The New York Times reported last May that religious groups’ ability to secure federal funds for land, buildings and social services was increasing dramatically. The Times noted that “some religious organizations are also hiring professional lobbyists to pursue the narrowly tailored individual appropriations known as earmarks.”
According to the newspaper’s analysis of federal records, “the number of earmarks for religious organizations, while small compared with the overall number, [has] increased sharply in recent years.” More than half of the 900 earmarks to religious groups made between 1989 and early 2007 were issued in the run-up to the 2004 elections.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State recently helped derail a $100,000 earmark destined for a pro-creationism group in
A front-page article in today’s Roll Call, however, adds another layer to the story. According to the newspaper, millions of federal dollars go to groups that are not just religious, but evangelistic. Indeed, many “require participants to convert [to Christianity] in order to fully benefit from their programs.”
World Impact, a client of the high-powered lobbying firm profiled in the Times article, has benefited tremendously. The group describes itself as “a Christian missions organization dedicated to ministering God’s love in the inner cities of America….World Impact ministers cross-culturally to people unreached by the gospel of Jesus Christ through evangelism…[and] training leadership for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.”
Nonetheless, members of Congress from
But wait, there’s more!
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) helped a group in his home state “secure a 35-foot ‘Mobile Medical Coach’ emblazoned with the slogan ‘Health care in Jesus’ name.’”
And almost $1 million was used to renovate a “Christian training center for inner-city young men” operated by Teen
According to Roll Call, “Teen Challenge is based foundationally on a literal interpretation of the Protestant Bible…. It is not required that a student have a conversion experience to enter or complete, but conversion is regarded as the greatest hope for breaking an addiction.”
AU State Legislative Counsel Dena Sher told Roll Call that “earmarked projects are especially vulnerable to abuse because the earmarked organizations don’t go through the normal application process and thus aren’t subject to any real oversight.”
Evangelistic organizations are clearly using federal earmarks to spread their faith. If members of Congress respect the U.S. Constitution and taxpayers’ rights, they ought to discontinue the practice immediately.
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