Sarah Burrows is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. She is a graduate of George Washington University

As Jews in America, we understand the importance of separation of church and state, perhaps better than any other group. Here, we have been free to both pursue our faith and organize our communal lives without fear of government interference. And yet, in recent years we have seen increased efforts to corrode this ideal. With the rise of the so-called “faith-based initiatives,” some members of Congress and the Administration are looking to grant religious social service providers the right to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring and firing practices. Imagine a job description for a teaching position for low income preschool students that includes the line, “People of the following faiths need not apply.” Furthermore, our experience teaches us that granting the right to discriminate based on religion would also permit religious groups to use government money to discriminate based on race, sexual orientation, and marital status

The truth is, the government can and does work collaboratively with faith-based organizations, many of whom should be commended for the important work they do providing necessary services to underprivileged Americans. Faith organizations that accept tax dollars do so with the understanding that they will not to engage in discrimination or proselytization, and that they will operate their social services in a secular manner. In fact, many faith organizations that accept government money to run social services understand that allowing such discrimination would undermine the vital work they do.

One way to fight these so-called “faith-based initiatives” is to show our elected officials that the religious community does not want or need such a change in policy. The Coalition Against Religious Discrimination (CARD) is a group of religious, civil rights, labor, education, health, and advocacy organizations, including the Union for Reform Judaism, who believe in defending the First Amendment and the religious liberty of all Americans. The coalition has created a sign on letter for clergy and social service providers opposed to such legislation. If you are a member of the clergy or a social service provider, I urge you to visit www.stopreligiondescrimination.com and join the efforts to oppose religious discrimination.