Rally against Faith-Based Initiatives
--Rally with us--
Wed. 2/28 - 9:30 a.m.
U.S. Supreme Court
Your right to challenge tax funding of religion may be curtailed!
MapQuest for US Supreme Court: 202-479-3000 1 1st St NE Washington, DC 20543, USOfficial .pdf map
On Wed., Feb, 28, 2007 at 9:30 a.m, the Secular Coalition for America will participate in a rally challenging the constitutionality of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Please consider joining us on the steps of the Supreme Court.
The rally precedes oral arguments in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation. The Court’s decision in this important case will not be on the merits of the complaint; however, it may overturn or place limitations on the crucial legal precedent that gives taxpayers the right to challenge violations of the Establishment Clause. Visit the Freedom From Religion Foundation Web site for more information on this case.
The president’s establishment of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and its religious activities are a clear breach of the Establishment Clause principle of church-state separation.
As Lori Lipman Brown, director of the Secular Coalition for America, stated, "The activities of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives affect every U.S. taxpayer. It is taxpayer money that this office doles out with virtually no oversight, and that money is spent with virtually no accountability. We can no longer allow the federal government to favor certain religious organizations in what should be fair grantmaking procedures."
The Secular Coalition for America is working with dozens of other organizations to call for oversight and accountability of faith-based grantmaking. We can no longer allow the government to claim that religious organizations which receive government funds do not have to show that the money is being used effectively. We must dispel the myth that simply because these organizations are religious their program efforts will be successful and the government funds will be used without misappropriation.
However, when Congress fails to protect our constitutional rights, taxpayers (represented by groups like our coalition member, the Freedom From Religion Foundation) must be allowed to hold these programs accountable under the law. The Court should continue to uphold the right of taxpayers to submit a legal complaint regarding violations of the Establishment Clause.