White House Says Tax-Funded Religious Charities Can Limit Hiring

(Washington-AP) -- The White House says government-funded
religious charities shouldn't lose their right to hire only
people of the same faith.
Jim Towey (TOO'-ee), who heads the Office of Faith-Based
and Community Initiatives, told the Association of Gospel Rescue
Missions that the White House will make that case in a document
to be released in the next two weeks.
Congressional Democrats have insisted that religious
charities which accept tax dollars be subject to laws against
hiring discrimination based on faith or sexual orientation. But
Towey says that would violate the civil rights of faith-based
groups.
He also said religious charities should be trusted to spend
tax dollars only on secular programs, just as Planned Parenthood
is trusted to use federal funds for health education but not
abortion.