TruthBook Religious News Blog

A recent study completed at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto suggests that the rate of decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease is slower among those patients who have high levels of spirituality and private religious practices than in those who do not have spiritual beliefs.

The study was led by Yakir Kaufman of the Behavioural Neurology Program and the Rotman Research Institute, both at the Baycrest, and was presented at the 129th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association Convention in Toronto last fall.

Kaufman says that both spirituality and religiosity are positively associated with quality of life and feelings of well-being. These religious beliefs may contribute to the preservation of physical health by enhancing the ability of individuals to maintain overall wellness.

More than 1,200 studies have been completed that explore the relation between religion and health for various mental and physical health conditions.

A majority of these studies, he says, indicate that spirituality and religiosity are associated with lower morbidity (illness and disease), mortality, lower cardiovascular-related mortality, lower levels of depression and psychological stress.

Spirituality and religiosity may affect health outcomes through behavioural, social, psychological, lifestyle and direct physiological pathways.

Patients with Alzheimer's may have a better immune profile, lower rates of depression, higher compliance, quicker response to acute health crises, less health-risking behaviours like smoking and drinking, healthier lifestyles, more optimism, and closer family and social ties if they have spiritual and religious beliefs.

Kaufman found a significant relationship between feelings of spirituality and cognitive decline. Those with a higher degree of religiosity had a significantly slower rate of cognitive decline as measured by the annual point loss on theMini Mental State Exam.

The slowing of the cognitive loss was attributable to religion.

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Marvin Ross is a Hamilton-based medical writer.

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Is God an Anti-Depressant?

Is there a secret weapon against depression? Research suggests it might be religion. Studies show that people who practice some sort of religion are happier and less stressed out than those who don't.

Those findings come as no surprise to Dr. Harold Koenig, a psychologist and co-director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University, who says there are a number of factors that contribute to religious people being happier.

"Generally, religious people have a positive view of the world," said Koenig. "They believe they are here for a reason. They see a purpose and a meaning in their life and have hope."

Studies show that under severely stressful conditions, religious people also cope better.

"They feel that God is with them and gives them strength," said Koenig.

It is not clear if there is a difference in happiness between those who practice organized religion and those who consider themselves spiritual, said Koenig. In part, that's because it is more difficult to define spirituality.

However, Koenig added, practicing within an organized religion seems to offer people important group and community support. While an activity like volunteering can provide much of the same satisfaction as attending church, many people need external motivation.

"If you give of yourself and love others and have a positive outlook, you can achieve the same thing," said Koenig. "The only thing is most people can't do that. Most people need some kind of faith system and group support which a church provides."

Koenig says it seems to make little difference what religion people practice — whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim — but rather how devoutly they practice it.

But Koenig said there is some research suggesting that humans actually are biologically wired to be religious or spiritual. In fact, this week's Time magazine cover story, "The God Gene," says many scientists believe our DNA compels us to seek a higher power.

"Religious faith may help people live longer," said Koenig. "Because it affects our health, it may be that it's genetically programmed."

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Survey Finds Church-Going Americans Less Tolerant

Church-going Americans have grown increasingly intolerant in the past four years of politicians making compromises on such hot issues as abortion and gay rights, according to a survey released on Saturday.

At the same time, those polled said they were growing bolder about pushing their beliefs on others -- even at the risk of offending someone.

The trends could indicate that religion has become "more prominent in American discourse ... more salient," according to Ruth Wooden, president of Public Agenda, a nonpartisan research organization which released the survey.

It could also indicate "more polarized political thinking. There do not seem to be very many voices arguing for compromise today," she said in an interview. "It could be that more religious voices feel under siege, pinned against the wall by cultural developments. They may feel more emboldened as a result."

About 40 percent of Americans claim to be weekly church-goers, according to Corwin Smidt, director of the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College in Michigan. Some surveys have placed the figure at 25 percent.

