An analysis of the 2008 federal appropriations bills shows an "uptick" in the number of religious groups receiving earmarks. The very nature of these non-competitive funding devices invites preference and bias to enter the equation.
"Earmarks are about picking winners and losers, and it gets more touchy when religion comes into it," Steve Ellis, the vice president for programs of the group Taxpayers for Common Sense, said. "That starts raising red flags."
Roll Call offers the report .
[UPDATE: AU's Wall of Separation has more: "According to [Roll Call], millions of federal dollars go to groups that are not just religious, but evangelistic. Indeed, many 'require participants to convert [to Christianity] in order to fully benefit from their programs.'"]
