One last thought, is that if government begins to exerte control over relgion, then religion and governemnt will become corrupted. It has been a dissapointment for me to see President Bush's 'faith based' inititatives lauded here on FR.
I don't want government controlling religion, I'd rather God control religion. Since government is a necessary evil, as James Madison said, "if men were angels there would be no need for government" (paraphrasing from Federalsit papers), then it maks no sense to put this necessary evil in charge of religion.
Of course, it is 'unfair' that faith based groups can't recieve public funds, but, again, this is a problem, not of discrimination, but of socialism. No groups should receive public funds for anything. Then the argument is moot.
"All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit."
- Thomas Paine
"A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and to degrade religion."
- Justice Roy Black
"I don't want government controlling religion, I'd rather God control religion."
Or, as somebody famous once said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and render unto God that which is God's."