White House office on faith-based initatives: full speed ahead
The White House apparently really is moving full speed ahead with its plans to expand the role of faith-based organizations in federally funded social services. (This despite earlier comments from senior staffers that it was postponing.) "The administration has begun to set up offices inside five federal agencies—the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Education—to dismantle obstacles that have blocked faith-based organizations from receiving federal contracts in the past," reports the Los Angeles Times. And John DiIulio, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, says he'll be publishing a "guide to charitable choices" in the next few weeks even further detailing the office's plans. The guide, he promises, will answer critics both on the left and the right. "I've learned in Washington," he told the Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism, "when someone appears to be learning and listening, people think they're equivocating and retreating." (World magazine notes that unlike his speech to the National Association of Evangelicals, DiIulio's message to the Reform Jewish leaders "offered no remarks questioning this audience's commitment to the poor." Ouch.)
But while the White House may want to move ahead at warp speed, the Senate might slow the program down. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), one of the Senate's biggest supporters of Bush's plan and the lead sponsor in the Senate of implementing it, says he's splitting the legislative side of Bush's proposal in two. The first, which will be offered within days, will seek to implement the less controversial aspects of Bush's faith-based initiative, such as allowing taxpayers who don't itemize to claim deductions for charitable contributions, creating tax break for banks that use individual development accounts, and limiting the liability for companies that offer in-kind contributions. The heart of Bush's plans, however—expanding the kinds of social service grants that churches and religious organizations can compete for—will be postponed for "several months to a year," according to The Washington Post. "My sense is we're looking within the next year for them to work out the bugs," Santorum tells the paper. "The timing may be right then."
More news articles on Bush's faith based initative:
Faith in government? | Debate heats up over plans to reshape ties between the state and religious groups. (The Christian Science Monitor)
Opinion on Bush's faith based initative:
Fund individuals | A way to save President Bush's faith-based initiative (Marvin Olasky, World)
You're clear to land | A great proposal for how to deal with all the air traffic delays in America these days: "faith-based air traffic control." (Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times)
Faith-based politics | Obstacles to providing services can be overcome (Editorial, The Dallas Morning News)
A faith-based quagmire | Mr. Bush's goal, "to invigorate the spirit of involvement and citizenship" in America, is laudable. However, that goal is best achieved through secular nonprofit groups. (Editorial, The Hartford Courant)
Thomas Jefferson and Bush's faith-based initiative:
What Would Jefferson Do? | The man who invented the "wall of separation" attended church services on government property. (The Wall Street Journal)
Church and lawsuit | When it comes to government funding of church-run entities, President Thomas Jefferson took a few tentative steps more than 200 years ago. President Bush just made what he hopes will be many thousands more. (The Christian Science Monitor)
More politics and law:
Christian, but no longer a powerful Coalition | Rocked by financial debt, lawsuits and the loss of experienced political leaders, the Christian Coalition has become but a pale imitation of its once powerful self (The Washington Times)
Religious Tolerance 101 | "We have no position on the morality of artificial contraception - but, as Egan said yesterday: 'The government must not interfere in matters of religious faith … to do so is un-American.'" (Editorial, New York Post)
Colorado's debatable divorce bill | State legislature is considering divorcing parents to get a year's counseling, but a critic suggests only 6 hours are needed to educate (CBS News)
Irish woman sues priest for church fall | Woman was getting out of a pew to take communion when a kneeling board fell down and trapped her foot. She is seeking £25,000 ($36,715) (The Irish Times)
Bones idenfied as those of Madalyn Murray O'Hair and relatives:
Bodies identified as those of atheist O'Hair and kin | The five-year hunt for the atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair is over, a forensics expert said, confirming that bones dug up at a remote ranch in Texas were those of Ms. O'Hair and two of her family members. (The New York Times)
Remains of missing atheist identified | More than five years after Madalyn Murray O'Hair and two relatives mysteriously disappeared, forensics tests have confirmed that human remains found in January in a shallow grave are those of the missing trio. (Associated Press)
Pop culture:
Taking God for a spin | Carman in New York for a free concert at Madison Square Garden, but who the h*** is he? (New York Post)
Norwegian Christians urged to slam BigBrother TV show | The Christian weekly Norge I Dag (Norway Today) will issue stickers to its readers with the phone numbers of the nation's television stations so they can ring in and complain about "trash-TV" (Aftenposten, Oslo)
Wrestling with religion | The West Wing dramatizes a president's conflict of faith and duty. (The News & Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina)
