Religion
Related: About this forumDisgruntled Former Head of Bush Faith-Based Office Praises Obama's
http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/6799/disgruntled_former_head_of_bush_faith_based_office_praises_obama_s_/January 31, 2013 1:54pm
Post by SARAH POSNER
John J. DiIulio, the first director of George W. Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, has taken to the Washington Post to laud President Obama's White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In it, he cutely claims to like Obama's director of the faith-based office, Joshua DuBois, better than "Bush's first 'faith czar.'"
Less than a year into his own tenure, DiIulio resigned in disgust, and complained about Bush staffers who sought to dole out favors to religious conservatives rather than serve "compassionate conservativism." He notoriously coined the term "Mayberry Machiavellis" to describe Bush insiders, who, in relation to faith-based legislation, "winked at the most far-right House Republicans" in attempting to pass legislation for the faith-based office. That bill, which went nowhere, was drafted because Bush staffers thought it "satisfied certain fundamentalist leaders and Beltway libertarians."
DiIulio, who later advised Obama in the transition, has high praise for Obama's incarnation of the office, which is now entering its fourth year. Like Bush's, the office is authorized via presidential executive order rather than statutorily, so it will continue to operate, if at all, at the whim of future presidents. But to DiIulio's eye, it is more in line with what he envisioned for "compassionate conservatism." Under Obama, he posits, more is being done "to foster 'faith-based and neighborhood partnerships' that feed hungry children, expand affordable housing, generate jobs for ex-prisoners, and do other real social and civic good."
His phrasing makes the project seem unassailable, and he suggests that only "secular liberals" remain dissatisfied. But as Interfaith Alliance president Rev. C. Welton Gaddy notes in his response, one can "fully support government funding for social services, especially when the health and welfare of children are involved" and be "grateful for the hard work being done by faith-based organizations across the country to provide social services to the community," but "if faith-based organizations receive taxpayer dollars, they should be required to follow the same rules as every other non-profit organizations who receive such funds."
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Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)Imho.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)the greyest areas in terms of the 1st amendment. While there continue to be flaws, it sounds like there have been some significant improvements as well.
struggle4progress
(118,320 posts)Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Last edited Sat Feb 2, 2013, 02:59 PM - Edit history (1)
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)Couldn't we just help the poor and needy because it's the humane and sensible thing to do, and leave God out of it?
cbayer
(146,218 posts)cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)For the same reason that you want your beliefs to receive special treatment and respect because they are your faith.
Yeah, why can't or won't anyone jut do that?
Thats my opinion
(2,001 posts)But the great preponderance of compassionate money is given in and through religious groups. If you check the statistics, these groups operated by far with the lowest costs. Many of give a significant percentage of our incomes to such efforts through religious bodies. Somewhere in our innards we know that our faith leads us to do what we do. Do you have a problem with that?
trotsky
(49,533 posts)It's OK for you to justify certain actions or policies because of your faith, so why isn't it OK for Randall Terry and Fred Phelps to do the same?
Yes, I know, you think you escape this problem by labeling YOUR faith (and your faith alone) as "authentic" Christianity, but that's exactly what Terry and Phelps would say about theirs.
And so it goes. You guys trying to out-scream each other about who really knows what Jesus wants, and the rest of us trying to point this out but getting slapped down by both sides.
As your daughter has suggested, perhaps you are carrying water for the Republicans by trying to discourage progressive secular leftists and driving a wedge in the Democratic party. Hmmm.
Thats my opinion
(2,001 posts)Phelps is the antithesis of all the Christian message holds as sacred.
I doubt if you are in any position to judge it. Some of the rests of us are.
I want to encourage secular leftists. We are on the same team. I applaud everything they do which is consistent with a liberal humanistic agenda. I just ask for the same thing.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)Phelps thinks homosexuality is "desperately evil" and that god's judgment will fall upon America if we tolerate it.
Terry thinks abortion is equivalent to murdering human babies, and I guarantee you he views that as "desperately evil" too.
Your arguments are their arguments.
It's a pity you refuse to understand this.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)be it God, aliens, or late night conversations with your neighbors dog as long as it's motivates you to help others.
I have a problem with a government that's founded on the separation of church and state promoting faith based initiatives when it could just as easily call them American based initiatives. If you want faith based charity, go to a church.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Until the government or other secular organizations step up to the plate, the neediest of the neediest in this country are dependent on programs that are run by religious organizations.
It's important that there be oversight of those organizations and resources to help them understand what they can not can not do. In addition, some organizations that are willing to provide services may need specific resources to do them, which this office also oversees.
Do you see this as a problem?
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)but we are far away from that at this point.
Office to support faith based AND secular and other NGO initiatives and aid programs would be more inclusive. Perhaps that would be more constructive approach.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)Republicans may claim God and the Christian religion as their own, but there are few worse Christians out there than them.