| |||||
|
| |||||
|
|
No Religious Discrimination The First Amendment requires government to remain neutral on matters of religion. But the so-called “faith-based initiative” violates that constitutional requirement and anti-discrimination laws. Created without congressional approval, the program allots billions of taxpayer dollars to social services run by favored religious organizations, allowing them to exercise religious discrimination in hiring and to proselytize people in need.
Americans should never be discriminated against on the basis of our religious beliefs. Government-funded jobs must be open to all qualified applicants regardless of their opinions about religion. Publicly supported programs should never require anyone to take part in religion. Non-discrimination is the American way.
If religious organizations use government funds to provide social services, they must not discriminate in hiring on religious grounds or deny services to people based on beliefs about faith. For people to be denied participation in a publicly funded program because of their beliefs about religion is simply un-American.
Religious organizations may define the content of their community services and hire only those who share their faith tradition in privately funded programs if they wish. But when using our tax dollars, it is not right for faith groups to discriminate in employment or in the provision of services.
In The News: "S.C. POLITICS TODAY" The State (South Carolina) - January 6, 2008 "Primary Roundup: Candidates have landed" Seacoast Online - January 5, 2008 "Buddhist prayer opens state Senate to show diversity" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - November 28, 2007 "Religious Groups May Base Employment on Faith, Justice Department Says" The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy - November 6, 2007 "At a University in West Virginia, New Protections for Pagans " The New York Times - November 4, 2007 "The Role of Religion in Politics" MSNBC - October 31, 2007 "Nobody has a monopoly on morality" Chicago Tribune - October 23, 2007 "Rockies Place Their Faith in God, and One Another" New York Times - October 22, 2007 "In Test of Religious Protections, Court Sides With Jewish School in New York" New York Times - October 18, 2007 "Canyon County forum touts separation of church and state" Idaho Press-Tribune - October 16, 2007 "Know Your Right Wing Speakers: Domino's Pizza's Tom Monaghan " Campus Progress - October 15, 2007 "So what does the Constitution say about religion?" USA Today - October 15, 2007 "Signs of a truce in America's divisive culture war?" Christian Science Monitor - October 11, 2007 "Interfaith Alliance chief says Romney must confront Mormon issue" Deseret Morning News (Utah) - October 11, 2007 "As Obama Talks Religion, Questions Surround His Controversial Pastor" Fox News.Com - October 9, 2007 "Court weighs coach's role in team-led prayer" USA Today - October 5, 2007 "Important vs. All-important" Washington Post - October 5, 2007 "Are U.S. troops being force-fed Christianity?" The Christian Science Monitor - October 5, 2007 "McCain Fails To Mollify Critics of ‘Christian Nation' Comments" New York Sun - October 3, 2007 "Interfaith Alliance Weighs in on School Prayer Case" InterfaithAlliance.Org - October 3, 2007 "Groups criticize McCain for calling U.S. 'Christian nation'" CNN - October 1, 2007 "Faith-Based Groups Receive One-Third of Addiction Service Vouchers" The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy - September 30, 2007 "Constitution Based in Christian Principles, McCain Says" New York Times - September 29, 2007 "McCain Casts Muslims as Less Fit to Lead" New York Times - September 29, 2007 "John McCain: Constitution Established a 'Christian Nation'" Beliefnet - September 29, 2007 "Blunt aims to boost role of churches" St. Louis Post-Dispatch - September 28, 2007 "US Anglicans reject gay bishops " BBC News - September 26, 2007 "Prison book policy called unconstitutional " Baptist Press - September 20, 2007 "Rep. Peter King: There are "too many mosques in this country”" Politico - September 19, 2007 "Military sued over religious freedom" Faith in Public Life - September 19, 2007 "Faith in secular government" The Roanoke Times - September 19, 2007 "Religious Liberty for Me and Thee" The Washington Post: On Faith - September 19, 2007 "Interfaith Game Injects Fun Into