Will Judge Sonia Sotomayor be the Justice We Need?
With the retirement of Justice Souter from the Supreme Court, we are
losing a tireless defender of the separation of church and state.
President Obama's selection of Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice Souter
opens questions about whether she will uphold these principles. She
would be the 6th Catholic on the bench creating an unprecedentedly lopsided
religious bias on the court.
 The stakes
couldn’t be higher. Just two years ago, the Supreme Court decided
Hein v.
Freedom From Religion Foundation, a case that greatly limited the
ability of taxpayers to challenge Establishment Clause violations carried
out by the Executive Branch and its agencies. Recent cases have also dealt
with religious displays on public property, and future cases could address a
range of church-state issues. Will Judge Sotomayor prevent future
limitations on our First Freedom?
All eyes are on President Obama’s nominee,
Judge Sonia Sotomayor,
an experienced judge with a compelling personal story. But where will she
stand on church-state separation? Her judicial record is somewhat limited.
The staff at Americans United has been working hard to learn about
Sotomayor’s church-state stance and advocate for greater attention to this
issue. From intense legal analysis, advocacy with members of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, and coordination with allied groups and coalitions, we
are dedicated to representing a strong separationist voice throughout the
confirmation process.
Please contact
Senator Dianne Feinstein, a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, and ask her to press Judge Sotomayor for answers on these
important questions. The future of the First Amendment may rest on it!
Prop. 8 Upheld by CA Supreme Court
The California Supreme Court has upheld part of Proposition 8 in that
same sex couples can no longer get married in California. However, the
18,000 same sex marriages already performed before November 4, 2008 remain
intact.
The ruling makes a mockery of "equal protection under the law."
Some couples can be married, and others cannot. Some same-sex couples
can be married, and others cannot.
While other states like Iowa, Vermont, and Maine have recently taken the
moral and legal step forward to recognize the right of marriage for same sex
couples, California has regressed towards bigotry and injustice.
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.
This is tagging, plain and simple. When a gang comes to the
neighborhood they tag it with their symbol to announce that others are not
welcome. The religious right is tagging our seats of government with
their vision of religious purity. If we want to preserve religious
freedom and diversity in our community we must push back.
If you know of this plague coming to your community, please
contact
AU-OC. When we have been able to organize in advance, these motions
have not passed. (more)
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
California Chief Justice Ronald M. George Under Attack for Same Sex
Marriage Ruling
Opponents of equal civil rights for gays and lesbians are threatening to
recall Chief Justice Ronald George for the California Supreme Court decision
instating same sex marriage in 2008. That decision held that
prohibiting same sex marriages was unconstitutional in California, and that
gays and lesbians were "a suspect class" of citizens who needed protection
from discrimination.
Some of the same well moneyed characters who financed Prop. 8 are working
on a recall of Chief Justice George in 2010. They are also threatening
to recall any justice who votes to overturn Prop. 8. In 1986, Chief
Justice Rose Bird was removed by the voters for the court's ruling against
the death penalty. Anti-gay forces are hoping for a repeat performance
unless we stand up to this judicial bullying.
Show your opposition to this challenge to judicial independence by
pledging your support for
Chief Justice Ronald George at
NonPartisanJustice.com.
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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“The Collision of Religion and Politics in Orange
County”
Gustavo Arellano
Saturday, July 18, 2:00 pm
Irvine Ranch Water District
15600 Sand Canyon Ave, Irvine, CA
 Gustavo
Arellano, religion and political reporter for the “OC Weekly,” will be our
featured speaker at our July meeting where he will discuss the intersection
of religion and politics in Orange County. There are few reporters who cut
to the heart of the issues of religion and society the way Gustavo does. In
his book “Orange County – A Personal History” he covers Saddleback Church,
Calvary Chapel and the Trinity Broadcasting Network. He doesn’t leave out
the sex-abuse scandal in the diocese. He also discusses Islam, including
both Imam Siddiqi who prayed with George W. Bush following 9/11 and the
Muslim Student Union at UCI who did not. Even the Buddhist temple gets a
mention. In his columns, Gustavo has covered all religions – the good, the
bad and the political.
 Gustavo
is a staff writer with OC Weekly, author of “¡Ask a Mexican!” and “Orange
County – A Personal History.” Gustavo has a radio show on Tuesdays at 4:00
pm on KPFK.
He is a winner of the 2006 Association of Alternative Weeklies award for
Best Column for "¡Ask a Mexican!" He was a finalist for the 2005 Maggie Award's
Best Public Service Series for his work on the Catholic Diocese of Orange
sex-abuse scandal, a topic for which he was the recipient of the Lilly
Scholarship in Religion from the Religion Newswriter's Association. He was a
finalist for the 2005 PEN USA Literary Awards for Journalism for his profile
on a disabled Latino veteran of the Iraq War. He is also a frequent
contributor to the OC Weekly column “Gimme That OC Religion.”
Admission is free 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 July 2009 meeting of the AU-OC Steering Committee will be held on
July 18 at 12:30 pm at the Irvine Ranch Water District just before
our General Meeting. 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/
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.
Stephanie Campbell, March 21,
2009
Rich Gillock, July 6, 2008
Dr. James Corbett, May 19, 2008
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