Georgia

The Religious Right continues to push for a religion-based freedom to discriminate in state after state, but there are signs they’re losing the battle.

Arizona’s infamous ‘religious freedom’ bill, which would grant religious business owners the right to refuse service to LGBT people (or others they deem unsuitable), is quickly losing what little public support it enjoyed. Members of the business community say the bill, which is currently awaiting Gov. Jan Brewer’s signature, would actually hurt business.
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Vouchers and tuition tax credits, we’re told by those who favor them, will promote “school choice.”

This is true, in a sense. But here’s the harsh reality: It’s the private school that gets the choice, not the parents. Read more

The claim that public schools are “religion-free” zones is a Religious Right myth that has no basis in reality.

Public schools can (and do) teach about religion. Teachers discuss its role in world and U.S. history. They talk about biblical allusions found in great works of literature. They lecture on how religion has influenced art and music.

The approach must be objective and tied to legitimate educational objectives. Proselytism or elevating one faith over others has no place in the classroom. Read more

I know it's almost July, but Georgia has me thinking about Christmas. Though I’m as secular as they come, I love myself some cinematic Christmas cheer. Each year, I watch as Clarence Odbody AS2 finally earns his wings and as Tim Allen contractually but reluctantly takes up Santa’s reins. Read more

I wrote recently about Americans United’s protest against the use of a church for public school graduation in Cherokee County, Ga., and how it had stirred up some local residents. Apparently, our actions also caught the attention of folks in some other parts of the country as well. Read more

Americans United’s Legal Department recently wrote to officials at the Cherokee County, Ga., Board of Education and warned them to stop holding graduation ceremonies in a large Baptist church. Read more

Disputes over religion in public schools are perennial. Some people, it seems, just won’t accept that fact that public schools are for teaching, not preaching.

Three recent developments bear watching.

First off, in Texas, the state legislature may be on the verge of another go-round in the ever-popular “let’s-display-the-Ten-Commandments-in-the-public-schools” crusade. Read more

Last night, cheerleaders at Lakeview-Fort Olgethorpe (LFO) High School were more popular than ever.

According the Chattanooga Times Free Press, more than 500 people showed up at a rally outside a Chik-fil-A Restaurant in Fort Olgethorpe, Ga., to support these young women who wanted to display signs with Bible verses at football games. Read more

I've been online today scanning news sites to see if Cobb County, Ga., has been struck by an earthquake, a hurricane or perhaps a plague of frogs. Apparently, this has not happened.

I'm surprised. Last night, a guy named Ed Buckner gave a secular invocation at a meeting of the Cobb County Commission. To hear some followers of the Religious Right tell it, if you dare to give any invocation that fails to mention Jesus Christ, look out! Your community will feel divine wrath.

I doubt Ed's invocation mentioned Jesus. He is, after all, the president of American Atheists. Read more

For some reason, when it comes to private school vouchers, state legislators can't seem to give it a rest.

Georgia's Senate Education and Youth Committee held a hearing yesterday to consider SB 90, which would make tuition vouchers available to virtually any student in the state.

The bill, introduced by State Senator Eric Johnson, would provide parents of each Georgia child about $5,000 in taxpayer money to be used to defray the cost of enrollment at religious and other private schools. Read more