BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: HELEN-- ON HOW BUSH IS CHIPPING AWAY AT THE WALL SEPARATING CHURCH AND STATE

Yesterday's NY TIMES had an article about FEMA giving a $66,000,000 grant to The United Methodist Committee on Relief, to provide counseling services for hurricane victims in the New Orleans area.  Wow. Am I surprised? Not really. Bush has been whittling away at separation of church and state every chance he gets. The fact that this organization claims it does not proselytize does not, in my humble opinion,  make it kosher for our government to give such large sums to a religious organization and subject victims of a tragedy to a Christian point of view in order to get assistance.  The article states that our government received this money in cash from several dozen countries, with carte blanche how to use it. This is not FEMA's first attempt to offer a windfall to a religious organization. If I recall, when FEMA listed charities for hurricane victims on its website, Pat Robertson's lovely group was listed second to the Red Cross. Complaints about this finally resulted in removal of his charity from this list. I wonder if this current attempt will pass under the radar.  At least there are still still some voices out there protesting. I think I'll write a letter of protest to the Times right now.