Op-Ed Articles Respond to Bush's Faith-Based Initiative

March 5, 2001

Source: Star Tribune

On March 5, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune published an editorial by Donald E. Miller, in which he criticized Bush's faith-based initiatives for making religion nothing more than an extension of government. This is a problem because "one of the essential roles of the church, temple or synagogue is not just to serve the poor but to work toward eliminating the structural forces that create poverty...It is also the task of religion to be a judge and critic." The initiative, he said, would create generic forms of civil religion. Plus, he argued, "the service delivery system is already in place" among America's 300,000 congregations. "So, let's get on with the experiment, and while we are at it, don't forget that corporations and foundations have an important role to play."