Catholic contract unconstitutional

January 13, 2:49 PMBoston Young Democrats ExaminerDan McDowell

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The ACLU filed a suit in Boston yesterday charging that a federal contract with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is unconstitutional. The $6 million contract began in 2006 and is meant to aid human trafficking victims. However, as the Roman Catholic Church is against contraception and abortion, no funds will go to organizations that provide either of those services. Therefore, the ACLU charges, the government is fiscally supporting the imposition of religious restrictions on these individuals through grant funds.

To an extent the ACLU certainly has a point. Any victim looking for these services should be able to go to any of the federally funded organizations and be able to seek those services. There is no federal law against victims seeking either of those services, and so the government supporting a religious organization that will not provide referral for those services is absurd. Quite simply the government shouldn't be giving funds to a church for this service. Yes, services like these need funding, but using government money to fund a religious entity imposing its views on others is wrong, no matter what entity may be, and certainly violates then idea of the separation of church and state .

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