One of the legacies of the Bush administration that President Obama will be happy to receive will be the faith-based and community initiatives.
Many secularists and liberals in the Democratic Party object to government working in partnership with religious institutions to solve social problems. Barack Obama, though, has welcomed faith-based initiatives as one good tool among many to address the worst ills of society. As a former community organizer, he knows that for the poorest and worst off, the churches are by far the most likely to stick to the task of helping. As a Gen Xer, he is more interested in results than rhetoric. Most importantly, as a Christian, he knows that God has the greatest power to change lives. I think that is why he was drawn to church in the first place, and how he became convinced to open his life to God. He tried hard to change people by his own will, by secular organization, and by government action. They all help, but they never do the whole job because they can never get down to the bottom of people's problems. Only God can.
I look forward to a new, less partisan, more diverse array of faith-based initiatives in the Obama administration. And if he can make that work, the new Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships program may be the enduring positive legacy of the Bush presidency.
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6 comments:
You certainly have high hopes. I guess faith-based initiatives are good now that liberals are in control. I hope you guys will now appreciate the military and the sacrifices they continue to make for the very people who depise them.The election is over you guys can stop dumping on Bush now because you know turn about is fair play.
Cheers
Is it just me, or is anybody else wondering where the previous comment came from?
Who is "you guys"...who doesn't appreciate the military...who despises them? This isn't Vietnam with troops getting the rotten veggies treatment when they touch down, but to borrow a line from that era: "Not against the soldiers, against the war." Conspiracy theorists hurt us more than anything else out there, but I digress...
Anyway: we need organizations to get involved, and faith based organizations are passionate about making a difference. I'm all for following the constitution, but faith based initiatives are just logical practice in my eyes (especially for a former community organizer).
Where did Lilly's comment come from? I think it comes from conservatives getting really tired of getting dumped on when the idea comes from the Bush administration, and then hearing that now that Obama is in charge that very same idea will be wonderful.
And this comment "I look forward to a new, less partisan, more diverse array of faith-based initiatives in the Obama administration". Please. Pelosi, Reid, Moveon.org, etc...are some of the most partisan players in the country right now.
Centrists are not liberals.
Congress is not the President.
Independent organizations are not the government.
Ever notice how no one wants to take the label liberal. It's always progressive or centrist. Anything but liberal. On the other hand most consevatives are proud of that label.
I'm glad the Faith-Based Initiatives will continue though I fear the economic realities will make the office "window dressing" as much as it was in the previous administration.
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