The Washington Post reported last week the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “… will use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.”

The problem with this is – why is FEMA reimbursing faith groups for charity work?

FEMA, according to its Web site, “is tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disasters.” What even gives them the right to use our tax money to fund faith groups for voluntarily helping the victims? Isn’t their work supposed to be charity?

Doesn’t charity, or goodwill, imply doing something for someone without the expectation of reciprocity?

A bigger issue that some Civil Libertarians are infuriated about is the separation of church and state – an issue that FEMA seems to overlook.

According to that Washington Post article, Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said it was inappropriate for federal reimbursement to take place for religious organization. And Rev. Robert E. Reccord, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board, states he doesn’t like FEMA’s idea for all the right reasons. “Volunteer labor is just that: volunteer … we

would never ask the government to pay for [reimbursement].”

The devastation of Katrina and Rita will continue to be a burden for the U.S. for years to come. However, that burden was one that various faith-based organizations decided to take up. There are some organizations that are currently trying to acquire federal funds.

Isn’t it kind of immoral to have your hands out after you volunteered to help? This would be as bad as students asking NIU president John Peters for a free lunch in the dining halls after contributing to the NIU Katrina Relief Fund! This columnist echoes Lynn’s comments – “That’s a strange definition of charity.”

To digress, why doesn’t FEMA just give the money reserved to reimburse religious organizations to the victims of the two hurricanes? It would be more appropriate if the universities that have been severely damaged by the hurricanes received this money.

According to a separate Washington Post article, “Dillard University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Southern University at New Orleans got smacked with at least $1 billion in flood and fire destruction – by far the worst damage of all the city’s institutions of higher education.”

There is a major concern that these HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) could lose established faculty, staff and resources due to the heavy destruction on these institutions.

What exactly is FEMA’s motive in reimbursing these religious groups? Are they trying to make us forget the fact that they, along with every branch of government messed up?

“What really frosts me about all this is, here is an administration that didn’t do its job and now is trying to dig itself out by making right-wing groups happy,” said Lynn.

Preach, Reverend – preach! At this point, FEMA should just do its job and not try to appease the public and right-wing groups with finances.

Volunteer work being done by these faith based groups has been tremendous. It takes a lot of time and effort to do what they have.

Their aid in giving shelter, food and clothing has helped speed the recovery process of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

The words of your sacred texts have helped survivors cope with this great tragedy and allowed them to make the necessary steps to move on with their lives.

Why tarnish the charity and goodwill that those sacred texts endorse?

As Rev. Flip Benham, director of Operation Save America, said “… for us to ask for reimbursement would be like gouging for gas.

That would be a crime against heaven.”

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.