Nov 10, 2000
Conservative faith-based charities wary of governmental help
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The 2000 presidential campaign has produced promises of a new partnership between church and state on behalf of the poor, with Vice President Al Gore calling for increased federal grants to faith-based organizations and Gov. George W. Bush saying he would emulate Texas' heavy reliance on religious charities to help the needy.
But whoever is elected will face doubts among the religious, particularly religious conservatives. Even though the Christian right's political leaders are the most outspoken supporters of increased church-state collaboration, the view from the evangelical pew is that Uncle Sam is not to be trusted, even if he comes riding a Republican elephant with bags full of money.
The overarching, often-overlooked concern of the faith community is not that the church will unconstitutionally influence the state. It's that the state might saddle the good works of churches with burdensome rules and regulations. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/doc/1047/1:FAITH2/1:FAITH21103100.html
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