Remember The Kerfuffle Over Faith Based Initiative?

[Annie]

Faith Base Initiative

Transformation from Secular to Religious Government

Under the Bush administration, our country is experiencing a major transformation from a secular to a religious government. The President's faith-based initiative is central to this transformation and raises serious questions about church-state separation. "Slouching toward theocracy. President Bush's faith-based initiative is doing better than you think," by Bill Berkowitz, 2/6/04 provides an overview of this transformation.

In his State of the Union address, Bush renewed a call for Congress to make permanent his faith-based proposals that would allow religious organizations to compete for more government contracts and grants without a strict separation between their religious activities and social service programs.

On February 4, 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for provisions in a social services bill that allow religiously based job discrimination in publicly funded programs run by churches....

Not much seemed to happen under Bush with this, worthy of criticism. Wonder if the same can be said about Obama? Don't see any warning on theocracy watch, yet.

The Green Shepherd | The Weekly Standard

The Green Shepherd
The White House wants churches to advance its climate change agenda.

BY MEGHAN CLYNE
May 3, 2010, Vol. 15, No. 31
SHARETHIS

If the Obama administration has its way, the gospel of climate change will be coming to a pulpit near you. That at least seems to be the dream of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships—a 25-member group of leaders from across the religious spectrum that is part of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Last month, the council spent a day at the White House briefing senior administration officials on its “final report of recommendations” for improving collaboration between the government and religious organizations. The 164-page document, entitled “A New Era of Partnerships,” takes up the “priority areas” identified by President Obama—Economic Recovery and Domestic Poverty, Fatherhood and Healthy Families, Environment and Climate Change, Global Poverty and Development, and Interreligious Cooperation.

Poverty, families, interreligious co-operation: All pretty standard. But what does an office created to help better provide social services to the needy have to do with climate change?

Apparently, the president’s council envisions the “partnership” between government and religious institutions as a means of spreading the administration’s environmental warnings, rather than just a way to help churches feed the hungry and clothe the poor. Faith-based organizations, the report notes, can take “a prominent leadership role in influencing policy, education, and action in those areas.”

How exactly can the government enlist congregations in the climate-change fight? Step 1: Set up an office at the Environmental Protection Agency “to actualize the potential of faith-based and community groups and their networks across the country toward greening and retrofitting buildings”:

[A]n Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the EPA could .  .  . activate faith- and community-based networks to promote energy efficiency, environmental responsibility, and green jobs. With minimal personnel costs to the government, massive partnerships could be scaled up through engaging religious and community leaders and organizations.

The council hopes the new EPA faith office will also help churches and other nonprofits improve “access to financing,” including “establishing revolving loan programs or working with utility companies to help finance greening building projects.” The ultimate aim of all this government-supported retrofitting is clear: “Regional staff would work to engage local faith-and community-based groups to help meet Obama administration targets for greening buildings and promoting environmental quality.”​

[Emphasis added.]

...

 

[editec]

Yeah, this is very distrubing, I quite agree.

 

[Annie]

Yeah, this is very distrubing, I quite agree.

Should be a warning to both sides about what they wish for. End filabusters? Won't be in power forever. Make all important laws via reconciliation? Etc. Sometimes things do not end as one thought, unintended consequences.

 

[RadiomanATL]

B-b-b-b-b-but Bush was da DEBIL!!!

 

[editec]

B-b-b-b-b-but Bush was da DEBIL!!!

Well that is true, but that doesn't make Obama an angel.

Unless you're a clueless partisan who still thinks the world is either all black or white hats, of course.

 

[RadiomanATL]

B-b-b-b-b-but Bush was da DEBIL!!!

Well that is true, but that doesn't make Obama an angel.

Yeah, um, no.

It means that each side blindly ignores the hypocrisy of their leaders.

 

[The T]

Faith Base Initiative

Transformation from Secular to Religious Government

Under the Bush administration, our country is experiencing a major transformation from a secular to a religious government. The President's faith-based initiative is central to this transformation and raises serious questions about church-state separation. "Slouching toward theocracy. President Bush's faith-based initiative is doing better than you think," by Bill Berkowitz, 2/6/04 provides an overview of this transformation.

In his State of the Union address, Bush renewed a call for Congress to make permanent his faith-based proposals that would allow religious organizations to compete for more government contracts and grants without a strict separation between their religious activities and social service programs.

On February 4, 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for provisions in a social services bill that allow religiously based job discrimination in publicly funded programs run by churches....

Not much seemed to happen under Bush with this, worthy of criticism. Wonder if the same can be said about Obama? Don't see any warning on theocracy watch, yet.

The Green Shepherd | The Weekly Standard

The Green Shepherd
The White House wants churches to advance its climate change agenda.

BY MEGHAN CLYNE
May 3, 2010, Vol. 15, No. 31
SHARETHIS

If the Obama administration has its way, the gospel of climate change will be coming to a pulpit near you. That at least seems to be the dream of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships—a 25-member group of leaders from across the religious spectrum that is part of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Last month, the council spent a day at the White House briefing senior administration officials on its “final report of recommendations” for improving collaboration between the government and religious organizations. The 164-page document, entitled “A New Era of Partnerships,” takes up the “priority areas” identified by President Obama—Economic Recovery and Domestic Poverty, Fatherhood and Healthy Families, Environment and Climate Change, Global Poverty and Development, and Interreligious Cooperation.

