Catholic Church Sued for Faith-Based Program

President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to greatly expand President Bush’s faith-based initiative program. He may would to consider a recent lawsuit where the Catholic church is accused of receiving a federal funding to assist sex trafficking victims but allowed to decline to provide contraceptive material or abortion services.

Under the $6 million contract, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contracted with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to provide services to trafficking victims but also allowed the Church to prohibit subcontractors providing services from providing “referral for abortion services or contraceptive materials.”

This is the dilemma of subsidizing religious organizations in the supply of social programs. The Bush administration has given billions to such organizations and the Obama administration has promised to multiply that effort.

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