In the survey, 32 percent of those who attended church once a week said they were willing to compromise on abortion issues -- a 19-point drop in four years. Among the same group the question of compromising beliefs on gay rights was acceptable to only 39 percent, down 18 points from 2000.

The poll also found that 37 percent overall felt that deeply religious people should be careful not to offend anyone when they "spread the word of God," a decline from 46 percent four years earlier.

The number of those who felt that committed faithful should spread the word "whenever they can" rose to 41 percent, up 6 points.

On another issue, the survey found little change in opinion on whether the U.S. political system can handle greater interaction between religion and politics. Asked if there was a threat if religious leaders and groups got a lot more involved in politics, 63 percent in 2000 and 61 percent in 2004 said the system could "easily handle" it. But the remainder continue to believe the system would be threatened.

By Michael Conlon

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Friday, January 21, 2005

Haj faithful urged to reject terrorism

Appeals for Muslims to disavow terrorism and condemn the use of Islam to justify violence were heard across Mecca yesterday as two million pilgrims reached the climax of the annual Haj pilgrimage.

As the faithful prepared to end the festival with the stoning of the devil, a ritual which has cost hundreds of lives during past stampedes, the state-appointed preacher at the Grand Mosque spoke of the "putrid" phenomenon of using the Koran to justify terrorist attacks.

Militants were using "misguided and void" interpretations to justify their acts, said Sheikh Abdulrahman al-Sudeis. "Because Muslims have strayed from moderation, we are now suffering from this dangerous phenomenon of branding people infidels and inciting Muslims to rise against their leaders to cause instability.

"The reason for this is the delinquent and void interpretation of Islam based on ignorance. Faith does not mean killing Muslims or non-Muslims who live among us, nor does it mean shedding blood, terrorising or sending body parts flying."

King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah issued a message to mark the climax of the religious calendar calling on Muslims to embark "on a course that disavows terrorism, which spreads mayhem and seeks destruction and was forbidden by Islam".

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Thursday, January 20, 2005

One in Four Americans Believe the South Asian Tsunami Was an Act of God

Half of southern evangelicals and one in ten Catholics in America believe the devastation caused by the South Asian Tsunami was an act of God of religious significance, according to independent market research solutions company GMI, Inc. ( http://www.worldpoll.com ).

"Horrendous tragedies like a tsunami are hard to comprehend and even when science offers an explanation of the forces and immediate causes, many are still left searching for a deeper explanation for why this occurred. Religion often provides a comforting answer," explains Dr. Mitchell Eggers, COO and chief pollster at GMI.

GMIPoll(TM) conducted a 20,000 person survey on the South Asian Tsunami and Religion January 8 through 12 (representative samples of 1,000 persons in 20 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, United Kingdom, United States). The findings suggest that Christians were more likely than any other religion to identify the Tsunami as an act of God. Key findings include:

-- Half of Malaysian respondents felt that the Tsunami was an act of God; similarly, half of Malaysian respondents indicated they were much closer to God after the Tsunami

-- 27% of Russians, 26% of Americans, and 15% of Korean respondents felt that the Tsunami was an act of God

-- 16% of all global respondents indicated the Tsunami was an act of God

The survey also revealed differences in how distinct demographics responded to the questions. For example:

-- Persons living in the Southeast U.S. were more likely to believe the Tsunami was an act of God when compared to other geographical regions

Respondents in Japan, a country where religion does not play a big role in everyday life of most people, did not attribute the Tsunami to God.

"The Japanese people have a pragmatic approach to religion and because of this don't turn to religion when a natural disaster, such as a tsunami, strikes," explains Dr. Donald Hellmann, Professor of International Studies at the University of Washington.

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Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Poverty relief targets still a long way off, says agency

Rich countries were urged yesterday to be more generous with their international aid and to take steps to ensure the financial help is spent more effectively.

The west's leading economic thinktank said the prospects of meeting the UN's targets for alleviating global poverty were being hampered by a lack of resources, poor targeting and duplication of effort.

