Obama Urged to Scrap Bush Executive Order on Religious Groups

As part of a top 10 list of Bush administration executive orders that President Obama should scrap immediately, Slate magazine says, No. 8 is Mr. Bush’s rule that allows religious charities that receive federal money to discriminate in hiring based on religion.

The authors, Emily Bazelon, Slate senior editor, and Chris Wilson, an editorial assistant, identify two problems with the rule.

“The first is that the groups get to define for themselves who counts as a good Baptist or a good Jew — and what if they decide someone is out because he or she is gay, for example? The second problem is that it’s not really clear why Catholic charities should be able to hire only Catholics to serve meals to the homeless if that work is being funded by the government,” they write.

President Obama has pledged to continue the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives but has said he would change the hiring rule.

Read The Chronicle’s article about what will happen to the so-called faith-based imitative under the Obama administration.