Federal Housing Aid to Religious Groups
(A Blatant Constitutional Violation)
Will President Bush's Constitutional violations ever end!  In his latest push, President Bush "plans to allow religious groups for the first time to use federal housing money to help build centers where religious worship is held.  The White House says it wants to end discrimination against religious groups. Opponents say the policy breaches the separation of church and state." [NY Times, 1]

WAKE UP AMERICA!
THIS IS NOT "MAGIC MONEY" - IT IS YOUR TAX DOLLARS!

This plan was proposed through the Department of Housing and Urban Development this month and significantly broadens President Bush's faith-based initiatives through the White House's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI).  See our article "Faith-Based Funding" for more.  [E.A. - 2]  Current, regulations DO NOT allow federal housing and community development grants to be used by religious groups.  The final approval, required only by housing officials, will "allow the use of federal aid to acquire, rehabilitate or build centers used for religious and specifically approved nonreligious activities, so long as no federal money is used for the religious section." [NY Times, 1]  Although this may initially sound benign, the fact is that this is a violation of our Constitution and rules upheld since the founding of our country.  Are government officials really going to police which parts of the building are used for religious purposes and which are not?  We hope the answer to this question is obvious.

Is this issue new?  NO!  It has been continually tested by religious groups.  The latest was in the 1971 Supreme Court case, Tilton v. Richardson, that again clarified and reiterated that federal aid is restricted and is not available to religious institutions.  Apparently, this does not matter to the Bush Administration.  But, HUD and other federal agencies should not be allowed to ignore these laws and regulations.

"The proposed policy shift was slipped under the radar as an obscure provision in the Federal Register last month.  The rule change would turn on its head a long-standing prohibition against public funds being used to finance the construction or renovation of religious buildings. " [ACLU - 5]
 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?  PLEASE GET INVOLVED!

References:
1  "Bush Plans to Let Religious Groups Get Building Aid", 1/23/2003, By Eric Lichtblau, The New York Times
2  "Faith-Based Funding", by the Ethical Atheist
3  "BUSH ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES TO END "REGULATORY DISCRIMINATION" AGAINST FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN HUD PROGRAMS", U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 12/12/2002, HUD No. 02-150, Brian Sullivan (202) 708-0685
4  "Message Boards" at the Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives.
5"ACLU Blasts New Bush Policy Allowing Construction Of Religious Buildings With Taxpayer Dollars", 1/23/2003
- Ethical Atheist
[Created: 01/24/2003]
[Last Update: 01/26/2003]