Prometheus 6

One of the arguments a dissenter on Obama's plan to extend Bush's faith based program presents an argument that makes things worse.

Here is one scenario. In his speech Obama laid down this groundrule: “if you get a federal grant, you can't use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can't discriminate against them - or against the people you hire - on the basis of their religion.”

But what to do with religious groups for whom proselytizing is part and parcel of their theological mission and self-understanding? I know of, for example, more than a few types of Evangelicals who believe it is of the utmost importance that they devote their lives to bringing people to Christ. (And remind me to tell you one day of the Jews from the Chabad movement who once booted-up and invaded a soccer field I was playing on, running alongside the perplexed footballers asking each one “Are you Jewish?”).

Certain religious groups in the United States are unabashedly focussed on converting others--it's part of their faith. When the federal government stipulates that it will withhold funding from a group that proselytizes--as indicated by Obama's ground rules above-- is it not, ironically, discriminating against that group on the basis of its religion?

No. It. Is. NOT.

You people have fucked up the word "discrimination" until it is meaningless (which don't mean that meaning isn't still out there...).

The requirement is to do a non-religious job (if not, that would be a blatant breech of the first amendment) without proselytizing. If the are philosophically unable to do so, they are philosophically unqualified to do the job. Where's the discrimination in that?

Religious organizations have been doing this work for the feds since long before Bush's faith based initiative, without needing special dispensation to discriminate. Nothing has changed such that they can no longer participate under the same terms. Validating discrimination is the worst possible precedent that can be set. Which is why I have serious issues with this plan of his.