NOOOOO!

Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups - NYTimes.com

Okay, let's establish that I do NOT have a problem with religious organizations. AND I think both Bush and Obama are right in thinking that such organizations should take center stage in addressing social ills. This in no way means that the government should fund them.

1. Separation of church and state is not just making sure that the government doesn't favor a particular religion - it is a protection for religion from the government. Note that religious organizations will be closely monitored in Obama's plan to make sure they do not use the funding to proselytize...this is a very slippery slope in my mind. When you combine government and state the danger is less that a theocracy will develop and more that the church will be limited by the government. Religious groups have the right to evangelize - regardless of whether I like them or not. It is not the place of the government to tell them they cannot.

2. Mario Cuomo made a fantastic speech years ago in which he defended his liberal leanings to his Catholic constituents. And one of the most poignant things he said was that social ills such as poverty and abortion are a failing of the church. If the church had done its job these would not be such monumental issues. Clearly that's a controversial statement. But let's consider that - if the church should be at the center of social progress, then the church should be willing and able to do so. We, as religious people, should be providing the money to take care of our fellow humans regardless of whether the government helps or not. If people want to help, then help. While I am a huge fan of social welfare programs to make them religious AND government funding seems to partially alleviate responsibility of the very groups that should be most involved. This, in my mind, is unacceptable. The people of a church, any church, should be helping those around them. Do not let the government take care of it for you. The government DOES have a responsibility to help its citizens - the church has more.