Obama 'Stimulus' Delcared a War on Prayer

NOTE - THAT'S THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE. NOT MY TITLE.

Story Here

Hidden in the wording of Obama's non-stiumulating 'stimulus' is the fact that money from this bill is banned from being designated to facility/school renovation to any school or facility that allows "religious worship.". This is being called a violation of the First Amendment

According to the bill, which the Democratic-controlled House passed despite unanimous Republican opposition, funds are prohibited from being used for the "modernization, renovation, or repair" of facilities that allow "sectarian instruction, religious worship or a school or department of divinity."

Critics say that could include public schools that permit religious groups to meet on campus. The House provided $20 billion for the infrastructure improvements, of which $6 billion would go to higher education facilities where the limitations would be applied.

The founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that works to advance religious freedom, says "President Obama's version of faith-based initiatives is to remove the faith from initiative,"

Other secular groups have applauded the bill and say that it doesn't violate the Constitution.

Complaints will be filed, but the experts who were contacted for this story say that the compliants wont go far in court.

I remember when I was a kid maaaaaaaaaaaaany moons ago, our CCD classes and the sunday schools from the different churches would meet in the public school in town. It was a small town and all the facilities shared. The churches used the schools for sunday school and CCD. And when there were renovations in the public schools, the churches opened their halls and basement meeting rooms for the school to hold classes in.

That's not unusual activity for a small town. At least, it wasn't back then.

According to Obama's non-stimulating stimulus, these schools would be ineligible for money from the package because they allow prayer. I'm pretty sure that the Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy also have prayer in the buildings. Does that mean they would be ineligible?

Immediate edit to fix title



[edit on 2/13/2009 by FlyersFan]

If there's anyway to get anyone to do anything in this country, it would be to control the purse-strings. Being a capitalistic nation, our survival as individuals is dependant upon income since we cannot for the most part grow our own food, get our own fresh water, build our own house, etc. This certainly seems to be a move to push out any kind of faith from 'the public' as represented by many in his party over the last few decades. I understand not wanting to fund churches (as they have their own source of income) but withholding money from a school because a Bible study meets there on Wednesday night? The question I have towards this exclusion is: why?

I'd anticipate the answer to be "in the interest of fairness" but by selecting against individuals with faith, you're therefore being unfair. Fairness would be providing the funds to these public places without restiction as to who comes to meet in them.