At a rally at the end of May 1999, Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, denouncing the “hollow secularism” of American society, called for religion to play a greater role in addressing the needs of the public. Both Gore and Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush support a program called Charitable Choice, which would allocate federal funds to religious institutions that provide social services for the homeless, mentally ill, and those addicted to drugs.

The philosophy behind Charitable Choice is that religious institutions are inherently more effective than government bureaucracies in helping disadvantaged members of society. As columnist William Raspberry explains, “Church ministries have rescued drug addicts and alcoholics who formerly were in and out of all sorts of public and private clinics. . . . These groups have been successful because they don’t simply deliver treatment and other services; they transform...