Don't sell your soul to Washington

I wrote a couple days ago about Obama's faith based initiatives and how gay faith groups should make sure their hand is out. Here is a dissenting opinion that says that *all* faith-based charities should not accept government money. The whole program is misguided. His reasons:

* The program is biased towards the mega-churches that have the staff, funding, and political access to go after grants.

* A big reason for a faith-based charity is evangelism (or at least an expression) of the faith. The government should not be funding any religion's evangelism.

* Another big reason for a faith-based charity is for church members to be actively involved in the program. Funding the program with government money dilutes the blessing of that involvement. The church person is no longer personally invested in the lives of the less fortunate and participants risk becoming jaded social workers.

* He who pays the bills makes the rules. We like the idea that Obama might force these organizations to hire gays but that could end the moment he leaves office. In general, the church cannot serve two masters, the goals of one must be sacrificed to please the other.

* Government runs by paperwork and procedure, not compassion. Allowing government into the charity won't make government more compassionate and personal but will make the charity less so. Government money drains the soul, turning caring volunteers into people who count quotas and check boxes.

* Government money has already turned gay community centers from being a meeting place for outraged people to pill dispensers that have no use for people who don't fit the program's profiles.

* Politicians, who would control the money, are not known for basing their decisions on morality, ethics, or religion.

Don't sell your soul to Washington.

One of the comments points out that Obama has changed the name of the program. It appears to be open to any charity, not just faith-based ones. Gay organizations, even those not affiliated with a church, may apply. Though the program has problems with it, if our opponents are going to use it to get funding, we should too.