Poverty, families, interreligious co-operation: All pretty standard. But what does an office created to help better provide social services to the needy have to do with climate change?

Apparently, the president’s council envisions the “partnership” between government and religious institutions as a means of spreading the administration’s environmental warnings, rather than just a way to help churches feed the hungry and clothe the poor. Faith-based organizations, the report notes, can take “a prominent leadership role in influencing policy, education, and action in those areas.”

How exactly can the government enlist congregations in the climate-change fight? Step 1: Set up an office at the Environmental Protection Agency “to actualize the potential of faith-based and community groups and their networks across the country toward greening and retrofitting buildings”:

[A]n Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the EPA could .  .  . activate faith- and community-based networks to promote energy efficiency, environmental responsibility, and green jobs. With minimal personnel costs to the government, massive partnerships could be scaled up through engaging religious and community leaders and organizations.

The council hopes the new EPA faith office will also help churches and other nonprofits improve “access to financing,” including “establishing revolving loan programs or working with utility companies to help finance greening building projects.” The ultimate aim of all this government-supported retrofitting is clear: “Regional staff would work to engage local faith-and community-based groups to help meet Obama administration targets for greening buildings and promoting environmental quality.”
​

[Emphasis added.]

...

EPA "Faith Office"? Say what?

 

[editec]

B-b-b-b-b-but Bush was da DEBIL!!!

Well that is true, but that doesn't make Obama an angel.

Yeah, um, no.

It means that each side blindly ignores the hypocrisy of their leaders.

You realize, don't you, that you started out telling me I was wrong, and them followed up in the same sentence by telling me I was right, right?


We agree. You said it one way, and I another.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Well that is true, but that doesn't make Obama an angel.

Yeah, um, no.

It means that each side blindly ignores the hypocrisy of their leaders.

You realize, don't you, that you started out telling me I was wrong, and them followed up in the same sentence by telling me I was right, right?


We agree. You said it one way, and I another.

I was joking in saying that Bush was the devil. It doesn't appear to me that you were joking when you said that was true.

I apologize if I misinterpreted your post.

 

[Truthmatters]

"I don't think witchcraft is a religion. I would hope the military officials would take a second look at the decision they made." G.W. Bush (R), as Governor of Texas. Interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America, 1999-JUN-24. He disapproved of Wiccan soldiers being given the same religious rights as others in the military.

 

[The Rabbi]

"I don't think witchcraft is a religion. I would hope the military officials would take a second look at the decision they made." G.W. Bush (R), as Governor of Texas. Interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America, 1999-JUN-24. He disapproved of Wiccan soldiers being given the same religious rights as others in the military.

And people claim he never made a good decision. Hah.

Yeah, Obama wants to turn every organization into a lobbying mouthpiece for his administration. The fact that these are churches is largely irrelevant. Of course when Bush did it it was a theocracy.
Double standard much?

 

[Truthmatters]

What alot of things you assume from me posting that quote.

I posted it to show that Bush was intolerant of some religions and thought religion meant only his christian faith.

I have no problems with the president talking to all religions to get them to educate their population of FACTS in the world.

 

[The Rabbi]

What alot of things you assume from me posting that quote.

I posted it to show that Bush was intolerant of some religions and thought religion meant only his christian faith.

I have no problems with the president talking to all religions to get them to educate their population of FACTS in the world.

What a lot of things you assume about George Bush.
How on earth did you glean from what he said that he thought Christianity (and his version of it only) was the only religion? He has made many many statements that contradict that.
George Bush is the most tolerant president of all religions we've ever had, and the most respectful. Get over it.

 

[Truthmatters]

He refused a religion the status his own had

 

[The Rabbi]

He refused a religion the status his own had

Witchcraft is not a religion.

 

[RadiomanATL]

He refused a religion the status his own had

Witchcraft is not a religion.

Why not?

 

[Truthmatters]

He refused a religion the status his own had

Witchcraft is not a religion.

Does not surprize me you think freedom of speech goes to far by calling religions you dont like religions

 

[The Rabbi]

He refused a religion the status his own had

Witchcraft is not a religion.

Does not surprize me you think freedom of speech goes to far by calling religions you dont like religions

What does freedom of speech have to do with anything?
The point is you have to draw the line somewhere. Bush drew it at witchcraft. He's the Commander in CHief. Do you think the CinC does not have the power to make such decisions?

 

[Truthmatters]

Its what Bush siad right after he said it was not a religion.

he said it was taking freedom of speech too far.

The pagen religion predates christianity

 

[The Rabbi]

Its what Bush siad right after he said it was not a religion.

he said it was taking freedom of speech too far.

The pagen religion predates christianity

It's "pagan" btw.

And the current incarnation (pardon the pun) of witchcraft has about as much to do with ancient paganism as Kwanzaa has to do with Africa.