I think Dumbya should take his hypocritical advocacy of religion and shove it up his corrupt stinking ass.

Didn't our founding fathers specifically say that we should maintain a separation between church and state? Since when are taxpayer dollars designated to support the evangelistic activities of our dumbfuck president-reject?

It's bad enough this idiot was given the power of a president by a coup of corrupt judges, but it definitely doesn't give him the right to play God.

Someone ought to shoot this stupid sonofabitch and put our nation out of misery.

******

Wednesday July 4 5:47 PM ET

Bush Highlights Faith-Based Groups at July 4 Party

By Arshad Mohammed

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) plunged into a July Fourth block party on Wednesday, painting a street mural, quarterbacking a football game and singing the praises of faith-based groups who serve their fellow citizens.

Joined by first lady Laura Bush in a visit to the birthplace of American democracy, Bush emerged from the city's Greater Exodus Baptist Church to the smell of barbecued ribs and the sound of a thunderous gospel choir.

In his visit to the black church's rollicking street fair and a later speech at the city's Independence National Historic Park, Bush sought to give a push to his faith-based initiative to provide federal funding to churches and charities to deliver social services.

At the bustling street party in North Philadelphia, Bush visited booths set up by faith-based groups that offer social programs, drug and alcohol support groups and after-school programs.

With his sleeves rolled up and a smile on his face, Bush also joined in the fun, picking up a paintbrush to dab red paint on the stripes of an American flag on a city-sponsored street mural and playing quarterback for a few plays of a touch football game on artificial grass laid on the street.

Bush visited Independence National Historic Park -- home to Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and where the Constitution was adopted in 1787 -- before heading back to Washington.

``These are the kind of citizens that every society needs -- citizens who speak for the voiceless and feed the hungry and protect the weak and comfort the afflicted,'' Bush said in a speech in front of Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell rang out to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

``Religious liberty is more than the right to believe in God's love,'' he said.

``America's founding documents gave us religious liberty in principle, these Americans show us religious liberty in action,'' said the Republican president as he highlighted the work of such organizations as the Philadelphia-based People for People.

Bush, who donned a blue suit, white shirt and red tie for the speech, urged Congress to pass his plan to provide federal funding to churches and charities to deliver social services.

The plan has not made much headway in Congress and has drawn criticism from religious groups who fear it may restrict their activities and civil liberties activists who believe it may breach the constitutional separation of church and state.

``Today I call on the United States Congress to pass laws promoting and encouraging faith-based and community groups in their important public work -- and to never discriminate against them,'' Bush said. ``These soldiers in the armies of compassion deserve our support.''

Bush was flanked by Philadelphia Mayor John Street, a Democrat, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican, who both back his initiative.

But in the distance, one could dimly hear chanting by protesters as he spoke.

The president was to end the holiday by watching fireworks from the White House South Lawn with some 4,000 people.

-- (impeach the @ hypocritical. antichrist), July 04, 2001

Answers

AU CRITICIZES HOUSE COMMITTEE FOR APPROVING FAITH-BASED LEGISLATION

Watts/Bush Faith-Based Initiative Still Burdened By Serious Flaws, Says AU's Lynn

Despite serious reservations from the religious, civil rights and legal communities, the House Judiciary Committee approved legislation yesterday on President Bush's faith-based initiative.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which has spearheaded opposition to the initiative, criticized the measure, insisting the plan would do lasting damage to religion and government.

Committee members voted along party lines late Thursday in support of the Community Solutions Act (H.R. 7), a measure sponsored by Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) that mirrors the White House plan. Americans United described the initiative as misguided.

"The Judiciary Committee missed an opportunity to reject a very dangerous and divisive bill," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "On issues ranging from proselytizing families in need, to the independence of houses of worship, to federally funded employment discrimination, this initiative is a disaster."

Lynn added, "I hope, when given the opportunity, the full House does what the Judiciary Committee failed to do: Reject this misguided scheme."

AU's Lynn said that White House efforts to "fix" the faith-based plan, announced earlier this week, are woefully inadequate, and in some aspects, even more dangerous than before.

"It will take more than smoke and mirrors to improve this scheme," Lynn said. "The administration and its allies in the House have tinkered around the edges, but ignored the core fatal flaws of the initiative. No one should be fooled into thinking this plan is now palatable. In fact, in many ways, the bill is actually worse."

After months of criticism from across the religious and political spectrum, the bill stalled in Congress this month. The White House tried to get the initiative moving again by offering so-called compromises on controversial aspects of the bill, which were largely cosmetic and did not address serious concerns raised by leaders throughout the religious, civil rights and legal communities.

AU's Lynn said that controversy over employment discrimination continues to be among the most serious burdens of the faith-based plan.

"The fact that this bill allows federally funded employment discrimination is the plan's Achilles heel," Lynn said. "Supporters of this initiative haven't begun to explain why taxpayers should subsidize discrimination."

Concluded Lynn, "Despite so-called 'alterations' to the bill, a Bob Jones-style religious group, would still be able to receive tax aid to pay for a social service job, and be free to hang up a sign that says 'Jews And Catholics Need Not Apply.' A religious group can still get federal funds and discriminate based on characteristics the religious group might find relevant, including sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy status. Until initiative supporters deal with this fatal flaw, this bill doesn't have a prayer."

AU analysis shows that the new bill takes steps in the wrong direction.

There's no more requirement of a secular alternative. The new H.R. 7 deletes the requirement that a secular alternative always be available (called “a nonreligious alternative” in the original bill.) Instead, the bill now would steer people who object to a certain group’s "religious character" to another religious group that is "unobjectionable" to the person seeking help. (A Democratic amendment to restore the protection was defeated during the committee's mark-up.)

Discrimination against beneficiaries is now allowed. The new H.R. 7 actually allows discrimination against a beneficiary during the program, when the government funding comes in the form of a voucher, certificate or other forms of "indirect" aid. The original version of H.R. 7 did not allow this form of heinous discrimination. Under the new H.R. 7, a person seeking help could be told they must convert to another religion in order to receive government-funded services.

Problems with employment discrimination remain. Although the backers of charitable choice claim that they have taken out the "religious practices" discrimination in H.R. 7, the new version leaves veiled language intact that would allow for such employment discrimination based on religious practices, tenets or teachings through extension of the Title VII exemption.

The "employment practices" section of the revised H.R. 7 also contains incredibly broad, new language that would override other civil rights protections in the federal laws governing social service programs.

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization represents members, chapters and allied houses of worship in all 50 states.

-- (do not @ govern. religion), July 04, 2001.

Dumbya says he is happy to pass new religious legislation in exchange for campaign contributions.

-- (just paying back @ his. preacher friends), July 04, 2001.

Oh my GOD! It sucked out what was left of his brain!!!

-- (bush@no.brain), July 04, 2001.