Monday March 12 3:46 PM ET White House Says Bush Faith Plan Moving Forward WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Monday he was proud of his faith-based program as the White House sought to deflect an aide's reported comment that the plan was being postponed amid criticism. Bush, asked if he was backing away from his plan, told reporters at Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base: ``Not at all.'' The faith-based plan to send more government money to religious charities has generated criticism from groups worried it crosses the constitutional line between church and state. Some religious conservatives fear faith-based groups would lose their religious identity in meeting requirements for qualifying for federal dollars. Don Eberly, deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, was quoted by the Washington Post on Monday as saying the administration would delay sending its legislative language to Capitol Hill. ``We're postponing,'' Eberly told the Post. The comment set off a damage-control effort by the White House, with officials insisting Bush's program was on course. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Eberly did not believe the article was an ``accurate reflection'' of what he said. Eberly did not immediately return a telephone call. ``I found that whole story puzzling,'' Fleischer said. Bush contended there was backing for the program, saying, ''There's a lot of bipartisan support on the Hill. I'm proud of our faith-based initiative. We're moving forward. It's the right thing to do.'' But religious conservative Pat Robertson, in an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal, said the Bush plan was inherently flawed. ``If government provides funding to the thousands of faith-based institutions but, under a tortured definition of separation of church and state, demands in return that those institutions give up their unique religious activities, then not only the effectiveness of these institutions but possibly their very raison d'etre may be lost,'' Robertson wrote. Robertson also said the same government grants given to Catholics, Protestants and Jews would have to be given to ``the Hare Khrishnas, the Church of Scientology, or Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church -- no matter that some may use brainwashing techniques or that the founder of one claims to be the messiah and another that he was Buddha reincarnated.'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the administration was listening to the concerns. ``We're working closely with members of Congress as well as leaders across the political spectrum. We appreciate their concerns and that's why we're going to continue working with them as we move forward,'' he said. Bush introduced the plan in his second week in office but has yet to produce legislative language that would implement parts of it. Some parts of Bush's program would likely be implemented quickly, including a proposal to expand the charitable tax deduction to those who do not itemize their federal tax deductions, which has generated little opposition. The administration's budget blueprint also contained a provision to let states use surplus welfare funds to promote a new tax credit for charitable donations -- also without controversy. The proposal facing the most opposition regards an expansion of a law passed in 1996 as part of welfare reform, which lets religious charities compete for government welfare dollars. Instead of limiting charitable choice to a few programs in the Department of Health and Human Services, Bush would expand the provision to allow religious charities to compete for more than 100 government programs. So, essentially, Robertson is saying faith-based charity is ok AS LONG as it is HIS faith that is supported and they can do it however they like. What a boob!!! LOL!!! ------------------ fArt don't pay the rent.
Just to add, this seems to be a VERY strong reason why prayer in school is such a bad idea. Obviously, people of Robertson's ilk would LOVE prayer in school so long as it is HIS version of prayer. His comments are the very reason why so many oppose any type of goverment-sanctioned religious activities. For people like Robertson, it is his way or the highway and that is decidedly un-American. ------------------ fArt don't pay the rent. [This message has been edited by Jeff (edited March 12, 2001).]
I don't know, but for some reason I kind of doubt that this will be the last of Dubya's agenda items that will be kyboshed. ------------------ "Blues is a Healer" --John Lee Hooker
The wall of separation was meant to protect religion as well as the state. I thought Dostoevsky pointed out this quite ably in "The Idiot," Where the Prince professes his dislike for Roman Catholocism on the grounds that it was tainted by the secular Roman Empire. Part of that is Dostoevsky's Orthodoxy talking, but it's still a pretty dangerous concept. ------------------ Boston College - Big East -East Division Regular Season Champs Worst to First in 2001!
