Bush promotes divisive `faith-based initiative'. (People & Events).

President George W. Bush continues to press the Senate to pass his controversial "faith-based initiative," indicating that the proposal will become a strong legislative priority for the White House this year.

Appearing at a town hall meeting in Orlando, Fla., Dec. 4, the president remarked, "Governments shouldn't worry about faith. We ought to welcome faith." He insisted that under his program, all religions would be eligible for government assistance to pay for social services.

"I'm talking about the Muslim faith, I'm talking about Judaism and I'm talking about Christianity," he said. "No, the faith doesn't have a lock on a certain religion. I'm talking about people who have heard a call."

Continued Bush, "We fear state religion. That's not what we're for.... Government will never say, `This is the religion.' We're a free society for religion. But government can embrace programs started because of faith and religion and encourage those programs to foster in neighborhoods all across America. I'm passionate on the subject because I understand the power of faith in people's lives, and I understand what it can mean."

During his weekly radio address Dec. 9, Bush insisted that the American people want more action on the domestic front, including "faith-based" legislation. He asserted that this issue and others "are stuck in Congress."

Said Bush, "At this season of the year, we're especially reminded of the importance of compassion. I sent Congress a bill to encourage charitable giving and support the good work done by people of faith without entangling government and religion. The House has acted. The Senate has not."

Critics, including Americans United, countered that the legislation Bush was referring to, the American Community Renewal Act (H.R. 7), would have indeed entangled government with religion and led to taxpayer-supported missionary activities.

Americans United also charged that the Bush plan would lead to government-funded religious discrimination in hiring, force families in need to endure religious proselytism before getting assistance and jeopardize the independence of houses of worship.

While the Senate has been reluctant to endorse the faith-based measure passed by the House, Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) are drafting legislation that would provide various tax breaks designed to spur charitable giving. The Senate was preparing to deliberate this measure as Church & State went to press.