AIDS and Faith

The AP reports that the Bush administration is looking to provide about 25% of its $15 billion dollar AIDS prevention package for sub-Saharan Africa to faith based organizations. It is encouraging such organizations, including organizations with no grant history, to become involved in the AIDS prevention program

About 23% of the AIDS prevention dollars went to religious organizations last year. I would assume that this is related to the administration’s claim that faith based organizations (FBOs) work more efficiently in such roles and support for the so-called “ABC Strategy” which stands for Abstinence before marriage, Being faithful to one partner and Condoms targeted for high-risk activity.

While I’m in favor of anything that will help bring the AIDS epidemic in Africa under control, I have several concerns about this approach.

First there is no evidence that FBOs are more efficient. A study by the OMB Watcher organization at Purdue and Indiana Universities has published studies challenging this assertion.

Second, as reported by the AP, there is concern expressed by Secular organizations in Africa that giving money to groups without AIDS experience may dilute the impact of the program. This strikes me as sort of obvious.

Third, what safeguards are in place that the money won’t be used to push religious agendas? Consider the quote from Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse who says that the mission of his group is "meeting critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease and natural disaster while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ."

It doesn’t sound like these folks are going to differentiate between AIDS prevention and pushing the Gospel. As a matter of fact, like in the Typhoon relief last year, you may not be able to get the former without getting the latter.

Consider this from a report by OMB Watch examining FBOs in Birmingham, Boston, and Denver about how faith and help can get intermixed, “chapel attendance might be required but worship voluntary; a program could ask a client’s permission to discuss faith, but then urge him or her to ‘seek God;’ sometimes there was no boundary, as when Bible study and religious teaching were integral parts of an intervention. In many cases, public agencies remain silent, as long as clients do not complain.”

If they don’t know they’re not supposed to do that in Alabama, Massachusetts and Colorado, how are they supposed to know it in Africa? Of course clients aren’t going to complain because they’re probably concerned that the help will dry up if they do.

Come to think of it, are there any restrictions on this money that it can’t be used to push a religious agenda? If yes, then who’s trying to enforce it and if no, then why not? I don’t mind my tax dollars going for AIDS prevention in Africa, although I would think we could find uses for that money right here, but I draw the line at paying for Christian missionary work.

Knowing the Bush administration it could probably care less that U.S. tax dollars are being used to promote religion. Actually check that, the only groups listed in the article as receiving grants are Christian groups. Aren’t there any Islamic FBOs in Africa?