Another Step toward Church/State Mingling: Religion in HeadStart

[Sparkly]

Sorry if this has already been discussed here, but I consider this an outrage, and yet another dangerous precedent. Federal dollars would support "faith-based" Head Start centers hiring on the basis of a teacher's religious beliefs. Yup -- your tax dollars and mine are now concerned with peoples' religion.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050922/ap_on_go_co/head_start;_ylt=AvuIcBxTXnGD5JtPjrukgeqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050923/ap_on_go_co/head_start;_ylt=AjqzJXm0TgaIFq77Bfo6fxFp24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[Erika]

1. So W wants to use our $ to promote religion

Evidently, he thinks Jesus lacks the proper sales skills and needs his superior help. What a joke W is.

[VPStoltz]

2. It's despicable.

When I was in high school, I started volunteering for Head Start. The teachers there said I was a natural and practically begged me to get my teaching credentials. I did years later and have been happily teaching and living with my partner and dog ever since. Just like with the translators, they wouldn't care if the White House was on fire as long as nobody gay was holding his hose... that didn't come out right. :-)

[usregimechange]

3. Our country will never be the same.

[Wordie]

4. Hi Sparkly...here's a link to a Salon article about this monstrosity.

http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8CPGF300.html

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[lynne]

6. My church has a private pre-school -

- so I understand why they would want teachers who reflect the same beliefs as the church. If the church school were to remove itself from participating in the Head Start program that would solve the problem. But, it would also eliminate the children of lower income parents from attending the private school.

My question is this: If a low income parent desires a faith based pre-school education for their child but are financially unable to provide such AND the Head Start program does not extend to faith based schools . . . would this be in violation of the constitution as the government is then "prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..." by not extending the Head Start program to a faith based school?

I don't know - I'm just wondering. Seems like a Catch-22 to me.