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…
Now a Jewish public charter school is proposed in Oklahoma
Fresh on the heels of debating a proposed Catholic charter school with state funding, the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board has received a request for a proposed Jewish public charter school. That is cause for concern at Americans United for…
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 says he’s bringing back prayer to schools
The president who famously said he’s never prayed to ask for God’s forgiveness claimed Sept. 8 he’s going to reinstitute prayer in public schools — a practice outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. Ever since the court’s ruling…
Thou shall not? Schools in Texas and Arkansas caught between rulings
When a federal judge provisionally rules that a state’s mandate for public schools to display the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional, does that ruling apply only to the school districts involved in the litigation or to all districts in the state?…