[link removed]
Happy Monday!

Welcome to Reads of Reason, a weekly compilation of news-clippings that relate to our work advocating for nontheist Americans and secularism here in Washington D.C. Please share this email with those in your network to enhance our secular outreach and feel free to reach out to us with any feedback or responses you might have.

At the Secular Coalition for A ([link removed]) merica ([link removed]) we know that being well-informed is a vital part of being an effective advocate.

News We Care About
(Good to know for protecting the Wall of Separation)
Lawsuit: Taxpayer-funded adoption agency in TN won’t place kids with Jews (OnlySky, 1/20/22) ([link removed])
A Knoxville couple is suing the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, saying a state-sponsored Christian-based adoption agency refused to help them because they are Jewish.

Supreme Court justice blasts Virginia city over refusing tax exemption for church (NBC News, 1/18/22) ([link removed])
"Neil Gorsuch said the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, wrongly probed into the church's internal affairs, seeking to verify its religious rules."

"Christian flag" case reaches Supreme Court: Is the Proud Boys flag next? (Salon, 1/19/22) ([link removed])
"Far-right group wanted to fly obscure "Christian flag" over Boston City Hall. Will the Supreme Court go along?"

Pakistani court sentences woman to death for WhatsApp ‘blasphemy’ (Al Jazeera, 1/20/22) ([link removed])
"Muslim woman convicted for sharing images deemed to be insulting to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad and one of his wives."

Secular Americans
(Who are we? What are we up to?)

Study Reveals More Defined Picture of Our Civically Active Humanist Community (The Humanist (1/13/22) ([link removed])
"As humanists, we believe in letting the evidence guide us. Much of the data collected and analyzed for this project is new information to us and can be valuable for directing our work. Here are some of the highlights:"

What’s faith got to do with it? Culturally relevant humanism and Black Gen Z (OnlySky, 1/19/22) ([link removed])
"A media fixation on whiteness misses a crucial piece of the story of the nonreligious rise—young Black nonbelievers."

Thomas Paine statue project receives boost from Stiefel Freethought Foundation and Congressman Jamie Raskin (Press Release, 1/18/22) ([link removed])
"On Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 1:00 PM (PST)/4:00 PM (EST), hundreds of people will gather on Zoom to celebrate the birthdate of an often-forgotten Founding Father, Thomas Paine."
Commentary
(Everyone has an opinion...)
Gorsuch derides the 'so-called' separation of church and state (MSNBC, 1/21/22) ([link removed])
"It's not normal for a sitting justice on the nation's highest court to deride the "so-called" constitutional principle of separation of church and state."

What Conservative Justices Talk About When They Talk About Religious Liberty (1/24/22) ([link removed])
"The conservative majority on the US Supreme Court has honed a new, radical approach to religious liberty, the significance of which cannot be overstated."

Prayer: Keep church, state separate (Seattle Times, 1/21/22) ([link removed])
"I do not deny anyone’s right to practice their religion, but there are times and spaces for this, and government space, public schools and playing fields are not those spaces."
Opposing Views
(Always good to know what they are saying)
How the New Atheists Hijacked Secularism After 9/11 (The Daily Beast, 1/15/22) ([link removed])
"The word “secularism” has become linked with forms of extreme atheism that are hostile to all forms of religion. It was not always thus."

The views expressed in the articles included in the Reads of Reason do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Secular Coalition for America or its coalition members--varying opinions may be included in an effort to inform our readers as much as possible. Please let us know of any feedback you might have!
To support our work on behalf of nontheist Americans, please click the “I want to help secular advocacy! ([link removed]) ” button to donate to the (C4) division of SCA which is responsible for lobbying congress, or the “I want to help secular education ([link removed]) ! ([link removed]) ” button for a tax-deductible donation to the (C3) division of SCA which works to educate Americans about our movement and values. Every dollar goes to furthering our shared secular agenda.


I want to help secular advocacy! ([link removed])
I want to help secular education! ([link removed])

============================================================
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Link ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
Copyright © 2022 Secular Coalition for America, All rights reserved.
1012 14th St, NW, Suite 205, Washington, DC xxxxxx

Contributions to the Secular Coalition for America are not tax-deductible; they support our effective, citizen-based advocacy and lobbying efforts. Tax-deductible donations, including from Donor Advised Funds and IRA Rollovers, can be made to the Secular Coalition for America Education Fund.



You are receiving this email because you requested to receive updates from the Secular Coalition for America.
** Manage subscription ([link removed])
| ** Unsubscribe ([link removed])