An update from the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, an independent research project of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The public policy research arm of the State University of New York.

New! Giuliani Vows Work with Faith-Based Office, Other Candidates
Highlight Beliefs

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, attempting to woo support at one of the largest
gatherings of religious and social conservatives, said that if elected president he would use the
White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to support private organizations that
offer alternatives to abortions. In a 40-minute speech before 2,000 conservative political activists last
weekend in Washington, D.C., Giuliani also said people of faith should have an active role in political
dialogue, a theme that pervaded the speeches of two leading evangelical ministers and most of the
eight other Republican presidential contenders who spoke at the forum.

Giuliani and other Republican presidential candidates spoke at a conference billed as the "Washington
Briefing 2007: Values Voters Summit," sponsored by a group of religious and socially conservative
organizations including the Family Research Council, American Values, Focus on the Family Action,
Alliance Defense Fund and High Impact Leadership Coalition. Despite his pleas for acceptance and
support, Giuliani garnered only 1.8 percent of 5,775 votes in a straw poll, coming in second ahead of only
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) who received 1.4 percent of the votes. The neck-to-neck winners in
the straw poll were former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee,
who respectively garnered 27.6 percent and 27.1 percent of the votes. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KA)
spoke to the group, then traveled to his hometown in Kansas to announce he was withdrawing his
candidacy due to lack of money.

All the major candidates spoke about their personal religious beliefs and the importance of religion
in civil society and the political debate.

Click here to read more by Roundtable Washington Correspondent Anne Farris.

New! An Interview with Dr. Robert P. Jones of The Third Way Culture Program

Robert P. Jones is a religion scholar and consultant for The Third Way Culture Program. The Third
Way defines itself as a strategy center for progressives. Its culture program is working to develop
new approaches to cultural issues, such as immigration, abortion and Internet pornography.

Jones, who holds a doctorate in religion from Emory University and a master of divinity degree from
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was founding director of the Center for American Values
in Public Life at People For the American Way Foundation. He currently serves on the national steering
committee for the Religion, Politics and the State Group of the American Academy of Religion. He is
the author of "Liberalism's Troubled Search for Equality: Religion and Cultural Bias in the Oregon
Physician-Assisted Suicide Debates" and numerous articles on religion and politics. His forthcoming
book, "Progressive AND Religious: The New Face of Religion in American Public Life," includes
interviews with religious leaders in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.

Jones has co-authored the Third Way Culture Program's new report, "Come Let Us Reason Together:
A Fresh Look at Shared Cultural Values between Evangelicals and Progressives." He spoke to the
Roundtable about that paper.

Click here to read the interview.

New! Legal Analysis of Louisiana Court Order Blocking Earmarks to Churches

Blocking payment of state grants to two churches, a federal judge in Louisiana issued an order Oct. 5
stating that "these non-neutral, direct money grants of taxpayer funds to favored houses of worship are
clearly unconstitutional." That decision in ACLU v. Blanco represents a very important development in
the law concerning public aid for religious entities, say the Roundtable's legal experts, because it is the
first case to directly challenge the practice of earmarks for religion. The legal shortcomings in the specific
grants highlighted by the lawsuit point to an important issue common to all legislative earmarks - that of
religious neutrality, say George Washington University Law Professors Ira C. Lupu and Robert W. Tuttle.
Future court interpretations of the religious neutrality standard could impact the use of earmarks as a way
to direct tax dollars to faith-based groups, a practice that seems to be on the rise.

Click here to read the legal analysis by Professors Ira C. Lupu and Robert W. Tuttle.

Click here for a previous Roundtable article about the lawsuit and legislative earmarks.

Register Now! Roundtable Conference Features Latest on Faith-Based
Social Services

At the Roundtable's annual conference, noted political scientist John Green of the University of Akron
will report new findings from a national survey on the services provided by congregations and faith-based
organizations, as well as on their leaders' awareness and interest in participating in public programs to
support or extend such activities. Survey results will also include new findings on administrative practices
and organizational characteristics among congregations and faith-based organizations, with regard to
their readiness to receive and account for public funds in the form of government contracts or grants.

And the Roundtable's highly respected legal experts - Law Professors Ira C. Lupu and Robert W. Tuttle
of George Washington University - will give a thorough update on the year's most significant legal events
affecting government partnerships with religious charities. Topics include the implications of the U.S.
Supreme Court's decision in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, government chaplaincies,
legislative earmarks to religious groups, and the use of tax money to renovate religious structures. As
close observers of the federal Faith-Based and Community Initiative for the past six years, Lupu and Tuttle
 are able to provide context for the latest developments and offer insights into what to watch for next.

If you want to keep up on the latest news on faith-based social services, you won't want to miss this
year's conference, which will be held Wednesday, December 5, in Washington D.C. The complete
program will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the National Press Club at 529 14th St. NW .

Register now! The conference is free, but you must register to attend.

Click here to submit your online registration.

Weekly Digest of Federal Grants with Faith-Based and Community
Organization Eligibility

The grant opportunities this week for community and faith-based organizations are through programs
administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice,
and the United States Agency for International Development.

Potential applicants should be aware that some grant programs require specific technical expertise, or
experience with particular foreign countries.

Click here for the grant digest.

Roundtable Digest of Current Faith-Based News Stories

Faith pushes GAME plan to fight crime
WREG.Com (Memphis)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7227

Malaria; Usaid Announces First Malaria Communities Program Grants
Malaria Weekly

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7218

From Jails to Jobs: Could the faith community help Georgia's ex-cons become productive citizens?
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7216

Faith-based classes jump-start learning;Free computer course one of many offered for adults
The Bradenton Herald (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7217

Altarum Institute; Altarum Wins $7 Million Contract To Provide
Technical Assistance To The Access To Recovery Program
Health Business Week

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7219

SACA to get $550,000 to assist at-risk youths
Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7220

HHS Awards $57.8 Million Through Compassion Capital Fund
US Fed News

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7221

Study Hints at Efficacy of Florida's Faith-Based Prisons
Ascribe Newswire

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7222

Osceola leaders are told: Keep Jesus out of prayers
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7223

Colorado's Cherry Creek Schools Unlawfully Urge Churchgoing
The Denver Post

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7224

Faith meets politics at Capps event; Democratic congresswoman invites
local religious leaders to Washington for rare talk on church-state relations
The San Luis Obispo Tribune (California)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7226

In Test of Religious Protections, Court Sides With Jewish School in Westchester
The New York Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7229

ICF International Awarded New Contracts by Health and Human Services
Department with Combined Value of Approximately $10.5 Million; Firm to
Support Two Offices Within Administration for Children and Families
Business Wire

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=7228

Weekly Opinion Roundup - 10/23/2007
The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/news_opinion_10_23_07.cfm