![]() In prior years, the federal government has generally steered clear of such funding, although it has freed religious institutions from paying taxes and made donations to them tax-deductible. "There's just an increased willingness by the court to allow for direct funding of religious entities." "In the last 15 years, the Court has moved increasingly in a permissive direction," says John Inazu, who specializes in religion and law at Washington University in St. Supreme Court has recently declined to challenge such support. This is the most drastic attack on church-state separation we have ever seen."Īccording to the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."Īdvocates for government funding of religious institutions argue that denying them aid that is available to nonreligious institutions amounts to discrimination, and the U.S. That directly contradicts the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. "It can't spend government tax dollars on prayer, on promoting religion proselytization. "The government cannot directly fund inherently religious activities," argues Alison Gill, legal and policy vice president of American Atheists. Organizations that advocate for strict church-state separation are criticizing the program. The loans are in large part forgivable, so churches and other houses of worship won't have to worry about paying all the money back. Under the new Paycheck Protection Program, businesses with fewer than 500 employees, including faith-based organizations, are eligible to receive loans of up to $10 million, with at least 75% of the money going to cover payroll costs. The new SBA program, however, takes federal funding of religious institutions significantly further. In 2018, the Federal Emergency Management Agency changed its rules to make houses of worship eligible for disaster aid. Under the Trump administration, the federal government has already been providing funds directly to churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious organizations. In introducing the new SBA program, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Pence and President Trump "made sure" that churches would be included in the program. "There is a portion of that revenue that just by virtue of people's habits and practices doesn't come back," Vice President Pence reportedly said in a recent conference call with U.S. "No otherwise eligible organization will be disqualified from receiving a loan because of the religious nature, religious identity, or religious speech of the organization."Ĭhurches have been especially hard hit by shutdown orders, because many of them rely on weekly offerings that are no longer being collected. "Faith-based organizations are eligible to receive SBA loans regardless of whether they provide secular social services," the SBA said in a statement. Churches and other faith-based organizations, classified as "businesses," qualify for aid under the program, even if they have an exclusively religious orientation. churches to help them pay pastor salaries and utility bills.Ī key part of the $2 trillion economic relief legislation enacted last month includes about $350 billion for the Small Business Administration to extend loans to small businesses facing financial difficulties as a result of the coronavirus shutdown orders. In a development that could challenge the Constitution's prohibition of any law "respecting an establishment of religion," the federal government will soon provide money directly to U.S.
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