News from the Week Sept. 12 – Sept. 16, 2022

Friend:

This is a bittersweet Constitution Day. As we mark the day in 1787 that the framers signed the document that would establish our secular government, you deserve to join me in feeling pride in Americans United’s mission to advance a core part of what the Constitution promises, even as we acknowledge the flaws of those founders and the document they created that didn’t recognize freedom and equality for all of us.

Reflecting on our Constitution is especially heart-wrenching this year in the wake of devastating Supreme Court decisions that chipped away at the foundational principle of church-state separation and abolished the constitutional right to abortion. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) doubled down on those attacks this week by proposing a federal abortion ban: [link removed]

Graham’s proposed ban violates the separation of church and state, which safeguards everyone’s right to make their own decisions about their own bodies according to their own religious or moral beliefs. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and abortion bans like the one proposed by Graham are antithetical to religious freedom; they promote religious privilege for one narrow religious viewpoint.

Please consider joining me in making clear that abortion bans violate our country’s promise of religious freedom. Let’s focus our friends and families on the reality that reproductive freedom is religious freedom, so that more people join our movement at this critical moment.

Our opponents are determined. We are fighting an emboldened Christian nationalist crusade, funded by a billion-dollar shadow network, that is twisting the idea of religious freedom into religious privilege only for those who share their beliefs. But the passion that fuels their determination is really fear—the fear that our country’s changing demographics and evolution toward greater equality reduces their odds of securing their power. They are right to fear, because in the long run, America’s foundational values are inconsistent with their goals.

There has never been a riper moment than now for a national recommitment to the separation of church and state. This Constitution Day, I hope you’ll join me in pledging to protect and defend the separation of church and state like our democracy depends on it—because it does.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO


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You Can Debunk Christian Nationalist Myths On Constitution Day—And Every Day:
Constitution Day, which marks the signing of the Constitution by the framers on Sept. 17, 1787, is a great opportunity to debunk some myths about our Constitution that are frequently spread by Christian nationalists. We’ve got you covered.
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A New York Times Report On Private Religious Schools Was Shocking. But For Christian Nationalists, Those Schools Are A Model For The Entire Nation.:
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools in New York that offer mostly religious education with little or no attention paid to secular subjects aren’t alone: Many fundamentalist Christian academies do much the same thing.
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All Students Deserve Education In Secular Subjects. Is New York Finally Ready To Make Sure That Happens?:
The New York Times ran a shocking, in-depth story examining religious schools run by Orthodox Jewish groups in New York that are failing to offer secular education as state law requires, even as they pull in hundreds of millions in taxpayer support.
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This Twisted Ruling On ‘Religious Freedom’ Puts Lives At Risk:
A federal judge in Texas has ruled that employers may refuse to provide health insurance that covers potentially life-saving drugs if they say doing so would violate their religious freedom.
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Get Involved—Check Out AU’s Upcoming Events:
Find additional details and a full list of events at [link removed]

Sept. 17, 7 p.m. ET (Virtual): “An American Muslim Perspective on Religion, Politics, Patriotism and Patriarchy,” featuring Ameena Mirza Qazi, the co-director of the Peace and Justice Law Center and former deputy executive director and staff attorney for the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Greater Los Angeles Area Chapter. Presented by AU’s Orange County, Calif., Chapter. Sign up here: [link removed]

Sept. 21, 8 p.m. ET (Virtual): “Voter Suppression: Christian Nationalism's Attempts to Control Who Votes,” featuring AU VP of Strategic Communications Andrew L. Seidel and journalist Sarah Posner. Presented by AU’s Greater Houston Chapter. Sign up here: [link removed]


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Americans United for Separation of Church and State
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