24. Insure Separation of Church and State and Oppose Taxpayer
Funds to Religious Orga nizations

WHEREAS the separation of church and state is one of America's unique gifts to civilization and the chief guarantor of our religious liberty; and

WHEREAS the implementation of President Bush's faith-based initiative is a dangerous and unprecedented government endorsement of specific religious institutions by encouraging and establishing partnerships between government and religions institutions, without adequate safeguards to separate the sectarian and human services; and

WHEREAS these religious institutions will be exempt from certain provisions of the Civil Rights Act; and

WHEREAS the President's plan to increase government funding of religious institutions (so called "charitable choice"), vouchers and government organized prayer in public schools violates the Constitutional guarantee of Separation of Church and State; and

WHEREAS charitable choice will likely result in infringement on the liberty of welfare recipients, will permit either government sponsored discrimination or government restriction of the religious conscience and freedom of the institutions receiving the money, and will weaken the religious community's self-reliance and strength.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Maui County Democratic Party opposes all attempts to weaken the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States or to erode the protection it provides; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we oppose direct funding of pervasively sectarian organizations ("charitable choice") without strong guarantees that these institutions will abide by all provisions of the Civil Rights Act, and not blur the lines between human services and religious practices.