 Must See Documentary
Constantine's Sword
is based upon the best selling book by James Carroll who narrates and
appears in this film. It is the story of this former priest's
investigation of the Catholic Church's complicity in anti-Semitism and
murder. While touching on atrocities from the founding of the Church,
through the inquisition, the Holocaust, and up to today, there is also a
uniquely American backdrop.
James Carroll's father was a Lieutenant General in the Air Force, while
as an ordained priest, James was preaching against the Viet Nam war.
Flash forward to today with interviews with Mikey Weinstein
(militaryreligiousfreedom.org) who has sued the Air Force Academy and
the Department of Defense on behalf of thousands of our troops who have
experienced religious intolerance in the United States Military at the hands
of evangelical Christians in the command structure. Abusers who have
gone on to even higher rank and responsibility in our military.
See this film at
Edwards Westpark
8, 3755 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA, 92606.
 Barry
Lynn Visits OC
On April 7th, AU Executive Director, Rev. Barry Lynn visited OC.
This event was held at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach.
Pictured on the left is Pastor Gary Collins, who opened his church to us,
with Barry Lynn on the right..
"This was a stellar example of how an AU chapter can partner with religious groups and humanists to get out a crowd of
enthusiastic advocates for separation. From the cake cutting to the book signing to the conversations with several students
after the event, it went off flawlessly. I look forward to returning."
-- Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Register to Vote!
Defending the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the First Amendment
starts with using the tools provided by the Constitution. The most
precious of these rights is the right to vote. Those who think it is
useless to vote have been duped by those who wish to take your freedom from
you.
In these days where districts are severely gerrymandered, it is
especially important to participate in Primary Elections, because the
winner of the Primary of the dominant party in the
district is very likely to have little or no opposition in the
General Election.
Also, participation in Primary Elections coming up in June, have
abysmally low turn out. However, this means
your vote has even more leverage when
others stay home, so show up and vote for America.
The last day to register to vote in
the June Primary is May
19, 2008.
The last day to request a Vote by Mail Ballot
is May 27, 2008.
The State Wide Primary Election for
non-Presidential
offices is June 3, 2008, from 7:00 am to
8:00 pm.
Register to
vote online at the California Secretary of State's website.
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.
Call: 714-957-0748
FAX: 714-515-4248
E-mail:
orangecountyau@yahoo.com
Mail: 3337 S. Bristol #251, Santa Ana, CA 92704
Electioneering from the Pulpit
Houses of Worship that engage in political endorsements of candidates
risk losing their 501(c)3 tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.
 As part of
"Operation Fair Play," Americans United has prepared a
letter to houses of
worship explaining the law and both the privileges and restrictions for
sectarian involvement in our political process. AU has also prepared a
brochure detailing the
issue of political involvement by churches that you can download and
print.
If you encounter problems or have questions where you worship,
here is a link that will
get you more information about your specific issue.
Onward Christian Soldiers
Talking Points - by Rich Gillock
 Every Wednesday morning at the Pentagon, top ranking officers join together for
a prayer breakfast. They are members of the
Christian Embassy that claims to
be a non-partisan, non-denominational organization. Of course when you call
yourselves the Christian Embassy it tends to limit participation by many faiths.
Members of the Christian Embassy are aggressively evangelical, and in a
promotional video, seven officers bragged about using their official positions
to proselytize their faith. (continued)
Piety & Politics
In his new book, 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)
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Conservative Historical Mythology
and the Schools
with Dr. James Corbett of
Capistrano Unified High School District
 Saturday May 17, 2:00
pm
Irvine Ranch Water District
15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine
Dr. Jim Corbett teaches Advanced Placement European history at Capistrano
Valley High School.
He is currently facing a lawsuit which claims that he has violated a
student’s constitutional rights by making "highly inappropriate and
offensive” statements in class regarding Christianity. The student (and his
mother) filing the lawsuit believes our nation is based on Christian
principles.
Come find out for yourself what Dr. Corbett’s positions really are. Can
students prevent the teaching of history they don’t like? See what happens
when the religious right goes after a talented teacher.
(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 May 2008 meeting of the AU-OC Steering Committee will be held on
May 17 at 12:00 pm at Irvine Ranch Water District just before Dr. Jim
Corbett speaks (see above). Please
contact Stephanie for directions, 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)
General Meeting - Flicks for Thought
Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi
 Saturday,
June 21, 2008 2:00 pm
Irvine Ranch Water District
15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine
This documentary is a fast-paced cross-country journey showing a
cross-section of evangelical America. Pelosi spent over a year creating this
documentary of personal encounters with influential and famous as well as
some of the everyday members of the evangelical community.
Come and see those who are pro-life, anti-gay marriage and believe in a
literal interpretation of the Bible. Among those who are interviewed are the
never to be forgotten Ted Haggard at his mega-church in Colorado Springs and
Jerry Falwell, founder of Liberty University. And those you might not know,
but maybe you should. There’s Pastor Joel Osteen – the most watched TV
pastor in America and Ron Luce, founder of “Battle Cry” the concert tour
that has been seen by over two million young people.
Then there are conversations with visitors at religion-themed parks,
Christian comics, creationist educators and evangelical activists in
Washington, DC. Enjoy the film and snacks with us and stay for the
discussion. Admission is free.
(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)
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.
- School Vouchers; an attempt to de-fund public education and to
transfer taxpayer revenue to churches.
- School Prayer;
- Churches receiving preference for renting government property for
sectarian purposes.
- Blending patriotism with religion, and
"In God We
Trust."
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.
Follow the links above for more information.
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