Congress is debating at least 10 bills that will give even more money to churches and religious organizations to help combat a variety of social ills, including youth violence, teen pregnancy, homelessness and drug addiction.
While 1996's welfare reform set the precedent for faith-based groups using federal money to run social programs, the latest round of proposals is drawing both criticism and praise from the sector, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
Critics say allowing the government to pay for services run by religious groups means people seeking help will be subjected to proselytizing. This means the people who need help the most might leave such programs if they feel they are being pushed into a religious conversion. It also raises serious issues of how religion is affected by politics, and vice versa, the newspaper reports.
Supporters, however, say combating long-standing social problems will allow churches to compete with private groups and clinics without having to eliminate spiritual discussions with clients.
Congress passed "charitable choice" legislation in 1996 that allowed religious groups to compete with existing social service groups for federal funds, in an effort to help move welfare recipients into paying jobs.
A recent nine-state report published by the Center for Public Justice says hundreds of faith-based organizations and churches are now collaborating with the federal government on welfare issues, most of which provide clients with job training, mentoring and child care, the newspaper reports.
Supporters say that that allowing religious groups to have a hand in social causes makes for a more personable program, the newspaper reports.
Unless all religious groups receive federal funds, however, this trend might equal "government-funded discrimination based on religion," the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told the Monitor.
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