Blog from the Capital

Media Transparency has an article online by Bill Berkowitz exploring the tenure of Jim Towey as head of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Office in the White House. Included are quotes from Baptist Joint Committee counsel Holly Hollman on the strained relationship between Towey and religious groups (like the BJC) that support a strong separation between church and state.

"On several occasions, the BJC voiced its concerns to him and sought ways to work together more constructively," Hollman said.

"Unfortunately, Towey never seemed to recognize that people of faith criticized the initiative precisely because of their faith. The initiative diminishes the role of religion by threatening the independence of houses of worship, funding religious discrimination and blurring the line between church and state that protects religious freedom."

Towey's is the same mistaken assumption afflicting many in the political arena: the idea that the no-establishment provision of the Constitution is anti-religion, while the free exercise clause is pro-religion. That assumption offends a central tenet of the Baptist Joint Committee (and this blog): a strong, vibrant Establishment Clause is good for religion.