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Religion in Alabama Public Schools
The Alabama legislature discussed two harmful bills yesterday, both of which would result in government promotion of religion in Alabama public schools
Of course, students already have to the right to engage in voluntary, student initiated prayer and religious expression in public schools, making these bills unnecessary. The bills are also harmful because they push for government sponsored and promoted prayer in the public school classrooms, which is not only unconstitutional, but would lead to many students feeling uncomfortable and excluded because of their beliefs. Read more
Proselyting Punted: UConn Coach Who Promised To Bring Jesus Into The Huddle Has Resigned
It seems Jesus won’t be joining the football team at the University of Connecticut after all.
This week, UConn Head Coach Bob Diaco announced that one of his newly hired assistants, Ernest T. Jones, will resign from the team before coaching a single game at the university. Read more
Liberty And Justice For Some?: Mosque Controversies Reveal Limited Definitions of Religious Freedom
Opponents of an Islamic center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., are trying to take their fight to the Supreme Court – even though their losing battle has so far cost them $343, 276. It’s the latest twist in a costly legal saga that has trickled through the courts for nearly four years.
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Clarity in Kansas: Lawmaker Says State Senate Won’t Back Discrimination Against Same-Sex Couples
In a rare moment of clarity, some Kansas lawmakers are reportedly hesitant to vote for a measure that would define “religious liberty” as a license to discriminate against same-sex couples.
The Kansas House of Representatives voted 72-49 last week in favor of a bill that would permit any individual, group or private business to turn away same-sex couples if providing a service would violate their religious beliefs. Read more
Grant’s Grand Vision: Public Schools That Welcome All
Today is Presidents’ Day. On this day, we often recommend that you spend some time reading some of the great statements on church-state separation uttered by chief executives like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, or John F. Kennedy’s famous 1960 speech on religious liberty. Read more
Equality On The March: Same-Sex Marriage Moves Forward But Still Faces Legal Challenges
A federal judge struck down Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban last night, calling it an unconstitutional violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. US District Court Judge Arenda Wright Allen began her decision with a lengthy quote from Mildred Loving, the plaintiff in 1967’s Loving v. Virginia, which struck down the state’s Jim Crow-era anti-miscegenation laws.
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Bad Prescription: The Religious Right’s Favorite Doctor Misdiagnoses The State Of Religious Freedom In America
Is church-state separation holding American back? Dr. Ben Carson seems to think so.
You may not be familiar with Carson, but you should have him on your radar. He’s a retired neurosurgeon with an impressive resume including an undergraduate degree from Yale and a past teaching position at Johns Hopkins University. Read more
COS Play: Religious Right Groups Launch Effort To Rewrite The Constitution
An obscure concept called the Convention of the States (COS) is gaining momentum in the Bible belt—and it’s backed by the Religious Right. It’s the brainchild of Michael Farris, founder and president of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Far from being a noble attempt to safeguard our freedom, it’s an attempt by Farris and his cronies to rewrite the U.S. Read more
Straying Flock: Survey Finds Most Catholics Worldwide Don’t Oppose Birth Control
As the Catholic hierarchy and its Religious Right allies fight on against the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) birth control mandate, it seems increasingly clear that they are engaging in a war their flock doesn’t support. Read more