Timothy Ruppert on Tax Dollars Going to Religion - Published as a letter to the editor in the Times-Picayune on September 12, 2001.

Tax dollars going to religion

Louisiana recently took the next step in the ill-advised effort to thwart the Constitutional prohibition of government-established religion ("Voucher program begins in N.O.," Sept. 5).

The scheme is to divert millions of dollars of taxpayers' money to pay for preschool education at expressly religious schools.

Although it is being touted as a scholarship program for poor families, the reality is that the state will directly pay religious school tuition.

Let us not be naive about what this means. Louisiana has enacted a religion tax.

For more than 200 years, government and religious organizations in America have left each other alone. The result: unparalleled religious activity and diversity.

Some will call this scheme to publicly finance religious institutions a godsend.

Trouble is, this money doesn't come from or belong to any god.

This is the taxpayers' money.

Timothy M. Ruppert
New Orleans

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