The American Center for Law and Justice is threatening a lawsuit over the stimulus package. At issue? A provision that it claims may force colleges receiving funds to renovate their facilities to throw Christian student groups off campus, as well as bar schools from letting churches hold their services at their facilities. However, a closer reading of the "objectionable" provision proves that this is just a load of hot air from Virginia Beach.
OneNewsNow was very kind to actually quote the section of the bill that has the religious right so upset.
Specifically, the provision reads that stimulus funds may not be used for "modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities -- (i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission."
Huh? I don't see anything there that could even remotely be construed as forcing student Christian groups to shut down, or bar churches from meeting at college facilities.
The key phrase Jay Sekulow hopes you don't notice--and, I suspect, what Don Wildmon hopes you don't notice--is "substantial portion." It would seem to me this section's intent is to prohibit the use of this money to help renovate any building whose primary purpose is religious--that is, an on-campus chapel or something along those lines.
DeMint tried to introduce an amendment stripping out this provision--but it failed largely along party lines, 54-43. And yet, according to Thomas, no House Repub tried to cut this out when this bill was under consideration in the House--even though the House Repubs are much more influenced by the religious right than their Senate counterparts.
The sad part about it is that a large number of religious right people are already up in arms about this. Remember, you're talking about people who, for the most part, live their lives in a fundie cocoon--homeschooling their kids, filtered Internet service, SkyAngel satellite, etc. Most of them probably rely heavily on CBN and OneNewsNow to get their news.
(cross-posted at The Christian Dem Home Journal and Talk2Action)
Update: Couple of commenters mentioned that a similar provision has been in EVERY educational funding bill for almost half a century--a fact Rachel Maddow hammered home late last week (no video yet).