News From The Week Of March 9 – 13, 2020

Friend:

I hope this email finds you well and coping as best as possible during these uncertain times. At AU, we are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation around the coronavirus (COVID-19) and taking every precaution we can to ensure our staff, supporters and communities remain healthy. To that end, we have made the decision to reschedule our National Advocacy Summit to September 13-15, 2020.

Originally planned for next week, this first-of-its-kind AU Summit will bring together church-state separation supporters from across the country to connect, learn, and advocate. In a few weeks, registration for September’s Summit will open, so please stay tuned for that announcement from AU’s outreach and engagement team.

Of course, we are not alone in shifting plans to address this situation. In the House of Representatives, the historic vote on the NO BAN Act, which would end Trump’s discriminatory Muslim Ban, has been postponed in light of emergency legislation to address the coronavirus outbreak. Hundreds of you sent messages urging your representative to vote “yes” on this crucial bill – thank you. If you have not yet sent your message, please click here to do so now – we need Congress to pass this bill as soon as possible: [link removed]

Even as we make some changes to accommodate public health concerns, AU’s work continues on all fronts. Our excellent legal team, on top of actively litigating nearly a dozen cases, is busy preparing for several high-profile Supreme Court decisions that could reshape the church-state separation landscape for decades to come. The work of AU’s public policy team to oppose the Trump administration’s new rules that would strip away religious freedom protections from vulnerable people who rely on taxpayer-funded social services led to me being quoted in The New York Times this week ([link removed]). And AU’s superstar field team is pulling out all the stops to ensure our first-ever National Advocacy Summit will carry on as planned in September.

All of us at AU are so grateful for your continued support during this period. Please stay safe and informed, and heed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as much as possible.

In solidarity,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

TV Preacher Jim Bakker Is Hawking A Fake Coronavirus ‘Cure.’ Government Officials Are Right To Stop Him:
Americans United has explained repeatedly that religious freedom gives the right to believe whatever you want about religion, but it does not give one person the right to cause harm to another or take away their rights.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Christian Nationalists Have A Plan For You – And Your Tax Dollars:
Under President Donald Trump, protections for people receiving services from faith-based groups are being eliminated. Trump’s administration has proposed a series of rules governing faith-based programs in several federal agencies, and protections for those who need the services are stripped away.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Seeking Unity In Divided Times:
In her March Church & State column, President & CEO Rachel Laser shares her experience at the National Prayer Breakfast.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Half Of Americans Say The Bible Should Influence U.S. Law – But Which Interpretation?
The Pew Research Center yesterday released a new poll about religion and politics. One finding really stood out: Americans are almost evenly split over whether the Bible should influence U.S. law.
READ MORE » [link removed]

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Americans United for Separation of Church and State
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