Did you hear that Trump established a White House Faith Office?

All for it, of course he just re-named an existing group so I dont think its new.
Promoting or helping fix the ridiculous adoption system is very much needed.

I didn’t hear but I’m not surprised.

I didn’t know that he was so religious. He was very much in the news, at least here in NY, (due to his father being a big developer in NYC) in the 80s and 90s before he got really popular with his TV shows and stuff, and I don’t remember ever reading that he was religious.

Trump is one of those people who give religion a bad name.

Another example of how Trump is being used by the far right to further their goals of a white christian America.

I’m neutral. Depends on how this is used. As far as I can tell this is a name change and some asks by the executive branch to look into attacks on the liberties of Christians. That is a thing. Gov’t has generally prioritized other religions because Christianity is so dominant here. More click bait news IMO.

What is the name of the old office?

“The order appeared to acknowledge that the Trump administration is essentially replacing the existing White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which was created by former President George W. Bush’s administration and used by former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Trump left that office vacant for most of his first term before creating the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative in 2018 and appointing White-Cain to lead it in late 2019.

The new office, according to the order, is tasked with various projects, such as making recommendations to the president, advising various federal agencies and consulting with faith leaders who hold expertise in a broad range of areas, such as “strengthening marriage and family,” “lifting up individuals through work and self-sufficiency,” and “defending religious liberty.”

The order also mentioned prioritizing faith leaders with expertise in “combatting anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and additional forms of anti-religious bias,” and stated that the Faith Office would work with the attorney general to “identify concerns raised by faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship about any failures of the executive branch to enforce constitutional and Federal statutory protections for religious liberty.”

^^Before I read president Bush I already was guessing it was him. He was the one who opened up using federal money for all sorts of religious organizations, which I am completely against.

Our laws already protect people to be able to practice their religion, which I fully support.

The biggest point is the government should not be dictating religion, but the people Trump is working with want exactly that. They want a theocracy. If you haven’t watched yet, here is special about the Billionaire extremists trying to put religion into control of our government. If you don’t want to watch the whole thing, forward to minute 26:00 and watch for just a few minutes. See Rafael Cruz (Ted’s dad) preaching about it. https://youtu.be/7B3PTuADIHQ?si=s4SLSKyD6b9BYf3l

I know there are Christians who believe there is an attack on Christianity in the US, but that objectively is not happening, people can freely practice their faith, churches are open. Not allowing a principal or coach to lead a prayer in a public school is not an attack on Christianity, it is upholding separation or church and state and respecting children of all faiths. There are Christians in other countries being persecuted, which is absolutely terrible, I actually agreed with Trump prioritizing Christian refugees from some countries in the Middle East. Or, rather, it should probably be prioritize non-Muslims who are possibly being oppressed or threatened.

So what happened to separation of church and state? Is it only used for convenience when need be now?

@smudges It has been under attack for a while. Watch the video I linked.

So he’s religious when it fits his beliefs, but “He assailed the Rev. Mariann Budde for her sermon the day after his inauguration, when she called for mercy for members of the LGBTQ+ community and migrants who are in the country illegally.”

He doesn’t know the meaning of mercy.

This is so open to interpretation which can be dangerous. While we 100% need separation of church and state I believe the state has an obligation to protect religious liberty. Is this office doing more of that or is it a back door for religion in gov’t? Depends on who is at the helm I suppose. Loses all meaning without rigid objectives and guard rails.

@Blackwater_Park Agreed. Personally I was the only council locally to stand up and vote no on funds being used for religious service. As a Christian myself, it was very clear cut.
If this uses federal funds for religious agendas I would be against that.

I have no problem with it. I’ll be honest, I didn’t read the article attached to this question but did follow a link from it to the actual EO to read that. I didn’t want someone else interpreting for me. This EO discusses all the good things that faith-based groups do in our societies and it wants to encourage that and help these groups meet their goals. It doesn’t push or support any one faith and leaves it open for all groups that want to help people in society to get some help.

I have trouble believing that it’s for non-christian groups also, but we shall see.

@seawulf575 I agree many faith based groups and charities do great work. I just don’t agree with the government funding any of it since we are supposed to have a separation. Plus, there is room for abuse. I don’t mind government coordinating with faith based groups to provide help.

