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For Immediate Release
Contact: Ari Geller - Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications  202-265-3000

Washington, DC – A group of religious and civil rights advocacy organizations issued the following response to today’s Washington Post article that details how the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has been turned into a partisan political tool by the Administration to garner votes.

The Post article, “Grants Flow To Bush Allies On Social Issues; Federal Programs Direct At Least $157 Million,” shows why we have been sounding a warning bell for more than five years now. In 2001, we, along with many ecumenical and faith-based organizations, opposed certain key provisions of the “faith-based” initiative. One of our many concerns was the potential for political favoritism and abuse that could arise when houses of worship receive government funds to finance social services ministries in their communities. This article documents the diversion of public funds to religious and political groups that are allies of the administration.

In the article, Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), a prominent conservative and one time supporter of the faith-based initiative, points out that the initiative has “gone political” and it is about time people are starting to recognize this. He’s right. We believe, however, that warning signs have long been evident.

The White House’s initiative, as currently configured, is about shifting social-service money to favored organizations rather than increasing it to meet the nation’s growing needs. We are alarmed that funds are being cut from established organizations with successful track records. We are concerned that responsibility for the poor is being foisted on religious charities, some of whom have little or no experience in tackling pressing issues and treating serious conditions.

We ask this administration to look at the larger picture: the government should be a compassionate government concerned about providing the integrity and civil rights of all its citizens, and honor the distinct roles of religion and government.

Participating organizations include: The Interfaith Alliance, the Baptist Joint Committee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, People for the American Way, Unitarian Universalist Association, Texas Freedom Network and the National Council of Jewish Women.

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The Interfaith Alliance celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, the Interfaith Alliance has 185,000 members across the country from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition. For more information visit www.interfaithalliance.org.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Ari Geller - Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications  202-265-3000

Washington, March 17 – On this Sunday's "State of Belief," The Interfaith Alliance Foundation's new show on Air America Radio, Rev. Welton Gaddy talks about a new term for Christian fundamentalists, FBI spying and welcomes special guest Al Franken who gives the Religious Right update.

Welton talks with Rabbi James Rudin, author of The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us, about Christocrats and who they are. Rudin uses the term in his new book to describe extreme fundamentalists who seemingly wish to replace the Constitution with Old Testament Biblical law.

"It only takes 2% of a population to change the entire perspective if they are extremely determined, well financed and driven," Rudin says. "This small group has enormous power both political and religious in society today."

Jim Kleissler, Executive Director of The Thomas Merton Center in Pittsburgh, joins Welton to discuss the FBI spying on his center's anti-war protest.

Al Franken channels Pat Robertson as he joins Welton to give this week's religious right update. Tune in to find out who Al has in his crosshairs.

Chuck Currie, host of ChuckCurrie.blogs.com and prominent religious blogger, gives his thoughts on the challenges faced by the progressive religious movement and how bloggers are taking on those challenges.

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The Interfaith Alliance celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, the Interfaith Alliance has 185,000 members across the country from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition. For more information visit www.interfaithalliance.org.

Subscribe

For Immediate Release
Contact: Ari Geller - Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications  202-265-3000

WASHINGTON, March 15 —At its National Leadership Gathering in Nashville, The Interfaith Alliance, a nonpartisan grassroots organization representing more than 150,000 members of various faith traditions, presented the 6^th Annual Bishop P. Francis Murphy Local Activism award to The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado for its advocacy and educational work throughout the state.

The award honors the memory of Bishop Murphy, an Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, and founding board member of The Interfaith Alliance, who believed passionately that religion can be a constructive and healing force in public life.

Accepting the award for TIA Colorado were Sister Maureen McCormack (Order of Loretto), President of TIA Colorado, and Sigrid Higdon, board member of TIA Colorado.

"Bishop Murphy's passion for social justice and his tireless commitment to the role of religion as a constructive and healing force in public life is an inspiration to our chapter and to people across many faith traditions,” McCormack said. “Through this award, The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado hopes to connect with his courage and his wisdom."

Presenting the award, the Rev. Welton Gaddy, president of The Interfaith Alliance, cited the chapter’s outstanding grassroots work and public awareness of religious freedom.

“We are a national organization, but our real work is done in the grassroots,” Gaddy said.  “We are thankful to have a group in Colorado which recognizes the threat religious liberty is facing and is willing to stand up and fight to preserve rights for all Americans.”

In 2005, TIA Colorado opened interfaith dialogue on Islam, participated in statewide coalitions and lobbied to restore funding to healthcare and education.  TIA Colorado also advocated to protect the filibuster and oppose a federal budget cut that would harm programs providing food stamps, student loans and health care to those in need.

• For more information on the Bishop Murphy Award and past recipients, go to www.interfaithalliance.org.

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The Interfaith Alliance celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, the Interfaith Alliance has 185,000 members across the country from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition. For more information visit www.interfaithalliance.org.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Ari Geller - Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications  202-265-3000

Washington, March 10 – This Sunday on "State of Belief," best-selling author Chris Hedges talks with the Rev. Welton Gaddy about the dangerous intersection of religion and nationalism in America. In his weekly review of religion in the news, Welton declares that insanity has taken hold across the nation.

Also on the show:

-          Patty and Terry Laban, creators of the nationally syndicated comic strip Edge City, say that incorporating their faith into the comic strip broadened their audience;

-          The Rev. Tim Carson, Senior Minister of Webster Groves Christian Church in St Louis expresses alarm at Missouri’s attempt to establish Christianity as the official state religion; and

-          Commentary from the Rev. Dr. Joseph C. Hough, Jr., president of Union Theological Seminary.

“There’s no other way to put it: insanity takes hold across the nation,” Welton says. “Missouri’s trying to establish a state religion; Kentucky’s attempting a religious test for public office; and South Dakota is banning abortion -- except for ‘religious virgins,’ of course.”

Hedges tells Welton that the religious right is similar to "the intolerant and totalitarian movements I've covered in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe….The religious right in this country is really about the destruction of reality-based media....The hard right wants the destruction of institutions that can engage in self-criticism."

A religion scholar, war correspondent, and Harvard Divinity School graduate, Hedges is the author of “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning” and “Losing Moses on the Freeway.”

Welton also comments on:

-          Jerry Falwell and Gary Bauer now allowing Jews to enter Heaven;

-          President Bush taking another whack at the wall separating religion and government;

-          California’s Cardinal Mahony vowing to defy the law if Congress requires houses of worship to deny help to anyone lacking government documentation.

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The Interfaith Alliance celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, the Interfaith Alliance has 185,000 members across the country from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition. For more information visit www.interfaithalliance.org.