News from the Week Oct. 31 – Nov. 4, 2022
Friend:
We’re fighting for a country where everyone is free to live as themselves and believe as they choose. Where there is freedom without favor and equality without exception. Where religious freedom is universally respected as the shield that protects everyone’s rights and is never misused as a sword to harm others.
We face major barriers on the path to such a country – from a Supreme Court packed with ultra-conservative justices hand-picked by a billion-dollar shadow network of religious extremists and their political allies to emboldened Christian nationalists at every level of government advancing their agenda to force everyone to live by their beliefs. These roadblocks don’t have easy fixes. But I believe they’re worth fixing. I believe this nation is worth fixing. And I believe we have the collective power to fix it.
You’ve heard me say we need a national recommitment to the separation of church and state. That recommitment begins with voting. Voting alone won’t fix everything, but it is a crucial part of the equation. I urge you to vote on Tuesday (or even sooner, if early voting is available where you live). Vote in support of our constitutional values. Vote to protect religious freedom and church-state separation. Vote like our democracy depends on it – because it does.
In dark times like these, when our country feels so divided and powerful extremist forces are intent on pushing us further and further from our ideals, it’s hard to remain hopeful. When we see others disregarding our laws and traditions, it’s tempting to disregard them ourselves. For instance, in recent weeks we’ve seen repeated violations of the Johnson Amendment ([link removed]), the federal law that protects the integrity of nonprofits and our elections by ensuring that houses of worship and other tax-exempt organizations don’t endorse or oppose political candidates. It’s frustrating to see others violating the law (and the IRS declining to enforce that law) when we at Americans United take great pains to comply with it.
But breaking the law for short-term political gain is not a long-term solution. There’s a reason the separation of church and state was enshrined in our Constitution, and that it’s remained a core American principle for 233 years. It’s the same reason Americans United has fought for church-state separation for 75 years and counting. Separating religion and government is crucial to our freedom, equality and democracy. That’s what I’ll be voting for on Tuesday. I hope you will too.
With hope and determination,
Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO
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IRS, Please Take Note: Americans Don’t Want Partisan Politics In Houses Of Worship.
Americans overwhelmingly oppose houses of worship intervening in partisan politics by endorsing or opposing candidates for public office.
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New Poll Exposes The Good, The Bad And The Ugly About Americans’ Views On The U.S. As A ‘Christian Nation’
There’s great disagreement about what exactly being a Christian nation means, and a majority of Americans have not embraced the theocratic views of Christian nationalism.
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Brave Women Are Fighting Iran’s Theocracy. They Deserve Our Support.
In her monthly column for AU’s Church & State magazine, CEO Rachel Laser writes that there isn't a clearer or sadder tale than Mahsa Amini's to make the point that religious freedom is a human right.
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Get Involved—Check Out AU’s Upcoming Events:
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Nov. 5, 2022, 7:30 p.m. ET (Virtual & In Person): AU VP of Strategic Communications Andrew Seidel discusses his new book, “American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom.” Hosted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Metro Denver Chapter. Sign up here: [link removed]
Nov. 16, 2022, 7:30 p.m. ET (Virtual): “SRF Webinar Series: Post-Election Analysis.” Join AU’s Rachel Laser, Andrew Seidel, Maggie Garrett and Brian Silva for a discussion of the mid-term election results and how they will impact religious freedom, church-state separation and all the issues we care about. Sign up here: [link removed]
April 22, 2023 - April 24, 2023 (Virtual & In Person): The Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF) is a collaborative conference that will unify supporters, activists, organizers, policy and legal experts, academics, political and religious leaders, and committed people of faith and of no religion to fight for religious freedom. Sign up here: [link removed]
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