In Dallas, there have been documented cases of religious providers of services to the homeless discriminating against LGBT people. I doubt that if these organizations received federal funds that they would change there ways without strong federal sanctions. I’m afraid that in a case like this, in a city like Dallas, many people could be proselytized or denied services before the organization was sanctioned or defunded.

We need to count the cost (loss of independence) of taking federal funds.

Correct. The atheist could sue in court or file a complaint with the appropriate government agency.

“If the Baylor or Buckner daycare taught Bible lessons, that probably renders it ineligible for federal funds and this becomes moot.”

Not necessarily - that’s my understanding. Currently, faith-based recipients can’t proselytize with the federal funds. So, they structure the budget in a way to keep the federal funds separate from other non-government monies that are used for religious purposes. So, I don’t think a faith organization could offer provide a bowl of soup and offer a bible study at the same time. The organization would have to keep the religious activities separate from the federally-funded social services.

In years past - Bush did not enforce any of these regulations. But technically, an organization that takes the money opens themselves up to a good bit of government oversight. Groups like WorldVision won’t like that.

But then, organizations like Catholic Social Services and Lutheran Services have been taking federal money for years and have grown a huge social ministry - but their social ministry is a ministry that will hire non-Catholics. Those organizations also does not qualify as pervasively sectarian.

If the Baylor or Buckner daycare taught Bible lessons, that probably renders it ineligible for federal funds and this becomes moot.

Say a Baptist church applies for federal funds to start a Day Care. The purpose of the Day Care is to serve the needs of kids in a poor community, etc.

The Baptist church or religious organization receives the money to start the Day Care.

The Baptist church starts the hiring process for the Day Care. A few Baptists apply as well as a few non-Christians. The Baptist church can not take into consideration the religious background of the applicants when making the decision of who to hire.

When did Frank Page become President Emeritus of the SBC?

Blessings,
Tim

Thank you for responding. I have so many questions that I probably should call the BJC.

If a pervasively sectarian organization like Baylor or Buckner accepts faith-based funds (made available under the Charitable Choice provision of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996) for social-service purposes, they would be subject to federal regulations regarding discrimination.

So that’s a yes for Buckner. And it’s a yes for any institute or organization related to Baylor University that also takes the same faith-based funds for social service purposes. I think there are a couple of institutes/schools within Baylor that have either applied for or accepted faith-based money in years past.