Attacks on faith-based program reveal its flaws

No one should be surprised that President Obama’s faith-based initiatives are drawing fire from liberals and conservatives.

After all, it is known that the program failed to increase churches’ social services and some have advocated doing away with the program completely. Also, a broad coalition of organizations jointly said the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was meant to protect religious liberty not lead to discrimination.

So folks like Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and former Southern Baptist Convention president Frank Page, still take issue with the program.

David Waters, who edits an online discussion about faith for the Post and Newsweek and blogs about religion, concludes that the faith-based initiative remains a “fundamentally flawed concept.”

“The federal government and U.S. religious groups serve two different masters. The government serves taxpayers, religious groups serve God. When it comes to distributing and overseeing the use of federal tax dollars, government overrules God.”

Churches and other faith-based groups that take government funding, should follow the rules, Waters said.

“If not, they can decide to help people the old-fashioned way — because God calls them to, not because government pays them to.”

Well said.

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