News from the Week March 6 - March 10, 2023

Friend:

AU unmasked Christian Nationalism this week. As part of our continuous programming leading up to the Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF) on April 22-24 ([link removed]), AU hosted a packed webinar (1,300 people signed up!) to explore new insights on Christian Nationalism in America. AU’s Andrew L. Seidel and I were joined by my friend Robert P. Jones, founder and past president of the Public Religion Research Institute, to discuss the latest PRRI/Brookings Institute survey on Christian Nationalism.

I’ve already shared with you some of the survey’s alarming findings – including that nearly 30 percent of Americans, a majority of Republicans, and a supermajority of white Evangelical Christians are Christian Nationalist adherents or sympathizers. (You can read more in my latest column in our Church & State magazine: [link removed])

But I’ve also been thinking a lot about a few other statistics Robby shared during our webinar. Nearly 40 percent of respondents don’t know what Christian Nationalism is, and when people do understand what it is, they tend to oppose it. That’s hopeful.

This poll also found that nearly 80 percent of respondents support church-state separation – including a majority of Christian Nationalists! This seems like an oxymoron. People who want their narrow religious beliefs enshrined in our laws support church-state separation?! But, as Robby, who comes from a white Evangelical background, explained, these numbers more likely signify that Christian Nationalists believe church-state separation is about keeping government out of religion while somehow inviting religion into government. They think the wall of separation is a one-way wall.

The lack of public knowledge about Christian Nationalism and this intentional twisting of the meaning of church-state separation makes one thing clear: Our mission at Americans United must include prioritizing public education. And you have a role to play!

You can help your friends, family, and our wider community understand the vital role of church-state separation in protecting all of the rights and freedoms we care about. You can educate them about the dangerous and heightened threat of Christian Nationalism. And you can ask them to join our movement and our beloved Americans United organization: [link removed]

We are hard at work doing this too – including through our SRF programming like this week’s webinar. And there’s more to come: The threat of Christian Nationalism and how to effectively fight it will be a through-line at the Summit for Religious Freedom in April: [link removed]

Let me know if you plan to attend in D.C. or virtually, and please consider bringing a friend! The time is now to empower as many people as we can to fight for church-state separation – before it’s too late.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

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Note To Mayor Adams: It’s Time To Stop The Spin On Church-State Separation.
If New York City Mayor Eric Adams truly wants to get out from under the flap caused by his dismissive remarks about church-state separation, he should learn the true story behind prayer in schools and get a handle on what separation of church and state really means.
READ MORE>> [link removed]

If Your Community Leaders Promote Religion, These Supreme Court Justices Have A Solution: Just Look Away.
If Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch have their way, the right to sue in many church-state cases will no longer exist.
READ MORE>> [link removed]

A New Poll Reveals What Americans Really Think About Christian Nationalism. The Answers May Surprise You.
AU President & CEO Rachel Laser reflects on the poll's findings, including that 73% of Americans want our country to be religiously diverse. It’s always nice to remember that AU has majority support for our vision for America.
READ MORE>> [link removed]

Get Involved—Check Out AU’s Upcoming Events:
Find additional details and a full list of events at [link removed]

March 18 at 7:15 p.m. ET (Virtual & In Person): "Stopping Hate & Chaos at the Orange Unified School District," with OUSD School Board Member Kris Erickson and parent Lee Tousignant. Sponsored by AU’s Orange County, Calif., Chapter. Sign up here: [link removed]

April 22 - April 24 (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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