In its annual review of development assistance, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said aid should be focused on the most needy nations and that western donors should be prepared to pool their resources.

The study backed the call by Gordon Brown for the west to spend more on aid in an attempt to help meet the UN goals for 2015 of halving the number of people living on less than a dollar a day, cutting infant mortality by two-thirds and putting every child in primary school.

"Aid can and must be used more effectively to provide healthier and more secure lives for the 1.1bn people in the world who live on less than a dollar a day," the OECD said in its development co-operation report.

The study found that aid flows from the 22 individual countries and the EU - which together provide the bulk of development assistance - rose slightly in 2003.

A total of $69bn (£37bn) was provided, up from $58.3bn in 2002, but the OECD said inflation and the weakening of the US dollar accounted for $7.9bn of the $10.7bn increase. Iraq saw its aid increase by $1.9bn as the US and Britain mobilised international support to rebuild the economy following the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

The OECD's country-by-country breakdown found that despite a 14% increase in aid during 2003, Britain's financial assistance amounted to 0.34% of the economy - less than half the UN target of 0.7% of national income.

Only five countries - Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden - met the 0.7% target in 2003, though the OECD said four other countries - Ireland, Belgium, Finland and France - had set firm dates to reach the UN benchmark.

"Overcoming poverty will require a quantum leap - more nationally driven strategies and policies supporting broad-based growth, trade and international policies that support development, more investment and more aid."

"To make the aid more effective, it must enhance the development goals of the recipient countries who are the ultimate owners of the plans and projects. These good practices have yet to become general practice."

Attempts by western countries to ensure that aid was spent wisely often put an onerous burden on poor countries, the OECD said. "Missions, co-ordination meetings, aid talks with donors, individually or collectively, and the like take up vast amounts of time in countries where the capacity to handle large inflows of assistance is often weak. None of this is popular with the public in either recipient or donor countries, though some of it does reflect continuing concerns about accountability on the side of donor countries."

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Friday, January 14, 2005

Poll: Few Americans Trust Media

A new Harris Poll measures the levels of trust which Americans have in important institutions, and compares the results with those in a virtually identical European survey. For many institutions the levels of trust, or distrust, on both sides of the Atlantic were similar. There were also some striking differences.

Americans showed much less trust than Europeans in the media and in the United Nations. On the other hand, Americans, more than Europeans, trust religious institutions. Both Americans and Europeans had relatively high levels of trust in their police and military. Both Americans and Europeans had very little trust in political parties, their governments, trade unions and big business.

The American data are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,092 adults surveyed online between December 8 and 15, 2004. The European data come from the Eurobarometer survey of adults in the 25 member countries of the European Union surveyed nine months earlier in February and March 2004.

American attitudes toward the press, radio and television were much more negative than European attitudes. Specifically:

- A 62 to 22 percent (almost 3-to-1) majority of Americans did not trust "the press"; Europeans were split 47 to 46 percent.
- A modest 43 to 33 percent plurality of Americans were inclined to trust the radio; a larger than 2-to-1 majority (62% to 29%) of Europeans did so.
- A substantial 58 to 22 percent majority of Americans did not trust television; a 54 to 39 percent majority of Europeans did trust TV.

In the five largest EU countries:

- Trust in radio was above 55 percent everywhere and highest in Spain and France (67%).
- Trust in the press was highest in Spain (61%) and France (60%) and lowest in the U.K. (20%) -- with its own special mass market tabloid journalism.
- Trust in television was highest in Germany (59%) and the U.K. (54%) and lowest in Italy (37%) where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi owns several powerful networks.

Majorities in both the United States and Europe did not trust their politicians or their governments. A plurality of Europeans trusted the United Nations, while a plurality of Americans distrusted the U.N. Specifically:

- Very large majorities of both Americans (77% to 8%) and Europeans (77% to 14%) distrusted political parties.
- Substantial majorities of both Americans (55% to 27%) and Europeans (63% to 28%) distrusted their governments.
- A substantial majority of Americans (56% to 22%) distrusted the Congress. A substantial majority of Europeans (57% to 32%) distrusted their parliaments or elected chambers.
- A 44 to 30 percent plurality of Americans tended not to trust the United Nations. In contrast, in Europe, a 49 to 34 percent plurality were inclined to trust the U.N.

