Faith-Based Welfare Program Includes AA

[Guest guest]

" Faith Works, " a government funding, faith-based welfare program

requires it clients to participate " in a faith-enhanced version of

the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program. "

The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a suit against this

program on October 11. Their press release is below.

October 11, 2000

Lawsuit Goes After Bush-Endorsed Agenda

Watchdog Group Files Constitutional Challenge to Public Funding of

Pervasively Sectarian, " Faith-Based " Welfare Reform Program

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based national

organization working to defend separation of church and state, filed

a lawsuit in federal court today challenging public funding of an

upstart self-described Christian program touting a " faith-based

approach " in providing social services to about 28 men who are

noncustodial parents with addiction problems.

Milwaukee's " Faith Works " program, which receives at least two-thirds

of its $700,000 yearly budget from tax dollars, was touted by Gov.

W. Bush during a campaign visit in July. Bush pledged $185

million in federal funding for community and similar faith-based

groups to " strengthen fatherhood " if he becomes president.

The Foundation's lawsuit is believed to be one of the first

challenges to " charitable choice, " routing welfare reform money to

overtly religious groups. The first such challenge was filed in July

by the American Jewish Congress and the Texas Civil Rights project in

Texas, challenging a yearly grant of $8,000 of public funds to

churches to run a local jobs program with proselytizing.

The Foundation's lawsuit challenges tax expenditures totaling about

$675,000 to date to a " pervasively sectarian " group.

The lawsuit names Gov. Tommy , who has allocated $450,000 so

far to Faith Works in discretionary funds under a Welfare-to-Work

grant at the request of a former legislator, the Rev.

Vergeront. Faith Works had no established track record of success

when it sought government funds, the complaint notes.

" Faith Works was established in 1999 as a demonstration model,

intended to show the effectiveness of using government money combined

with a faith based institution, whereby success is measured by

securing ongoing government funding sources, " the complaint alleges.

Also named as defendants: Reinert, Secretary of the

Department of Workforce Development; Gartner, Administrator,

Division of Workforce Excellence; Lightbourn, Secretary of the

Department of Administration, and Jon E. Litscher, Secretary of the

Department of Corrections. Litscher has agreed to appropriate at

least $75,000 to Faith Works to provide faithbased addiction recovery

services to individuals under the control of the Department of

Corrections.

Faith Works, whose bylaws describe it as " inherently Christian, " and

seeking to " put a holistic, faith-based approach to bring healing to

mind, body, heart and soul, " rents the Queen of Apostles Convent in

Milwaukee for $100,000.

Clients apparently numbering fewer than 30 are interviewed about

their attitudes toward faith, are required to participate in a faith-

enhanced version of the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program, are

evaluated on spirituality, and attend Bible studies, prayer and

chapel services.

" State appropriations to Faith Works convey a message that the

Christian religion is favored, preferred and promoted over other

beliefs and nonbelief, and Faith Works' mission is clothed in

traditional indicia of government endorsement, " the Foundation's

complaint alleges.

" The advancement of Christian indoctrination is an integral component

of the program provided by Faith Works, which indoctrination is

directly funded by appropriations from the State of Wisconsin. " The

complaint notes there are no provisions, restrictions, standards or

oversight to prohibit use of tax money to advance, endorse and

promote the establishment of religion.

The plaintiffs, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its staff

members Anne Gaylor, Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, seek to

enjoin further appropriations, to obtain a court declaration that the

appropriations violate the establishment clause, and an order

requiring the defendants to establish rules, regulations, standards

and oversight to ensure future appropriations are not given to

service providers that are pervasively sectarian.

Judge Barbara Crabb, U.S. District Court for the Western District of

Wisconsin, has drawn the case. The Foundation's attorney is

L. Bolton, of Boardman, Suhr, Curry & Field, Madison.