When the National Prayer Breakfast takes place in Washington, D.C., Thursday morning, some people of faith will be missing on purpose. And they hope others will join them in boycotting the annual exercise in civil religion. Anticipation that President Donald…
Civil liberties groups say Catholic ministry should not discriminate
Religious employers must comply with nondiscrimination laws and are prohibited from discriminating against employees due to sexual orientation, civil and religious rights organizations said in a new court filing. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church…
Judge says AU may not intervene in Johnson Amendment litigation
A constitutional watchdog group may not defend the Johnson Amendment in litigation filed by religious groups seeking to promote political causes from the pulpit, a federal judge in Texas ruled. Americans United for Separation of Church and State sought third-party…
Rachel Laser appointed to Religious Freedom Commission
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has been appointed to the nine-member U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. She was chosen by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Members of the commission are named…
US Labor secretary plans partisan prayer service for employees
One of the nation’s leading church-state separation groups has requested U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer cancel a department-wide prayer service scheduled for Dec. 10. “While you are free to participate in religious events and promote your personal religious beliefs in…
BJC agrees with demand to retain Johnson Amendment
Thirteen U.S. senators and representatives have written to the acting director of the Internal Revenue Service urging him to continue enforcement of the Johnson Amendment that prevents churches and other charities from endorsing political candidates. The IRS announced July 7…
Supreme Court hears case of Rastafarian forcibly shaved
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Nov. 10 in a prison abuse case that could affect the religious freedom rights of inmates nationwide. Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections stems from prison guards forcibly shaving a Rastafarian man’s hair…
Conversion therapy case is a ‘pivotal moment,’ AU’s Laser says
A pending Supreme Court decision on whether states can ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth represents a pivotal moment in the struggle against Christian nationalism, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Either you…
Trump administration refuses to document ‘anti-Christian bias’ concerns
President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias faces yet more litigation demanding the release of records related to the commission’s investigation of government agencies. Democracy Forward and Interfaith Alliance filed a lawsuit Oct. 22 to obtain documents from…
Book banners almost always motivated by religion, speaker says
Proponents of book banning may differ in the titles or subjects they want to suppress, but they almost always are motivated by religious beliefs, college senior Katie Turcke observed during a recent webinar on censorship. The Pomona College student said…
Is there a common source for the Ten Commandments bills?
As Republican-dominated states seek to require displays of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms, critics are noting some odd similarities in the language of the bills. It seems possible — even likely — the bills are originating from a common…
Massachusetts court blocks religious statues on government property
An attempt to install two large statues of Catholic saints outside the entrance of the new public safety headquarters in Quincy, Mass., has been temporarily blocked by Norfolk Superior Court. That means the statues of St. Michael and St. Florian…