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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 6,995,737 |
Question of the Week: 26 - 1/29/2001 What Do You Think About Bush's 'Faith-Based' Initiative Plan? Pres. George Bush says that he will push a 'faith-based' social program this coming week that he hopes will grant federal money (taxpayer dollars) to fund religious groups doing social work. Does this plan violate the separation of church and state? If those federal bucks become available should Pagan religious groups make a grab for them, too? Or is this proposed religious feeding frenzy for secular federal money really a subtle plot to further bolster the Christian Radical Right's power to proselytize to the masses and, as Americans United believes, further erode the church-state wall? |
| Reponses: There are 87 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| Sunday Morning, As I Sit Sipping Coffee, Watching The Snow Fall Softly... | Feb 4th. at 1:50:12 pm EST |
| horse (Missoula, Montana US) | Age: 26 - Email |
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Sunday morning, as I sit sipping coffee, watching the snow fall softly down, I watch my favorite TV programming, John Mclaughlin's One on One. Today's guest, Bush's new director of the FB initiatives plan. Straight from the horse's mouth: two criteria will keep out the smaller, minority and 'undesirable' religions. First, and this is how they plan to exclude Wiccans, Pagans, et al, is that each organization will have to provide extreme accountability; how many beds do you have, how do you budget your money, and most importantly, how well does your program work? The Bush administration wants to see your program working, so if you haven't been around very long, they could discriminate on that basis. Second, and this is how they would exclude Nation of Islam, Satanists, and (in theory on the show) the Branch Davidians, is that if the fundamental tenets of your religion are not consistent with the idea of "helping the needy". The administration made particular reference to the fact that Nation of Islam preaches "hate" and that they believe whites to be inferior, and so could not be reconciled to gettting federal money for their programs (even if they had 150 beds and food and heat). So, this is the new reality. It appears that pagans are back in the closet, so to speak. Oh yeah, when asked about the prayer question, Bush will let a FB organization require a attendance at a prayer, as long as there is a choice of other, non secular shelters in the area. So, this is their mad, mad plan. Give us your weak, your hungry, your poor...and we'll turn 'em right around with the power of the lord... |
| Sadly In Canada This Last Election The Christian Right Raised Its Ugly... | Feb 4th. at 6:15:00 pm EST |
| Cathbad (N/a, Ontario CA) | Age: 15 |
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Sadly in Canada this last election the Christian Right raised its ugly head and it seemed that the Homosexuals, womens groups and other organization like that were all protesting, but to my amzement I did not see one of my brother/sister Pagans. If your President went on T.V. and said Homosexuality was not a valid sexuality then there would be such an uproar. But he says that Wicca is not a religon and nobody says anything. We need to UNITE. All of us Wiccans, Druids, CRs, Astrau followers, all of us. We need a unified voice, a Pagan's voice. We need to tell them that we are a religous group and that there will NEVER again be a burning time. |
| I Think It Poses A Definite Dilemma. However, The 14th Amendment (one... | Feb 4th. at 6:29:20 pm EST |
| Jessmyn (Bellefonte, Pennsylvania US) | Age: 19 |
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I think it poses a definite dilemma. However, the 14th amendment (one person cannot be made unequal to another) will be the hangup with Bush's plan. Although I have not read anything regarding the specifics of Bush's plan and how it will be decided which groups recieve the money, it is clear that there will be a Christian bias. I think a Pagan group SHOULD try for some money, if they meet all the requirements for the money to be given. Bush cannot make the bill specifically Christian friendly. That violates the Establishment clause in full. But that doesn't mean he won't try... |
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