Friday, January 3, 2003
Marriage promotion grants initiated by government
A story released today by the Associated Press reports that the government has sent taxpayer money from its child support programs to religious and nonprofit organizations so they can promote marriage pushing President Bush's faith-based initiative.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced Thursday more than $2.2 million in grants to 12 states and a variety of religious, nonprofit and tribal organizations to advance the nation's child support enforcement system. Roughly $550,000 is being spent on programs that emphasize the importance of healthy marriage.
The Marriage Coalition, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, received $199,994 to test a curriculum for poor single parents that emphasizes the value of marriage and child support.
In Allentown, Pa., a group called Community Services for Children Inc. got $177,373 to work with local church groups in providing marriage education and other services to unwed couples.
But a wary Robert Boston, spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, wondered who would ensure that the programs receiving government grants aren't violating the separation of church and state law.
``Whether a person gets married or stays married is none of the government's business,'' Boston said. ``It feels paternalistic for government to be interfering.''
Bush, bypassing a reluctant Congress, signed executive orders last month that put parts of his faith-based initiative in motion. His steps help give religious organizations more of a chance to win federal contracts for a variety of social services.
Bush said, however, that no government money ``will be used to directly support inherently religious activities,'' an assertion that has not satisfied skeptics.
Some Democrats in Congress and others object to the prospect that church groups will use the tax dollars to proselytize, and in doing so violate the constitutional separation of church and state.
``Some of these groups don't realize that they are supposed to run a secular program,'' Boston said. ``When they take taxpayer money it can't be business as usual.''
