The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing to thwart President Bush's creation of the Office of Faith Based Initiatives. The Office was created to assist religious groups compete with secular organizations for federal grants to provide social services. A US trial court originally dismissed the suit, however, it was overturned by the 7th US District Court of Appeals. The suit will be reviewed in the US Supreme Court today.
The foundation believes that citizens should have the right to challenges governmental spending as it relates to the separation of church and state. The establishment Clause of the US Constitution states that government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. The foundation believes that President Bush's Faith Based Initiatives is nothing less than an executive order providing assistance to religious groups thus in violation of the Establishment Cause.
The Establishment Clause specifically refers to Congressional spending and not the Executive Branch. If the foundation wins their suit, this will open the door for anyone to bring suit against any governmental action involving religion. The framers of the Constitution did not envision restrictions against governmental action that was directed at assisting its citizenship with promoting their individual beliefs, rather it created the Establishment Clause to stop government from creating a religious hierarchy that applied to all citizens. If the government assist or guides a religious group on how to achieve its goal that does not mean that the government is pressing a religious belief upon every citizen. If it offends you then look the other way, just as I look the other way when you worship your pagan idols.
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