Faith charities are mobilizing to fight a provision in pending Congressional legislation that would prohibit them from getting federal money if they consider job applicants’ religion in hiring decisions, says The New York Times.
More than 100 nonprofit groups with religious ties signed a letter sent Wednesday to all members of Congress that says the language in a bill to reauthorize the grant-making Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration would erode existing legal and constitutional protections of faith-based hiring.
A lawyer for the Christian aid agency World Vision USA, which is leading the protest, said the measure represents “a seismic change in bedrock civil-rights law for religious organizations” that would “severely affect” such groups’ social-service missions.
A coalition of rights groups -- including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP -- has been pressing Congress to eliminate religious hiring preferences for federally financed charities.
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