Government Criticized in Handling of Aid to Religious Charities

The Bush administration’s effort to steer federal money to religious groups that provide social services does not adequately protect against religious discrimination, nor does it measure the performance of the groups, according to a new government report, says The New York Times.

According to the report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s watchdog arm, only four of 10 federal programs studied explicitly told religious groups that they should protect the religious liberties of people they serve.

The White House, however, said that it made numerous efforts to guarantee the separation of church and state.

The report did not find widespread diversion of government money from social services to religious activity, which had been a concern of some critics of President Bush’s effort.