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(published in Corpus Christi
Caller Times on Feb. 4, 2001)
Bush
understands faith-based compassion
(The following
OpEd was written by Dr. Kurt Senske regarding President
Bush's faith-based initiative.)
An editorial in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times on
Thursday ("Faith-based funding: Would this blur
the line between church and state?") suggests that
President George W. Bush's move to create the Office
of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives might violate
the concept of separation of church and state.
The reality is this: Faith-based organizations
and government have been in partnership for years. Medicaid
funding has long been available for low-income residents
of church-run nursing homes and the state has partnered
for years with agencies like Lutheran Social Services
and Catholic Charities to recruit and train foster families
to care for abused and neglected children.
Another example of a successful partnership is the Bokenkamp
Children's Residential Treatment Center, in Corpus Christi,
Texas. Since 1995, Bokenkamp, a ministry of Lutheran
Social Services of the South, has cared for children
that other facilities will not take because their problems
are so severe. Many of these kids, victims of abuse and
neglect, have been in several other failed placements.
Bokenkamp is their last hope.
Most of the children are referred to Bokenkamp by the
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
and the Texas Youth Commission. In this partnership,
the state government provides most but not all of the
financial resources. Even with the state reimbursement,
we lose nearly 20 cents on every dollar. But thanks to
the generous support of individuals and organizations
like the Charity League of Corpus Christi, the Trull
Foundation and the Coastal Bend Community Foundation,
we are able to provide these important services.
Do we force children to participate in Bible studies
or prayers? No. With the help of volunteers from Galilean,
St. Mark and St. John Lutheran Churches and Family Life
Church, we do offer spiritual care opportunities.
It is up to the child whether he or she participates.
Nor do we require children at Bokenkamp or clients in
any of our programs to be Lutheran or even Christian
to receive services.
When Gov. Bush came into office he understood that by
working together, governmental agencies, faith-based
organizations, congregations and volunteers could accomplish
more than by working alone.
Instead of discriminating against faith-based organizations,
Gov. Bush created a climate with Charitable Choice legislation
in which our work was valued. He created a culture of
acceptance that faith-based organizations could provide
services to those in need and often do an even better
job than their secular counterparts. He brought about
an awareness that faith-based organizations provide a
value-added dimension through their voluntary offering
of spiritual care in addition to the other services provided.
What Bush did as governor and what he is attempting
to do nationally "levels the playing field" so
that faith-based organizations will be on equal footing
with secular counterparts in their efforts to help the
children, elderly, and poor. Faith-based organizations
are no longer discriminated against when trying to serve
the most vulnerable citizens.
This is why Lutheran Social Services of the South salutes
President Bush for making good on a campaign promise
to fund programs that help people in positive ways.
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