Religious Intolerance Spreads to the Democratic Party Leadership
Opposition to a Mosque in NYC
The discrimination against Americans of the Islamic faith is becoming
more widespread and more deeply seeded in hate. The latest flare up is
over building an Islamic Community Center in downtown Manhattan, a few
blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood.
 Protesters
descended upon New York today (August 22, 2010) both to protest the
conversion of an old coat factory into an Islamic Community Center, and to
counter protest the protestors. Why such outrage over the construction
of a house of worship?
The city of New York was happy with the project and approved its
construction. Mayor Bloomberg personally endorsed the project.
The opposition it seems comes from the blogosphere where two angry
anti-Muslim bloggers named Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller as a flagship
campaign of their newly founded organization, Stop the Islamization of
America (SIOA).
(Check out the investigative piece in Salon).
They have gotten great press coverage from Rupert Murdoch's New York Post
and Fox commentators such as Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly. This issue
was given life by Murdoch's propaganda machine and his loyal paranoid and
delusional followers.
Keith Olbermann's
special comments debunking the myth of the "Ground Zero Mosque" are spot
on.
A week ago President Obama gave a great speech on religious freedom at a
White House hosted Iftar dinner celebrating the end of the Ramadan
fasting. "This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom
must be unshakeable." By the end of the weekend he was back
peddling saying that there was a right to build the Islamic Center, but that
it might show insensitivity to do so.
Later Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former Democratic National
Committee Chairman Howard Dean both made similar remarks denying basic
religious liberty to Muslims and making religious bigotry a bi-partisan
affair.
But the real question is why would the construction of a house of worship
in the neighborhood of the former World Trade Center be insensitive?
It is only insensitive if you think that
American Muslims are responsible for what happened on 9/11.
Personally I think the strip club down the street from is more insensitive
to this "sacred site,"
but there doesn't seem to be the same uproar over houses of sexual
exploitation.
For a quick refresher on the foundations of religious liberty in America,
check out the
Need to Know segment on PBS.
You may wish to sign the
ACLU petition in support of religious freedom and supporting political
figures who have stood up for religious liberty.
Save the Date, Saturday October 16th
UCI Dean of Law Erwin Chemerinsky
 Our
special guest speaker in October will be
Erwin
Chemerinsky, the founding dean and distinguished professor of law at the
University of California, Irvine School of Law, with a joint appointment in
Political Science.
Join us on Saturday, October 17th at 2:00 pm to learn about the current
developments in the separation of church and state and the forecast of what
is to come in the next Supreme Court.
Life, Liberty and Ending Inequality
 Hans
Johnson, President of Progressive Victory and our speaker in June,
has a
new post at Huffington Post.
"But a major barrier looms to basic fairness and even rudimentary
efforts to honor the bonds of mutual support that thousands of same-sex
partners have sworn to each other and their families. It is that relic from
1996, the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA."
Proposition 8 Struck Down
Citizens of the United States Cannot Be Denied Rights by Majority Vote
 Americans
United for Separation of Church and State applauds a federal district court
decision striking down California’s Proposition 8, a measure that withdrew
the civil marriage rights of same-sex couples in the state.
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker
ruled that the state constitutional amendment imposes a private moral
viewpoint without a legitimate governmental interest and tramples on the
equal rights of gay and lesbian couples.
Rev. Barry W. Lynn says “This is a tremendous step forward for
individual freedom and church-state separation. Aggressive and well-funded
religious groups conspired to take away the civil marriage rights of
same-sex couples in California. That was wrong, and I am delighted that the
court has ruled the way it has.”
(More from AU)
For an overview analysis of the ruling and why it is likely to be upheld
please read the article in
Truthout by Marjorie Cohn.
The Secular Coalition for America is committed to promoting reason and science as the most reliable methods
for understanding the universe and improving the human condition. Informed
by experience and inspired by compassion, they encourage the pursuit of
knowledge, meaning, and responsible ethical codes without reference to
supernatural forces. They affirm the secular form of government as a
necessary condition for the interdependent rights of religious freedom and
religious dissent.
Those who heard Sean Faircloth, their Executive Director, at our special
event in May understand the importance of their work. Please consider
signing up for their
action
alerts to see how you can support the separation of church and state in
Washington D.C.
Sean Faircloth Lecture on DVD
 We now have a video available of the May
lecture by Sean Faircloth. If you missed this meeting
you shouldn't miss this opportunity to hear an inspirational speaker
dedicated to the separation of church and state in America. DVDs will
be available at our meetings. We are asking for a donation of $10 to
defray the cost of production. You can also request a copy by mail by
contacting Stephanie Campbell at 714-299-4551 or by email at:
orangecountyau@yahoo.com.
Phil Zuckerman Lecture on DVD
 For those
who missed "Society without God: What We Can Learn From the Least
Religious Countries in the World" in February, this dynamic lecture
by Dr. Phil Zuckerman is now available on DVD.
We are asking for a donation of $10 to defray the cost of production.
We will have DVDs available at our next meeting or you can request one by
mail by contacting Stephanie Campbell at 714-299-4551 or by email at:
orangecountyau@yahoo.com.
