Christian Message Boards: Faith-Based Program Can Continue

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Posted by barrykind (Member # 35) on :

Texas Ruling Means Effective Faith-Based Program Can Continue

By Allie Martin
July 22, 2002

(AgapePress) - Groups advocating separation of church and state have been dealt a major defeat by a Texas judge.

U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks rejected claims by "separation of church and state" groups who challenged the constitutionality of a successful faith-based program that aids welfare recipients. The American Jewish Congress and the Texas Civil Rights Project had sued the State of Texas over "Jobs Partnership," a charitable choice program made up of 17 churches and business that work together to move people off welfare rolls into steady employment. The lawsuit had demanded that Jobs Partnership be forced to repay all of the state funds it has received. [See Related Article]

Kelly Shackelford is chief counsel for the Texas-based Liberty Legal Institute, which represented the coalition of groups composing Jobs Partnership. He says the ruling is a victory for religious freedom.

Link: http://www.freemarket.org/liberty_legal.htm

"This is really an attempt by the left-wing groups to stop the whole faith-based approach and to basically force the government to discriminate against religious groups who just want to be treated like anybody else in these programs," Shackelford says. "If they're saying 'Let's have community groups get people off of welfare,' then the Christian groups should have the same right to do that -- and do it well -- as any other group."

According to Shackelford, the liberal groups that brought the suit are usually in favor of choice. "But when we're talking about people who are on welfare -- giving them the choice of not just secular groups, but even choosing a religious program to get them out of the welfare roles and into jobs -- all of a sudden they're not for choice when that's the case," he says.

Over the past several years, Jobs Partnership has seen an 80% success rate in moving those who entered the program off welfare and into working jobs. Participants are offered different training choices, some involving a faith-based aspect.

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