In a move that infuriated liberals and was applauded by folks on the other side of the fence, President Bush proposed Monday that the federal government open up funding resources to religious institutions.

Critics immediately cried foul, pointing to the obvious separation of church and state. And their point is well-taken; the separation of church and state is a crucial tenet of our nation’s Constitution.

Freedom to choose one’s own religion is protected by our Constitution. And we hope that never changes.

Before discounting the president’s proposal on principle, we believe every American should consider its intent.

Bush isn’t proposing that we as a nation pass out the King James Bible to every citizen. And he isn’t pushing for mandatory daily prayer in public schools.

The president’s move is simply an attempt to take a more direct route to solving many of the social problems facing America.

If the current system of dealing with our social ills was perfect, the entire debate would be moot. Certainly people on both sides of the issue can agree that more social work needs to be done to solve social issues.

Will it hurt anyone to allow religious groups to compete for federal grants?

Probably not.

Could it? Maybe.

However, opening up the current system in an effort to help accomplish more social good won’t necessarily crack the foundations of our Constitution – as some folks would argue.

And, with a little luck, changing the system might just make things better.

But we won’t know if we never try.