:|From: George Erickson [delete]
:|Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 5:59 PM
:|Subject: bonus FFRF SLAMDUNK!
:|
:| Another Alaska debacle. It reminds my of Alaska Airlines, which spends
:|money to proselytize its passengers with printed material, but skimped on
:|maintenance to the point that more than 100 people died when one of their
:|jets crashed into the ocean near LA when its improperly maintained elevator
:|jammed. George
:|
:| Bible college tax money - Courts should end federal aid for this religious
:|purpose
:|
:|Anchorage Daily News Published: May 2, 2005
:|
:|It's hard to imagine a more clear violation of the separation of church and
:|state than the $1 million the federal government has given the fledgling
:|Alaska Christian College. The 3-year-old institution is a divinity school,
:|founded to produce ministers for the Evangelical Covenant Church. There is
:|no way government can give the college money without impermissibly advancing
:|a religious mission.
:|
:|A new lawsuit filed in the Lower 48 challenges this obvious breach of the
:|separation of church and state. The suit should be a slam-dunk. If dumping
:|such a huge amount of public money into any church's divinity school is
:|legal, there is really no limit on government funding of religion.
:|
:|This was not a token amount of support delivered through arguably secular
:|channels. The $1 million of federal money supplied half the school's budget.
:|Government aid amounted to an astounding $20,000 per student.
:|
:|There is no meaningful secular activity at the college that can justify such
:|large levels of government support. At the close of 2004, the college was
:|not accredited and could not award degrees. It is, as its promotional
:|information states, "a Bible centered college." Students "study and apply
:|God's Word" and "serve Christ." It is a religious institution through and
:|through.
:|
:|If the Evangelical Covenant Church can get so much public money to start a
:|church school, government has no grounds to refuse similar requests from any
:|other religion. Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Jewish, Buddhist, Confucian,
:|Shiite, Sunni, Shintoist -- how can government say no to any of them after
:|saying yes to so much money for the Evangelical Covenant Church? Only by
:|taking sides in the eternal contest among religions for believers and
:|support -- which is exactly what the Constitution intends to ban.
:|
:|Bible colleges have flourished throughout the country without public
:|support, as is entirely proper. This one should have its chance too. One of
:|the reasons that's often overlooked on why the separation of church and
:|state is a good idea is that it's better for the church to be free of the
:|rules and scrutiny that come with public funds.
:|
:|The Alaska congressional delegation touted its role in delivering the money
:|to this church activity. Alaskans expect their Congress members to deliver
:|huge amounts of federal pork, but there has to be a limit. Funding this
:|church school crosses the constitutional line. Sen. Ted Stevens, Sen. Lisa
:|Murkowski and Rep. Don Young couldn't restrain themselves, and their
:|colleagues let them get away with it. Now the courts have no choice but to
:|enforce the Constitution and stop this government funding of a favored
:|religion.
:|
:|BOTTOM LINE: Alaska's congressional delegation crossed the constitutional
:|line when it steered $1 million of federal money to help start an Alaska
:|Bible college.

:|This E-News is courtesy of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, PO Box 750,
:|Madison WI 53701.
:|
:|The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national association of
:|freethinkers (atheists and agnostics) working to keep church and state
:|separate since 1978. For more information, go to http://www.ffrf.org.