Obama Cautious on Faith-Based Initiatives - washingtonpost.com

Activists Cite Campaign Pledge, but President Is Slow to Break With Bush Policies
By Carrie Johnson

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Candidate Barack Obama drew little attention during last year's presidential campaign when he ventured into the thorny territory of church and state.

While President George W. Bush had expanded government contracts to faith-based groups, Obama promised to end that arrangement if the groups proselytized to the needy they served, or hired only members of that faith.

Today, that campaign pledge -- along with other complex questions of religion and government -- are posing something of a dilemma for President Obama, as he tries to balance increasing pressure from the left to renounce Bush-era policies against a desire to find common ground on social issues.

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Could this be because the policies against using the funds to proselytize have always been in place - even under Bush?

Could it be because the Administration recognizes the effectiveness of community and faith-based organizations which are accountable locally, must raise a large portion of their operating expenses, and are subject to local scrutiny?

Could it be because faith-based organizations possess a large pool of willing, caring, volunteers with deep connections to their communities?

Could it be because the President's campaign statement, ""If you get a federal grant, you can't use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can't discriminate against them -- or against the people you hire -- on the basis of their religion," was always true?