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A National Council of Churches member communion has been fined 34,000 US dollars by an American government agency for allegedly engaging in tourist activities during recent mission visits to churches in Cuba.

The Treasury's fine for the Alliance came shortly after administration officials issued a report calling for further restrictions on religious groups in Cuba with which Americans could work.

"They're trying to manage and control religious travel to Cuba in ways that they view as promoting the administration's political polices, and we think that that is an intrusion into religious affairs and a violation of religious freedom," said Martin Shupack, Church World Service's associate director for public policy.

Church World Service is a humanitarian agency supported by the NCCUSA's 35 communions. "What it looks to me like is they are favoring some religious groups over others for the sake of their political objectives," he continued. "And I don't think the government has any business, constitutionally or morally, to be doing that. I think that's interfering in religious affairs by making those kinds of judgments."

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Baptists face US government fine for Cuba mission trip

This is happening right now, but I could not find one single corporate media source carrying this story.

Guess this story isn't part of the Americans recently announced $5 million anti-Cuba advertising campaign.

[ 26 August 2006: Message edited by: a lonely worker ]