In today's New York Times, Susan Jacoby (The Age of American Unreason, Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism) examines the policy--and constitutionality--of President Obama's approach toward funding faith-based programs that provide social services here. She says in part,
It is truly dismaying that amid all the discussion about President Obama’s version of faith-based community initiatives, there has been such a widespread reluctance to question the basic assumption that government can spend money on religiously based enterprises without violating the First Amendment. The debate has instead focused on whether proselytizing or religious hiring discrimination should be permitted when church groups take public money. This shows how easy it is to institutionalize a bad idea based on unexamined assumptions about service to a greater good.
She continues by looking at the writing of some of the Framers and at previous Administrations' approaches to such programs, sans faith-based partners. Recommended reading on this important debate.
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