Church & State articles from June 2009

Church & State archives from June 2009

Congressman pushes 'Spiritual Heritage' resolution.(IN THE CAPITAL)(J. Randy Forbes )(Brief article)
June 1, 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...

Elections threat by D.C. clergy raises tax issues.(IN THE CAPITAL)(Brief article)
June 1, 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...

Hate crimes bill passes despite religious right ire.(IN THE CAPITAL)
June 1, 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...

Okla. governor urged to veto commandments bill.(AROUND THE STATES)(Brad Henry)(Brief article)
June 1, 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...

Anti-separation song strikes sour note in Florida.(AROUND THE STATES)('In God We Still Trust')(Brief article)
June 1, 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...

AU, ACLU question N.Y. school directory.(AROUND THE STATES)(Americans United and the American Civil Liberties Union )(Brief article)
June 1, 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...

Berlin opposes religion classes in public schools.(AROUND THE WORLD)(Brief article)
June 1, 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....

Ireland debates penalties for 'blasphemous libel'.(AROUND THE WORLD)(Brief article)
June 1, 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...

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)
June 1, 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...

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)
June 1, 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...

The TM trip: Yogi bears Hindu-based faith to America.(transcendental meditation)
June 1, 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...

'Home run' justice: high court member's church-state batting average was out of this world, says Americans United.(United States Supreme Court)
June 1, 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...

Religious freedom and the Supreme Court: an interview with church-state scholar Ronald B. Flowers.(Interview)
June 1, 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...

Justice for all: why the United States will miss David Souter.(Editorial)
June 1, 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...

'Spiritual Heritage' hoax: Forbes resolution pushes 'Christian nation' claptrap.(Representative Randy J. Forbes)
June 1, 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...

'Christian' license plates derailed in Florida after AU warnings.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
June 1, 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...

Religious right targets overhaul of Texas social studies standards.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
June 1, 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...

Sex education funding stirs up a conflict in Orange County, Calif.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
June 1, 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...

Obama drops Bush-era National Day of Prayer service at White House.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
June 1, 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...

Right-wing ex-chaplain issues disclaimer after Americans United protest.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Gordon James Klingenschmitt)
June 1, 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...

A new poll indicates that evangelical Christians are more likely to approve of torture than members of other religions and the non-religious.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A new poll indicates that evangelical Christians are more likely to approve of torture than members of other religions and the non-religious. The Pew Research Center found that 49 percent of the public overall said torture can "often" or...

Obama budget includes funds for current students in D.C. voucher program.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... President Barack Obama's newly unveiled budget includes funding to allow students currently enrolled in Washington, D.C.'s school voucher plan to continue attending religious and other private schools at taxpayer expense. The...

Missouri bishop depicts political conflict over abortion as 'spiritual war'.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Robert W. Finn)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The political battle over abortion and same-sex marriage is actually an epic struggle between the Roman Catholic Church and Satan, a bishop recently asserted. Bishop Robert W. Finn, addressing a "Gospel of Life Convention" April 18 in...

'Family foundation' questions holocaust education in Kentucky public school.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)('Exploring Civics: Facing History and Ourselves')
June 1, 2009... An attempt to boost education about the Holocaust has run into opposition from the Religious Right in Jefferson County, Ky. Public school officials there have adopted a new program called "Exploring Civics: Facing History and Ourselves."...

Afghan video reveals problems with proselytism by U.S. military.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
June 1, 2009... A video that shows U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan discussing ways to preach Christianity to the largely Muslim population there has opened a new round of questions over heavy handed evangelical influence in the military. The footage was shot...

McCain strategist warns GOP not to become 'sectarian' party.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
June 1, 2009... A top advisor to former Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has warned GOP faithful that they will continue to lose public support and elections if they are perceived as a religious party. Steve Schmidt told...

Correction.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Correction notice)
June 1, 2009... The May 2009 Church & State ("Iowa Senator Continues Televangelist Probe," AU Bulletin) incorrectly reported that evangelist Benny Hinn has agreed to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. In fact, Hinn's World Healing...

Americans United and our diverse opposition: why we're equal-opportunity kvetches.(PERSPECTIVE)
June 1, 2009... It all started with a truncated version of a quotation from James Dobson, the powerful founder of Focus on the Family. A British journalist had claimed that Dobson had declared the "culture war" over and admitted that his side had lost....