Bush Reaffirms Commitment to Government Support of Religion

Right Web | Analysis | Bush Reaffirms Commitment to Government Support of Religion: "By Don Monkerud | March 2, 2005"

After recent criticism for not doing enough to promote his faith-based program, President Bush reaffirmed his commitment to erode barriers against religion in government-supported programs and to grant more money to religious groups. The president made his pledge before 250 religious leaders at a White House-called conference in Washington, DC yesterday.
...
After Congress refused to pass Bush’s Faith-Based initiatives in December 2002, Bush issued a set of executives orders, increasing funding, weakening traditional barriers between government and religious activities, and building a huge network of religious groups across the country. Federal agencies are now providing legal, logistical, and technical assistance to religious groups, which are being used to gain support for the GOP. For example, the Bush administration sponsored 13 regional conferences and additional meetings across the country to lobby religious organizations. The meetings produced an email list of 13,000 faith-based groups, which would prove useful during the 2004 election.
...
Once considered a “cult,” Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his Unification Church receive government grants to teach “healthy marriage” programs. Josephine Hauer, a Unification leader, works for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and told a seminar of religious leaders in Oakland, California, “I want to make this a marriage culture.” The seminar was sponsored by a $366,179 grant from HHS.
...