Faith-based initiative
From RationalWiki
The concept of the faith-based initiative was a political idea put forth by George W. Bush (in the United States), whereby the federal government would give money to religious organizations, in order that they would do the governments' work in caring for the poor, endangered, and troubled.
Whether the First Amendment prohibition on "recognizing a religion" applies here did not matter to the Administration - they had to throw a bone to the 15% or so of the population that are insane enough to want to elect a religious leader, not a political one.
The "initiative" mostly channels federal dollars to large, well-recognized Christian churches.
Disappointingly, President Barack Obama does not seem to be going to do much to reinforce the separation between church and state. Associated press reported: "Analysts say the first weeks of the Obama era show there's little question that both major political parties believe religion should be a significant factor in shaping policy."[1]
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