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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 19557
[Legal]
Date Posted:
4/8/2008
10:43:50 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,801
RSS: 22,798
Comments: 15
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Court Dismisses Baptist Church-State Case
Author: Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service Source: Biblical Recorder
Title: COURT DISMISSES BAPTIST CHURCH-STATE CASE
A federal court has dismissed a 10-year-old legal challenge brought by Kentucky taxpayers who questioned government funding of a Baptist social service agency.
Citing a recent Supreme Court decision, the same judge again ruled in favor of the agency, saying that the taxpayers did not demonstrate standing, or their right to sue the government.
In Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Supreme Court ruled last June that taxpayers affiliated with an atheist group did not have standing to challenge President Bush's faith-based initiative.
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Community Thoughts: There are 15 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Taxpayer Funded Religion In Many Guises | Apr 10th. at 10:45:04 am EDT
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Silverwing (Colorado Springs, Colorado) - Email Me
I read an article yesterday (link below) that seems to fall into a related category. I don't have any trouble with folks sending their kids to faith based schools or home schooling if they like. I also have no problem with church groups providing shelter, care, protection for those who need it. I think it is their duty as tax exempt organizations to provide these things.
Having said that, I do have trouble with taxpayers funding the indoctrination of the vulnerable into a specific religious philosophy in order to avail themselves of the "charitable" or 'educational" environment.
I think that spiritual grounding is important, nee critical, to most of us. We must also notice that what is important to us is important to us and is not necessarily something to be foist upon others who do not have the wherewithall or power to resist a powerful influence. When it comes to survival, getting away from abuse or pain or starvation and other very hard things, we will do whatever we need to do to make that happen. Must I salute your flag if it means no more beatings? If I am a kid attending a school chosen by my authority figures (those who decide my level of difficulty in this life) then I will do what must be done as my quality of life and my survival depend upon my doing so.
It could be argued that if none of this was funded by taxpayers then leave it be and the universe will sort it out. If I am funding this stuff as a taxpayer, I say no. We give churches a tax break to leave them money to help those in need. They are a big business these days and certainly don't need to pull more money out of the taxpaying base to fund their continued existence. As taxpayers, we certainly should have the right to challenge this stuff and, a "right" should not need to be proven. Unfortunately, in my all too short life, I have seen a constant stream of challenges to our 'rights' and we seem to need to prove over and over that we have them.
For your reading interest, I have attached a link to an update on a story I read yesterday about a taxpayer funded charter school in Minnesota. Looks to me like, once again, government oversight has failed in the duty it claims to own. This judge has a duty as well. I'm good with an appeal and maybe that appeal will result in a more clear ruling on just what 'rights' taxpayers do have.
Find More info -- HERE
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| Wait. | Apr 10th. at 1:25:25 am EDT
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Perihelion Xanateris (Tamworth, New South Wales) - Email Me
Baptist SOCIAL SERVICES?
Am I the only one here who's getting mental pictures of Baptist social workers taking away kids just because their parents are Pagan?
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| ... | Apr 9th. at 11:35:43 am EDT
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Amtehuti (Queens, Florida) - Email Me
Here's my problem with this. If I have to sit through a religious service to get charity, that charity shouldn't be paid by the government. Why? Because if I refuse to follow their beliefs, I don't eat. That's unconstitutional. It's the same with funding a group that fires a lesbian for religious reasons. It's the government promoting religious ideaology.
I have no problem with religious groups providing charity. Let them continue using food and shelter to force people into their churches. But I don't want the government funding this, and I want the government to continue funding their OWN welfare programs so those of us that aren't Christian can find basic care when we're down on our luck.
I don't see why we have to PROVE our right to sue the government, either. Don't we all have the right to sue? Who decides who has more rights than others? This is a very slippery slope. Give it enough time and only Christians will be allowed to sue. Wait, I'm sorry, we're already there.
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| Belief Is Belief | Apr 9th. at 2:51:39 am EDT
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Paul the StormWalker (TUCKER!, Georgia) - Email Me
I would have a hard time with the government funding church services - that is, paying the cost for some church to do it's thing on Sunday morning.
But this APPEARS to be about helping to fund a children's home, a place where children are cared for who either have no available parents and family or who cannot live in their families due to abuse or other problems.
Generally speaking, the government run children's services are horror shows - poor oversight, poor management, more abuse, and so on.
And here we have a group that, for religious reasons, believes they should act to provide a safe environment for children who have been harmed. Providing this service - which would include taking children that the state has removed from their families due to abuse or neglect - a good thing, and who really cares about the motives of the caretakers as long as it is positive.
I am not sure why there is an issue about this home - or others like it - receiving some government funding for the housing, clothing, feeding, education, and medical needs of these kids.
SOME of my tax dollars go to social welfare programs, and as a taxpayer I would prefer to see that money go to programs that work, rather than programs that are have the correct and accepted ideology but are ineffective or actually do damage.
Well, actually, I would like to see the Federal government get out of the totally and utterly unconstitutional social welfare business and return it to the state and local governments, as well as to social organizations and churches where it belongs.
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| Standing | Apr 9th. at 12:41:49 am EDT
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Erik N (Wake Forest, North Carolina) - Email Me
US law needs to be reformed so it isn't so based on English common law. As a US citizen I should be able to file conscience cases. No one can prove standing in the Bush wiretaps so how can it be ruled constitutional or not? My government has done something on my behalf. I should have the ability to ask the courts to rule on it's legality or constitutionality.
The governement of course don't want that. Remember the immunity for telcos that was a must? Well the constitution quite clearly states no ex post facto laws. This means if you do something, you are required to be tried under the law of the moment of your action. Laws cannot be enacted to make your punishment more or less severe or to get rid of it entirely.
Perhaps it is legal for the government hand over cash to sectarian interests. It would've been nice to at least see this get its day in court.
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| A Federal Court, Eh? | Apr 8th. at 11:51:33 pm EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
Did anyone notice that Baptist buses hauled the Mormons away from TX raid?
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| JFK | Apr 8th. at 10:17:44 pm EDT
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Orion 6Xray (Park City, Kentucky) - Email Me - Web
'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
John F. Kennedy,
In a speech at the White House, 1962
Find More info -- HERE
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| My Question... | Apr 8th. at 4:28:29 pm EDT
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Amber (Spencer, Iowa) - Email Me
Is this judge Baptist?
Seems fishy.
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| Just Want To Say | Apr 8th. at 11:52:33 am EDT
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Sy (Atlanta, Georgia) - Email Me
I opposed Bush's faith-based initiatives, one of which is abstinence-only sex education. I don't know about boys out there, but it would have been nice to know some things about sex that parents don't tell you and friend's don't know. I mean, seriously, I had to wait until college to hear some of this stuff. And they can only mention condom's failure rate, not the fact that it protects not only against pregnancy but also STDs, and there are other types of protection. I was amazed at how many students hadn't even heard of a female condom, and each one was in a school with an abstinence-only program.
My county was abstinence only, and last I heard, we had the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.
I oppose other faith-based programs, because generally, it means CHRISTIAN-based. Other groups have not been able to receive the same funding, even though the programs would be faith-based.
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| I Hope... | Apr 8th. at 11:27:53 am EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
that they can appeal. The fact that taxpayers are forced to pay for this- isn't standing enough?
I sure wouldn't my tax money going toward this.
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