That view was echoed by Phil Strickland, director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission. Churches will find little passion for giving or serving when they become government contractors. This competition will be destructive to the faith community. When tax dollars go to church ministries, it leads to unconstitutional entanglement of church and state, Strickland warned. Government rules and regulations inevitably follow government funds, he observed.
Shekels have shackles.
Other religious leaders involved in social relief efforts expressed mixed views of Bush's proposals. The Muslim community, which enjoys a warm relationship with the Bush White House, said the president's plan codifies in an official way what Muslims already believe about helping the less-fortunate. Allah has charged his followers to actively work toward the betterment of society through compassion and social responsibility.