Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative Treats All Groups Equally

The Dec. 24 commentary by Karen McCarthy Brown criticizing President Bush’s faith-based initiative is yet another projection of myopia about this issue. The point of the government’s involvement is to allow faith-based and small community agencies to play on equal ground with other larger, secular or public organizations to obtain support for valuable programs. California is one of the 10 “champion” states that are working diligently on a national scale, funded by the federal government through Faith and Communities Engaged in Service (FACES) to be inclusive of all groups to access funding to serve the poor and marginalized.

The preponderance of our agencies serve “people of color” regardless of culture or faith, with no intention to proselytize. Brown’s assertion of Bush’s creation of an elitist list reducing religious traditions to a meager three is also not fair. I have been involved with other, smaller faith groups she mentions. They are welcome to participate, like all of us. She would have the president mention all faith groups as the commercial announcers do to cover all the legal bases -- saying all of the conditions so fast that all are named but no one can hear or understand them all.

Ken Martinet

President, Catholic

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Los Angeles

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During the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush was asked if the Nation of Islam would be among the beneficiaries of faith-based funding. Bush demurred, insisting he had no intention of subsidizing those who “preach hate.” That pledge was broken spectacularly in October when a portion of $30 million in taxpayer funds was awarded to a religious charity run by TV preacher Pat Robertson.

One would be hard-pressed to find a more prominent religious-political figure in American life who preaches hate as often and as vigorously as Robertson. The Christian Coalition founder is on record hating virtually everyone who dares to oppose his agenda or embrace a theology different from his own.

A federal grant to Robertson rewards bigotry. It forces taxpayers to support his ministry against their will and illustrates why the Bush faith-based initiative should be scrapped. Keep church and state separate.

Michael K. Finnigan

Encino

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Brown needs to spend some quality time on the streets of our nation’s largest population centers. After witnessing what America’s faith-based organizations are doing for the needy and learning about how much more they could accomplish if they had the means, she might acquire a different view concerning this issue and admit that those organizations most likely to receive funding are the same organizations that have been lovingly reaching out to hurting people of every race and creed for years.

Jim Roberts

La Mirada