Bush pushing for MORE faith-based funds

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON - President Bush has succeeded in opening the checkbooks of five federal departments to religious organizations. Now he's setting his sights on money doled out by the states. The goal is to persuade states to funnel more of the federal money for social service programs that they administer to "faith-based organizations."

Federal regulations now allow federal agencies to directly fund churches and other religious groups. Bush acted alone to rewrite these regulations after failing to persuade Congress to change the law.
Partly as a result, in 2003, groups dubbed "faith-based" received $1.17 billion in grants from federal agencies, according to documents provided by the White House to The Associated Press. That was about 8 percent of the $14.5 billion spent on social programs that qualify for faith-based grants in five federal departments.

That's not enough, said Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. An additional $40 billion in federal money is given out by state governments, he said, and many states do not realize that federal rules now allow them to fund these organizations.

"We're on the sunrise side of the mountain," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050103/ap_on_go_ot/federal_faith

[Bluebear]

1. PS can we organize DU as a church?

Maybe we can cash in on the gravy train that is this administration.

[finecraft]

5. Let's be contractors for the Office of Faith Based Homeland Security!

We can pray that we don't get attacked again like we did on 9/11. If an attack doesn't happen, I guess that proves prayer worked! We can get a grant to provide consulting services to communities nationwide to keep them safe from terrorist attack through prayer! Think it will work?

[oasis]

2. "Suffer the rich to come unto me, for I will give them tax relief."

[Ilsa]

3. Have they awarded ANY funds to non-Christian faith-based

orgs yet? I don't think they have in four years, even though many have applied.

[bryant69]

7. That's a very good question

Somebody needs to do some research on that one. My guess is that they will give some money to a few Jewish organizations, but nobody else. But I might be wrong even there.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Ian David]

9. All but one faith-based funding recipient is Christian

The one possible exception is The Church of Scientology, which may have been paid to run anti-drug and "pro-family" programs, thanks to lobbying by Tom Cruise.
http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/faith54.htm

In fact, most of them are Evangelical Christian.

** "Of the $100 million that the Department of Health and Human Services has given to the , the documentary said, 'no charities run by Jewish, Muslim or other non-Christian faiths' have received money from the fund, although some have applied. ...There are 31 intermediary grant recipients nationwide. So far ... none of them have been affiliated with non-Christian religions" (Chicago Tribune, May 5, 2004).

http://www.njdc.org/issues/detail.php?id=400&iss=2

And Pat Robertson, an evangelican Bush ally has asked the president to avoid funding "fringe" religions.

The Moonies have received tens of millions of dollars.

--
Robertson was particularly concerned that non-Christian religious minorities he doesn't like will receive public tax dollars under the Bush plan, including Hare Krishnas, the Church of Scientology and followers of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

"You know I hate to find myself on the side of the Anti-Defamation League and others, but this is, this gets to be a real problem," Robertson said. "I mean, the Moonies have been prescribed, if I can use that, for brainwashing techniques, sleep deprivation and all the rest of it that goes along with their unusual proselytizing. The Hare Krishnas much the same thing.
--

Robertson eventually shut-up once Bush threw him a bunch of faith-based money.

Unfortunately,

[Bluebear]

22. Sooprise, sooprise. nt

[K-W]

4. Who needed a silly constitution anyway.

It was obviously only holding us back.

[Bluebear]

11. Indeed, from the "sunrise side of the mountain"!

[cornermouse]

6. Maybe we should all declare ourselve religious

organizations and apply for the faith based funds.

[elehhhhna]

8. A Satanic Church needs to apply fo funds. SC would force the BA to ...

fork it over or the Mepublicans would have to kill all funding, period. Sweet.

[Ian David]

10. I emailed a bunch of Satanists long ago

As soon as Bush announced his faith-based plan, I tried to find a Satanic church willing to apply.

They all believed too strongly in a Separation of Church and State.

[lawladyprof]

15. They need to apply so they can sue after being turned down

We need to get this stuff out there.

[Malva Zebrina]

12. Is there a list?

"Bush acted alone to rewrite these regulations after failing to persuade Congress to change the law."

I don't understand. He "rewrote" the regulations? Congress made no law, so he decided to execute the law, of his own making?

They all have their hands out for welfare funding of their churches.

[Bluebear]

13. He needs no Congress, he has been enthroned King of All.

Thank you.

[Ian David]

17. We need to put an end to activist presidents!

[ismnotwasm]

14. That's it.

I'm starting my own faith. Then I'll base it on a group. The Oracles of Jerry Springer, hmm that has possibilities. Seriously, folks, can someone explain to me again how half the country actually voted for this man?

[JunkYardDogg]

16. Donate to "OUR LADY OF THE SACRED ORGASM"

This is a very deserving Church with many faith based programs
engaged in active community outreach group activities
helping many wayward fellow humans to find God

[Ian David]

18. Donate to The Essemian Church of Mankind

http://www.darkside-goddess.org/

THE ESSEMIAN MANIFESTO
Female Dominance and Fetishism as a Religious Philosophy?

Yes. Why not? A growing number of special women, some wearing long, flowing robes and capes, and thonged sandals upon their feet, others clad all in leather, spike-heeled shoes or boots, and carrying implements of bondage or punishment, are being called "goddesses" and worshipped by those who humbly bow their heads to the floor at their feet. The emergence of a new religion? Perhaps. The Essemian Manifesto describes in religious philosophical terms the postulation that certain acts of female dominance, when ritualized as psychodrama, can be a religious experience.

[JunkYardDogg]

21. Sounds like a Hell'va a Swinger Party

[Ilsa]

19. Sounds like a wonderful place for membership!

And what's to keep this from happening? Why can't DU form a "religious" group to help its own membership out? What's to keep the Church of DU from qualifying?

[Ian David]

20. Homosexuality can be a religion, too

Why not?

[SpiralHawk]

23. Robin Bush, Robin Bush, riding through the glen

Stealing from the liberal scum-sucking heathens,
Giving to the True Holy Chosen Ones of God !

What a dude, what a dude, Robin Bush !


(With aplogies to the Band of Formerly Merry Men))