Trust in other institutions:

- Large majorities of between 3-to-1 and 2-to-1 trusted the police and the military in both the United States and in Europe.
- Large majorities also trusted charitable and voluntary organizations.
- Very large majorities in both the U.S. (70% to 12%) and in Europe (60% to 26%) distrusted big companies.
- Adults also tended not to trust trade unions in both the U.S. (51% to 19%) and Europe (50% to 34%).
- When it comes to justice and legal systems, Europeans were split with 45 percent trusting their systems and 47 percent distrusting them. In the U.S. a 47 to 36 percent plurality did not trust the legal system.

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Can praying really make you live longer?

New research from the US - a country currently undergoing a religious revival - shows that regular churchgoers live longer than non-believers.

A 12-year study from the University of Iowa tracking mortality rates of more than 550 adults over age 65 found that those who attend services at least once a week were over three times more likely to live longer than those who never darkened the studded oak door. Psychology professor Susan Lutgendorf, who conducted the survey, says: "There's something beneficial involved in the act of religious attendance, whether it's the group interaction or just the exercise to get out of the house."

Over one in three of participants who never attended church died before the end of the study. By comparison, over eight out of 10 twice-weekly churchgoers survived. Regular attendance was associated with lower levels of Interleukin-6, a chemical linked to age-related diseases and stronger immune systems, plus reduced risk of heart disease.

But could it be that churchgoers just choose a safer existence and so reduce their health risks? While the researchers acknowledged that regular worshippers may be more generally abstemious, they insisted they had factored in these variants. Report co-author Robert Wallace even suggested that GPs prescribe a course of a church attendance for patients - to be taken at least once a week.

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Thursday, January 13, 2005

'Conversations with God' Movie Planned

Plans are under way in Hollywood for a movie adaptation of Neale Donald Walsch's bestseller "Conversations with God," The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday.

The Spiritual Cinema Circle, a DVD club that specializes in "uplifting and inspiring films," has announced plans to produce the film -- its first venture in feature film production.

Plans call for SCC co-founder Stephen Simon to direct the movie, which will premiere exclusively for subscribers in 2006.

Walsch's series of "Conversations with God" books have sold an estimated 7 million copies worldwide. The first book spent almost three years on the New York Times best-seller list.

Walsch said he has turned down several offers to adapt the book and his life story for the screen, before agreeing to the SCC proposal.

"Just five years before I wrote about my experience, I was homeless, with a broken neck, living in a park," he said. "It was important to me that this story not become Hollywood-ized."

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Monday, January 10, 2005

The Health Benefits of Forgiveness

Scientific study reveals serious mental, emotional and physical consequences of an unforgiving heart.

To forgive is human. It's just very hard. People are wired to respond with anger, hold grudges and seek revenge; and in spite of the teachings of Christianity and other religions, victims of wrongdoing usually do all three.

The brother who tormented you when you were little. The spouse who cheated. The terrorists who changed our country forever on 9/11. Why should you forgive them?

Researchers and academics may have an answer, even for those who don't believe that the act of forgiveness is good for the soul. In recent years, scientists have gotten interested in the health benefits of forgiveness. Their studies have shown the serious mental, emotional and physical consequences of an unforgiving heart.

The lowest common denominator of this research is the flood of self-help and pop psychology books promoting forgiveness as a cure-all. At the other end of the spectrum, psychotherapists have found forgiveness to be a useful tool in reconciling couples and families. In some studies, it's been linked to a lessening of chronic back pain and depression; in others, to reduced levels of stress hormones. And scientists have found that forgiveness is one of several coping mechanisms that help people with HIV/AIDS live longer, or at least more satisfying, lives.

