News From The Week Of May 17 – May 21, 2021

Friend:

For decades, one of the signature goals of Americans United has been uniting people of diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds to work together in defense of church-state separation and religious freedom.

That’s why I’m thrilled to share that this week the leader of AU’s faith outreach, Dr. Sabrina Dent, was named one of "21 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2021" by The Center for American Progress’ Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative ([link removed]).

As AU’s Senior Faith Adviser, Sabrina is instrumental in a range of programs that advance the separation of church and state within and among diverse faith communities nationwide.

One example of that work is Faith Leaders United, a network of faith leaders working under Sabrina’s leadership to create a national climate where religion is never used as a license to deny LGBTQ rights, women’s equality, access to comprehensive reproductive health, and racial justice.

If you’re a faith leader, or know someone who is, please click here to learn more about the opportunities for activism through Faith Leaders United: [link removed]

And speaking of activism, AU’s 2021-2022 Youth Organizing Fellowship has now extended the deadline for applications until June 20th, 2021. This paid fellowship is a year-long leadership development program for a nationwide group of ten young people (ages 18-25) to strengthen their organizing skills and lead the movement for separation of religion and government.

We’ve seen in the past how far the encouragement of a colleague or mentor can go in spurring a strong candidate to apply, so if you know any young activists who might be interested, point them to [link removed] for more information.

I’m proud to have these programs to share. They ensure that the religious freedom movement fosters cooperation with all the faith communities that call our country home, and that our movement will have leaders in the next generation to carry on the good fight.

Thanks for your support,

Sincerely,

Rob Boston
Editor of Church & State magazine, AU Senior Adviser

These Religious Leaders Remind Us Of The Emptiness Of Government Calls For Prayer:
'Ceremonial' uses of religion by the state such as the National Day of Prayer are exclusive and, despite their stated goal, don’t bring us together.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Non-Theistic Groups Met With White House Staff, And This Christian Nationalist Just Can’t Deal With It:
Behind William Donohue’s bluster and outrage there lurks a simple truth: The man does not like people who don’t believe in God, and he’s no fan of secular government.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Weeding The Garden: Biden Mows Down Trump Proposal For Field Of Idols:
Some Trump policies were just daft. Consider, for example, Trump’s executive order from July 2020 mandating the creation of a 'Garden of American Heroes.'
READ MORE » [link removed]

Federal Judge Who Ruled In AU’s Pa. ‘Intelligent Design’ Case Is Leaving The Bench:
The federal judiciary could use more judges like John E. Jones III, who penned the powerful 2005 decision in an AU case that struck down “intelligent design” (ID) creationism in Dover, Pa., public schools.
READ MORE » [link removed]

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