Constitutional Law

Obama Signs Order Changing Faith-Based Office

President Obama has announced some changes to the faith-based office that was established during the Bush administration. The president signed an executive order this afternoon, which The New York Times reported, creates a “newly revamped faith-based office ….” The order, the newspaper said, requires the faith-based office to seek review from the Justice Department of grants that could pose constitutional and civil rights problems. During the Bush administration, the religious office distributed federal dollars to groups regardless of whether the money supported programs that were operated by people of only one faith. Groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State frequently argued that the Bush administration funneled public dollars to Christian groups supportive of the administration. Bruce Prescott, a board member of the group, told The Washington Post that, “There is nothing that can undermine the church more than easy money and loose accountability.”

At a religious gathering this morning at the White House, Obama said that faith should not be used as tool to divide people. “Instead of driving us apart, our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted,” he said. Obama also said that the faith-based office should serve all people “no matter their religious or political beliefs,” The Times reported.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on February 05, 2009 (boomark / email).