Integration of church and state

Also from the Post, just a heads up on what is happening while your attention is diverted by the man with the W:

The House is scheduled to vote today on a bill that would allow religious groups that run federally funded job training and literacy programs to hire and fire employees based on their religious beliefs.

The $4 billion Workforce Investment Act, the country’s main job training legislation, is the latest battleground in President Bush’s effort to channel more government funds to religious charities without forcing them to change their policies and practices.

Last month, Senate Republicans bowed to Democratic pressure and removed references to faith and religion from legislation originally designed to make it easier for religious charities to receive federal funds. Now, Republicans are pressing on another front. They say religious organizations — regardless of whether they receive federal funds — must be free to preserve their essential character by hiring people who share their beliefs.

… Opponents say allowing religious discrimination with taxpayers’ money is un-American. “I think most people would be horrified to open their local paper and find an ad that says, ‘Hiring Christians only’ or ‘Protestants only’ or ‘Methodists only,’ and they’d be even more horrified to learn that such ads are funded by taxpayer dollars,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said. “That’s what this legislation would allow.”