Washington D.C., Aug 27, 2010 / 01:04 am
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops added its support on Wednesday to an initiative that seeks to protect religious organizations' right to hire and maintain employees on the basis of their faith.
Over 100 leaders of various religious groups signed the letter distributed this week to all members of Congress, urging them to oppose provisions in HR 5466. The signatories to Wednesday's letter contend that parts of the law will unfairly burden religious charities that receive federal grants, by forcing them to make staffing decisions that contradict or disregard their beliefs.
The coalition of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders includes the evangelical charity World Vision, the Salvation Army, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, and the activist organization Sojourners among many others.
In their letter to Congress, they warned that developing efforts to undermine the religious identities of charities and other faith-based organizations “would be catastrophic to our efforts to serve those in need, and to all who value the protection for religious liberty.”