(AP) - NEW YORK-The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that the federal government has improperly used taxpayer dollars to fund Christian religious activities in a nationwide program called the Silver Ring Thing that uses music and comedy skits to promote premarital abstinence among teens.
The Silver Ring Thing - which has held events in dozens of cities over the past five years - is an offshoot of the John Guest Evangelistic Team, a Christian ministry based in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. Since 2003, the program has received more than $1 million from the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the Bush administration's initiative to expand abstinence-only education.
Though many of the grant recipients have religious affiliations, they are not supposed to use the federal money for religious proselytizing. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, alleges that the Silver Ring Thing crosses this line and uses grant money to encourage young people to commit themselves to Jesus Christ.
Just another example of the Bush administration's pattern of pandering to the Christian right, especially when they can use your tax dollars to do so. Details here from the AP via Findlaw.com.