The activists met this weekend at a Dupont Circle hotel to make plans to hire lobbyists to block federal legislation that would limit abortion rights, deny homosexual rights and oppose federal funding to religious social-service programs, reported the Washington Times Sunday.
"The situation is now as bad as we'll ever see it," said Roy Speckhardt, of the American Humanist Association, a group of 80 grass-roots groups that promote humanism, or living without a supernatural influence.
"Faith-based initiatives mean public dollars given to faith-based organizations -- the minority religions and us will be left out."
Some $1.2 billion was appropriated in 2003 for such programs to fight drug addiction, poverty, incarceration, according to Speckhardt.
"The present Bush administration is identifying itself with faith," AHA editorial director Fred Edwords said. "That's the kind of thing nontheistic organizations are concerned about."
