Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Reform recommended for partnerships with faith-based institutions

The Brookings Institution has recommended that the incoming Obama administration embrace the outgoing Bush administration's partnerships with faith-based organizations, but with some reforms.

Catholic News Service says the Brookings Institution, in cooperation with Wake Forest University Divinity School's Center for Religion and Public Affairs, released its in-depth report with recommendations for the new administration on future partnerships with faith-based organizations at a Dec. 5 press conference at the National Press Club in Washington.

With 16 recommendations, the issue was being studied by Brookings before Democratic Sen. Barack Obama won the Nov. 4 presidential election.

Since both Obama and his Republican challenger, Sen. John McCain, pledged during the campaign to continue partnerships with faith-based organizations if elected, the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution proceeded with its study so it could be ready before the new president takes office, said William Galston, senior fellow at the Washington-based organization.

Galston called the completed report "a valiant effort to pour oil over a very turbulent issue," and said, "This would be the perfect place to change the tone of our politics."

Among its many recommendations, the report calls on the Obama administration to:

- Welcome religious organizations to partner with government and increase funding for programs that work.

- Clarify restrictions on direct aid and religious activities.

- Protect the identity of religious providers and improve monitoring of compliance with church-state safeguards.

- Address religion-based decision-making in government-funded jobs.

- Avoid cronyism and religious patronage by highlighting peer review, evaluation and accountability.

"The next administration should welcome religious organizations to partner with government to serve those in need, whether through financial or nonfinancial partnerships," the report said. "Both religious and secular groups have particular strengths in reaching and serving certain populations, and both have long and productive histories of partnering with government."

President George W. Bush established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives by executive order in December 2002. In essence, it was designed to give organizations run by religious groups equal footing with secular groups in eligibility for federal funding for programs they operate to help the poor and needy.

The move was met with skepticism among established Washington political leaders, many of whom were concerned the initiatives would cross the line between church and state.

However, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected claims that federal involvement with faith-based groups is unconstitutional.

Both Democratic and Republican political leaders have embraced the partnership between the government and religious organizations in such causes as addiction recovery, prisoner re-entry into society, health services, HIV/AIDS, homelessness and at-risk youths.
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(Source: CTHUS)