BUSH'S FAITH-BASED REVIVAL

President Pushes Ahead With Religion Funding Scheme As A Way To 'Save Americans One Soul At A Time'

Traveling aboard Air Force One with President George W. Bush Jan, 15, White House Press secretary Scott McClellan interrupted a reporters' briefing to introduce a special guest: "Faith Czar" Jim Towey had something to tell the media.

Towey reminded reporters that Bush in 2002 ordered five cabinet-level federal agencies to take religious groups into account when distributing taxpayer-funded contracts. Towey was pleased to announce that the last agency, the justice Department, had completed the process. The result was that "faith-based" organizations would have new access to tax funds to the tune of a whopping $40 billion.

An announcement concerning such a huge sum of public funds might have been expected to grab a few headlines, but Towey's announcement caused barely a ripple in the media. Reporters, focused on November's presidential election and the ongoing controversy over intelligence failures prior to the Iraq war, gave Towey's declaration little ink.

Later that morning, Air Force One touched down in New Orleans, where Bush traveled to Union Bethel AME Church to plug his "faith-based" initiative. Bush insisted that the plan will not amount to taxpayer-funded religion, but a moment later praised the work of Darren and Tonja Myles, a Baton Rogue couple who run a "faith-based" drug and alcohol recovery program through Healing Place Church, a Baton Rouge mega-church with nearly 4,000 members.

The duo's approach, called "Set Free Indeed," isn't just "faith-based," it's explicitly fundamentalist Christian, a fact the church's website makes crystal clear.

"We believe that recovery begins at the Cross," the Myleses state on the website. "We rely solely on the foundation of the Word of God to break the bands of addiction. We believe that only through practicing the Word and practical living skills can the person struggling with addiction reestablish his or her lives. Once a person admits that they have a problem and recognizes that only God can set them free, the rebuilding process can begin."

Bush has frequently lauded "Set Free Indeed" as the type of activity he wants to fund through his "faith-based" initiative and even singled out Tonja Myles by name during his 2003 State of the Union address. he met with her again during the recent Louisiana visit.

Myles' connections have paid off handsomely. According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, the organization she and her husband run has been awarded $1.2 million in federal funds, which it is supposed to pass on to similar "faith-based" organizations.

More than three years after Bush first unveiled his "faith-based" initiative, Congress has failed to pass the main piece of legislation that codifies most features of the approach. But, as Tonja Myles can testify, that hasn't shut off the flow of taxpayer funding. Undaunted, Bush is moving ahead on other fronts, determined to secure government funding of religious agencies through executive orders and other means.

Despite denials by Towey and Bush, critics say the president's approach fails to protect taxpayers from governmentfunded religion and proselytism. They note that Bush constantly lauds groups like Myles' recovery program, which states upfront that participation in religious activity is a requirement.

Critics also assert that, short of intrusive and constant government monitoring, there is no practical way for the state to ensure that tax funds do not pay for proselytism or sectarian activities at "faith-based" organizations. They say ample evidence of Bush's desire to fund sectarian activities can be found in his speeches.

In New Orleans, for example, Bush insisted that "faith-based" groups get results because they are religious, remarking, "We ought to say, we want results, we welcome results, and we're willing to fund programs that are capable of delivering results. We want to fund programs that save Americans, one soul at a time."

Brandishing a Bible, Bush blasted efforts by the government to require "faith-based" groups to water-down their religiosity as a condition of receiving federal aid, declaring, "Faith-based programs are only effective because they do practice faith. It's important for our government to understand that."

"This is a massive shell game," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "The administration insists no public funds will be spent on religion, then turns those funds over to groups that openly brag about how much religion they have in their programs. The level of duplicity is staggering."

If Bush has his way, a lot more "faith-based" funding is in store for America. During his Jan. 20 State of the Union address, Bush called for allocating $300 million for "faith-based" groups to help ex-prison inmates re-enter society. But that's a mere pittance compared to the scope of Bush's entire "faith-based" vision. he wants a taxpayer-funded religious component to virtually every social service program offered by government.