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				Protect Religious Liberty: Oppose President  Bush's Faith-Based Initiative 
				
				
				
				Despite repeated controversies and reports that  President Bush's faith-based 
initiative has lost its momentum, the full  House of Representatives is 
expected to vote as early as Wednesday on  legislation that would implement 
the President's fundamentally flawed  plan.  
				
				The legislation, (H.R. 7,), the "Community Solutions Act," includes  
provisions that sharply attack one of the oldest civil rights principles  -- 
that tax dollars not fund discrimination. Because the proposal removes  
restrictions on how religious organizations incorporate their beliefs into  
the delivery of social services, discrimination would be permitted in  hiring 
decisions and in the delivery of services.  
				
				The President has repeatedly claimed that the bill would include  sizable tax 
incentives for charitable giving and new funding for social  service 
programs, both are absent from the bill that will be voted on-only  the 
government-funded religion provisions remain. Further, the legislation  now 
includes a provision that allows Cabinet Secretaries to turn any  social 
service program into a voucher program. This unprecedented move  would allow 
longstanding grant programs to be converted to voucher  programs without 
Congressional approval and would remove legal barriers  that now stop 
religious organizations from proselytizing beneficiaries.  
				
				The Bush faith-based initiative would obliterate any distinction  between 
religious institutions that would follow the rules and not use  public money 
to proselytize and those that would gladly violate the  nation's fundamental 
principles.  
				
				Oppose this legislation now! 
				
				[IMAGE] H.R. 7 provides no new funds for social services programs.  The 
President has repeatedly stated that his faith-based initiative  would 
provide new money for social service programs as well as tax  incentives to 
encourage charitable giving. This legislation provides no  new money and only 
makes it easier for religious groups to proselytize and  discriminate with 
tax dollars. 
				
				[IMAGE]The Bush initiative would allow for taxpayer-funded  discrimination. 
Religion is a very personal belief that varies from  individual to 
individual. We need to protect each person's religious  freedom, including 
the freedom to receive services without being forced to  listen to another's 
religious beliefs. Under the Bush proposal, there  would be no restrictions 
on how religious organizations incorporate their  beliefs into the delivery 
of social services. Further, religious  organizations would be allowed to be 
discriminate against applicants for  jobs with federally funded on the basis 
of religion, marital status,  sexual orientation, gender, HIV status, or any 
other characteristic that a  religious organization find objectionable.  
				
				[IMAGE]Government should not get into the business of  religion.This proposal 
would expose religious institutions to invasive  government regulation, 
including compliance reviews and audits. We must  not put government in the 
position of regulating religion.  
				
				[IMAGE]H.R 7 would fund proselytization. This legislation  includes a 
provision that allows any Cabinet Secretary to convert existing  social 
service programs into voucher programs. As a result, the voucher  provision 
removes the legal barriers that now stop religious organizations  from 
proselytizing beneficiaries.  
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				Last updated or verified on July  16, 2001 
				
				Copyright 2001,  The American Civil Liberties Union
				
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