Is school prayer ever permissible?
Can a teacher teach about religion in history class?
Does creationism belong in a science course?
Do students have to learn about things that are against their religion?
Questions about the proper role of religion in public education continue to reverberate across the nation. With our country becoming increasingly diverse, it’s important that educators, principals, superintendents, school board members, parents and students understand what public schools can and cannot do when it comes to religion. Read more
First Freedom First:
A Citizen's Guide to Protecting Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State
With clear language and recognizable examples, two of the most trusted voices on church-state separation address head-on the many areas where religion and politics overlap, with consequences for all Americans. Read more
Piety & Politics:
The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom
AU Executive Director Barry W. Lynn explains why we must maintain the church-state wall. Read more
Why the Religious Right Is Wrong About Separation of Church and State
AU's Rob Boston provides an overview of church-state history and major Supreme Court rulings. Read more
The 'Faith-Based' Initiative
Churches, Social Services And Your Tax Dollars
In recent years, elected officials have increasingly advocated giving public funds to religious institutions to provide social services. During his tenure in the White House, President George W. Bush made the “faith-based” initiative a top priority of his domestic policy. Today, President Barack Obama advocates continuing the initiative with certain revisions. Fundamentalist Christian groups are pushing for broad public funding without adequate controls on how the money is used. The rights of every American are at stake. Here’s why. Read more
Should You Pay Taxes
To Support Religious Schools?
Who should make the decision about how much money you contribute to religious groups — you or the government? Most Americans would have no trouble answering that question. All of us want the right to freely make our own choices about religion. Yet an increasingly influential coalition of religious and political leaders is working to undercut that right by requiring taxpayer support for religious schools. The fate of church-state separation hangs in the balance. Read more
Science, Religion And Public Education
An Evolving Controversy
A well-organized and well-funded campaign is under way to undermine the separation of church and state in America’s public schools. Aggressive religious pressure groups are pushing school boards nationwide to change the curriculum to conform to their doctrines. Battles have erupted all over the nation, and your community may be next. Read more
Religion, Partisan Politics And Tax Exemption
What Federal Law Requires And Why
Every weekend, millions of Americans attend houses of worship to hear sermons, study scripture and participate in other religious activities. If some politicians and Religious Right activists have their way, however, people in the pews might soon be doing other things during services – listening to partisan political speeches, being solicited for campaign contributions and getting instructions about whom to vote for on Election Day. Read more
America's Legacy of Religious Liberty - Pass it On
America's Legacy of Religious Liberty - Pass it On
Who should decide when and how you pray?
Who should decide how much money you donate to religion?
Who should decide how often you attend worship services? Read more
Is America A Christian Nation?
Religion, Government and Religious Freedom
Is the United States a "Christian nation"? Some Americans think so. Religious Right activists and right-wing television preachers often claim that the United States was founded to be a Christian nation. Even some politicians agree. If the people who make this assertion are merely saying that most Americans are Christians, they might have a point. But those who argue that America is a Christian nation usually mean something more, insisting that the country should be officially Christian. The very character of our country is at stake in the outcome of this debate. Read more
The Religious Right's War On LGBT Americans
Church, State and your Freedom at Risk!
A central tenet of the American way of life is individual freedom.
All of us should be able to make our own decisions about our private affairs without interference from far-right religious organizations that seek to impose a narrow interpretation of the Bible on everyone.
Religious Right pressure groups do not support personal choice. Instead, they oppose church-state separation and seek political power to mandate their doctrines. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people would be especially hard hit if the Religious Right succeeds. Read more
Prayer And The Public Schools
Religion, Education & Your Rights
Few issues in American public life engender more controversy than religion and public education. Unfortunately, this topic is all too often shrouded in confusion and misinformation. When discussing this matter, it's important to keep in mind some basic facts. Read more
First Freedom First:
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Separation of Church and State... But Were Afraid to Ask!
A lively, informative and entertaining celebration of individual freedom and some of the citizens who have boldly taken public stands to protect the separation of church and state. Read more