In the Washington Post‘s On Faith forum, Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn asked several contributors for their take on whether religious charities that receive federal grant money should be allowed to discriminate in hiring. In response, Susan Jacoby expressed a strong opinion about the unconstitutionality of all federally funded faith-based initiatives:
[…] this question cuts to the heart of the unconstitutionality of all government-supported faith-based programs since Bill Clinton inadvisedly opened the door to a violation of the First Amendment that would have been inconceivable in earlier periods of American history. George W. Bush expanded the program to bolster his standing with the religious right, and President Obama is just as beholden to the religious left. To require any religious institution to hire people who do not agree with and represent its principles is absurd. That is why the government should not be in the business of funneling money for social services through any faith-based organization, whatever its hiring practices.
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