The idea of a separation of church and state has gotten really warped over time. The Constitution states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. This has been interpreted that the government cannot favor any one religion, cannot make a state religion, and ensures all people are given religious freedom. That’s it. Our society has warped it even further to be a cudgel to do exactly what the Constitution says it can’t do. Any time faith and government are mentioned in the same breath, people start running around crying about “separation of church and state!!”. A HS coach says a prayer on the sideline after his team wins and the crowd goes wild about separation of church and state and he loses his job. Why? Because he was exercising his religious freedom? Yep. Gotta stop that right to religious freedom! Where was the outrage of “Separation of Church and State!!” when the FBI started targeting Catholics that like latin masses? Isn’t that a separation of church and state? Where was the outrage when colleges and universities that receive tax payer dollars built bathing areas the Muslim could use to wash their hands, face and feet prior to praying? Isn’t that favoring one religion over others?

Separation of church and state has become the left-wing buzz words to use any time they want to target religion for any reason. It is used strategically…whenever the SPLC tells them to use it. The EO President Trump just signed specifically does not favor any religion over others, it does not exclude any, it does not punish any, it does not interfere with how people want to exercise their religion…it just sets up a way to streamline help to faith-based groups that are trying to help society.

@seawulf575 A coach can say a prayer to himself, it’s when he is involving all of the kids that it might be going over the line.

The Christian far right is tasked with spreading their brand of Christianity across America and the world. They have several missions going on at once to fulfill their goal. Coaches saying prayers, prayer in school, money to religious schools, money to religious after school, that combined is not simply allowing religious freedom, it is a method to bring kids into the fold.

Let’s say Christians are ok with any and all religions using the laws. Now, imagine Islam is growing at a fast rate in the US. Islam in it’s extreme also seeks to convert the world. Let’s say the extremist numbers grow and start to be in our government and in our schools. Do you want laws in the US that fund them and give them license to pray with 20 kids in class while the other 5 Christians either go along or be outside of the group?

Children should not feel ostracized or bullied, but it is in essence a type of exclusion and could be coercion.

The laws around freedom of and from religion have higher standards when children are involved.

I give the first Christians in America credit for being accepting of other religions (except for the ones who weren’t). The US was a break through country of the people governing ourselves and it included not following a specific religion to govern. Seeking to destroy that is destroying what made the US unique and great.

Moreover, the US has more religiosity than most of the western developed world, mostly because we had freedom of religion. The other countries have a rejection of religion and religious control and authoritarianism because of what happened previously under it.

We still consider morals and ethics when it comes to laws and practices. Some religious people seem to think that all goes away without religion, it doesn’t.

@JLeslie The coach started praying by himself. Over time, some of the students asked HIM if they could pray with him. And so they did. It didn’t play into anything having to do with him pushing it onto them or forcing them. They were under no obligation or coercion to be there with him. Yet despite it wasn’t being pushed, out came the “separation of church and state!” cudgel and wham! he was out of a job. He then had to get legal representation to contest his firing.

As for if Muslims started pushing it, it has already happened. And the yo-yos on the left supported it. There was a school that had ALL students write out the Muslim Affirmation Prayer. They called it a calligraphy exercise, though anything could be used for calligraphy and no one really explained why it was so important to use the affirmation prayer. Even on these pages there were many that wanted to avoid the “separation of church and state” angle. They just wanted to let it happen.

As for this EO, when I read it, it applies to all faith-based organizations that are trying to help their society. Obviously if a Satanist cult wanted funding to provide for child sacrifices, that isn’t helping the society and would therefore be tossed aside. However, the way it was written, if that same Satanist cult wanted help setting up and running a food bank for the community, that would be approved.

@seawulf575 Well, if the law is that public school teachers cannot ask a student to write out a prayer, than the law would take care of that problem. If some Democrats defended it, then they are wrong if it is against the law. Take it to court.

I just think it opens to the door when the government supports faith based. If there is any attacks on people of a certain faith that is covered in the criminal law. If people are prevented from practicing their faith there is law for that too, it doesn’t need a whole department. How many people are in the department I wonder?

Plus, renaming is sort of bullshit in my mind. It is just a way to send signals to his supporters or rile up the Democrats. I think Biden did similar with the Abraham Accords, he called it something else, I thought that was stupid too.