I was very disappointed to hear that President Obama has decided to keep the notorius “Office of Faith-Based Initiatives” – albeit with some tweaking. It is now (source: NPR) the “Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships“. But the name aside, the President’s statement that “all religions teach people to care for one another” confirms that Athiests and Agnostics are still not seen as ‘people of faith’. While the latter group arguably isn’t, Athiesm is as much a statement of faith as belief in the existence of one or more gods.
Add in reports that the White House has decided against moving forward with candidate Obama’s statement that he would change the policy to bar hiring discrimination at groups that receive federal funds, and this is a very worrying sign.
