The U.S. government was founded to serve the American people, not to proselytize them, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. But U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have…
Trump names three to religious freedom commission
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom now has its full contingent of nine members, with President Donald Trump naming three new members. USCIRF is comprised of nine private sector commissioners, with three selected by the sitting president, two by…
Texas criticized for adopting curriculum with anti-Muslim themes
The Texas State Board of Education recently approved a social studies curriculum that disparages Islam and minimizes Black history. Muslims and education experts who attended the board’s Aug. 31 meeting urged its members to reconsider adopting the changes, saying they…
Dan Patrick reiterates: ‘No separation of church and state’
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stood in the Oval Office last Friday afternoon and told the American people once again there should be no such thing as separation of church and state in America. Patrick, a Southern Baptist from Houston,…
Religious liberty ‘is not a sword to harm others,’ Laser says
Religious freedom is a radical invention that allows all Americans to believe or not believe as they choose, but on the condition that others are not harmed, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State….
Diversity of faith missing from Rededicate 250
Any observance of the nation’s 250th anniversary should celebrate the diversity of faith in U.S. history, but that’s not what Americans will see during the Trump administration’s prayer and worship service May 17, religious and civil rights leaders say. Rededicate…
Preach more joy and less oy about church-state separation, Laser urges
Those concerned about current threats to democracy and religious freedom in America need to express more joy and less oy, Rachel Laser told the 2026 Summit for Religious Freedom. Laser leads Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which…
Judge won’t approve Johnson Amendment settlement
A federal judge in Texas has dealt a serious setback to conservative Christians seeking the right to support political causes and candidates while maintaining tax-exempt status. District Judge J. Campbell Barker in Tyler ruled March 31 he had no authority…
Supreme Court says conversion therapy is protected free speech
Evangelical therapists have a First Amendment right to engage in “conversion therapy” with LGBTQ clients despite solid medical evidence that such treatment is ineffective, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. In an 8-1 ruling March 31, the high court ruled…
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…