Faith-based help

The Joplin (Mo.) Globe

While we fervently hope that money provided by Uncle Sam to faith-based organizations for social services will wind up doing precisely what President Bush and others hope, we can't help but wonder what is going to happen in the years ahead.

... The problem with the faith-based approach of President Bush is that it requires that churches and religious groups provide necessary social services by abandoning their religious character. ...

Faith-based organizations may be able to do the job as well or better than nonfaith-based groups. But they could wind up looking like puppets. ... It could exact a heavy price for those with a strong religious affiliation who want to help.