White House to Salvation Army: No Soup for You!

White House won’t go to bat for religious organizations against local laws If Bush is trying to rally support for his faith-based initiative, maybe this isn’t the best way to do it. In a short statement released yesterday, press secretary Ari Fletcher said, “The White House will not pursue the [Office of Management and Budget] regulation proposed by the Salvation Army and reported today.” That regulation, as Weblog noted yesterday, would have protected churches and faith-based organizations that receive federal funds from having to hire workers who disagree with their religious teachings. The specific controversy in this case has been whether the Salvation Army—a church that already receives $330 million annually from the federal government—would be forced to hire homosexuals. Federal regulations going back to the 1964 Civil Rights Act allow religious organizations to hire only employees who share their religious commitments, but the issue gets a lot trickier when municipal governments start mandating that charities adhere to local anti-discrimination laws. As Salvation Army spokesman David Fuscus explains to the Chicago Tribune, “What’s happening now is that when you get communities insisting that because [a group] is using federal dollars to fund homeless shelters or what have you, that they cannot hire ministers in the way they want to hire ministers, what happens is the church walks away from those contracts and the people who are hurt are the people who are on the street.”

But yesterday’s front-page article in The Washington Post set off fireworks in the capital. “It just puts a cloud over the president’s intention to expand a faith- based initiative and unfortunately might terminally wound it in Congress,” said Democratic Sen. Joseph. Lieberman, who has been supportive of the initiative so far. Other Democratic lawmakers were more vitriolilc, promising an investigation, in The Washington Post‘s words, “into whether the White House had agreed to allow the Salvation Army and other charities to discriminate against gays, in exchange for the Salvation Army’s support for the Bush faith-based initiative.” (Loaded enough for you?)

Still, despite the White House’s statement that it won’t pursue such protections for religious organizations through the OMB, Vice President Dick Cheney and other officials say there will be other ways of making sure religious organizations can stay true to their religious, moral, and social missions. The administration, Cheney told reporters, still wants to make sure that charitable choice does “not require fundamental changes in underlying principles and organization doctrines, if you will, of the organizations that participate.”

Weblog’s best guess here is that the charitable choice legislation will carefully avoid this issue and leave it up to the courts. And that’s really what the Salvation Army was trying to avoid in the first place.

More on the Faith-based initiative:

Mr. Bush’s ‘faith based’ agenda | As currently drafted, the “faith based” initiative still raises concerns about possible violations of the separation between church and state. (Editorial, The New York Times)
Helping the poor without harming their rights | It’s not just a few militant ideologues who question government entanglement with religion (Charles Haynes, Freedom Forum)
More risk than reward? | This is no ordinary piece of legislation. It raises serious questions about church-state relations in this country. (David Broder, The Washington Post)
Atheists blast faith-based initiative | July 17 scheduled as day to flood Congress with complaints (The Washington Times)
NAACP votes to fight Bush on faith-based initiative | Legislation seen as attempt “to divide the black clergy in this country” (The Washington Times)

Religion and politics:

Bush courts Catholic vote | But re-election votes will depend on more than photo ops and meetings (Associated Press)
Cross-walk evangelist says he led president to Christ | Arthur Blessitt tells of George W. Bush meeting to inspire personal evangelism (Charisma News Service)
Earlier: A Presidential Hopeful’s Progress | The spiritual journey of George W. Bush starts in hardscrabble west Texas. Will the White House be his next stop? (Christianity Today, Sept. 5, 2000)
Emotions high at funeral of Zambia opposition figure | Church leaders condemned new culture of violence in traditionally calm country (Reuters)
Libya’s Gadhafi says U.S. subverting Muslim states | Nigeria, Chechnya, other conflicts result of intelligence agencies, says Libyan leader (Reuters)
Also: Gaddafi blames religious crisis on United States (The Guardian, Lagos, Nigeria)
Church of England bishops agree to cut voice in Lords | Bishop of Durham persuaded the synod to drop its insistence on maintaining 26 bishops in a reformed House of Lords. (The Sunday Times, London)
Earlier: Bishops reject cuts to their Lords numbers (The Times, London)
Zimbabwe cops make arrest attempt at church | Church members blocked effort to seize opposition officials (Associated Press)

