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 A new report finds that religious groups engaged in lobbying or advocacy around Washington employ at least 1,000 people.
November 22nd, 2011
12:29 PM ET
Report tracks explosion of religious lobbying in WashingtonBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) - Lobbying and advocacy by religious groups in Washington have exploded in recent decades, increasing fivefold since 1970 to become a nearly $400 million industry, a new Pew report finds. More than 200 groups are doing faith-related lobbying and advocacy in the nation’s capital, compared to fewer than 40 in 1970, according to the report. Put together, the groups employ at least 1,000 people. The report, released Monday by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, found that religious groups spend $390 million a year to influence U.S. domestic and foreign policy. “About one-in-five religious advocacy organizations in Washington have a Roman Catholic perspective (19%) and a similar proportion is evangelical Protestant in outlook (18%), while 12% are Jewish and 8% are mainline Protestant,” according to the report, called "Lobbying for the Faithful: Religious Advocacy Groups in Washington, D.C." “But many smaller U.S. religious groups, including Baha’is, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, also have established advocacy organizations in the Washington area,” the report said. The number of Muslim groups engaged in lobbying and advocacy in Washington (17) is about the same as the number of mainline Protestant groups engaged in such work (16). The report said that the most common domestic issues for religious groups are: - The relationship between church and state; - Civil rights and liberties for religious and other minorities; - Bioethics and life issues, including abortion, capital punishment and end-of-life issues; - Family/marriage issues, including definition of marriage, domestic violence and fatherhood initiatives. The top international issues for religious groups are religious freedom, human rights, debt relief and other economic issues, and the promotion of peace and democracy, the report found. |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Dear Lord, please protect me from Your followers.
"Lobbying and advocacy by religious groups in Washington have exploded in recent decades" - Pushing their agenda with tax free money.
@rad666 – You make an excellent point! Tax free dollars influencing our government. Lobbyists are corrupt as it is, let alone this new form of parasite.
Baha'i's don't donate mony for political campaign's. We will write to our elected officals in the area that we live in to encourage action and apeal to the UN for human rights violations but we DO NOT participate in partisan politics.
If they want to sway Washington with lobbyists then they need to be taxed. Nothing scares me more then making decisions based on religion. They all believe the rapture will be soon so they don't care about consequences for future generations.
Christ told his disciples that not even he knew the time when he would return. So not all believe the rapture will occur soon, and your assumption that people of faith do not care about future generations is completely false. Devout Christians are some of the most fiscally responsible people in the world. That's not to say there aren't people who are irresponsible, but if they follow Christ's teachings then you have nothing to worry about. Perhaps you should learn a little about what we believe before you criticize.
I agree on the tax free status. Once they participate in politics they should lose their tax free status immediately.
What you don't understand is that churches do not directly lobby washington. It is done through christian political organizations such as Focus on the Family Action and FRC Action, and those groups are NOT tax exempt.
Why are there no Atheist lobbyists? Atheists outnumber Jewish people...
Athiests are broke. Jews are rich.
Atheists don't get Faith Based Initiatives
Atheists are not, as a rule, herd animals. Each atheist comes independently to the conclusion that the need for a god behind the scenes running everything is absurd. Believers by nature are herd animals who need to be among people who believe the same things as they do. It's the reason there are so many different Christian sects: people seek out those who want to believe in a common story and reject everyone who thinks differently. The Westboro Baptist Church loonies are a good example: according to their teachings, only a handful of people will be in their version of Heaven– only WBC members, of course....
200 groups and 400 million in lobbying compared to 12,941 groups spending 3.5 billion in 2010. In other words, religious groups make up 1.5% of the lobbyists and spend 1.1% of the money. Nothing but an attack to make religious organizations look bad, ignoring the fact that the amount of money spent on lobbying in the last 40 years has gone up the same amount.
@MIke – Good point.
Tax any organization that employs lobbyists. Their God(s) shouldn't get a free ride on my back, in my womb, my genitals or any other of their favored modes of transportation.
Ooooh Where is a LIKE button when you need one? 🙂
If we tax them they will then have a legal right to lobby. I say kickem out!
I'd say it's about time to revisit this whole "freedom of religion" thing! I have no problem with people of faith, but religion is nothing more than another corporation taking advantage of people to make money.
If people insist on allowing churches to remian in existence, I agree with many of the comments regarding taxation.
I also agree with several comments that it's about time we had a strong Atheism lobby too.
It's all about the benjamins, folks. Always has been. These religious leaders, most of whom own multiple cars, enjoy lavish vacations and reside in upscale addresses, are just glorified used car salesman. Plain and simple. Except their product is fear and represent, ultimately, a lemon.
These people are on a power trip even though their congregations continue to shrink. So, they are actually representing less people. Once again sounds like the wants of the few are trying to be pushed on the many.
They can lobby when they can pay taxes. Stop giving these schemers a free ride!
Lobbyist groups DO pay taxes. Churches do not directly lobby washington. It is done buy TAXED groups such as FRC Action or Focus on the Family Action.
Since religious groups should be concerned with the needs of people, why don't they spend the $400 million in lobbying funds on feeding the hungry instead? There are about 50 million people starving in this country.
See, "Religulous", and grow up America; the boogeyman in the clouds is a lie.
If religious groups want to be involved in politics... PAY TAXES
Excellent idea !!!!
They do. Churches don't pay taxes, but political action groups such as FRC Action that lobby for religious values DO pay taxes.
Keep your religion out of MY Government! I'm so tired of Hypocrits aren't you? If you don't want to pay taxes... then you don't get to create and influence policy that affects MY LIFE!! Plain and Simple!! Seperation of CHURCH and STATE is there for a reason!!
Tax the Churches.
Not one of these lobbyist groups is lobbying to get rid of payoffs to government officials for passing laws favorable to special interest groups.
Huh... imagine that. Instead they lobby to take away my rights.
"Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's"
Another reason to tax them already! Out of all the points concerned, only civil rights should be their issue. The other concerns have to do with taking away the rights of people who do not think as they do...
Mylifemyway, I agree with you!!!!!!!!!
It is such a shame to be forced to realize my beloved country is following such a tragic path.
Our only REAL enemy lies within!
Tax the churches NOW!
I second that!!!
I agree with you 100%..it is disgraceful.
Glad to see that, instead of spending money helping others, the RCC and others would rather see their money going to suppress others' rights.
ok so it seems that our entire law making body is completely insane! wheres the news story?
Mention Faith and CNN gets its bout of Panic attacks..
I would be concerned, looks like the sharia law seekers have mustered a strong lobby for themselves...
Thats because your faith is another mans fear.
Leave religion at home with all of your other filthy habits
They get the panic attacks only when you mention the God of the Bible.
Andy S
Which God of the Bible?
The pre or post Jesus Yahveh? Leviathan? The Holy Spirit? The mortal Jesus? The risen Jesus?
For a cult that claims monotheisim, you guys shure do have lots of Gods!