How Will Pagans Fare Under the New Faith-Based Initiative?
Word has leaked that Barack Obama’s campaign director for religious-affairs, Joshua DuBois, has been tapped to lead up the revamped Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (now called the Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships). DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal pastor, was raised by James Dobson-listening conservative parents and spearheaded Obama’s efforts to reach out to socially conservative evangelicals and Catholics.
President Obama plans to name Joshua DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal pastor and political strategist who handled religious outreach for the Obama campaign, to direct a revamped office of faith-based initiatives, according to religious leaders who have been informed about the choice. The office, created by President George W. Bush by executive order at the start of his first term, is likely to have an even broader mandate in the Obama White House, said the religious leaders, who requested anonymity because the appointment has yet to be announced.
The big question now is if DuBois will do a better job reaching out to religious minorities than some of his predecessors under President Bush. Will this younger man be more tuned in than Jim Towey? The man who famously questioned whether Pagans could be charitable or help the poor.
“I haven’t run into a Pagan faith-based group yet, much less a Pagan group that cares for the poor! Once you make it clear to any applicant that public money must go to public purposes and can’t be used to promote ideology, the fringe groups lose interest. Helping the poor is tough work and only those with loving hearts seem drawn to it”.
While Towey did eventually backtrack somewhat from his anti-Pagan gaffe, you have to wonder if DuBois, who has been cagey about his personal stands on hot-button issues (not to mention his views of other faiths), will be much better. Can a man focused so heavily on conservative and traditional Christians also reach out to Hindus, Buddhists, Pagans, and indigenous faith traditions? Will this revamped initiative bring all faiths to the table? I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, but the Obama administrations first forays into faith have been decidedly mixed to say the least. What do you think? Will the new faith-based initiative be fairer and more inclusive under a Democratic administration? Should Obama have even kept the office around?
4 responses so far
Maybe. It depends on what DuBois does and what his attitudes really are. Just being a Pentecostal doesn’t tell us much. Some Christians are far more open to working with other faiths — especially alternative faiths — than others. All we can do is wait and see.
I actually did hit "submit comment" for Part ! of 2 before I did for Part 2 of 2…connection problems on my end…
Oh, and don't forget about the Officers of Avalon!
I'm in Yewtree! Although I reserve the right to rant… I mean prewrite… on the topic here!