Appeals Court Asked To Deny Public Funding To Childcare Agency

Frankfort, Kentucky) A federal appeals court was asked Thursday to deny tax funding to a Baptist childcare agency that Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union say proselytizes youngsters in its care and fires gay employees.

The lawsuit asserts that Kentucky Baptist Homes has no right to accept public funding while imposing religious dogma on the children in its programs, and that the Homes’ religion-based anti-gay employment policy violates civil rights laws.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Alicia Pedreira, a former employee at the Louisville home who worked with troubled young people. Despite her excellent performance reviews, Pedreira was terminated in 1998 after officials at the facility learned she is a lesbian.

“Kentucky Baptist Homes is on a mission to evangelize on the taxpayer’s dime,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. “The Constitution simply does not allow this. Faith-based charities that want to indoctrinate youths should not get public funds.”

Americans United Senior Litigation Counsel Alex J. Luchenitser said in a statement that “the trial judge was way off base in dismissing this case on legal technicalities. If this wrong-headed ruling is allowed to stand, it will eviscerate the rights of taxpayers to challenge public funding of religion.”

In the appellate brief filed with the 6th Circuit Thursday, Americans United and the ACLU note numerous examples of the religious nature of the childcare agency. Its president has touted the Homes’ success in converting children, and the agency calls itself “Christ centered.”

The document also cites a report by the Children’s Review Program, a private contractor hired by Kentucky officials to monitor programs for children. The report noted numerous instances where young people complained about being forced to attend Baptist services or said they were not permitted to attend services of other faiths.

[Gryph]

Wow! I wonder if they are tax deferred too? Maybe the IRS should look into their books as well.

[nhjeff]

Gryph wrote:

Wow! I wonder if they are tax deferred too? Maybe the IRS should look into their books as well.

I assume you're asking if contributions are tax deductible under IRS section 501c(3). You bet. Will the IRS investigate? Not even under a more gay-friendly administration. Definitely not under the Bushies.

[Gryph]

nhjeff wrote:

<quoted text>
I assume you're asking if contributions are tax deductible under IRS section 501c(3). You bet. Will the IRS investigate? Not even under a more gay-friendly administration. Definitely not under the Bushies.

Yeah, what a shame.

[McMike]

Would someone please chime in on how the gov't giving money to "faith based charities" isn't a problem?

[nhjeff]

McMike wrote:

Would someone please chime in on how the gov't giving money to "faith based charities" isn't a problem?

It's not just a problem, it's a disaster. With Bush's Faith Based Initiatives doling out money to favored religious groups and religious groups dictating policy of the Republican Party (and SCOTUS), we have an unholy alliance of Church and State. The Church uses its vast resources to assure that the hand that feeds stays in power, and control of the proletariat is enforce by both Church and State. This is EXACTLY what the framers of the Constitution wanted to avoid!

Throughout history, alliances between Church and State have resulted in social disaster, usually culminating in wars, insurrections, inquisitions, and holocausts.

Now look what's going on in California--and what has been going on for years in social issue elections. The Church spends unlimited amounts of tax-deductible contributions to advocate its social agenda. Individuals' contributions are not tax deductible, so the government's subsidy to "charity" is recycled into support for a social agenda and, less directly, for favored politicos.

Let's see: Your tax dollars fund "charitable" organizations whose social agenda includes eliminating your inalienable rights. Then the same charities raise tax-deductible dollars to advocate issues-campaigns designed to benefit their friends in government. And as a reward, the funding for Faith Based Initiatives expands at the expense of secular programs that don't have the resources to venture outside their actual mission.

The Republicans have learned machine politics from Boss Tweed and taken it to the National level. But their agenda is far more dangerous.