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THE QUESTION
Should Religious Charities Discriminate?
Dozens of major religious groups and denominations are urging Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to renounce a Bush-era memo that allows faith-based charities that receive federal funding to discriminate in hiring.
Should religious charities that receive federal grant money be allowed to discriminate in hiring?
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on September 23, 2009 10:51 AM
FROM THE PANEL
No Discrimination With Tax Dollars
The bottom line for all religious organizations: If you feel you must discriminate in one of your programs, just don't accept government funds.
Posted by David Saperstein, on September 25, 2009 11:24 AM
Should Government Discriminate?
When government invites civil society to participate in public-private partnership to address these issues, religious organizations must be free to participate as equal partners--without having to sacrifice their core identities.
Posted by Galen Carey, on September 25, 2009 9:45 AM
Free to Hire, Not to Discriminate
Rather than making blanket criticisms or condemnations of groups simply because they have a religious affiliation, we should try to judge each on its deeds and merits, in the same way that we should judge people, not on their religious affiliation or lack thereof, but on their deeds and merits.
Posted by Ramdas Lamb, on September 24, 2009 3:51 AM
Religion Should Support Civil Rights
Religion and civil rights should be best friends. Among religions' great values are an ability to bring people together and a capacity to function as the driving force behind many good works.
Posted by Welton Gaddy, on September 23, 2009 3:09 PM
Subsidizing Religion
Q: Dozens of major religious groups and denominations are urging Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to renounce a Bush-era memo that allows faith-based charities that receive federal funding to discriminate in hiring. Should religious charities that receive federal grant...
Posted by Arun Gandhi, on September 23, 2009 2:51 PM
No Exemptions, Please
Religious dogma, if it is worth its salt, can withstand people of differing views.
Posted by Susan K. Smith, on September 23, 2009 12:50 PM
Flirting with Violations of Religious Liberty
Partnering with faith-based charities in the delivery of crucial social services conceptually always flirted with basic violations of the First Amendment; execution of the concept went well beyond flirtation.
Posted by Aseem Shukla, on September 23, 2009 12:29 PM
From Prophetic to Pathetic: Handouts from Cesar
I find repugnant the very thought of a faith-based group approaching government begging for funding to accomplish a Divine mandate of charity and compassion.
Posted by Samuel Rodriguez, on September 22, 2009 9:26 PM
Holder Must Withdraw the Memo
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty is proud to have played a part in the drafting of a recent letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, asking that he review and withdraw this memo that espouses a misguided application of RFRA.
Posted by J. Brent Walker, on September 22, 2009 5:16 PM
Can't Serve God and Uncle Sam
Even in a struggling economy, God hasn't declared Chapter 11. He will provide the resources for the work He wants done.
Posted by Cal Thomas, on September 22, 2009 11:58 AM
Society is Neither Church Nor State
For the "state" to require that employment be open to unbelievers in the particular faith is in violation both of the social fact that the agency is a faith community and of the sound principle of subsidiarity. But American individualism makes these violations probable.
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on September 21, 2009 9:18 PM
Just Say No to Faith-Based Discrimination
If you feel that your faith dictates that you should discriminate, just don't take government money. That's freedom of religion too. But if you take the money, you have to play by the rules.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on September 21, 2009 7:50 PM
Taxation For Religious Discrimination
I'm not particularly comfortable with tax breaks the government gives individuals for donating to a religion, or with the huge property tax advantages granted to often-wealthy churches, but I'm appalled that the government would allocate my tax dollars to inadvertently support religious discrimination.
Posted by Herb Silverman, on September 21, 2009 7:03 PM
Faith-Based Aid Is Unconstitutional, Period
To require any religious institution to hire people who do not agree with and represent its principles is absurd. That is why the government should not be in the business of funneling money for social services through any faith-based organization, whatever its hiring practices.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on September 21, 2009 3:55 PM
FEATURED COMMENTS
lepidopteryx: The fed should not be writing checks to religious organizations - period.
Any organization that receives funds from the fed should have to ...
PSolus: "Should religious charities that receive federal grant money be allowed to discriminate in hiring?"
Religious charities should not discrimi...
