Written by Don Byrd
Lost in all the hoopla surrounding the supposed “purging” of God from the Democratic Party platform was another change that really is troubling. Amy Sullivan reported last week that a statement opposing the use of taxpayer funds for religious proselytizing was also removed.
The 2012 Democratic platform dropped another sentence from the 2008 version. That sentence? “We will ensure that public funds are not used to proselytize or discriminate.” It refers to the Bush-era policy, which President Obama has continued, of allowing faith-based organizations to discriminate when hiring employees using federal funds. Most religious conservatives fiercely support that policy (although they do so now silently) on the grounds that it protects the freedom of religious institutions.
President Obama’s refusal to clarify or strengthen the safeguards protecting taxpayers from funding religious discrimination remains a key disappointment. With neither major political party now willing to stand up for this basic church-state principle, it’s more important than ever that religious liberty advocates speak out and educate the public on this subject. Religious freedom for all is in jeopardy whenever government money can be used to staff positions based on the faith of the applicant. Churches and religious organizations need to be able to hire their own, yes. But with their own money, not that of the taxpayer.
