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Conservative Groups Declare Obama's Stimulus Bill a War on Prayer
A provision in the House-passed stimulus bill -- banning money to be used to renovate schools from being spent on facilities that allow "religious worship" -- has ignited fury among those who claim it discriminates on the basis of faith and violates the right to free speech. 
 
Democrats in Congress have declared war on prayer, say conservative groups who object to a provision in the stimulus bill that was passed by the House of Representatives last week.
The provision bans money designated for school renovation from being spent on facilities that allow "religious worship." It has ignited a fury among critics who say it violates the First Amendment and is an attempt to prevent religious practice in schools.
According to the bill, which the Democratic-controlled House passed despite unanimous Republican opposition, funds are prohibited from being used for the "modernization, renovation, or repair" of facilities that allow "sectarian instruction, religious worship or a school or department of divinity." 
Critics say that could include public schools that permit religious groups to meet on campus. The House provided $20 billion for the infrastructure improvements, of which $6 billion would go to higher education facilities where the limitations would be applied.
"What the government is doing is discriminating against religious viewpoints," said Matthew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that works to advance religious freedom.
"President Obama's version of faith-based initiatives is to remove the faith from initiative," said Staver, who believes Obama has "a completely different view on faith" from what he said during his presidential campaign. 
"He is not the infallible messiah that some thought he would be," Straver said.
Civil liberty groups like the Americans United for Separation of Church and State vehemently defend the stimulus bill's provision, arguing that it in no way violates the Constitution.
"This provision upholds constitutional standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court and in no way affects student groups that meet on public school campuses," said the Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
The American Civil Liberties Union also defends the constitutionality of the restriction, which they say has been the law since 1972.  
"It's almost a restatement of what the Constitution requires so there's nothing novel in what the House did in its restriction," said Christopher Anders, senior legislative counsel to the ACLU. "For 37 years, the law of the land is that the government can't pay for buildings that are used for religious purposes."
Not so, says the Traditional Values Coalition, which issued a statement Wednesday charging that Obama is using his stimulus plan to restrict the exercise of religion in public facilities -- a provision it says violates the right to free speech.
"The economic crisis is being used as a pretext to curb religious liberty at institutions of higher learning," said Executive Director Andrea Lafferty.
"We are not asking that federal funding be used to construct a church, but if a campus ministry wants to hold a Bible study or Mass in the student activity building, we should be encouraging that -- not punishing a college for permitting it," she said.
According to some constitutional law experts, any complaint filed against the provision will gain little ground in court.
"Certainly the provision is treating the act of religious organizations differently from the activities of the school itself," Harvard University constitutional law professor Mark Tushnet told FOXNews.com.
"It's not frivolous to say there's a constitutional problem with excluding religious facilities from these grants, but I think the way of the law is in the other direction," he said.
Tushnet cited a 2004 Supreme Court case in which a Washington student lost a college scholarship awarded by the state after it was revealed that he planned to pursue a degree in pastoral ministries. Though the student argued that rescinding the money discriminated on the basis of religion, the court ruled in the state's favor -- declaring that the taxpayer-funded scholarship's restriction is constitutional.
 

Just think..............this can affect tax money going to church based preschools as well as college education.  In many rural areas many young families might not have access to public preschool........for toileting issues, so alot of the churches started preschools back in the 90's.   Back then, we didn't have public preschool, and we paid tuition.  My church, where the kids of all denominations went for preschool, housed the program because of community need.   I paid tuition, but they did get a small stipend from the government. 

I see lately our freedoms are being infringed upon daily. When people chose to make a CHANGE did they reallly stop and think about what they wanted to see happen or the lights and smoke of politics. I think that you are correct with your statements on how this will hurt americans that have and need these services if they have restrictions put on them. My child attends public middle school that allows flag pole praying and other activities that allow them to their own religion and choice of religion. This is WRONG that now the schools will tuck their tails and run to prohibit such actions for fear of losing the needed funds from the goverment to continue to educate our children. Tell me where will this world be if the next generation does not depend on God for their guidance in everyday situations. I think that things will get a lot worse no matter who is in office because of the way the world thinks. It is not a good thing that these so called changes are going to be destructive to families that relay on things to help them to take care of their families. The economy is never going to improve when all the focus is on the big groups. I have read a few things that I believe will help americans out and are vital to instill. Ex: Birth control and education about STD's, however the changes in these departments are so small I do not see what good that it will acheive.