In 1997, research consisted of only 58 empirical studies. Since then, more than 1,200 scientific papers have been published on the subject.

''The topic of forgiveness is hot right now,'' says psychologist Janis Abrahms Spring, author of ''How Can I Forgive You?: The Courage to Forgive, the Freedom Not To'' (HarperCollins, 2004). ''Conferences are being held. Articles are being written. Forgiveness is being plucked out of the spiritual and theological realm and put into the psychological and physical.''

Like acupuncture, meditation and other alternative healing strategies, forgiveness has only recently become a respectable topic of scientific studies. In 1990, psychologist Fred DiBlasio, a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, submitted an article to an international scientific journal on his research. The journal was willing to publish it if he would agree to change the word ''forgiveness'' to ''forgetting.''

''It was too spiritual for them,'' says DiBlasio.

But forgiveness, of course, isn't the same thing as forgetting. He didn't make the change.

In his clinical practice, DiBlasio has found that using forgiveness can speed up therapy.

Some patients might not be comfortable with the concept of a forgiveness session, of working toward one person saying the words I forgive you. The Murrays, members of the Colonial Baptist Church congregation in Randallstown, Md., found it particularly helpful because it fit so well with their religious beliefs.

Most studies show that people who don't have profound faith have a more difficult time forgiving, says Everett Worthington, executive director of the Virginia-based foundation A Campaign for Forgiveness Research.

But isn't moving on possible without forgiveness, simply by letting go of your anger? Based on her research, Lydia Temoshok, director of the Behavioral Medicine Program at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, says no. ''It's letting go, and I forgive you. It's something about that added component. Then you close the circle. It's not just stopping something, but starting a new pattern.''

She works with HIV/AIDS patients, which, she says, can involve a lot of forgiveness. Do they forgive people for not accepting them? Do they forgive the person who infected them? Do they forgive God? Do they forgive themselves? Do they forgive science for not having a cure?

The program's preliminary work suggests that forgiveness lowered the stress hormones that in turn affect the immune system, but only when the patients genuinely forgave the ones they blamed.

However, Jeffrie Murphy, author of ''Getting Even: Forgiveness and Its Limits'' (Oxford University Press, 2003), argues we shouldn't condemn those who choose not to forgive. He worries, for instance, about the abused wife who forgives and then gets beaten up again.

''Forgiveness can be a great blessing, but it should be used selectively,'' he says. ''There's a kind of messianic pro-forgiveness movement out there. The forgiveness crowd is always saying that forgiveness will give you closure. But also seeing (offenders) get what they deserve can bring closure.''

By ELIZABETH LARGE
The Baltimore Sun

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Sunday, January 09, 2005

Rabbis and imams unite against religious extremism

BRUSSELS - A few minutes before Europe observed three minutes of silence last Wednesday in memory of the tsunami victims, Jewish and Muslim clergy who had convened at Egmont Palace decided to join them. Two days earlier, the clergy had come together to seek means of greater involvement for religion in quietening the bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At exactly noon, all the participants got to their feet around the tables in the magnificent conference hall. Rabbis and imams, along with several Christian clerics, stood side by side and bowed their heads in utter silence.

Suddenly, Rabbi Shlomo Chelouche, the chief rabbi of Haifa, recited a short prayer for the victims. When he finished, all those present said "amen."

Then Zimer Omar Farouk Turan, the former mufti of Istanbul, recited verses from the Koran. No sooner did he finish than Rabbi Yosef Azran, chief rabbi of Rishon Letzion, chanted a psalm, his voice choked with tears. When the moments of silence were over, the hundreds of clergy in the room remained standing. Some wiped away a tear.

"This proves that rabbis and imams can work together for a common goal," said Rabbi Rene Sirat, the former chief rabbi of France. "In all my years as a rabbi, I never experienced a moment like this," Sirat added, invoking the traditional Jewish blessing for reaching a special milestone.

