A recent article in WORLD Magazine highlights the work of a New York City faith-based organization that is helping women escape poverty and achieve self-sufficiency. The Bowery Mission, known primarily for its historic men’s shelter, is one of the few faith-based charities in Manhattan that also houses a center dedicated to helping homeless women. Through the distinctive red doors of the Bowery Mission Women’s Center, women of all backgrounds—including prostitutes, drug dealers, and addicts—can find a second chance at independence and a flourishing life. During a 9- to 18-month program, …
A recent Washington Post article reports that several faith leaders are sensing a new tone from President Barack Obama’s office on faith-based initiatives. According to Stanley Carlson-Thies, who has worked closely with the office under both Presidents Bush and Obama, rather than creating a fair playing field for the good works of faith-based groups, the attitude now is: “We’re the government, doing wonderful things, YOU can come join US.” Attitudes and expectations about government are important. They shape how citizens respond to poverty and injustice. That’s why we’d propose a …
Pastor Freddie Garcia, founder of Victory Fellowship in San Antonio, Texas, was known for accepting the very people others gave up on. A former drug addict himself, Pastor Garcia approached broken lives with humility and determination. Today, Heritage remembers his life as one of great faith and self-sacrifice. Faith-based and community groups across the country recognize Pastor Garcia and Victory Fellowship as the moral center of the faith-based movement. Over the course of four decades, 13,500 addicts were transformed into men of integrity and service. Out of this, recovered substance …
Last night while talking about the importance of service, Barack Obama said: When a hurricane strikes, as it did with Katrina, we have to have a FEMA that works, which by the way, means that we should be encouraging young people, the best and the brightest, to get involved as civil servants, to pursue careers of public service so we’ve got people who are trained in federal emergency management who are able to take on the job. … Now, that does not crowd out the Red Cross. That doesn’t crowd …
In his speech today on faith-based programs, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) proposed that religious groups cannot compete for government contracts unless they give up their freedom to consider religion in their hiring decisions, a radical proposal that effectively repeals Charitable Choice: In order to receive federal funds to provide social services, faith-based organizations … must comply with federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Religious organizations that receive federal dollars cannot discriminate with respect to hiring for government-funded social service programs. This is a …
Details are emerging today about Sen. Barack Obama’s proposal for a new “Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.” While information is still being released, there are two immediate concerns with the proposal: The announcement emphasizes government funding — not changing the character of government to allow more space for civil society solutions. But even worse, Obama’s plan says that when a faith-based organization takes federal dollars, it would lose its ability to preserve its faith-based character through maintaining hiring standards consistent with its mission. It could be forced to hire …
