News from the Week May 15 - May 19, 2023
Friend:
When the Supreme Court’s ultra-conservative majority ruled last year in AU’s Kennedy v. Bremerton case that a public school football coach could say a private, personal prayer on the 50-yard line after football games, I warned that religious extremists would misconstrue and exploit that opinion to advance their crusade of inserting coercive prayer and religion into public schools.
That’s exactly what’s been happening in states across America this year. Texas legislators have proposed a trio of bad bills that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, allow religious chaplains to replace qualified school counselors, and allow public schools to schedule a period for prayer and Bible reading. At least five states have proposed bills designed to encourage public school employees to pray with students. We narrowly defeated a West Virginia bill that would have allowed intelligent design creationism in public schools. And we’re seeing those old Project Blitz bills popping up that would allow or even require schools to display “In God We Trust” and offer Bible classes.
The Supreme Court’s Kennedy opinion didn’t change the fact that the Constitution prohibits public schools from sponsoring prayer. This line has always been clear: Public school employees and officials cannot take advantage of their power and position to impose their personal religion on a captive audience of schoolchildren.
That’s why we welcomed updated guidance ([link removed]) from the Biden administration’s Department of Education this week that reaffirmed this core tenet of public education: Public schools must be open and inclusive for students of every religion and none. This federal guidance centers the religious freedom of public school students, whose rights should always be the first priority for lawmakers, educators, parents and all of us who care about the vital role public education plays in our society.
At a time when Christian Nationalists and their political allies are attacking public schools from every direction, it’s more important than ever that we support public education. Like the separation of church and state, public schools are a key component of our democracy. In our “One Nation, All Beliefs” pledge, we specifically mention “ensuring public education welcomes everyone and respects the religious freedom of all students, and that public funds support public schools, not private religious institutions.”
If you haven’t already, please take our pledge ([link removed]) and share it with your friends and family. We need everyone to be part of the national recommitment to keep church and state separate. Our public schools and our democracy depend on it.
With hope and determination,
Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO
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A new Fla. law invites religious interference in health care.
The “Let Them Die” Act is one of several anti-LGBTQ measures that have been passed in Florida, where Gov. DeSantis is hard at work turning the state into a giant laboratory for Christian Nationalist policy.
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God’s favorite nation? A new poll sheds light on churchgoers’ acceptance of a key tenet of Christian Nationalism.
PRRI found that 40% of churchgoers agreed with the statement, “God intended America to be a new promised land where European Christians could create a society that could be an example to the rest of the world.”
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Prayer in public schools: It’s time for the truth.
Americans United hailed updated guidance from the Biden administration that affirms public schools must be open and inclusive for students of every religion and none.
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Here’s the scoop: Americans United’s magazine has turned 75!
In Church & State, we take the time to provide more detail, more context and more information about the topics we cover.
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Get Involved—Check Out AU’s Upcoming Events:
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May 20, 2023, 7:30 p.m. ET (In Person & Virtual): “Hell or High Water: Religion and Climate Change Denial,” a discussion on the extent to which religious views, in particular evangelical Christianity, present obstacles to the acceptance of climate change with Glenn Branch, the deputy director of the National Center for Science Education. Sponsored by AU’s Orange County, Calif., Chapter. Sign up here: [link removed]
May 23, 2023, 1:30 p.m. ET (Virtual): “The Importance of the Separation of Church and State for Feminists," a discussion with AU's Maggie Garrett, Dena Sher and Catherine Feuille on how AU’s work relates to feminist issues. Co-sponsored by AU and the Clearinghouse on Women's Issues. Sign up here: [link removed]
May 24, 2023, 7:30 p.m. ET (Virtual): “SRF Webinar Series: What's at Stake for Our Issues at the Supreme Court?” In the next installment of AU’s SRF365 programming, hear from AU’s Catherine Feuille, Alison M. Gill from American Atheists, and Cynthia Cheng-Wun Weaver from the Human Rights Campaign about the latest Supreme Court religion cases – what the Court has said, how it might rule, and what these cases could mean for the country and the law. Sign up here. [link removed]
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