The Florida Senate is once again considering a measure that would undo the "no aid to religion" protection in the state's constitution. For more than 120 years, the provision has helped keep church and state institutionally separate by prohibiting taxpayer money from going to churches or other sectarian institutions. SJR 1218, however, Senate committee hearing earlier today, would repeal that safeguard, a move that is not sitting well with many religious leaders in the state, as AU's Sandhya Bathija points out:
Yesterday, three members of the clergy – a Baptist minister, a Presbyterian minister and a rabbi… wrote to oppose SJR 1218, a measure that tears down the church-state wall erected by the state constitution.
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“We know how important social services are to our communities, even in the form of a voucher,” the letter continued. “Nonetheless, as religious leaders, we would be extremely wary of taking taxpayer funds for these services. Along with government funding comes government regulations, oversight, accounting, and monitoring that would fall squarely on our houses of worship. This is a challenge that we would not wish upon any religious community.
“Moreover,” the letter concludes, “we are concerned that government-funded houses of worship might be less likely to fulfill one of their traditional roles in society — being a voice for justice, especially when doing so means being critical of the government.”
I couldn't agree more. Allowing the government to fund church activity is no favor to religion. It compromises the mission of the church, and leaves the state open to charges of appearing to favor one religion over another. Religious liberty works best for everyone when government stays out of its way.
The BJC opposed a similar effort to end the no-aid provision last year in Florida. Here's hoping the state's legislature once again does the right thing and rejects it again this year.
