Commentator John McCann considers President Bush's "faith-based" charity and aid initiatives in light of Hurricane Katrina. McCann is a columnist for The Herald-Sun in Durham, N.C.
ED GORDON, host: Churches across the country have opened their doors and their purse      strings to offer shelter, food and supplies to hurricane survivors.  This      week, FEMA announced it's going to reimburse those religious      organizations that provide aid.  Commentator John McCann is glad to see      the Bush administration stand behind its pledge to support faith-based      communities, but, he says, there's still a lot of work to do.</s>JOHN McCANN: President Bush has been pro-church and faith-friendly ever since he took      office, often touting how the Lord helped him put down that liquor      bottle. Now in the wake of the recent hurricanes that caused so much      destruction down there in the Gulf Coast, I'm prepared to hold my      president's feet to the fire on one of his pledges:  his pledge to give      the faith community a higher profile in matters of government--and not      just in times of crises, like the one we face now in the aftermath of the      hurricanes.  I'm talking about turning churches into welfare agencies      that care for people in poverty.  And why not? Church folk know how to      come through in the clutch.</s>JOHN McCANN: For the skeptics out there, I'm right there with you, wary of      gold-toothed pastors and--I don't know--10-button suits with coats so      long they drape their matching gator-skin shoes.  Don't forget the      matching the sweat rag, too, hey, man.  But for better or for worse, I'll      take my chances with the church handing out charitable gifts, especially      when you consider that a long-venerated organization like the American      Red Cross isn't beyond reproach either.  If you'll recall, back in 2001,      after the terrorists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center, there      was a scandal about how the Red Cross money you gave for September 11th      relief wasn't getting to the victims.  A congressional probe ensued that      ultimately ended with the Red Cross president resigning.  So all I'm      saying is give the church a shot.  I mean, any organization that can turn      sales from chicken dinners into sparkling family life centers deserves at      least that.</s>JOHN McCANN: Now, church folk, if Uncle Sam comes calling, will you answer?  No time      for shuckin' and jivin', amen?  No time for fights about women wearing      pants in the sanctuary or the color of the choir robes.  It'll be the      hour of truth, the opportunity for the church to be the church.</s>JOHN McCANN: Now let me tell you something that's real because--amen--the truth will      set you free.  See, if the church was being the church all this time, let      me submit to you that a lot of those poor folks in New Orleans wouldn't      have died because of Hurricane Katrina because there would have been no      poor folks. Read your Bible, over there in the book of Acts, where      Brother Luke writes about the early church and how the believers had      everything in common.  Like this:  If you and I were church members back      in the Bible days and if I knew you had a need, I'd sell some of my land      so you could feed your family.  You'd do the same for me.</s>JOHN McCANN: Now if the church had kept on doing that, the poor brothers and sisters      trapped in New Orleans probably would have had a car to flee the city, or      at least cab fare to make it out.  But somewhere along the way we got      hooked on New Deal legislation and welfare.  And that New Deal became a      raw deal as the church sat idly by eating more chicken than it was      selling, buying bigger suits to compensate, content with looking out for      the next pair of gators instead of looking after each other.</s>JOHN McCANN: Will the church be the church?  Eh, I don't know.  Depends on how you      respond to that single mother having a hard time with all them kids.      Depends on whether you're storing up treasures in heaven or if you want      it all for yourself here on Earth.</s>ED GORDON, host: John McCann is a columnist for The Herald-Sun newspaper in      Durham, North Carolina.</s>ED GORDON, host: This is NPR News.