-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! Bush Springs Faith Based Booby Trap By Chuck Baldwin June 29, 2001 President George W. Bush's faith based funding plan is inching ever closer to reality. According to recent reports, final details are currently being hammered out and soon the bill will come to the House floor for a vote. Passage is all but certain. Many religious leaders are eagerly anticipating a potential windfall from the federal government that could quickly find its way into their coffers. They shouldn't be. In the first place, the redistribution of wealth is not the job of the federal government. For conservative Christians to oppose Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society," only to now embrace Bush's faith based initiative, is nothing short of hypocritical. Both plans play Robin Hood with the American taxpayers. Second, if anything violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Bush's faith based funding plan does! The First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.." The Bush plan violates both clauses. The Founding Fathers had already experienced state supported religion. It didn't work in the old country; it won't work here. They knew that government handouts meant government control. That's why they were careful to include the words, "free exercise thereof." In order for religious institutions to be able to do the Lord's work, they must be free. That means free from both governmental support and governmental restrictions. Any faith based institution that accepts Caesar's money also accepts Caesar's shackles. The Democrat chosen by Bush to head this new federal monstrosity is John J. DiIulio, Jr., a University of Pennsylvania political science professor. He recently laid down the law for any prospective church or ministry interested in receiving these new federal funds. He said that religious organizations could participate as long as they met all federal anti-discrimination policies. Of course, that means they must be willing to hire homosexuals and lesbians. DiIulio also stated that these religious groups must create "separate organizations that do not promote religion, or discriminate in hiring." That means the religious institutions are prohibited from evangelizing, or preaching the gospel (plus, a second warning to hire homosexuals). It also means that those church ministries that decide to accept these federal funds must only operate as a secular organization. In that case, the very reason for their existence becomes unnecessary. The reason that faith based institutions are more successful than government supported institutions is not because they have better people working in them; it is because they have a better message. Take away the message and one is left with just another secular institution with no message of hope or redemption. In one quick stroke, the Bush plan destroys both the church's independence and its integrity. Rep. Robert Scott (D-Virginia) said, "If you're not proselytizing (evangelizing) in the program . you don't need charitable choice. Fund the [government] program." I'm not sure that I trust Scott's motives, but what he said is true. If the religious program is turned into a secular program, it ceases to be a religious program. And we already have plenty of government funded secular programs - we don't need any more! Those individuals and groups that want to secularize the country should enthusiastically endorse Bush's faith based funding plan, because that is exactly what will happen. The plan is a giant booby trap that, once sprung, has the potential to destroy religious freedom and independence in America. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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