December 30, 2008For awhile there, the bureaucrats in the Department of Administration were being less than charitable toward state employees who wanted their voluntary donations (through payroll reduction) to go toward faith-based charities. Only non-religious organizations were eligible for that kind of support, officials said, whereas contributions to any organization that "engages in any way in sectarian activities," advocates "religious viewpoints," or "discriminates" on the basis of religion in employment were strictly off limits.
But a lawsuit filed last March by attorneys with the Christian Legal Society and Alliance Defense Fund apparently changed their mind – or at least, the regulations. The suit pointed out that the state's disapproval of donations to faith-based philanthropies is a flagrant violation of the First Amendment. Now, the department is allowing state employees to choose for themselves what organizations they want to support... even if their preferred charity is "tainted" with the spirit of Christianity.
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Religious charities providing critical social services should not be discriminated against simply because they practice their religious beliefs and hire persons who share them," said M. Casey Mattox, litigation counsel for CLS's Center for Law & Religious Freedom. "
They are equally worthy of voluntary contributions, and no one is compelled to give to them. "
While it is disappointing that legal action was even necessary to address this clear constitutional violation," he added, "
we applaud the state for eventually getting it right and amending its rules to respect religious freedom."
As a result of the changes, ADF and CLS attorneys have voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit,
Association of Faith-Based Organizations v. Anderson, from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Central Division (
www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4434).
What's more, the door has already opened a little wider for the spread of the Gospel. As a direct result of the department's rule changes, the Sioux City Gospel Mission has been admitted to participate in the Iowa One Gift program. CLS and ADF attorneys have successfully represented AFBO in similar lawsuits in Wisconsin (
www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3869), Florida (
www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3999), and Michigan (
www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3908). This also builds on an earlier ADF-backed victory stopping similar discrimination in Pennsylvania.
Please pray for all of our ongoing efforts to ensure the First Amendment rights of Christians across the country to stand for their faith and give in support of faith-based organizations.