Hojat al-Islam Muhammad Mehatali, a senior Iranian cleric, looked at his colleagues in amazement. "These moments were the cream of the whole conference," he said. "Where have you ever seen Muslims and Jews praying as if they were one family?"

There was no shortage of moving moments during the unprecedented "Rabbis and Imams for Peace" conference, which was sponsored by the organization Hommes de Parole. The confrence hosted more than 200 rabbis and imams as well as Christian clergy from all over the world to convey the message that religion does not send people out to kill and that anyone who takes a life in the name of religion transgresses a commandment of God.

The conference concluded on Friday with a pledge that the Jewish and Muslim clerics would work to put an end to bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians and would struggle with all their might against hatred, ignorance and extremism on both sides. When the declaration was read, the participants got to their feet and applauded.

The delegates grew close during the conference. Rabbis who had never met an imam spoke freely with them during the meetings. At first, they ate at separate tables - Jews here, Muslims there, eyeing each other suspiciously. A day later they had moved closer; a day after that, they were sitting together and even taking pictures arm in arm.

By Wednesday, they were praising each other's faith. "We are all the children of one father - Abraham the Patriarch," said Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron.

Sheikh Talal Sidr of Hebron moved the audience when he called on them to visit every mosque and synagogue to preach peace and dignity. "This is the divine commandment; we must educate a generation to peace and love," he said.

"How is it that every Jewish prayer ends with the word peace and every Muslim prayer ends with the word peace and we are killing each other?" asked Sheikh Abdul Jalil Sajid, the imam of Brighton, England.

Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, chief rabbi of Ramat Gan and a leading opponent of disengagement, surprised the audience with his conciliatory tone. "Judaism and Islam have a common task," he said, "to bring a message to the whole world. Don't we all have one father? So why should we hurt each other?"

The imams represented most of the countries of Africa and Asia, dressed in traditional robes and head coverings in a rainbow of colors. The former president of Indonesia, Abdul Rahman Wahid, canceled his participation because of the tsunami damage to his country.

"The extremists have taken God hostage," said Andre Azoulay, adviser to the king of Morocco. "Unfortunately they are stronger than the Jewish and Muslim people of peace." Participants made great efforts to distance themselves from the horrors perpetrated by fanatics in the name of God.

Paramount during the conference was the clergy's desire to participate in the political process. Several noted that without religious legitimization, no political agreement will last and realizing that if they do not rein in the extremists, the latter might touch off a powder keg of religious hatred that will ignite the whole region.

At the end of the conference, participants held hands and sang Haveinu Shalom Aleichem, a Hebrew song of peace. "We made history," said Alain Michel, a French Christian and president of Hommes de Parole.

By Daniel Ben-Simon

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Is it time to make some spiritual resolutions?

It's one week into the new year. Have you already slipped up on your resolutions? As fast as we make 'em, we just as quickly forget 'em. We vow to exercise regularly, quit smoking, improve relationships with family or co-workers. You know the routine.

Truth be told, the resolutions we commit to every year are more like a greedy kid's Christmas list: more wishful thinking than realized dreams.

Ever stop to think about making spiritual resolutions? How do the beliefs we profess -- the faith we claim to uphold -- affect our lives?

There's data, however, to suggest that more and more of us probably need a spiritual shot in the arm.

Each year, the Barna Group conducts research and provides an annual overview of the nation's spiritual health. Its end-of-the-year summary for 2004, based on more than 10,000 interviews, offers both discouraging news and hopeful insights into people's faith and spirituality, particularly among those who are Christians.

Here is some of what Barna reports:

• "Faith has had a limited effect on people's behavior, whether related to moral convictions and practices, relational activities, lifestyle choices or economic practices."

• "Most adults admit that children do not get adequate spiritual and moral preparation in life, yet there is no aggressive or strategic effort being made to alter that unfortunate circumstance."

• "Half of all adults are so satisfied with their spiritual life that there is nothing at all they wish to change or improve in the future. Another one-quarter listed changes that were quite general or not personally challenging."

