Why Is The U.S. Taxpayer Buying Stained-Glass Windows?

Richard Dawkins’ website has called attention to a report on the Politico website about stimulus funds going to religious groups.  In the interest of full disclosure, I work for a “religious” organization, a Jewish Community Center.  We do not proselytize and our Jewish focus is strictly cultural (though the occasional prayer is recited – though certainly not by me).  We also have many non-Jewish members.  Our main programs are non-sectarian and related to health, children, seniors, people with special needs and recreational activities.

According to Politico’s report, at least $140 million in stimulus money has gone to churches and similar religious groups through the faith-based initiative program.  Some of the money has gone to programs like homeless shelters and some of it to projects like refurbishing heating/cooling systems or replacing the stained-glass windows in church sanctuaries.

Politico reports on opposition:

“We believe that the heating and cooling of religious institutions is a job for the congregation, not the American taxpayer,” Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told Politico.

In fact, Americans United does not object to government grants that serve genuinely secular purposes like homeless shelters.  They object to government money helping out with some church’s praying situation or, in other words, giving them taxpayer-provided stained-glass windows. That’s a clear violation of the Establishment Clause.

Organizations like my JCC are different from many churches in one significant way.  The JCC voluntarily files IRS Form 990 and completes a formal independent audit. Religious organizations are exempt from the Form 990, regardless of the size of their revenue, unless they opt in.  When we receive government grants it’s on condition that they are used for non-sectarian purposes in a non-discriminatory way.  Filing a Form 990 and conducting an audit assures everyone that the funds are being used appropriately.

To the extent that religious organizations do non-ritual work similar to what secular non-profits do and to the extent that they are non-discriminatory in the services that they provide, they should be tax-exempt and grant-eligible, too.  But what is so wrong with demanding that they conduct an independent audit and file a Form 990?  Doesn’t the tax paying public deserve to know that they’re not using the dough to build mega-mansions for their mega-church mega-ministers?