Persecution:

In southern Sudan, Christian charities dodge bullets to save lives | Relief workers lobby White House for action (Fox News)
Sudanese refugees lose family while fleeing | Nowadays, the fortunes of war seem to be on the rebel side (Associated Press)
Oil fuels fighting in Sudan | The conflict has long been seen as a battle between the Muslim government in the north and rebels in the largely Christian and Animist south. But now that oil production in southern Sudan is cranking out over 200,000 barrels a day — bringing in $500 million — it’s also about money. (Fox News)
Risking Christianity in China | A Covina pastor lives with the threat of arrest on visits to clandestinely train church leaders under communism. (Los Angeles Times)
Secret seminary booms in China | Four months after launch, classes in caves need more space (UPI)
More Korean Chinese Church members go on hunger strike | 100 protesting against the government’s crackdown on and deportation of illegal Korean Chinese residents (Digital Chosun)
Congressman blasts French sect law | “Harbinger of a wave of intolerance,” says Rep. Chris Smith (Associated Press)
Also: Congressman assails French law on sects (Reuters)
Christians said arrested in Laos | Three of eight detainees now too weak to walk, churches forced to close (Associated Press)
Indian-origin Pakistani Christians eligible for long-term visas | Change in policy seen as result of upcoming visit of Pakistani President (The Times of India)
Conversions spark tension in Orissa | Government investigating 19 Hindu’s conversions to Christianity (Hindustan Times)

Missions and ministry:

Church of England ‘is abandoning the poor’ | Nearly half of its 43 dioceses will for the first time receive no support from the Church Commissioners because of its financial difficulties. (The Times, London)
Church cannot afford rural work | Church of England may ask the government to pay it for its rural social work, or convert hundreds of rural churches into clubs, concert venues and post offices. (BBC)
Taking a new approach to that old-time religion | Skateboards, fireworks and Harleys are part of this year’s Harvest Crusade. (Orange County Register)

Pastoral life:

‘New breed’ preachers defy traditions | Dissatisfaction with how the Christian church trains its clergy and organizes its flock to bring the lost to Jesus brews at gatherings across the country (The Washington Times)
Time for reflection, renewal | Endowment helps clergy members recharge their commitment (The Washington Post)
How much is that bishop in the window? | They’re grand, they’re dazzlingly dressed and they’re high maintenance. But does anyone actually need them? (The Independent, London)
Don’t take your clergy for granted | Congregations must face fact that leaders can leave at any time (Tom Schaefer, Akron Beacon Journal)

Church life:

Episcopal turf war | Conservative rebels have drawn archbishops from Africa and Asia into a suddenly less civil discourse (Time)
Fear of ideas: The decline and fall of Anglicanism | Such is the way establishments work. Deny the problems, keep a low profile, keep established routines running smoothly, and hope for better times. (Don Cupitt, The Guardian, London)
Atlanta’s new Episcopal bishop debuts | Lutherans major participants in installation of Neil Alexander, himself an ordained Lutheran minister (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
A look at Pentecostalism from a former insider | “Contrary to stereotype, the typical convert paralleled the demographic and biographical profile of the typical American,” says Duke historian Grant Wacker (The New York Times)
Other Sunday rituals can prove to be stiff competition for churches | I have almost concluded the people who attend worship are the unfriendliest people in the community. (Clark Morphew, St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Life on Amish terms | Mennonite sect members willing to work with outside workd, but only on their own terms. (Stephanie Salter, San Francisco Chronicle)
Church of Scotland slammed over gay ‘prejudice’ | 75% of ministers and church youth workers who responded said they disapproved of homosexuality (BBC)
Church of England to end ‘secret’ selection of bishops | Candidates will for the first time be asked to supply written CVs, references and personal statements. Other reforms are in the works (The Times, London)

Ecumenism:

Churches sign historic agreement | Anglicans, Lutherans applaud ‘most important day since Reformation’ (The Ottawa Citizen)