Understanding Others" The Washington Post - September 15, 2007 "Nonprofit's use of state funds questioned" The Western Star (Ohio) - September 13, 2007 "Most think founders wanted Christian USA" USA Today - September 12, 2007 "Some clerics vow fight on hate law expansion" Faith in Public Life - September 12, 2007 "Takes on religious freedoms change" Detroit Free Press - September 12, 2007 "ENDA - Wasting No Time " The Bulletin - Philadelphia - September 12, 2007 "Prisons Purging Books on Faith From Libraries " New York Times - September 10, 2007 "The Right Is Wrong About Sex Education " Philadelphia Jewish Voice - September 7, 2007 "Religion at work: A growing number of discrimination cases center on employees' beliefs" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - August 28, 2007 " Religious Charges Swarm Around Louisiana Campaign" Beliefnet - August 23, 2007 "Faith-based initiative backfires" The Miami Herald - August 1, 2007 "Religion looms large over 2008 race " The Associated Press - July 30, 2007 "Muslim Workers at Nebraska Meatpacking Plant Complain of Religious Harassment" The Washington Post - July 22, 2007 "Robertson: "Islam is not a religion. It is a worldwide political movement meant on domination"" Media Matters - June 13, 2007 "Pagans resist keeping the faith to themselves " Stars and Stripes - June 10, 2007 "Religious students' rights clarified in bill" Statesman.com - June 6, 2007 "Religion and politics go hand-in-hand in 2008 US presidential campaign" WorldWide Religious News - June 1, 2007 "Post-Falwell, U.S. Religious Right remains a force" WorldWide Religious News - June 1, 2007 "Advocacy groups sue to halt Bible classes in Texas schools" CNN.com - May 16, 2007 "Jinkins: Have faith in America's secular common ground" Austin American-Statesman - April 6, 2007 "Coalition says Head Start bill 'inconsistent' with Civil Rights Act" One News Now - March 30, 2007 "House GOP Try to Halt Muslim Seminar" Examiner - March 12, 2007 "State’s Faith-Based Office Under Investigation" The Christian Post - March 12, 2007 "Court Hears Arguments Linking Right to Sue and Spending on Religion" New York Times - March 1, 2007 "Fighting faith-based spending in court" Los Angeles Times - February 23, 2007 "For Gods and Country: The Army Chaplain Who Wanted to Switch to Wicca? Transfer Denied." Washington Post.com - February 21, 2007 "In constitutional clash with university, Christian fraternity wins big" St. Louis Post-Dispatch - February 19, 2007 "V.A. resists use of pentacle on tombstones" UU World (Unitarian Universalist) - December 1, 2006 "Arkansas begins faith-based inmate program" Houston Chronicle - December 1, 2006 "Faith-Based Initiative Spurs Growth of Special Interest Groups" The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy - October 24, 2006 "Americans should have faith in diversity" The Columbus Dispatch - October 21, 2006 "Healing the body to reach the soul - Evangelicals add converts through medical trips" The Boston Globe - October 11, 2006 "Together, but worlds apart - Christian aid groups raise suspicion in strongholds of Islam" The Boston Globe - October 10, 2006 "Religious right wields clout - Secular groups losing funding amid pressure" The Boston Globe - October 9, 2006 "Bush brings faith to foreign aid - As funding rises, Christian groups deliver help -- with a message" The Boston Globe - October 8, 2006 "Global Ministry Supports Offenders Here at Home: Prison Fellowship Partners With Churches, County" The Washington Post - August 27, 2006 "A Clash Between Two Cases Involving Equality and Religious Speech: How the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit's..." FindLaw - August 24, 2006 "Church-State Issues Topple Proposal to Restore Missions" The LA Times - August 17, 2006 "Social Services Under Bush - Only Christians Need Apply" The Salt Lake Tribune - August 14, 2006 "Free Expression: A Grave Oversight" The LA Times - July 15, 2006 "Gaining Faith in Federal Money?" The Virginian-Pilot - January 16, 2006 Partner Organizations
The organizations featured below are encouraging their members and supporters to sign the First Freedom First petition to safeguard separation of church and state and protect religious liberty. Click their logo to learn more.
Madison PartnersOrganizations working with First Freedom First on No Religious Discrimination
The Jefferson Society | ||||
| |||||
