News From The Week Of December 14 – December 18, 2020

Friend:

In 32 days, the Trump administration and its campaign against church-state separation will be out of office – and it can’t come soon enough.

This week, the administration continued its frantic, last-minute attacks on religious freedom by formally rolling back nine federal agencies’ regulations that protect people who use federally funded social services.

At a time when our country’s safety nets are being tested by an unprecedented global pandemic and economic crisis, millions of our most vulnerable people could be forced to endure violations of their religious freedom and civil liberties in order to obtain services they desperately need.

We’re urging the Biden-Harris administration to revoke these cruel regulations. You can read more about the impact of this action in my statement: [link removed]

Friend, even though Trump is leaving the White House, the fact is that the most extreme elements of his base are emboldened. As AU’s Sarah Gillooly wrote on Thursday, last weekend pro-Trump protestors just three blocks from AU’s offices set fire to the Black Lives Matter sign in front of the oldest Black Methodist church in D.C. Others shouted “Whose streets? Our streets!” as they tore down another sign in front of the historic Black church where Frederick Douglass worshiped.

I hope you will take a moment to read Sarah’s call to action ([link removed]) or the statement I issued in response to this violent outburst of white, Christian supremacy: [link removed]

Finally, as we approach the end of 2020 and those of us who celebrate holidays find ourselves without the usual array of loved ones in our midst, I want to know: How are you? When you reflect on this year, and look ahead to 2021, what are you worried about, and what gives you comfort? Please feel free to reply to this email and let me know – I’m eager to hear from you!

Thanks for being a part of AU at this crucial moment, friend. Especially at this time of year, all of us at AU feel so grateful for the support you give.

With great appreciation,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

Americans United’s Agenda To Restore Religious Freedom: Appoint Judges Who Respect Church-State Separation:
Religious freedom is a cherished right of the American people, but it was never meant to be a tool to further oppression.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Hate And Terror Came To Washington, D.C. – And We Are Called To Rebuke Them:
As we saw last weekend in D.C. – and as we’ve seen throughout the Trump administration, and indeed throughout history – racism and Christian nationalism are perilous bedfellows.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Americans United’s Agenda To Restore Religious Freedom: Respect Religious Diversity In America:
Trump has given the Religious Right unprecedented access to the White House. He has elevated their voices through his administration’s attacks on reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Americans United’s Agenda To Restore Religious Freedom: Protect People Who Receive Social Services:
The Trump administration broke with precedent by proposing rules to strip religious-freedom safeguards from vulnerable people who use social services.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Americans United’s Agenda To Restore Religious Freedom: Protect Taxpayer-Funded Employees From Religious Discrimination:
On day one, the Biden administration should immediately direct federal agencies to revoke the Trump regulations that have expanded religious discrimination against taxpayer-funded employees.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Americans United’s Agenda To Restore Religious Freedom: Enforce The Johnson Amendment:
Without the limitations put into place by the Johnson Amendment, taxpayers would essentially be forced to subsidize the political campaign activities of churches and other nonprofits.
READ MORE » [link removed]

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Americans United for Separation of Church and State
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