Recently added articles from Church & State:
Congressman pushes 'Spiritual Heritage' resolution.(IN THE CAPITAL)(J. Randy Forbes )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... A Virginia congressman has resumed his push for a resolution celebrating "America's Spiritual Heritage." On May 7, this year's National Day of Prayer, U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) announced H.Res. 397, which outlines "73 milestones of spirituality and faith in the United ...
Elections threat by D.C. clergy raises tax issues.(IN THE CAPITAL)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... A small band of clergy in Washington, D.C., received reminders May 6 that church-based partisan politicking is illegal, courtesy of Americans United. Anti-gay clergy vowed that they will work to oust members of the District of Columbia Council who voted to recognize same-sex ...
Hate crimes bill passes despite religious right ire.(IN THE CAPITAL)
Jun 01, 2009 ... The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to expand a federal hate crimes law to include protections for gay people, despite an outcry against it from Religious Right groups. The legislation, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, will allow the U.S ....
Okla. governor urged to veto commandments bill.(AROUND THE STATES)(Brad Henry)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Americans United has advised Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry to veto a measure that would authorize a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the state Capitol. A final version of H.B. 1330 passed the House with a vote of 83-2 on May 7, after the Senate voted for it 37-9 on April ...
Anti-separation song strikes sour note in Florida.(AROUND THE STATES)('In God We Still Trust')(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... A federal court in Florida said a public school violated the Constitution by requiring students to perform a religious-political song titled, "In God We Still Trust." The lyrics include these lines: "There's no separation .... We are one nation under Him .... Now there are those ...
AU, ACLU question N.Y. school directory.(AROUND THE STATES)(Americans United and the American Civil Liberties Union )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Americans United and the American Civil Liberties Union are looking into complaints that a public school in Greece, N.Y., gave students a directory that included contact information for local church youth groups and programs. The directory was put together by the school's "Faith ...
Berlin opposes religion classes in public schools.(AROUND THE WORLD)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Citizens of Berlin, Germany, have voted overwhelmingly to defeat a referendum that would give public school students the choice between taking religion or ethics classes. It's a choice that students in Germany's 16 federal states have. They receive instruction according to their ...
Ireland debates penalties for 'blasphemous libel'.(AROUND THE WORLD)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Debate has erupted in Ireland over a proposal to penalize "blasphemous libel." Minister for Justice Dermot Ahem in April recommended a fine of up to 100,000 Euros ($136,000) for any publication or speech that is "grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by ...
Commencement controversy: AU lawsuit says graduation in church is too much of a cross for students to bear.(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
Jun 01, 2009; ... In high school, Casey Albright was a "closet atheist." "I used to tell some of my friends freshman year that I didn't go to church," Albright said. "They were flabbergasted by that. I eventually realized that I had to hide who I was as a person because I'd get torn apart if I ...
Levitating over the church-state wall? Hollywood celebrities, ex-Beatles join forces to push transcendental meditation in public schools.(Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney)(Cover story)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Public school officials in Marin County, Calif., may have thought they were doing something non-controversial when they suggested starting a Transcendental Meditation (TM) club for students and teachers in 2006. Instead, they quickly learned they had stepped into a minefield. ...
The TM trip: Yogi bears Hindu-based faith to America.(transcendental meditation)
Jun 01, 2009; ... To many Americans, Transcendental Meditation (TM) might seem like just another fad that came and went in the freewheeling 1960s, a passing phase for hippies and others who sought enlightenment during a period of great social change. In fact, the movement has much longer roots ....
'Home run' justice: high court member's church-state batting average was out of this world, says Americans United.(United States Supreme Court)
Jun 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When President George H.W. Bush tapped an unknown New Hampshire federal appeals court judge for a seat on the Supreme Court in July of 1990, some conservatives were nervous. David H. Souter had been sitting on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of ...
Religious freedom and the Supreme Court: an interview with church-state scholar Ronald B. Flowers.(Interview)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Ronald B. Flowers is John F. Weatherly Emeritus Professor of Religion at Texas Christian University. He taught at the Fort Worth school for 37 years and was chair of the Religion Department for nine years. He is the author of several books on religious liberty law. Flowers, a ...
Justice for all: why the United States will miss David Souter.(Editorial)
Jun 01, 2009 ... In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed a little-known federal judge to the Supreme Court, figuring he would toe the right-wing line. White House Chief of Staff John Sununu assured nervous conservatives that the nomination was a "home run." But sometimes, things don't work ...
'Spiritual Heritage' hoax: Forbes resolution pushes 'Christian nation' claptrap.(Representative Randy J. Forbes)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Here we go again. U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) has re-introduced a misleading and pseudo-historical resolution that purports to honor the role of religion in America. Forbes, a frequent booster of Religious Right causes, wants Congress to designate the first week in May ...
'Christian' license plates derailed in Florida after AU warnings.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Proposals to create two new "Christian" license plates in Florida--including one featuring the crucified head of Jesus--failed last month after Americans United for Separation of Church and State and other civil liberties groups warned that the action might spark a lawsuit. ...
Religious right targets overhaul of Texas social studies standards.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Religious Right activists in Texas are targeting the state's social studies standards in a new effort to force their dogma into the public school curriculum. The Texas State Board of Education is working on appointing a social studies curriculum "expert" panel. According to the ...
Sex education funding stirs up a conflict in Orange County, Calif.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Officials in Orange County, Calif., are embroiled in a debate over tax funding for health-education programs run by Planned Parenthood. Religious Right organizations went on a tear in March and besieged the Orange County Board of Supervisors to end the funding. The grant in ...
Obama drops Bush-era National Day of Prayer service at White House.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
Jun 01, 2009 ... President Barack Obama marked the National Day of Prayer May 7 by issuing a proclamation but did not host a prayer service at the White House, a move that infuriated the Religious Right. During his tenure as president, George W. Bush celebrated the National Day of Prayer (NDP) ...
Right-wing ex-chaplain issues disclaimer after Americans United protest.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Gordon James Klingenschmitt)
Jun 01, 2009 ... After a protest from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a former chaplain who misused his Navy uniform and title to raise money for Religious Right causes has added a disclaimer to his Web site making it clear he is no longer in the Navy. Gordon James ...