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eNews for Faith-Based Organizations
September 21, 2010
Editor: Stanley Carlson-Thies
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Access Past Issues of the E-News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An archive of current and past eNews for FBOs can be accessed HERE.
| Pope Says: Protect Diverse Institutions to Strengthen the Public Good
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On his recent trip to the United Kingdom, Pope Benedict XVI gave an address to political, diplomatic, academic, and business leaders at Westminster Hall (Parliament). He evoked the name of St. Thomas More, "who is admired by believers and non-believers alike for the integrity with which he followed his conscience, even at the cost of displeasing the sovereign whose 'good servant' he was, because he chose to serve God first." The Pope said that, while the norms that should guide political action are accessible to everyone by reason, believers, having access to Revelation, can play a vital role by bringing to the conversation important considerations that might otherwise be neglected, such as a reminder of the dignity of the human person. And he stressed the many areas where the Catholic Church works together with the government "for the good of citizens." But he reminded his audience, "For such cooperation to be possible, religious bodies--including institutions linked to the Catholic Church--need to be free to act in accordance with their own principles and specific convictions based upon the faith and the official teaching of the Church." For, as the Pope said, there can be no such Catholic contribution to the common good when religious voices and institutions are shoved the margins of society, or when activists, insisting--"paradoxically with the intention of eliminating discrimination--that Christians in public roles should be required at times to act against their conscience." Undermine the institutions through which people maintain, develop, and put into practice their convictions, and that community will no longer be able to contribute to the common good. Find the speech here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2010/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20100917_societa-civile_en.html |
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Who Should Decide What is Real Charitable Action?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A late August news story reported that the New Zealand affiliate of Exodus Global Ministries was denied charitable status in that country on the grounds that it was not serving any authentic charitable cause.
Exodus Global Ministries, based in the US, says it works to equip Christians to "uphold the Biblical view of sexuality but respond with compassion and grace to those affected by homosexuality," and it claims that "change is possible for the homosexual through the transforming power of Jesus Christ."
That claim of change is disputed, without a doubt. But the New Zealand charity commission has no doubts. It declared itself certain, in the words of the news report, that "the trust was not performing any public benefit because homosexuality was not a mental disorder and did not need curing."
The news story said that commission has also rejected many other applicants for charitable status and also decertified many registered charities "for being too political, too commercial, or for not having the required paperwork." Among the charities rejected as too political is Greenpeace New Zealand.
To be sure, governmental authorities should ensure that only organizations dedicated to charitable purposes are accorded the benefits of registered charitable status. And governments legitimately decide what kinds of action--for example, electioneering or profit-making--are incompatible with that status. Governments in different countries will come to different decisions about these matters.
Yet, whichever the country, it ought to be worrying to citizens when the government decides not only generally what categories of activity count as charitable purposes but what approach a group must take in order to pass muster as contributing to the public good. One of the key reasons for public policies--such as charity rules--that make for a flourishing civil society is precisely because the government is not the fount of all wisdom nor are its decisions infallible.
Indeed, the New Zealand commission justified its governmental decision by reference to evaluations of homosexuality made by the American Psychological Association, a US charitable organization. The APA could come to that conclusion without penalty because US authorities had never made any particular view of homosexuality a test for gaining or retaining charitable status.
Of course, the APA and other private groups are not infallible, either. Still, it is better for society--and for the government--when the government refrains from deciding how charitable purposes must be pursued. For if it takes on that power, it will undermine an essential alternative source of guidance and correction.
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The Public Value of Pluralism in Education
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A striking aspect of the rebuilding of New Orleans is the new prominence of charter schools--and the educational gains that the students are making as a result. Leslie Jacobs, a former member of the state school board, notes striking academic gains at both the elementary and secondary levels, and attributes those gains to this surprising statistic: nearly 70% of students in New Orleans now attend charter schools! Charter schools are public (government-owned) schools with a twist, or rather with considerable freedom to make their own decisions about curriculum, budget, and staff. The freedom is not unlimited: the schools are accountable to government and they are accountable to the families--which can choose among them. And the freedom is also limited in a less-positive way. Because they are part of the public system, albeit with greater freedom, no charter school can embody a religious perspective on life, although many families, of course, seek precisely an educational setting for their children in which the families' deepest commitments are respected and reflected. Even better than giving extensive scope to charter schools, as New Orleans has done, would be to institute full-scale school choice, so that parents can choose from a wide range of options, public and private, and both secular and faith-based. For more on the public value of a full range of choices--religious as well as secular--in education, see: Andrea Mrozek, "Universal program fails to address real needs in education," Vancouver Sun, Sept. 18, 2010 (the virtues of diverse approaches in early childhood education): http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Universal+program+fails+address+real+needs+education/3543357/story.html Wendy Hensel, "Vouchers for Students with Disabilities: The Future of Special Education?" Georgia State University College of Law, Legal Studies Research Papers, paper 2010-11 (a growing number of states are giving students with disabilities public funds to attend private schools): http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1652793#%23 Charles Glenn and Jan de Groof, Balancing Freedom, Autonomy and Accountability in Education, 3 volumes (Nijmegen: Wolf Legal Publishers, 2005). International comparisons, principles, and detailed analysis. |
More Religion, Not Less, Needed in the Medical Profession!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Professional and public-policy battles over abortion funding, euthanasia, rationing, and other major ethical issues in health care too often reveal that a significant proportion of the public, elected officials, and medical staff are deeply skeptical about religion, seeing believers and their convictions as imposing intolerant and misguided restrictions. But perhaps the medical profession, to thrive, needs more, not less, religion. That possibility is prompted by an article by Sally Satel, "Physician, Humanize Thyself," which discusses extensive efforts in physician training programs to get doctors to look at their work from the perspective of the patients. To encourage doctors to treat their patients as, well, humans, many medical schools stage "cloaking" ceremonies, in which students are handed their white coats in a ceremony that stresses that the uniforms are intended to be "cloaks of compassion." Some schools have special staff and programs dedicated to "professionalism and humanism." Various schools specifically recruit students with humanities backgrounds, rather than the usual biology or chemistry focus. Students in some anatomy classes, to develop empathy, are even required to "imagine the life of their cadaver and write about their feelings towards him or her." All well and good, no doubt. But medical schools and the medical profession should try something else, too: cultivate and teach respect for religion and for health care professionals who are motivated by religious convictions. For a deep conviction that patients are "made in the image of God" is a solid foundation for the empathy everyone wants to promote. Of course, manifesting respect for doctors and nurses with that conviction about people requires protecting, rather than undermining, their desire to follow their conscience in their medical decision-making, including when their views depart from those of today's secular consensus. |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For further information:
e-mail: info@IRFAlliance.org
website: www.IRFAlliance.org
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What is IRFA?
The Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance works to safeguard the religious identity, faith-based standards and practices, and faith-shaped services of faith-based organizations across the range of service sectors and religions, enabling them to make their distinctive and best contributions to the common good.
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