Does "In God We Trust" Make City Government Better?
One of the active campaigns we are waging in Orange County is against the
proliferation of resolutions to post "In God We Trust" in city council
chambers and school boards. This is yet another attempt by the
religious right to impose fundamentalist beliefs onto mainstream America.
If you know of this coming to your community, please
contact
AU-OC. When we have been able to organize in advance, these motions
have not passed. (more)
Piety & Politics
Now in paper back, the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Executive Director of
Americans United for Separation of Church and
State, shows the Religious Right’s dream for America to be a nightmare.
Lynn’s book examines the proper role of religion in public schools. He
explains why tax support for religious endeavors is dangerous. He looks at
government endorsement of religious symbols and concludes they hurt genuine
faith. Lynn discusses issues of reproduction, privacy and gay rights and
others, in each case explaining why the Religious Right’s perspective is
counter to the American spirit of freedom.
Lynn calls for a society where the government respects persons of all
religious views and those who follow no particular spiritual path. He
asserts that government meddling in religion is unworkable, undesirable and
unhealthy for the life of the church.
(Purchase from Amazon)
 The Devil
in Dover
by Lauri Lebo
The Devil in Dover is the remarkable tale of the
commitment to the separation of church and state by a group of students,
parents and teachers in Dover, Pennsylvania who refused to allow Intelligent
Design in their school.
When you read this book you will understand what evolution
is about, what Intelligent Design is about, and why this fight must continue
wherever it raises its head. You will admire the bravery of the teachers,
parents and students. You will be grateful for a legal team and group of
scientists who did an amazing job. If you care about this issue, this is the
book to read.
(more)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed a
lawsuit in federal court challenging official prayers during public
ceremonies at a Southern California community college.
The lawsuit challenges the South Orange County Community College District's
practice of opening its events with prayer. The District oversees two Southern
California community colleges – Saddleback College in Mission Viejo and Irvine
Valley College in Irvine; the legal action challenges prayers at Saddleback, and
recently a plaintiff from Irvine Valley College has joined the lawsuit.
School officials, the
legal action asserts, routinely sponsor official invocations at events for
students and faculty, including scholarship-award ceremonies, commencement
ceremonies and training programs for faculty.
AU's lawsuit notes that students and faculty members have protested the
mandatory prayers many times. The student government of Saddleback College has
twice passed resolutions opposing the prayer practice, and similar resolutions
have been passed by the faculty's Academic Senate of Saddleback College, the
Academic Senate of Irvine Valley College, the statewide Academic Senate for
California Community Colleges and the South Orange County Community College
District Faculty Association.
School officials ignored the complaints and, in response, actually increased
the religious content of these public events.
The legal action asserts that these types of activities subject many in the
audience to "unwanted religious practices."
AU points out in legal documents that attendance at some of these events is
mandatory. For example, students who are awarded scholarships must attend a
public ceremony or forfeit the financial aid.
 Plaintiffs
are: Karla Westphal, Alannah Rosenberg, Margot Lovett and Claire Cesareo-Silvais,
all professors at Saddleback College; Roy Bauer, a professor at Irvine Valley
College; Ashley Mockett, a former student at Saddleback and two current
Saddleback students who have chosen to remain anonymous.
The case, Westphal v. Wagner, was filed in U.S. District Court for the
Central District of California. AU Assistant Legal Director Richard B. Katskee
is overseeing the case, assisted by AU Madison Fellow Jef Klazen as well as
Allen Erenbaum and Christopher P. Murphy of Mayer Brown LLP in Los Angeles.
"Prayer and religious worship are intimate matters that must be freely
undertaken and never coerced," Katskee said. "This litigation is designed to
remind community college officials of that fact."
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Orange County Chapter of Americans United for
Separation of Church and State
Flicks for Thought
“Judgement Day”
Saturday, September 18th at 2:00 pm
Irvine Ranch Water District
15600 Sand Canyon Ave, Irvine, CA
Join us for the film that captures the turmoil that tore
apart the community of Dover, Pennsylvania over teaching evolution in public
schools. The film features trial reenactments based on court transcripts and
interviews with key participants and follows the celebrated federal case of
Kitzmiller v. Dover School District.
In 2004, the Dover school board ordered science teachers
to read a statement to high school biology students suggesting that there is
an alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution called intelligent design–the
idea that life is too complex to have evolved naturally and therefore must
have been designed by an intelligent agent. The teachers refused to comply.
Later, parents opposed to intelligent design, filed a
lawsuit in federal court accusing the school board of violating the
constitutional separation of church and state. What transpired in the
ensuing trial made legal history and helped to solidify the separation of
church and state.
Let your friends know,
download a flyer to
share.
For more information contact Steph Campbell, (714) 299-4551, or e-mail
orangecountyau@yahoo.com.
There is no charge for admission and refreshments will be served.
(IRWD neither supports nor
endorses the cause nor the activities of organizations which use the
district's meeting rooms that are made available as a public service)
AU-OC Steering Committee Meeting
The September 2010 meeting of the AU-OC Steering Committee will be held on
September 21at 4:30 pm following the General Meeting at the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon
Ave., Irvine, CA. Please
contact Stephanie Campbell for information, 714-299-4551.
