DiIulio's new post draws controversy

As Penn Professor John DiIulio begins his life inside the Beltway, the new White House post he will fill already has sparked a national debate over federal funding for faith-based groups. But as it turns out, the concept behind the office is anything but new. And some Philadelphia-area religious leaders believe that the office won't even significantly effect their work. On Monday, President Bush created the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. DiIulio, who has taken a leave of absence from Penn to run the office, will oversee the distribution of federal funds to non-profit religious and community organizations. Questions have been raised about whether the new office violates the First Amendment guarantee of separation of church and state. But according to Penn History Professor Michael Katz, the creation of the White House post is the culmination of a long-standing trend. "This trend towards using and favoring faith-based organizations has been strong for a number of years," Katz said. "Faith-based organizations are uniquely fitted to dealing with urban problems." Rev. Richard Fernandez said he stands to benefit from the faith-based grants, but acknowledges that the constitutionality of the new office is questionable. Fernandez is the executive director of the Northwest Interfaith Movement, a coalition of religious organizations in Philadelphia that provides community services. "The government has to begin to say who's religious," he said. "It's a little bit of a minefield." "It appears that the administration is willing to test the boundary between church and state," added Larry Frankel, executive director of the Philadelphia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. Frankel believes that strict regulation is needed to prevent infringement on people's rights. "We have to be particularly careful that taxpayer dollars are not being used to fund religious activity," he said. Fernandez said he doubts that the amount of money the Bush administration will devote to the program will actually make an impact. "This is a huge city with a lot of issues," he said. "The kind of money that they're talking about spread around the country is not as significant as it seems." Despite questions about the constitutional legality of the new office, giving federal dollars to religious groups is not a new phenomenon. "The federal government has been giving money to faith-based organizations to provide services for many many years," said Patrick Temple-West, executive director of Nutritional Development Services for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The organization, which already receives federal funding, provides meals for Catholic and charter school students. "I do not see this change as a significant change in the way the federal government is actually conducting itself," he added. "[Faith-based groups] are treated exactly the same way as any other community non-profit group is treated." Although his decisions will be carefully inspected by critics across the nation, one colleague said that DiIulio is the perfect man for the job. "Here's a guy who is a registered Democrat, who is a senior adviser to Republicans in Washington," Urban Studies Professor Theodore Hershberg said. "He speaks the truth across party lines." "If anyone can pull this off, can walk the line between church and state, I would put my money on DiIulio," he added. Despite Hershberg's confidence, some critics say the office is destined for discrimination -- and not even DiIulio can salvage the new post. "It puts a special effort on one part of the charitable community, but it leaves another part out on the ledge," said Fred Edwards, editor of the American Humanist Association magazine. "We don't think that the government should be in the business of showing favoritism," Edwards continued. Fernandez said that even if the office does not work out as planned, he's happy to receive any extra attention from the government. "If George Bush continues to state his faith-based declarations, I expect my fund-raising to be easier," he said. "When the president of the country says that faith-based organizations provide a service to the country, people pay attention," he added.