Pray that government leaders would recognize the contributions that religious charities make to the common good.

Reflect
For decades, religious freedom advocates and leaders of faith-based organizations have worked to ensure that religious organizations could partner with the government on an equal playing field with other organizations. In recent years, the Supreme Court has issued rulings that ensure that when a government has a program, it cannot exclude religious groups simply because they are religious. For example, Missouri had a program that used recycled tires for playground resurfacing at schools. A Christian school met all the criteria for participation in the program, but the state sought to exclude the school on the grounds that state laws prevented religious institutions from access to public programs. The Supreme Court ruled that the state could not discriminate against the school on the basis of its religious status. Religious schools and charities seek to promote the common good and serve their communities in numerous ways, such as caring for the elderly, feeding and sheltering the poor, offering education, and providing health care. When governments and faith-based organizations cooperate with each other, the whole community benefits.

Act
The USCCB Office of Religious Liberty is active in promoting the freedom of religious institutions to participate in programs that foster the common good. Sign up to receive action alerts at www.votervoice.net/USCCB/register and use your voice to advocate for churches and religious charities.