(IRWD neither supports nor
endorses the cause nor the activities of organizations which use the
district's meeting rooms that are made available as a public service)
First Amendment On the Air
"Culture Shocks" from Americans United for
Separation of Church and State
with Rev. Barry Lynn
KCAA, 1050 AM, daily 1-2 pm
Podcasts available on iTunes or on the web at:
http://www.cultureshocks.com/feed/
"State of Belief" from the Interfaith Alliance
with Rev. Welton Gaddy
KTLK, 1150 AM, Sunday morning at 1:00 am
Podcasts available on iTunes or on the web at:
http://www.stateofbelief.com/show/listen
"Freethought Radio" from the Freedom From Religion
Foundation
with Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor
KSZL, 1230 AM, Saturday morning, 10-11 am
Podcasts available on iTunes or on the web at:
http://www.ffrf.org/radio/podcast/
Are You an AU-OC Member?
If you are a member of Americans United for Separation of Church and
State, you can be a member of the Orange County Chapter as well with
no
additional charge for membership.
OC Membership is Good for You
You'll get our newsletter either by e-mail (color) or snail mail (black
and white), and keep up with our programs, special events, and opportunities
to defend church-state separation.
OC Membership is Good for Us
When AU members associate with their local chapter, the chapter receives
additional financial support from the national organization. It is
your vote of confidence in the work your local chapter does.
Here's the Easy Part
Just let us know you want to be associated with the Orange County
Chapter. Phone, e-mail, FAX, or snail mail us your name and your desire
to be part of our chapter. It costs you nothing but a few moments of
your time.
Call: 714-299-4551
FAX: 714-515-4248
E-mail:
orangecountyau@yahoo.com
Mail: 3337 S. Bristol #251, Santa Ana, CA 92704
Our Public Schools Under Attack
Education is the soul of humanity. It is the future not only for
our children but also for our economy.
 Education is our
most important investment in the infrastructure of our nation. Public
education was an American noble experiment; universal education for all
citizens. Today public education is under attack by religious fundamentalists.
They
wish to control the content of education so that it agrees with a biblical version of
science and history. They wish to control the behavior of people to
agree with a narrowly defined concept of morality. Both efforts are an attack upon our American
values and a threat to our future as an industrialized nation.
The biggest threats to education include:
- The denigration of science education through "Creationism" and
"Intelligent Design."
- Teaching the Bible as literature, a thinly veiled attempt at religious
indoctrination.
- Abstinence Only Sex Education; a denial of human reality and a threat
to the health of our children.
- Promoting Anti-Gay/Lesbian hysteria and demonization of students.
- School Vouchers; an attempt to de-fund public education and to
transfer taxpayer revenue to churches.
- School Prayer;
- Churches receiving preference for using government property for
sectarian purposes.
- Blending patriotism with religion, and
"In God We
Trust."
- Intimidation of school teachers like
Jim Corbett by parents and students who prefer they teach Sunday
School instead of Public School.
The Constitution Under Attack
Most of us practice our faith without any regard that our right to
practice that faith is made possible only because of the guarantees of the
First Amendment to the Constitution.
Most nations, even modern industrial nations, mandate an "official
religion" that all citizens are bound to practice and respect. While
many nations ignore their own mandate, others place restrictions and
punishments upon those who practice "minority religions."
Amongst the industrialized world, the United States has the largest
percentage of its population practicing their chosen religion on a regular
basis. This is the direct result of religious freedom, guaranteed in
our Bill or Rights. It is the separation of church and state
that makes religions strong in our country.
 However,
once again, our rights to religious freedom are under attack by Christian
Fundamentalists who promote the myth that the United States is a
"Christians
Only" country and that Christian theology should determine our laws and the
conduct of our personal lives.
The "Christianist" movement is spear headed by
televangelists and
political power brokers amongst the religious right. This is not about
Christianity, it is about power. It is about punishing enemies (just
about anyone who disagrees with their positions). Lacking is the love
of fellow man that dominates mainstream Christian teachings.
The biggest threats to our Constitution include:
, especially to
the Supreme Court and to the Appellate Courts.
Faith Based Initiative
which funnels taxpayer dollars directly into religious organizations with
little oversight.
Campaigning from the pulpit,
illegal for non-profit organizations like churches, but never the less, a
powerful instrument to influence elections.
Constitutional Amendments.
Numerous attempts have been made to change the Constitution to remove
protections of civil liberties and religious freedom.
Government display of religious
symbols to promote a particular religious perspective, from Ten
Commandment displays to
"In God
We Trust" on our currency.
Restraints upon privacy and civil liberties to impose a moral
intolerance upon our citizens. Abortion rights, gay rights,
pornography, and moral censorship.
Stephanie Campbell, May 8, 2010
Stephanie Campbell, April 1, 2010
Stephanie Campbell, September 11, 2009
Shabbir Mansuri, August 15, 2009
Stephanie Campbell, July 5,
2009
Stephanie Campbell, March 21,
2009
Rich Gillock, July 6, 2008
Dr. James Corbett, May 19, 2008
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