Joint Press Conference - Council for Secular Humanism
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Statement for "The Day That Counts"
Delivered by Ed Buckner, Executive Director CSH
July 10, 2001, National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
I proudly represent the Council for Secular Humanism, headquartered in
Amherst, New York. Our message is this: We do not seek tax dollars to impose our
beliefs on others and we will not sit idly by while anyone else does so. While
faith-based charities may deny that their intent is to proselytize while they
feed the hungry, in reality there is no such thing as a free lunch.
The Council, founded by philosopher Paul Kurtz, represents nontheists who have adopted a positive moral philosophy and a strong interest in living the good life and helping to educate others. We work hard, we reflect carefully, and we are happily developing that good, moral life without religion. The Council for Secular Humanism publishes Free Inquiry magazine and supports many programs and educational efforts all over the world. The hundreds of thousands of Americans who have joined or who support the Council or read our publications oppose the Bush adminstration's "faith-based initiatives."
Whenever public funds are spent, standards for hiring and firing must be set without religious discrimination. A woman who has had -- or wants to have -- an abortion must not be denied services based on religious objections to that. A gay man must not be turned away because someone considers him a "sinner." An atheist must not be denied employment or the right to public social services because of her lack of beliefs, nor should she have to hear a sermon to get either. But religious organizations claim the right to discriminate in hiring.
No government anywhere should decide what faiths -- if any -- are acceptable. Justice and logic and history and religious freedom and our Constitution all make clear that it is simply wrong to take money away from people with no religion and use it to pay for advancing any religion.
We are not here to declare that an organization that is "faith-based" cannot do good things. But we no more expect to be asked to help finance anything a faith-based group does than we would expect people of faith to pay our way.
James Madison, Father of the Constitution, saw clearly the dangers of government support of religion. He fought vigorously and successfully for separating church and state. In his famous "Memorial and Remonstrance," Madison said "Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity in exclusion of all other religions may establish, with the same ease, any particular sect of Christians in exclusion of all other sects? That the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support of any one establishment may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever?" (James Madison, "A Memorial and Remonstrance," addressed to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1785). American citizens who do not happen to have any religious beliefs should never be forced by government, directly or indirectly, to give up even three cents to support religion. Another great American, Benjamin Franklin, observed that whenever any religion seeks government support instead of relying on its own followers, it is a sure sign of that religion being a bad one (Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Richard Price, October 9, 1780).
No self-respecting religious group should consider risking government control and government interference in its affairs by accepting tax dollars. And no self-respecting taxpayer should consider voting to give up those tax dollars without
- a full and fair accounting for the funds
- clear standards for evaluating whether the money is doing what it is supposed to be doing, and
- full enforcement of equal protection under the law for employees and clients for whom the tax money is spent.
If faith-based initiatives work, especially if they succeed because they are faith-based, then they must be financed and supported exclusively by supporters of that faith. To require otherwise is to endanger the very feature that supposedly makes these initiatives effective. To do otherwise is unAmerican, unconstitutional, and unwise.
No tax support of religion can be justified. Not now, not ever.
Ed Buckner, Executive Director
Council for Secular Humanism
PO Box 664
Amherst, NY 14226-0664
USA
716-636-7571, ext 215
fax: 716-636-1733
e-mail: ebuckner@centerforinquiry.net
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