I didn’t know we had one of these. It will close …

… if Congress does not approve $4 million in annual funding for the independent bipartisan commission, as well as re-authorize its mission, which is to advocate for persecuted religious minorities around the world and advise the U.S. government on related policy positions.

sourse: Fox

The Republicans are complaining because the Democrats want to use this money to create 1,100 jobs somewhere in the US.

This was known, it is basic first amendment logic, but fundies can’t leave the rest of us alone because if they do they will die and go to hell. So, more time, money and resources have been wasted on a continuing court battle that may have ended today at the Supreme Court.

Continue reading Religious groups still can’t use public schools facilities for worship →

Or perhaps he’s just gonna go to jail for contempt of himself.

Remember the Ellwood City Municipal Building nativity display, and the dustup over that?

After complaints last year from groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Mayor Anthony Court opened the door to displays from non-Christian groups as well. He even invited FFRF to submit their own display. The property currently hosts a crèche, a Santa scene, a snowman, Kwanzaa posters, and a Hanukkah menorah.

But when the FFRF provided a nice, tasteful display about being rational and stuff, the mayor rejected it.

The Friendly Atheist has all the details here.

From the CFI in Washington DC:

Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new guidelines that require health insurance providers and organizations providing health care plans to cover preventive health services, such as contraception, without charging a co-payment. The Center for Inquiry (CFI) considers this an important step forward for reproductive rights and health care.

However, these new guidelines have faced fierce public opposition from organized religion. Most notably, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is lobbying the HHS to either eliminate the new guidelines or widely expand the current exemption clause – which now covers employers whose main purpose is to promote religious doctrine – to also include religious hospitals, charities, and universities.

This means that hundreds of thousands of women would be left without preventative health coverage simply because of their employer’s religiously motivated objections.

In response, CFI and several organizations have sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, pushing her to maintain her ground on the new guidelines. Yet recent news reports suggest that President Barack Obama is now considering religious arguments to expand the exemption clause.

This is where you come in. Join CFI in telling the Obama administration to stand for science and reason, and keep religious belief out of our health care laws.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

Military officials at Camp Pendleton are investigating a cross that was erected by a group of former Marines to honor their fallen colleagues, after an atheist group objected to the monument.

“Camp Pendleton legal authorities are researching and reviewing the issue in order to make a judicious decision,” Lt. Ryan Finnegan said in a statement to Fox News & Commentary. “As Marines, we are proud to honor our fallen brothers, and are also proud of our extended Marine Corps family. However, it is important to follow procedure and use appropriate processes for doing this in a correct manner to protect the sentiment from question as well as be good stewards of our taxpayer dollars.”

That report at Pat Dollard dot com is accurate, but what is not, or should I say, what is offenisve, is the title for the piece: “Due To Atheist Objections, Marine Corps May Remove Camp Pendleton Memorial Cross”

No, it was not due to “Atheist objections.” It was due to the fact that the cross violates the Constitution of the United States of America, which, by the way Marines swear to protect and defend, as I’m sure the Marines who originally erected the cross would understand if it was just pointed out to them.

An attorney representing a Wisconsin foundation has requested that the Manatee County Commission halt prayers before its meetings, contending they violate the nation’s constitutional principle of separation of church and state.

“Removing official prayers from government meetings is the only way to respect the rights of conscience of all citizens, and ensure that the board is in compliance with the Constitution,” wrote Patrick Elliott …

Detail and more here

There is a comment section. Go and add your two cents!

Americans United for Separation of Church and State earlier challenged the Johnson County, Tennessee Commission’s decision to allow the display of the Ten Commandments and other Christian rhetoric including literature in the county courthouse lobby, while at the same time refusing to allow Ralph Stewart’s posters about separation of church and state through US history.

The case has been settled. The County has agreed to put up Ralph’s posters and the County will make other changes in it’s rules.

Here’s the full press release:

Continue reading Church State Separation Wins Tennessee Battle →

I remember when I was a kid, someone in my family had a farm near a small town with one tiny grocery store (at which you could get gas), one tiny liquor store (at which you could get gassed) and one tiny church (at which you could … well, whatever). One day I was at the grocery store with my brother in law, and as he was checking out he said to the guy at the cash register “I’d love to get a couple of bottles of scotch.” The store’s owner, who was also the head of the local John Birch Society (but that’s another story) said, “Sure, I’ll meet you up the street.”

Continue reading On The Separation of Church and Booze →

A group that advocates for the separation of church and state wants Arkansas officials to investigate whether a preschool owned by a state legislator is using taxpayer dollars to promote religion.

A spokesman for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State said today the Washington-based organization sent a letter Tuesday to the Arkansas Department of Human Services and the Arkansas Department of Education asking for an investigation of Growing God’s Kingdom in West Fork, which is owned by state Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork.
Spokespeople for the Human Services and Education departments said today that officials at those agencies had not seen the letter.

That’s from here.

So now I have to tell you a story….
Continue reading Group seeks investigation of legislator’s preschool. And a story for you. →

Utah:

The fight over a dozen white crosses memorializing fallen Utah State Troopers along Utah roadsides isn’t over.

State Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, vowed as much Thursday at a press conference with Tom McClusky of the Family Research Council, a national conservative Christian group.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not review the case of the Utah Highway Patrol Association vs. American Atheists. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled in the contentious case that the 12-foot-high white crosses must be removed from public land and cannot bear the UHP insignia. In doing so, the court cited the First Amendment’s establishment clause and the separation between religion and government.

Details, more

A school prayer bill is back before state lawmakers for the third year, and the sponsor thinks this time it will pass the Legislature.

Sen. Gary Siplin thinks students should be able to choose a so-called inspirational message for extracurricular school events, such as football games or commencement ceremonies.

His bill would allow school boards to decide whether students should have that ability. It prohibits teachers and other school leaders from participating in the selection of a message or prayer.

…

“We pray in the Florida Senate and a variety of different people’s prayers. So if we can pray in the Florida Senate, we are part of government, and our constitution is ‘In God We Trust,’ so why can’t we teach our young folks how to deal with different concepts, different invocations and benedictions.”

source

The bill passed a State Senate committee by one vote.

Have a look at the title of this post. Would you like to see this phrase engraved on the walls of public schools, other government buildings, and other such places? The US House is about to vote on a bill that would make that happen.

It is not much of a bill. It’s more like an unfunded mandate. But it’s not even much of a mandate. Really, it’s just a resolution, the sort of generally meaningless tings Congress passes all the time when has nothing important to do (which seems to be the case now, for some reason) and it says:

Continue reading “In God We Trust” →

The very controversial bible classes offered in Georgia Schools are threatened with extinction because a) Georgia has thrown education under the bus and now a public school class requires a higher number of students than ever to be considered affordable and b) they ain’t got the students signing up for them there bible classes.
Continue reading God is important. Unless it costs too much. →