Previous entry: Holy row: monk fined over food fight
Next entry: Undertaker threatens to get police involved in body
Related
Advertisements *
Advertise Here *
Elsewhere
Subscribe: RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Subscribe: Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Most Popular
- Cult leader Wayne Bent ends ‘religious fast’
- John Travolta’s 16-year-old son dies
- Forensic interview with girl in Tony Alamo case leaked to website
- Priest’s 2006 conviction in nun’s murder stands
- 9 Muslims Are Pulled From Plane and Denied Re-entry; Airline Apologizes Next Day
- Neo-Nazi Violence: German Mayor in Hiding after Far-Right Threat
- Jett Travolta’s death shines spotlights on cult’s quackery
- Judge: smuggled monkey meat needed for religious reasons? Still need a permit
- Tom Cruise gets more mileage out of claim that Scientology cured his dyslexia
- Facts don’t fit claims of FLDS welfare fraud
Charity’s funds cut over religious links
More articles on this topic: Teen ChallengeA charity treating drug and alcohol addicts has had its funding slashed because the Welsh Assembly Government opposes its Christian programme.
Teen Challenge, which says it has rehabilitated hundreds of addicts in West Wales since 1984, says it will lose about £700,000 a year through the Assembly’s decision.
Officials are unhappy at the way Christianity is promoted at Teen Challenge centres in Wales.
But charity workers say they do not indoctrinate people and have branded the decision “unfair, prejudiced and discriminatory”.
And politicians say jeopardising Teen Challenge’s work will leave a gap in the treatment of Welsh addicts in the future.
Teen Challenge staff have meanwhile been forced to accept wage cuts and the charity has had to abandon plans for new projects.
The charity’s main British base is in Gorslas, Carmarthenshire, where it has beds for 68 men and women aged between 18 and 35.
As well as seven residential centres it also runs walk-in centres in the Rhondda, Swansea, Newport and Abergavenny.
Rehabilitation programmes last for 18 months and “graduates” are then helped to find work or education.
Teen Challenge was issued a contract last year by Carmarthenshire County Council to treat addicts. But when Assembly officials visited the centres they told the council to end the contract.
In a newsletter, the charity says Assembly officials wrote to them saying, “The review team found the advancement of the Christian religion to be an integral, indeed the major, element of the service. It is no commentary on the effectiveness of this approach to indicate that such activity does not fall within the parameters for funding.
“Teen Challenge services are based on the promotion of a spiritual response to the causes of the substance problems their service users face. These projects cannot be funded.”
The charity hit back saying, “We believe that this decision has been arrived at in a very unfair, prejudiced and discriminatory fashion.
“The Welsh Assembly Government have accused Teen Challenge of using public money to promote the Christian faith. This is not the case as the Christian teaching we give is paid for from donated income.
“Using the Bible as a source of help and direction is unacceptable to the Welsh Assembly Government even though it is still the book which is presented to a new monarch by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the words, ‘This is the Royal Law’.
“We are determined to maintain our services to young people who are still queuing to be admitted to our centres.”
Carmarthenshire County Council says it will now spend the money on helping homeless people with mental health, drug and alcohol problems.
Plaid Cymru health spokesman Rhodri Glyn Thomas, whose Carmarthenshire constituency is home to the charity’s British headquarters, said, “The Assembly has come to the conclusion that Teen Challenge is in the business of promoting the Christian faith rather than dealing with addiction. But its record of success proves otherwise.
“The success rate there is far higher than normal. You really have to look at what they have accomplished. I have no problem with a faith-based organisation in this area as long as they are working with people with addiction and not forcing beliefs on people.
“My understanding is that people are coming there voluntarily. They are not being forced and there is no question of indoctrination.”
The Assembly is reviewing its decision and has promised a decision by the end of the month.
• Read The Western Mail online
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Previous entry: Holy row: monk fined over food fight Next entry: Undertaker threatens to get police involved in body
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
