What Would Jesus Do?

In the wake of Katrina, churches and other religious organizations have been providing food, clothing, and shelter to tens of thousands of families across the south. Now the Bush Administration is going to reimburse them for their expenses. I must have missed that part of the bible where Jesus demanded to be paid to help people.

"The need was so overwhelming that the faith-based groups stepped up, and we're trying to find a way to help them shoulder some of the burden for doing the right thing," [a FEMA representative] said, adding that "the churches are interested" but that "part of our effort is getting the local governments to be interested in being their sponsor."

A spokeswoman for the Salvation Army said it has been in talks with state and federal officials about reimbursement for the 76,000 nights of shelter it has provided to Katrina survivors so far.

This is a new low for the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress. Not only does this violate the principles of separation of church and state, it violates commonsense. The Katrina price tag is already high enough without reimbursing groups who voluntarily spend their own money to help. And paying religious groups to take care of the needy? Isn't that their job???

Sadly, the federal government would not be reimbursing religious groups at all if "conscientious fiscal conservative" Tom Delay hadn't raised a ruckus with FEMA. Tool. Prick. Enemy of the taxpayer.