Obama supports faith-based initiatives office — sincere or cynical?
The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives began during President Bush’s years in office as a way of supporting “compassion in action” by religious groups serving their communities.
Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama says he supports the efforts of that office and would allow it to continue. In fact, he says he would “expand it to direct more money to religious groups,” according to a story out today.
The announcement by the Democrats’ presumptive nominee was met by suggestions that he was merely trying to curry favor with religious voters, a segment of the electorate in which he has failed thus far to carve inroads. Four years ago, Democratic nominee John Kerry captured just 22 percent of the white evangelical vote.
Others welcomed Obama’s promise, which he reaffirmed during a speech in St. Louis on Saturday before delegates attending a national conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Those who applaud Obama’s vow see it as a step in the right direction, toward a lasting partnership between faith-based organizations and the government that would not violate the separation of church and state.
Which camp are you in? Do you believe the office is a good initiative worthy of continuing — and are you pleased to see that Obama is as interested in continuing it as the current president? Or is his support seen as a way to reach out to conservative, religious voters?
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
I have to trust that the Barack acts in genuine good faith and honesty–that he is aware of what is right and appropriate in his roles as president, as husband and as father. No hypocrisy or artificiality. Therefore, no confusion. This makes for a life of integrity because the inner and outer selves are a mirror image. At this point in time, this is a picture of the faith and confidence I have in Obama’s character.