WASHINGTON - The government gave more than $1 billion in 2003 to organizations it considers "faith-based," with some going to programs where prayer and spiritual guidance are central and some to organizations that do not consider themselves religious at all.
Many of these groups have entirely secular missions and some organizations were surprised to find their names on a list of faith-based groups provided to The Associated Press by the White House.
"Someone has obviously designated us a faith-based organization, but we don't recognize ourselves as that," said Stacey Denaux, executive director of Crisis Ministries, a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Charleston, S.C.
Other grant recipients are religious, offering social service programs that the government may have deemed too religious to receive money before President Bush (news - web sites) took office.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20050103/ap_on_go_ot/federal_faith