'Greatest Story' comes to DVD | If Zeffirelli's TV miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" is the ultimate Catholic film version of Christ's life, then "Greatest Story" represents the definitive Protestant rendition in its solemn restraint and academic fastidiousness. (Variety)
Persecution:
Egypt prosecutors to appeal sectarian riot verdict | Egypt's highest appeals court will consider an appeal against the acquittal of 92 people accused of taking part in the El Kosheh riots that left 19 Coptic Christians two Muslims dead (Reuters)
Dara Singh insists he is innocent | "I am innocent. I never believed in violence. I oppose any kind of violence," says Hindu accused of leading murder of missionary Graham Staines. "After my release, I would like to carry out my mission of prohibiting the missionaries who are taking advantage of the poverty of the tribals and are converting them." (The Economic Times, New Delhi)
Sudan war getting U.S. attention | Colin Powell meets with senior State Department officials to talk about crafting a U.S. policy for ending the war and human rights abuses as the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom plans to add recommendations (Associated Press)
Racial and Religious Vilification Bill in Victoria, Australia:
Political correctness threatens to become law | There should be one law for everyone on vilification. Christians would be ill-advised to support legislation that could be used to prevent or inhibit Christian teaching, while leaving racists and the enemies of religion, who are artists or academics, exempt and free to vilify. (George Pell, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
A slur or free speech? | What the racial and religious vilification bill is about (The Age)
Cardinal: 'Whatever we do is wrong' | Despite Catholic attempts to arrive at a new understanding of Jews and Judaism, there is often a sense that Jews disapprove of everything that the Church tries to do, says Cardinal Edward Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Religious Relations with the Jews. (The Jerusalem Post)
Church life:
It's not a merger made in heaven | The plan to share clergy with Episcopalians is opposed by a growing number of Lutherans. (Los Angeles Times)
When God's work doesn't pay, pastors scramble | More than half of Protestant clergy in U.S. metropolitan areas lack a full-time salary, experts say (Stockton News/Contra Costa Times)
House GOP pushes new abortion limits | Republicans start with a bill that would impose penalties on people who harm a fetus during an assault on a pregnant woman. (The Washington Post)
Churches angry at cloning claims | Church groups have been angered by reports that secret human cloning experiments have been taking place in Australia for the past two years (The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
Missions and ministry:
Cardinal turns heads at bar sermon | "You have to go where the people are," says Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, D.C. (Associated Press)
Man tried to leave McVeigh a Bible | "I just recently became a born-again Christian and thought as a nice, kind, human gesture that I would try and stop out at the prison and see if I could give him a Bible," says Georgia trucker (Associated Press)
Church blames Queen for disasters | Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland says hoof-and-mouth disease, flooding, and other woes are God's judgment for meeting with Pope John Paul II. (The Times, London)
Racy ads expose inconsistency in publishers' stance | The recent pledge by New York magazine's parent company, Primedia, which last week completed a merger with the Web site network About.com, to sell or block sites that contain explicit sexual content. If those sites are unacceptable, why is it acceptable, at a time of concern over the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease, to publish advertisements like this one in New York magazine last week: "Sue & friend: Midtown, expensive, and worth it." (The New York Times)
Mormons await golden moment | Church of Latter-day Saints prepares for Olympic spotlight to shine on Salt Lake City (The Washington Post)
Utah high court sides with Mormon church in sexual-abuse case | "Claims against clerics that require the courts to review and interpret church law, policies or practices … are barred by the First Amendment" says decision (Associated Press/Freedom Forum)
Chicago gets diocese for Eastern Rite | The Eparchy of St. Thomas of the Syro-Malabarians of Chicago is the first Syro-Malabar diocese outside India (Associated Press)
Lutherans split over Pope's role | Hans Christian Knuth, presiding bishop of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany, suggested that Protestants might recognize the pontiff as a universally accepted spokesman for all Christianity, but others balk at idea. (UPI)
A merciful moralist | Touted as the leading Italian contender for the papacy, the cardinal of Genoa is strict about doctrine. But he is known as a compassionate pastor in the field. (Los Angeles Times)
Seeking salvation in the world's major museums | Exhibition devoted to the image of Christ through the ages couldn't get sponsorship, but ended up being the fourth most popular exhibition in the world last year (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Money and finance:
In good conscience | Refined niche funds focus on targeted social values. (Newsday)
Anchor away at CNN | "Moneyline News Hour" coanchor Stuart Varney resigns over boss Turner's "Jesus freaks" comment (New York Daily News)
Journal's 'the culmination of theological endeavour' | Africa Challenge: All Africa Journal of Theology, which launched March 6, aims to help African theologians articulate theological issues from the African point of view (African Church Information Service)
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
As my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
The Grammy-winning artist was found dead at her home in Nashville at age 47.
