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Compiled By GayToday
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Washington, D.C.--President George W. Bush's escalated crusade to channel public funds to religious schools and "faith-based" social services has drawn criticism from Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Bush scheduled appearances last week in Cleveland, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin., to promote voucher aid to religious and other private schools and federal funding for "faith-based" welfare programs. The events were billed as part of the president's "compassionate conservative" agenda. |
He Believes: Bush thinks vouchers are the answer to America's education problems, but is it just a way to fund religious thinking? |
Advocates of church-state separation said Bush is on the wrong track.
"There's nothing 'compassionate' about forcing Americans to support religion," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "There's nothing 'conservative' about requiring people to pay for religious indoctrination they don't believe in. Religious schools and other ministries should rely on voluntary contributions from believers, not involuntary donations extracted from American taxpayers.
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"If President Bush thinks his crusade on these issues is popular with the American people, he's just plain wrong," Lynn continued. "Voters in California and Michigan overwhelmingly rejected voucher schemes on the ballot in 2000. Americans want public schools and public services strengthened; they don't want essential government programs privatized."
Observers said the Bush White House thinks school vouchers and "faith-based" funding will help renew support from Religious Right leaders who think the administration has not been right-wing enough. Bush strategists also hope to win support from African-American and other minority voters.
However, Lynn noted that African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities cast ballots against vouchers schemes at the same rate or higher than other racial groups. Exit polls indicated that all racial, religious, political and socio-economic groups in California and Michigan voted against vouchers.
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Related Stories from the GayToday Archive:
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What Those School Vouchers Could Mean to You
Related Sites:
Americans United for the Seperation of Church & State
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