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SUMMARY:
Congress debates the right of religious groups to hire
people that share their faith and vision.
The
House on Thursday passed a bill that would allow religious
groups that accept federal money to hire only workers
who share their faith. Liberals complain if the groups
are getting government money, then they should hire anyone
that applies. The legislation provides training and counseling
services to millions of people. Under its provisions,
job-seekers can either sign up with a secular group or
a religious one for training. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind.,
said since faith-based groups are not the only option
available, religion shouldn't be an issue.
"We
are not force-feeding anybody anything," Souder said
He said religious groups have a right to hire those that
are in line with their beliefs. "If you're a faith-based
organization, your standards are higher than a government
organization, because you're supposed to be a reflective
mirror of the teachers of the Bible; therefore, you are
going to be more discriminatory in who you hire,"
Souder said.
Liberals
claim this is a separation of church and state issue.
But Jim Davids, with the Christian Legal Society, said
history is not on their side. "Since the beginning
of our country, religious organizations have had the unfettered
right ... to hire people of their own faith," Davids
said.
This
bill reflects the president's push to be more kind to
faith-based groups, according to Wayman Bishop, with The
Family Foundation of Virginia. "This is clearly the
executive branch and the legislative branch working together
to further the president's initiative to extend opportunities
for faith-based organizations across the country,"
Bishop said. It has been proven, time and again, that
faith-based groups are making a huge impact on the lives
of those who come calling.
The
bill - called the Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education
Act - restores the protections that were given to religious
organizations under the Civil Rights Act. Religious groups
say without them they won't be able to sustain their missions.
The provision was attempted in the last Congress but failed.
Copyright
(c) 2003, Focus on the Family.
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