faith-based initiatives

I like 'em. I like that Obama is keeping them. I doubt his administration will allow churches who receive federal subsidies for community programs to use those programs for explicit proselytizing.

The reason I like faith-based initiatives is not because I'm religious or have any other personal interest in the programs, but because churches are one of the last remaining organizations in our civil society. There is little sense of neighborhood outside of church, no other reason to get together in person and shoot the shit. Government funding of church-based programs puts money on the ground where needs are known. It promotes more of the kind of civil society that our country needs, where people in communities take care of one another. I understand the objections, but I think it's a very pragmatic solution with little risk.

If I have any reservations, it's on the religion end. The mixture of politics and religion makes for bad politics and even worse religion. Flattening religious beliefs to fit a campaign squeezes out the complexity of relating to God(s) and humankind, ignoring humble truth-seeking. But the programs in question are things like homeless shelters and medical clinics. The gov't isn't funding things like anti-abortion campaigns; there are no policy issues, just spiritually motivated service.

I can't help but think the objection is motivated at least partly by an a priori antagonism towards religion.