News from the Week March 13 - March 17, 2023

Friend:

Every week, I’m amazed at what Americans United’s team accomplishes. Even as we face a movement of emboldened Christian Nationalists attacking church-state separation at every turn, AU is making strides to protect religious freedom and a host of related issues, from inclusive public education to abortion rights to LGBTQ equality.

Here’s just a taste of some of our successes in the last week:

— Last weekend we celebrated the defeat ([link removed]) of a West Virginia bill that would have invited public school educators to teach intelligent design – an inherently religious creation belief that has no place in public schools. As we repeatedly explained to state lawmakers, an AU case nearly 20 years ago resoundingly proved intelligent design was simply creationism rebranded. It’s religion, not science. It belongs in Sunday schools, not public schools.

— In Missouri, we expanded the lawsuit ([link removed]) we filed with the National Women’s Law Center to challenge the state’s abortion bans and added a 14th faith leader to our roster of plaintiffs. Like the other clergy plaintiffs, the Rev. Darryl Gray, a Progressive Baptist from one of St. Louis' oldest Black congregations, deeply values abortion rights and church-state separation. AU is very honored to represent these faith leaders who are helping us take back the narrative to affirm that church-state separation protects religious freedom – and fight the false narrative that church-state separation and abortion rights are anti-religion.

— Decades of effort by AU’s Policy Department to protect the religious freedom of vulnerable people who rely on government-funded social services is about to pay off ([link removed]). Since the 1990s, AU and the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination (CARD) – a coalition of 50+ national organizations that AU leads – have worked to ensure that there are strong religious-freedom safeguards built into the rules that apply to government partnerships with religious and other nonprofit social-service providers. At our urging, the Biden administration is about to restore protections for beneficiaries of social services that the Trump administration had gutted. This week AU and our allies submitted extensive public comments to thank the administration for what it got right and suggest some changes to make the new rules even better.

It’s so important to note the many ways we continue to make progress given the real challenges we face these days. I write this positive message knowing well, for example, that an activist federal judge in Texas (who worked for the Shadow Network before his lifetime appointment) could be on the cusp of issuing a nationwide ban on a key medication for medical abortion.

Let’s celebrate our wins. We’re in this fight together and we refuse to let up. With your support, we can achieve a country that promises freedom without favor and equality without exception for everyone.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

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AU And Allies Applaud Biden Administration Moves To End Coercion And Discrimination In Taxpayer-Funded Social Services.
Faith-based organizations should not be allowed to take government funds and then pressure the people they serve to participate in religious activities, place religious litmus tests on whom they serve and hire, or refuse to provide services required under the program.
READ MORE>> [link removed]

Like Trump, Mike Pence Will Face The Judgment Of History.
Mike Pence can’t be portrayed as a victim of former President Donald Trump, and he deserves no sympathy.
READ MORE>> [link removed]

A S.C. Student Was Punished For Refusing To Take Part In The Pledge Of Allegiance. This Needs To Stop.
The law is clear: Public school students can’t be forced to take part in the Pledge of Allegiance or punished for declining to participate.
READ MORE>> [link removed]

These School Prayer Bills Are Out Of Bounds.
No public school student should ever be made to feel excluded – whether it’s in a classroom or on the football field – because they don’t share the religious beliefs of their coaches, teachers or fellow students.
READ MORE>> [link removed]

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