February 23, 2010
The President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships voted strongly not to require that all religious symbols, religious art, and other religious messages be stripped away or hidden in rooms where federally funded services are delivered. Some are worried that the presence of such symbols might lead a person wrongly to believe that the government approves of the religious messages. Some worry that a person who has had a negative experience with religion or with a particular faith might not be so well served if the place of service carries obvious religious messages.
Yet government-funded services are delivered in a wide range of settings that convey a variety of non-governmental messages. And the Council supports the idea of guaranteeing an alternative provider if a beneficiary objects to a particular organization. Some faith-based grassroots organizations that collaborate with government to serve the needy do not even have available a set of specialized rooms separate from worship or Sunday School spaces. Most Council members thought religious organizations should be able to partner with the government without first hiding their religious identities—and should be encouraged to be sensitive to beneficiaries who might find religious symbols troubling.
Source: Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, February 22, 2010
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