Obama upholds faith-based hiring

Does a “faith-based” charity that takes federal money have the right to hire only followers of its faith? That’s the issue, whether Christian organizations can insist on hiring Christians–or Baptist groups, Baptist; or Lutheran, Lutheran, etc. President Bush had said “yes.” Democrats have tended to say “no.” But President Obama, despite what he said in the campaign, is now saying, “yes.” From Obama upholds Bush faith policy – Los Angeles Times:

It seemed like a firm campaign promise. Barack Obama pledged to continue President Bush’s faith-based office in the White House, but with a key change: Groups receiving federal money would no longer be allowed to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion.

On Thursday, however, as President Obama disclosed the details of his faith-based program, he left the controversial Bush policy in place.

The decision angered Democrats and civil libertarians who thought Obama had agreed with their view that Bush’s 2002 executive order went too far. . . .

Obama clearly singled out the policy during a campaign speech in July, declaring that “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.”