Source: The Interfaith Alliance

http://www.interfaithalliance.org/Newsroom/press/010130.htm

On January 30, 2001, The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) based in Washington, D.C. issued a news release on their "concerns about Bush's faith-based proposals to fund religious ministries...Clergy from across the ideological spectrum are raising concerns about...excessive government entanglement in the affairs of religious institutions, and [the temptation to] manipulate faith to achieve political power." Religious leaders with TIA are concerned "with the immediate impact on the autonomy of religious ministries to remain faithful to their missions." TIA's executive director said the plan "will turn our nation's religious leaders into competitors for a limited pool of money, inevitably placing the bulk of responsibility for the nation's disadvantaged on the already burdened shoulders of the faith community." Others in the organization wonder how Bush is going to ensure that funds are distributed equally among the more than 2000 religious traditions practiced in the United States. One rabbi stated that "religion can also be used to exclude, demonize and discriminate. The government should not be in the business of financing that exclusion." Bush's statements on the plan were contradictory: he said that the government "will not fund religious activities of any group," but he also does not want the plan to cause religious groups "to sacrifice their mission." TIA plans continue to monitor and offer analysis of Bush's initiative, as well as to engage religious leaders in a national dialogue on the issue.