News From The Week Of May 24 – May 28, 2021

Friend:

I’m happy to be writing to you again after taking some time to see family and mark some important milestones. I hope that you too have been able to hug some family and friends now that so many of us are vaccinated and restrictions have eased.

As the country marks the beginning of summer, so does AU! Next week we will begin welcoming our 2021 Summer Interns. This year’s group of nine is incredibly talented, smart, and eager to join us in the timely and fulfilling work of protecting church-state separation and expanding religious freedom for all.

We are also anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Fulton v. Philadelphia, the most important religious freedom case this term. Fulton is about whether a government-funded foster care agency can use its religious beliefs to turn away qualified LGBTQ prospective parents, so it seems particularly ironic that the decision is set to come down at this cusp of National Foster Care Month (May) and LGBTQ Pride Month (June). The ruling in this case could drastically broaden the ability of taxpayer-funded agencies to discriminate based on their religious beliefs – in foster care but also more broadly, across many social services that vulnerable people rely on.

The Supreme Court could rule any day now. I urge you to RSVP to the #DecisionDay Virtual Rally that I’m planning to speak at, and Virtual Town Hall that AU and allied organizations are preparing for when that day comes ([link removed]). You’ll get full access to expert analysis and breakdowns of what the decision means for the future of religious freedom.

Regardless of the outcome, you can count on AU to continue leading the fight to end discrimination based on religion. If you want to help us continue to fight back strategically, click here to donate in support of our legal efforts: [link removed]

We’re all in this together, friend, and nothing makes that more clear than when we join together to protect the principles we hold dear.

In solidarity,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

White Conservative Evangelicals Hold Increasingly Anti-Science Views. That’s A Threat To All Of Us:
Research from the 1970s found that Republicans were more likely to place their confidence in science than religion. Democrats held the opposite view. But by 2018, those attitudes had flipped.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Christian Nationalists Throw Brickbats At New LGBTQ-Themed LEGO Toy Set:
What’s really bothering AFA and One Million Moms is that they’ve lost this particular culture war.
READ MORE » [link removed]

A Texas Judge’s Prayers Are Inappropriate – And Unconstitutional:
When a court sends a message that a religious person, specifically a Christian, will be looked upon with favor while a non-Christian or a non-believer will not, the court’s crucial sense of fair play and objectivity is lost.
READ MORE » [link removed]

AU Staff Member Named A ‘Faith Leader To Watch In 2021’:
Americans United staff member Sabrina E. Dent, D.Min., was among '21 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2021' according to a list compiled by the Center for American Progress’ Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Like Us On Facebook: [link removed]

Follow Us On Twitter: [link removed]

Follow us On Instagram: [link removed]

Copyright © 2021
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
1310 L Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC xxxxxx
www.au.org

unsubscribe: [link removed]
Update your information: [link removed]
Privacy policy: www.au.org/about/privacy-policy
Donate: [link removed]