[ OUR OPINION ]
Religious charities
should toe federal lineSPONSORS of federal legislation that embodies the Bush administration's proposal to fund religious charities have agreed to drop controversial provisions involving church-state issues. The Senate now is set to pass the bill, which would provide $12.7 billion in tax incentives for charities and assistance for social services for the needy. Tax dollars should not go to religious charities that proselytize or discriminate in their hiring practices.
THE ISSUE The Senate is prepared to enact a scaled-back version of President Bush's religion-based initiative for charities.
President Bush's "faith-based initiative" proposal was dropped from the congressional agenda after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He signed executive orders in December that allow government contracts and grants to religious organizations.
After weeks of negotiations with Democratic opponents, Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., the bill's sponsor, has agreed to drop language that would have protected groups with religious names or religious icons from disqualification. Opponents of the provision were concerned that tax dollars would go to groups that make their services contingent on clients listening to sermons or taking part in other religious activities, or that it would open the door to religious discrimination in hiring.
President Bush earlier had agreed to drop a "charitable choice" provision that would have allowed religious groups to favor members of their own faith in hiring and ignore anti-discrimination laws. The president's original proposal failed to acknowledge the charitable work conducted by many religion-affiliated organizations that have been receiving government assistance.
Locally, for example, 85 percent of the Catholic Charities' $18 million budget comes from government, and the Lutheran Angel Network Charities receives substantial government funding. They are nonprofit corporations established apart from the church and don't discriminate in hiring or providing services. Some church-affiliated charities, such as the LDS Family Services Agency, are not interested in government assistance, preferring that their services remain an integral part of the church.
Remaining in the bill are tax advantages aimed at encouraging charitable giving and benefiting soup kitchens, maternity homes and other community groups. Social services grants to states would increase by $1.4 billion, and it would provide technical assistance to small groups, including black and Hispanic churches, that need help competing for federal funds.
"This is not the faith-based initiative that was talked about a year ago or two years ago," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. "Obviously, it's been scaled back."
Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, said President Bush's executive order contains the same provision that Santorum agreed to remove from the congressional legislation. Future presidents can reverse executive orders; legislation would have made it permanent.
