Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Congratulations to Hank Tyler, fellow columnist for The Western Tribune for picking up the Charles A. Long Outstanding Civic Award at the Bessemer Chamber of Commerce Banquet last night.

Picture Credit: The Western Tribune

President Barack Obama established (yesterday at the National Prayer Breakfast ) his office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Read what Obama said including his testimony at the link.

Read the press release and learn who some of the members of the council are here.

This will be a little more in line with the U. S. Constitution than W's effort, which seemed to put a condition on helping that you believe certain beliefs and share those beliefs with those you are helping or don't help them at all. Something like that.

Anyway, this office will reach out to charities and organizations "no matter their religious or political beliefs" and will be "making community groups an integral part of our economic recovery and poverty a burden fewer have to bear when recovery is complete."

Joshua DuBois, a 26 year old Pentecostal minister, will head the effort. "We're also going to make sure we have a keener eye toward the separation of church and state," he said.

Good.