Lations are ahost relevant to the practical
and phidosephical concerns faced by peop
Lath and houses of worship, Conventional
wisdom mish suggest that people al faith
would want and approve of public funding for
reiigion, whether through vouchers or some
other mechanism. But man religious people,
while enthusiastic supporters of their own
faith, are justitiably hesitant about the gon
cinment vaving ther money to every laith
croup with a school, whether the
believe min the rehgion taught there or
not Yet this is exacth what occurs
with relistons sehool gid Pro
VIADS, ds Laanpuvers are effec
thvehy and hiterally purchasing
halv tests religions cons, and
reliions classes,
Char constitutional deals
Col
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Most religious
Fhe most obvious chorce Jett oo unre
fated schools os rehigious neural, Parents
are not only aware of the rehgious education
that then chld wall recone at one of these pr
vale schools they ovpect and me mam
matances demand in Public schools, mean
while, represent diverse communities and stu
Joent populations, and ave required to stay out
of religious matters altewcthers nether
advancing nor hindering religion.
But the dittarcnces onl bein there,
Private schools are Tree to discrinm
nate when accepting mooming stu-
dents and facattv, Tos not uncens:
mot for these schools to segre-
dale on the basis ot vender.
They canapply strict standards
tor interested Tapplicants and
test chirfdren to see it they qual
buttress the commonsense people, while Hv for admission, Of course,
understand that torced sup- they cane choose onlv=-o
port for rehivtous indoctrina
Gon is approssive aid a viola
fron ol recdonn ol consaena.
His altimatedy no ditferent than
forcing taxpavers to place then
money ina collection plate.
Lroubling too is the hileh
hood of mterrchgious strife as
religious instiiutions battle for
scarce public resources. Uhee
public funds are made available
to any hurd with a school, all
religious msbitutions will have to
battle before state leaislatures
over who should get public
funding and who shouldnt. lo
pit Methodists agamst Lutherans
or Baptists against Muslims tor support is din
sive and mare than a little vnseemby,
Fhe vesult would bean intolerable
prospect. Many relizious groups that a tay
paver nugzht ind frightening. offensive, or just
theologically wrong, such as the neo Nag
World Church of the Creator, would Tike be
in line for a check.
The regulatory concerns for religious insti-
tutiois and then sciools are just as serious, if
NOL INOre so,
Under existing law, houses of worship are
fre from covernment control or oversight, as
they should bed In education matters religious
schools are Lirgelv exempt from the many laws
that govern public school owith the exception
of dear health and safety revulations,
cathusiastic sup-
porters of
their own faith,
are justifiably
hesitant about the
government giving
their money to
every faith group
mainly children whose pars
Cials are of a particular faith,
Further oo private school’s
curenium Is not spedihed by
doveirainent olticials, nor are
is financial records audited hy
SOLernInent Adin ators,
Privaic schools, mm atha
words, are hardiv accountable
to the public ar all They are
Cruly independent facilities.
Fhouwely the reason nay be
obvious. it important wo
with a school. Note that these schonts are
accorded the Tuvare of such
dependence because of the
distance Hic hae placed
betiveen themselves and die goverment,
There is nothing wioog with this relation-
ships Once a house of worship creates an edu
cational mstitution, tes would disazree thes
should be permitted to ran that school as tha
wish, free of covernment ard or interference,
That as part of the bases tor the separation
between the church and the state,
But consider how the dviamic of that
relationship changes once the two sti
tons are brought closer together by wav of
Hroancial tres,
Phe government is oevpecied bys cone
stituents to spend public funds ina wise and
cltectne tashion, The state's mones, it is fre
quenthy noted, is the tas pavers mona, and as
such we demand accountabilin.