{"id":12828,"date":"2018-05-09T11:16:57","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T15:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=12828"},"modified":"2018-05-09T11:16:57","modified_gmt":"2018-05-09T15:16:57","slug":"president-trump-signs-executive-order-creating-new-white-house-faith-based-initiative-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2018\/05\/president-trump-signs-executive-order-creating-new-white-house-faith-based-initiative-office","title":{"rendered":"President Trump Signs Executive Order Creating New White House Faith-Based Initiative Office"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Christopher<\/a>
Christopher Halloran\/Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At a National Day of Prayer event held at the White House, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.<\/p>\n

The executive order was signed \u201cto ensure that the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the Federal Government,\u201d a White House document reads. The new initiative aims to give faith groups stronger voice within the federal government and serve as a watchdog for government overreach on religious liberty issues.<\/p>\n

This new order will make Trump the third president to have a White House devoted to faith initiatives, following after presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe executive branch wants faith-based and community organizations, to the fullest opportunity permitted by law, to complete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs and other Federal funding opportunities,\u201d reads part of the order.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe efforts of faith-based and community organizations are essential to revitalizing communities, and the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through initiative, measurable and outcome-driven initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump labeled the executive order a \u201chistoric action\u201d and boosted his administration\u2019s efforts to protect the religious liberty of people both in the United States and overseas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe faith initiative will help design new policies that recognize the vital role of faith in our families, in our communities, and our great country,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThis office will also help ensure that faith-based organizations will have equal access to government funding and the equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs. We take this step because we know that in solving the many, many problems and our great challenges, faith is more powerful than government. And nothing is more powerful than God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s initiative is being hailed, particularly by conservative Christians. Johnnie Moore, a minister and public relations consultant who serves as an unofficial spokesman for a group of evangelicals that advises Trump, said the new initiative takes a different approach from faith-based initiatives by previous presidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrdering every department of the federal government to work on faith-based partnerships \u2013 not just those with faith offices \u2013 represents a widespread expansion of a program that has historically done very effective work and now can do even greater work,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n

Florida megachurch pastor Paul White, who is also one of the key evangelical advisers to the president also praised the new initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could not be more proud to stand with President Trump as he continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with communities of faith,\u201d she said. \u201cThis order is a historic action, strengthening the relationship between faith and government in the United States and the product will be countless, transformed lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there are some who believe this executive order is problematic, particularly for those who don\u2019t share certain religious beliefs. Critics, including Americans United for Separation of Church and State, have argued that it will further advance discriminatory measures in the name of religion.<\/p>\n

Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser believes the executive order is \u201cone more attempt by Trump, cheered by his Evangelical Advisory Board, to redefine religious freedom to mean the freedom to discriminate against those who do not share your religious beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur country is strongest when we are all free to believe, or not, as we see fit and to practice our faith without hurting others,\u201d Laser said.<\/p>\n

What are your thoughts on Trump\u2019s executive order? Do you think it will give faith groups a stronger voice within the federal government or only further religious discrimination?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a National Day of Prayer event held at the White House, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The executive order was signed \u201cto ensure that the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":565,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[2365,2364,2318,2362,78,2363,446,2361,2210],"class_list":["post-12828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian","tag-christian-values","tag-conservative-christians","tag-donald-trump","tag-executive-order","tag-faith-2","tag-faith-based-initiative-office","tag-national-day-of-prayer","tag-president-trump","tag-religious-freedom"],"yoast_head":"\nPresident Trump Signs Executive Order Creating New White House Faith-Based Initiative Office<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2018\/05\/president-trump-signs-executive-order-creating-new-white-house-faith-based-initiative-office\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"President Trump Signs Executive Order Creating New White House Faith-Based Initiative Office\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At a National Day of Prayer event held at the White House, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. 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