Imagine the outcry if, under the guise of increasing social service programs and resources, an administration sought to fulfill its own partisan political interests using a smokescreen of ‘compassionate conservatism’ and the good intentions of social service advocates.
Imagine the concern if one religious denomination sought to control all of the government supported substance-abuse counseling in your town and another sought to control all of the youth-related services through its religious affiliates and churches.
Imagine the outrage if religious institutions, funded by taxpayer dollars, had the right to exclude individuals from government-funded jobs on the basis of their religious beliefs, marital or familial status, gender, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status.
Although it may seem hard to believe, these scenarios are occurring more and more frequently in the United States today.
As currently structured and enforced, the administration’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative has given religious institutions wide latitude to pressure employees and beneficiaries to subscribe to certain religious tenets and beliefs. Those who work in or take advantage of government-funded social service programs should be free from discrimination and from situations in which their personal religious expressions may be stifled or their beliefs attacked.
By supporting this program, the current administration enables employment discrimination by religious social service providers against those of different religions for these government-funded jobs. Though officials acknowledge the importance of ensuring prohibitions against religious coercion, proselytizing and other violations of our constitutional rights, no mechanism, process or accountability exists within the program to ensure discrimination does not occur.
The next administration must ensure that programs intended to build better community partnerships not only provide more resources to those in need, but also protect the constitutional and civil rights of ALL providers, employees and beneficiaries in ALL government-funded programming and services.