• "The number of unchurched adults in the United States has doubled since 1991. That growth has been especially pronounced among men, people under 40, singles, and people living in coastal states."

Not all the report is gloomy. There are positive signs:

• An estimated 22 million adults have been added to the numbers of churched people in the United States during the past decade.

• Almost two-thirds of American adults continue to give "significant amounts" of money to churches and other houses of worship.

• The western part of the United States, where there's said to be less spiritual activity or interest, has experienced the greatest increase in the past decade in Bible reading, church attendance and small group participation.

Let's start by asking: How will faith make a difference in my life this year? What specific plans could I make to enhance or renew my faith?

Commitment to spiritual growth often needs a jump-start, followed by a disciplined way to consecrate our days to something greater than ourselves.

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Tuesday, January 04, 2005

University of Michigan plans heart attack study

ANN ARBOR, Mich. University of Michigan is launching a study to compare traditional post-heart attack health care with a holistic approach that emphasizes spirituality and meditation.

The university is recruiting heart attack survivors and people who have suffered severe heart-related chest pain. The study will take place during weekend retreats in northern Michigan this winter.

The study -- called "Healing the Heart" -- is a joint project of the university's Preventive Cardiology program and Michigan Integrative Medicine -- a research program on alternative medicine.

For more information, call 800-742-2300 and enter extension 6532.

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Monday, January 03, 2005

U.S. gave more than $1 billion to faith-based groups in 2003

The government gave more than $1 billion in 2003 to organizations it considers "faith-based," with some going to programs where prayer and spiritual guidance are central and some to organizations that do not consider themselves religious at all.

Many of these groups have entirely secular missions and some organizations were surprised to find their names on a list of faith-based groups provided to The Associated Press by the White House.

"Someone has obviously designated us a faith-based organization, but we don't recognize ourselves as that," said Stacey Denaux, executive director of Crisis Ministries, a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Charleston, S.C.

Other grant recipients are religious, offering social service programs that the government may have deemed too religious to receive money before President Bush took office.

All told, faith-based organizations were awarded $1.17 billion in 2003. That is about 12 percent of the $14.5 billion spent on social programs that qualify for faith-based grants in five federal departments. White House officials expect the total to grow.

The list of 2003 grant recipients provided to AP is the first detailed tally of the dollars behind this "faith-based initiative."

Elected with strong support of religious conservatives, Bush came to office promising to open government's checkbook to religious groups that provide social services.

Civil libertarians fear the government will wind up paying for worship, eroding the constitutional separation between church and state.

Jim Towey, who directs the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said the Bush administration has been clear that "government money is not to fund religious activities."

"This is a culture change in the way government provides social services," he said. "There's always going to be a very delicate balance."

In the past, government has refrained from giving money directly to religious groups, but has required that they set up independent, secular organizations to get taxpayer dollars. Bush tried to get Congress to change that. Congress refused, so he unilaterally put many of his changes into effect.

To entice religious groups to apply for grants, the White House hosted several conferences explaining the relaxed rules and put out a book listing programs they might want to apply for.

It is unclear how much religion is too much religion when government money is involved. The courts have issued mixed rulings. The administration says a group getting federal money can sponsor worship and other religious activities as long as they are separated by time and location from activities paid by the government.

An AP analysis of the $1.17 billion and nearly 150 interviews in 30 states with grant recipients found:

- Many are well-established, large social service providers that have received federal money for decades. More than 80 percent of recipients at HHS had received federal money before. At HUD, the figure was 93 percent.

- Two programs account for half of the $1.17 billion total: A HUD program known as Section 202 that builds housing for low-income poor people, and Head Start, a large preschool program for poor children. Both of them are dominated by longtime grant recipients that able to handle large amounts of money — not the small church groups sometimes evoked by the White House.

- Many organizations insist they do not belong on a list of "faith-based organizations," even though they may have religious roots.

State-by-state lists of grant recipients available at: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/interactives/wdc/faithbased/index.html