[Buddha-l] Faith-based initiatives - phase 2

[jkirk]

"Receiving such funds is a relatively recent development,
challenged at the time as a violation of the separation of Church
and State mandated by the First Amendment of the US
Constitution."
And if challenged in court, will the current Supreme Court
invalidate whatever legislation allows this? NBL!!
Joanna 

-----Original Message-----
From: buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com
[mailto:buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of Dan
Lusthaus
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 1:06 AM
To: Buddhist discussion forum
Subject: [Buddha-l] Faith-based initiatives - phase 2

While we sometimes hear calls for a more politically engaged
Buddhism, and this list has its fair share of political
positioning, here is the next phase unleashed by the Bush-Cheney
Faith-based initiatives. In the US, Churches, etc., can currently
receive federal tax dollars for a range of programs and
activities while remaining tax-free organizations, based on being
religious organizations. Receiving such funds is a relatively
recent development, challenged at the time as a violation of the
separation of Church and State mandated by the First Amendment of
the US Constitution.
Treating religious organizations such as churches as tax-free
institutions has a much longer history. The current thrust by the
right-wing churches is to further obscure such distinctions. Now
the right-wing church beneficiaries want to destroy what's left
of the wall separating church and state, and do so while
retaining their tax-free status. These sorts of "grass roots"
plans, which are well organized and strategically astute, have in
the past proven very persistent and effective, so this is not to
be taken as an insignificant backpage item, but one we will be
wrestling with for some time to come.

Dan