Debate Between
Sean McDowell & Dr. James Corbett
at Saddleback College
“Is God the Best Explanation for Moral Values?”
Friday, February 26th at 7:00 pm
The
Saddleback
Freethinkers Club and the
Saddleback Campus Crusade for Christ are sponsoring a debate between Sean
McDowell and Dr. James Corbett asking the question:
“Is God the Best Explanation for Moral Values?”
 The debate will
be moderated by Dr. Craig Hazen who is the Director of the M.A. Program in
Christian Apologetics (a field of Christian theology that aims to present a
rational basis for the Christian faith and expose the perceived flaws of
other world views) at Biola University. The debaters are Sean McDowell and
Dr. James Corbett.
James Corbett teaches Advance Placement European history at
Capistrano Valley High School. He routinely brings up divisive topics in class
and often makes challenging statements about religion to encourage students to
think critically about changes in religious thought and institutions. Dr.
Corbett received his Ph. D from Ohio State University in communication
journalism.
 Sean McDowell is the
head of the Bible Department at Capistrano Valley Christian Schools, where he
teaches courses on Philosophy, Theology, and Apologetics. He graduated from
Talbot Theological Seminary with a double Master’s degree in Theology and
Philosophy.
The February 26th debate will be held in the Saddleback
Student Center, Rm 212, and will start at 7:00 pm. There will be an
admission fee of $5 for those who are not affiliated with Saddleback.
Parking is free in lots 5, 5a and 7.
Check out the flyer for this
event for a campus map and directions to the Student Center.
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."
For the first time, AU activists who are not able to travel to one of our
grassroots training sessions can view the program online. Simply go to:
www.livestream.com/audotorg
and click "Latest Videos" to view the training sessions online This is a
web-based service, so you don't need special equipment on your computer. And
there is no cost to you for viewing. You simply need to have a high-speed
internet connection. Sorry, the program won't play if you are using a dial-up
internet connection.
Parts 1 through 3 of our skill building workshop are now available!
The link above will take you to a workshop on grassroots organizing and
leadership development to help you build and sustain your AU chapter.
Is Belief in God Hurting America?
In a recent paper published in Economic Psychology, independent
researcher Gregory S. Paul reports a strong correlation within First World
democracies between socioeconomic well-being and secularity. In short,
prosperity is highest in societies where religion is practiced least.
Paul is quick to point out that his study reveals correlation, not causation.
Which came first, prosperity or secularity, is unclear, but Paul ventures a
guess. While it's possible that good governance and socioeconomic health are
byproducts of a secular society, more likely, he speculates, people are inclined
to drop their attachment to religion once they feel distanced from the
insecurities and burdens of life.
"Popular religion," Paul proposes, "is a coping mechanism for the anxieties
of a dysfunctional social and economic environment."
Phil Zuckerman, a sociologist at Pitzer College, and author of "Society
Without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment"
(and our guest speaker at AU-OC in February)
agrees with that assertion. "The important thing we're seeing here is that
progressive, highly functional societies can answer their problems within a
framework of secularity. That's a big deal, and we should be blasting that
message out loud," he contends.
Read the complete article on
Alternet.
Is the Religious Right Part of a Fascist Overthrow
of America?
The Religious Right and Republican extremists have been joined at the hip
since the 1980's. What we saw during the eight years of Republican
rule was a roll back of the separation of church and state, limitations put
on our civil liberties, and a general denouncement of international law.
 After
the American people resoundingly rejected that path in the last two elections,
an angry lynch mob mentality has gripped our nation. The angry
"grassroots" response to Health Care legislation has been orchestrated by
Washington D.C. lobbyist Dick Armey. But it has been swept across the
nation by religious right groups like The Family Research Council and Focus
on the Family. They are taking Republican talking points and blessing
them with "God's Will."
Read the report in the Minnesota Independent.
More disturbing is the
analysis of
Sarah Robinson from the Campaign for America's Future that compares
scholarly research of the rise of fascism in other countries to the
political climate in America today. The lynch pin that allows a
minority party to seize control is the ability to intimidate the majority by
mob rule. We are there, and
the mob rule hasn't dissipated since Congress went back into session.
They are just as angry, but more organized due to their recent
experience.
One far-right craze is an
anti-Obama slogan that is making its way onto t-shirts, bumper stickers,
mugs, and even teddy bears: “Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8,” which reads:
“Let his days be few; and let another take
his office."
"Let his children be fatherless, and his
wife a widow."
This is nothing less than an act of treason and a clear and present
danger to our President and our nation. Read more on
Alternet.
We are at stage three of a fascist takeover, a point beyond which no
nation has ever proceeded without being fully engulfed by a fascist
government. And none of this would have been possible without the
eager participation by the Religious Right.
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and
carrying a cross.” - Sinclair Lewis
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)
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Orange County Chapter of Americans United for
Separation of Church and State
Society without God: What We Can Learn From the Least
Religious Countries in the World
Dr. Phil Zuckerman
Saturday, February 20th at 2:00 pm
Irvine Ranch Water District
15600 Sand Canyon Ave, Irvine, CA
 Dr. Phil
Zuckerman, author of the 2008 book “Society without God” will host a
discussion about what we can learn from countries less religious than our
own. He will focus on issues of religion, justice and contentment.
In 2005 Dr. Zuckerman was a guest professor in Denmark where he did research
on secularization and its impact on society. He received his PhD in
sociology from the University of Oregon. He currently is a professor at
Claremont where he teaches sociology and a graduate seminar on the sociology
of religion.
He is a prolific author and in addition to “Society without God” he has
written “Strife in the Sanctuary: Religious Schism in a Jewish Community.”
He has also been a contributor on “The Huffington Post” where he has written
on “The Religious Support behind Proposition 8.”
 He
concludes that Prop. 8 passed because of religious people who think that God
will punish us if we allow gay marriage. He shows the fallacy of that
argument from a sociological perspective and concludes that “religious
supporters of Proposition 8 have a right to their opinion but that doesn’t
make their opinion right.”
Download a flyer for this
event to share with others.
(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 January 2010 meeting of the AU-OC Steering Committee will be held on
January 16 at 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.
Follow the links above for more information.
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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