shall be atheist. It simply says the government shall not establish a religion we all must adhere to. Saying no religous organization should ever receive public funds is just plain paranoid and anti-religion. You need to read the history of why that clause is in the constitution and stop your childish rants.

[9YearLurker]

Kind of embarrassing that it was one of our guys who made this a central platform of his expansion of the federal government.

[Ransomed]

“Saying no religous organization should ever receive public funds is just plain paranoid and anti-religion.”

I think I should be able to choose what religious organiztions get my money, not the state.

Freegards

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Money is the god of this world-Jesus of Nazareth

[Candor7]

Agreed. But ( cha-ching!) this is designed to establish a money flow into mosques, against whom these guidelines WILL NOT be enforced.

The money will later be used to purchase plastique, ammo and small arms.

Your tax dollars at work.( They cannot send their money oversees or use money to support terrorists here beause of oversight,so they will get it from the government with the help of Obafascist.)

[TYVets]

This is as close to the establishment of a state-approved religious structure as we have ever come.

The first step by 0bama has headed the US toward controlling churches by "granting" government permission?

Small steps by the government have changed the US in so many ways over the past 50 years when you stop and think about it.

Churches are next?

[Sacajaweau]

THIS IS NOT NEW!! There was legislation on this under Bush and 200 before that.

Someone is just pulling Obama's strings to sign this...it looks good....like he's for religions.

It's really a "no change" Presidential COMMAND. Just a little bit more of his dictator mentality.