Catholicism:

Vatican: Virgin Mary sightings true | “Credible reports” of visions in Kibeho, Rwanda, over several months starting on Nov. 29, 1981. (Newsday/Houston Chronicle)
Divine investment: Vatican posts eight straight years of gains | Thanks in large part to values-based investing, Vatican saw a $8.5 million net gain last year (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
Pope denounces U.S. embargo on Cuba | Communism also criticized in speech to bishops (Associated Press)
Catholicism and the pill: Vatican pushes birth control edict despite court ruling | Church, state square off after decision over health plans (San Francisco Chronicle)
A papal paycheck? Yes. Well, maybe | No one seems to know what his salary is and if they do, they’re not saying. (Reuters)

Sexual ethics:

Marriage amendment planned | Broad-based coalition of religious groups want Constitution to define marriage as union between one man and one woman (UPI)
Sex-change chaplain defiant | Bishop has asked hospital chaplain to resign (The Times, London)
U.S. cities follow Pennsylvania town’s lead in banning nude dancing | Lawmakers tailor ordinances to target secondary effects of clubs in light of last year’s Supreme Court ruling. (Associated Press)
Presbyterians mull church role of gays | Local churches are gearing up for a fight, albeit a gentle one. (The Boston Globe)
Tammy Faye speaks at gay pride fest | “Like you, I’ve suffered,” says Messner (Associated Press)
Also: PrideFest welcomes Tammy Faye (The Tampa Tribune)

Bible:

In the Beginning details Bible’s imprint on English | Chronicling three centuries of cultural, religious, and political history that led to history’s most famous Bible translation, Alister McGrath shows how the King James version is a literary landmark. (The Boston Globe)
Cousins share passion for Bible with the world | Bethesda, Maryland, museum focuses on Scriptures (The Washington Post)
Archaeologists to dig for apostle Matthew | Tax collector who wrote gospel may be buried by Kyrgyzstan lake (Sapa)

Popular culture:

Dylan: Playing for the Pope was the “best I have ever played and enjoyed in my whole life” (The Sunday Mirror)
Fortune takes craven Almighty-pandering to eighth circle of Hell | Dear God, make my rate base: Normally BS-free mag’s latest cover story, ‘God and Business,’ marks a new low in using religion to goose newsstand sales. (Inside.com)
‘Always-answered’ prayer sparks questions in some | Those focusing on the first part of the Prayer of Jabez are missing the point (The Record, Bergen, New Jersey)
Also: Bestseller’s message to pray for blessings has some clergy ordering copies and others claiming it sugarcoats greed (The Miami Herald)
God’s word up | Ministry provides haven for young with Friday night hip-hop program. (The Indianapolis Star)
Heaven can’t wait | Actress Dyan Cannon will take her ministry—God’s Party—on the road. (Los Angeles Times)
‘Extreme for Jesus’ part of a larger trend | Thomas Nelson’s brand “resonated with teens,” but extreme buzzword quickly being devalued (Los Angeles Times)
Lawyers touting faith to reach out to new clients | Simmons & Fletcher’s Houston-area TV ad says apostle Paul knew how to use the law to his advantage and they do too. (Houston Chronicle)

Science and health:

Calling Dr. God | Can a prayer a day help keep the doctor away? (Richard Morin, The Washington Post)
IRRCed by creationism | A review panel questions science guidelines (Editorial, Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Other stories of interest:

Wal-Mart and church disagree | The retailer has filed suit in 12 counties over fund-raising efforts. An Inland judge will decide. (The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, California)
Cheering religious diversity | Diana Eck believes all faiths deserve a place in America’s public square. Her program documents pluralism’s interactions and conflicts. (Los Angeles Times)
Coptic leader planning to restrict visitors to monasteries in Egypt | Move due to “need to ensure the tranquillity of holy places so that the priests devote themselves to spiritual and religious activities” (AFP)
Church divided on priests’ link with Securitate | Romania’s Orthodox Church is divided over whether communist-era files on its priests should be opened to detail how some clerics collaborated with the feared secret police. (Associated Press)

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