News From The Week Of August 3 – August 8, 2020

Friend,

I’m proud to share with you an example of our Legal Department quickly resolving a violation of church-state separation that occurred in a public school district last week.

On July 30th, at a mandatory “Back to School Kick Off” event in an Arizona school district, eight Christian pastors were invited to speak to faculty and staff. For an hour and a half, school staff were subjected to Bible quotes, Christian prayers, and even asked to raise their hands to show their belief in God. They were told that God would protect them from COVID-19.

As our nation grapples with how best to educate students in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, one thing must remain crystal clear: Violating the separation of church and state is never the answer.

After receiving more than a dozen complaints from school staff, AU immediately intervened to demand an apology from the district and secure assurances that this would never happen again. Within a day, apologies from the district and the superintendent were posted publicly. Read more here: [link removed]

Friend, I know that right now the misuse of religious freedom and disregard of church-state separation coming from the White House down to our local community officials can feel overwhelming. I feel it too.

But please know this: Americans United is here to fight for your rights, and we’ll never stop protecting America’s central promise of religious freedom – especially in our public schools, which need our help now more than ever.

If you have questions about the religious-freedom rights of public school staff or students – or a potential violation of any sort to report – click here to contact our legal experts: [link removed]

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

In A Fla. Town, Commissioners Walked Out Rather Than Listen To A Secular Invocation:
Government officials have a duty to represent and respect all of their constituents, whether they agree with them on matters of religion or not.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Christian Nationalist Groups Are Still Trying To Overturn Pandemic Orders:
The vast majority of America’s religious leaders are doing the right thing and following public health orders. Those who are defiant tend to represent extreme fundamentalist factions; they’re the same people who have long argued that they have a right to put their interpretation of 'God’s law' above secular law.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Some Officials In A Fla. Town Aren’t Interested In Hearing What An Atheist Has To Say:
Lake Wales, Fla., officials would do well to study the case AU brought against Brevard County, Fla., Commissioners, who discriminated against religious minorities and nontheists by refusing to let them offer invocations. Courts ruled against them and the county had to pay substantial fees to settle the case.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Right-Wing Evangelical Men’s Group Tries For A Comeback:
Back in the 1990s, some observers speculated that the Promise Keepers, an evangelical Christian men’s group, would spearhead a new wave of Religious Right activism. It didn’t happen.
READ MORE » [link removed]

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