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! Lawsuit Targets Troubled Teens’ Placement in Christian Home

A Christian network of group homes for troubled teens is the latest government-funded faith-based group to
be targeted in a lawsuit by Freedom From Religion Foundation. The Wisconsin-based church-state
separationist group has repeatedly gone to the courts in recent years to oppose taxpayer support of religious
organizations. FFRF filed a complaint June 19 in a federal court in North Dakota charging that state and
county officials acted illegally when they placed teens at one of three homes operated by the Dakota Boys
& Girls Ranch, a Lutheran Social Service Agency.

Click here to read more by Roundtable Correspondent Claire Hughes.

New! Abstinence-Only Programs Face Waning Federal Support

Eleven years after Congress first began funding sex education programs that exclusively promote
abstinence as a method of preventing unwanted pregnancies and disease, the initiative is facing an uphill
battle to maintain its flow of government money and stay alive. Domestic and international abstinence-
only-until-marriage programs have stirred cries of support and opposition especially since 2001, when
President George W. Bush created a Faith-Based and Community Initiative, made the abstinence programs
one of the initiative’s hallmarks and advanced the funding for the programs to $1.5 billion. Now opponents,
armed with a spate of recent studies showing the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only courses, have found a
receptive audience in a Democratic-controlled Congress to stop the various streams of money for the
programs. In addition, nine states have now decided to reject some federal abstinence-only money because
they have found the curriculum requirements are too limited.

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

Indiana Chaplain Confronts Increased Scrutiny

A chaplain hired by the Indiana Family and Social Service Administration is facing scrutiny since a church-
state separationist group drew attention to his position by charging in a lawsuit that his job is illegal.
Freedom From Religion Foundation on May 2 filed a six-page legal complaint in a federal court in Indiana
aimed at the $60,000-a-year chaplain position, charging that it violates constitutional protections intended
to separate church and state. A spokesman for the state FSSA has said the state believes the chaplain’s
services are legal, in part because they are offered on a voluntary basis and to people of all faiths. Aside
from the lawsuit, questions are now surfacing about Rev. Michael L. Latham’s qualifications for the job
and his performance, two Indiana newspapers report. Latham counters that it has taken longer than
expected to meet some goals of his new position, but that he has made a positive impact.

The Roundtable initially covered this issue last month, with a news article and in-depth legal analysis,
as well as an interview with Rev. Latham. Links to those resources, as well as the current news, follow.

Click here to read the recent news coverage.

Click here to read a previous Roundtable article on the lawsuit.

Click here to read an analysis of the lawsuit by the Roundtable’s legal experts.

Click here to read an interview with Rev. Latham.

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. Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, Labor, and the U.S. 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, compiled by Roundtable Correspondent Allison Sarnoff
with Lisa Montiel.

Roundtable Digest of Current Faith-Based News Stories

Trinity project would add to faith-based social efforts
Journal and Courier (Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6633

Churchgoers push for affordable housing: Hundreds gather at St.
Boniface Church is held to seek new units in the Platinum Triangle.
The Orange County Register

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6634

Obama says religion has place in politics
Sioux City Journal (Iowa)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6621

Religious congregations band to help immigrants
Inside Bay Area (California)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6622

Volunteers help Sheridan House: Scores of volunteers threw down sod for
the Sheridan Ministries development in Davie
The Miami Herald (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6625

Salvation Army seeks aid with campaign: Fox Cities agency wants funds for building improvements
Appleton Post-Crescent (Wisconsin)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6626

Fighting Weight With Faith: Study: Religion With Diet Aids Black Women
The Hartford Courant (Connecticut)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6627

Finding freedom: Church outreach helps recovering addicts find
sobriety in a faith-filled, friendly environment.
News-Leader (Missouri)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6628

Caring is bottom line for store
Omaha World - Herald (Nebraska)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6629

FWCS petitions: Crossing church-state divide?
Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6623

Immigrant Sanctuary Movement
PBS, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6624

Man claims he was evicted from shelter for being gay
The Coloradoan (Colorado)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6605

Justices Look For Jail Alternatives
The Morning News (Arkansas)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6630

Justice Dept. Reshapes Its Civil Rights Mission
The New York Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6608

E-mails show Jackson knew trip was wrong: Mayor solicited invites to justify faith-based trips
The Observer (New Mexico)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6606

Church Holds Crime Summit; Gang Member Attends
WBAL-TV (Maryland)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6603

Downtown church to propose teen wellness center
Journal & Courier (Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6604

New group wins grant to aid families: The coalition will address health
care, employment and other social concerns
Syracuse Post Standard (New York)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6611

Neighborhood takes big step in war on drugs
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6612

Fitness Tips for Body and Soul; Church's Health
Exposition Offers Classes, Preventive Care
The Washington Post (Washington, DC)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6613

Manatee churches seek help with post-storm comunicación
The Bradenton Herald (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6614

New basketball league forming for nighttime fun
Wilson Daily Times (North Carolina)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6615

Churches fight gangs
The Californian (Salinas, California)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6616

Faith Groups Rally as Poverty Issue Gains Momentum
Religion News Service

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6617

House Passes Legislation Providing Groups the Opportunity to Help Offenders
Campaigns and Elections

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6607

U.S. Grant for a Medical Mission Winds Up as 2 Ships Gone Awry
The New York Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6609

Some SCC inmates oppose changes
The Union Democrat (California)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6618

Seminar helps couples on brink of divorce
The Dothan Eagle (Alabama)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6619

Converting the Faith Community
Congressional Quarterly

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=6610

A sacred space for immigrant rights
The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy

The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy promotes informed debate on the issue of publicly funded faith-based social service. Supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Roundtable provides independent, non-partisan research on the scope and scale of faith-based social services, their effectiveness, how public resources are being used in providing such services, and the legal and regulatory issues involved. The Roundtable's comprehensive web site makes this research and related information easily available. It can be accessed by clicking here:

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