The Wall of Separation Blog

Trump Had A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Let’s Find Out What The Religious Right Thinks About That.

boston — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 18:00:25 +0000

Trump Had A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Let’s Find Out What The Religious Right Thinks About That. boston Wed, 08/22/2018 - 14:00

Authored by

Rob Boston

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You might have noticed that yesterday was not a good day for President Donald Trump. Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, was found guilty of eight counts of financial crimes, including five tax fraud charges, two counts of bank fraud and a charge of concealing foreign bank accounts.

Manafort’s troubles aren’t over yet. Next month, he’ll be tried on separate charges that he worked as a lobbyist for foreign countries without registering and laundered some of the money he made while doing it.

Also yesterday, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, agreed to plead guilty to eight counts of campaign finance violations, tax fraud and bank fraud. Cohen, you will recall, is the guy who arranged to give adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money so she’d keep quiet about a 2006 sexual tryst she allegedly had with Trump. As a CNN headline notes, Cohen has implicated Trump in the hush money scheme.

But wait, there’s more! U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), one of Trump’s earliest and most enthusiastic supporters, was indicted yesterday. He’s accused (among other things) of stealing a quarter of a million dollars in campaign funds to take fancy trips and buy luxury goods.

Gosh, it sure sounds as if the president has surrounded himself with some people of questionable morals – and he may even be guilty of shady dealings himself. Surely the nation’s Religious Right groups have something to say about this? After all, if these things were happening to a Democratic officeholder, if this amount of sleaze were oozing out of the White House and flowing down Pennsylvania Avenue, I feel certain they’d speak out.

Alas, no! I visited the websites of three leading Religious Right groups this morning where I saw nothing about Manafort, Cohen or Trump’s ethical lapses.

At the Family Research Council (FRC), the top story is a hysterical, error-laden screed about a bill in California that would allegedly make it illegal to sell Bibles. (In reality, the measure places new curbs on “gay conversion” therapy for minors.) The only thing about Trump on the organization’s homepage is an item at the bottom lauding him as a champion of religious freedom.

Over at the American Family Association, the group is unloading on the city of Chicago for being too violent. A video asserts that this is because people no longer respect the police. The rest of the homepage features the usual litany of AFA gay-bashing. The AFA’s OneNewsNow site, a font of “fake news” if there ever was one, mentions Trump’s troubles in passing but only in the context of highlighting a rally he held last night in West Virginia.

Ralph Reed’s Faith & Freedom Coalition is focused on attacking Planned Parenthood and pushing Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Trump’s troubles simply don’t exist.

Now, I do expect all of these organizations to say something about these developments eventually. Sooner or later, they’ll offer defenses of Trump. It seems that these self-appointed guardians of virtue, who are so quick to condemn LGBTQ people, progressives, feminists, non-believers, reproductive rights advocates, etc., can only condemn wrongdoing these days when it falls on one side of the political aisle.

The sadly deluded Americans who have chosen to cast their lot with these organizations may swallow this nonsense, but the rest of us know what’s going on: The leaders and followers of the Religious Right decided to align with Trump, and now they’re being dragged into his expanding pit of moral quicksand.

Good luck getting out of that.

Tags

Family Research Council

AFA

ralph reed

Faith and Freedom Coalition

President Donald Trump

Duncan Hunter

Religious Discrimination Should Have No Place In America’s Workplaces

Hassanein — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 14:48:30 +0000

Religious Discrimination Should Have No Place In America’s Workplaces Hassanein Wed, 08/22/2018 - 10:48

Authored by

Rokia Hassanein

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A recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit is a reminder that religious discrimination has no place in the workplace.

In EEOC v. Hackensack Meridian Health, the EEOC alleges that a manager at Hackensack Meridian Health, a New Jersey health care network, harassed a Catholic employee because of the employee’s religious beliefs.

In its press release, the EEOC expands: “Shortly after the employee was hired to perform clinical data analytics work, his manager learned he was Catholic and reacted negatively upon seeing a crucifix in the employee's office. Since then, the manager regularly belittled him, screamed at him, and ridiculed his work in front of others.”

This, of course, is against federal law. Nobody should be discriminated against because of his or her religious beliefs.

“All employees are entitled to work in an environment free from unlawful harassment,” said EEOC New York Regional Attorney Jeffrey Burstein. “That includes hostile treatment motivated by an employee's religious beliefs.”

The EEOC's New York District Director Kevin Berry concurred.

“Equal opportunity in the workplace requires respect for the diversity of the American workforce,” Berry said. “People of all religions are entitled to go to work and do their jobs without fear of harassment.”

America is indeed at its best when people of all religions, genders, sexual orientations and more feel welcome here – whether in their workplace or elsewhere.

Employers should never belittle any employee’s religious (or non-religious beliefs) or attempt to impose faith onto anyone. At Americans United, we recently defended a transgender woman from employment discrimination that was based on religion. We’re proud to stand with Aimee Stephens, who was fired from a Michigan funeral home because she did not conform to her boss’s religious beliefs about gender identity. We were joined by 76 faith leaders and 14 religious freedom organizations in filing a brief in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Stephens, arguing that religion is no excuse to discriminate against transgender employees.

Cases like these remind us why it’s important to fight back against discrimination on the basis of religion or in the name of religion.

Religious freedom, which includes the right to believe or not believe as you see fit, means that the law treats everyone equally regardless of faith, race, sex, and more. Americans United will continue to protect this ideal. Join us.

Issues

Employment Discrimination

Religious Freedom

Tags

religious discrimination

EEOC

Aimee Stephens

Lawsuits

EEOC v. Harris Funeral Homes

Women Speak Out Against Kavanaugh’s Harmful Views On Reproductive Rights And Church-State Separation

LHayes — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 14:41:25 +0000

Women Speak Out Against Kavanaugh’s Harmful Views On Reproductive Rights And Church-State Separation LHayes Tue, 08/21/2018 - 10:41

Authored by

Liz Hayes

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One of the biggest concerns about President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is how he could shift the balance of power on the court on matters involving reproductive rights. Given his hostile record on church-state separation and of allowing religious freedom to be misused as justification for discrimination, it’s a valid concern – and many women are stepping forward to explain why they oppose Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Several Americans United staff members and interns have shared personal stories about how Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court could be a detriment to their rights and church-state separation. Several of those stories, videos of which are available on AU’s social media platforms, involve access to birth control.

As we’ve previously noted, Kavanaugh, a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, has indicated he would have permitted a nonprofit to use religious beliefs to obstruct women’s access to birth control. His view was far from mainstream – his opinion was at odds with the opinions of eight of the nine federal appeals courts that heard similar challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s accommodation process for religiously affiliated nonprofits with objections to providing health insurance that included birth control coverage.

The likelihood that Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court would permit employers to cite religious beliefs as justification for discrimination is particularly concerning in light of the Trump Administration’s proposed new rules that would allow employers and universities to cite their religious beliefs to deny employees and students health insurance coverage for no-cost birth control. Several lawsuits have been filed to challenge the Trump rules, including Irish 4 Reproductive Health v. Department of Health and Human Services, which was filed in late June by Americans United and our allies. These cases could ultimately end up before the Supreme Court.

That’s why young women like Alexandra Willingham and Mackenzie Price – both summer interns at Americans United – shared their stories about how important their birth control is to them and why they fear Kavanaugh could interfere with that coverage, all in the name of religion.

Alexandra spoke of how she and her doctor determined an IUD was the best method of contraception for her. “After getting the IUD, I had some complications and needed a few follow-up procedures to make sure everything was okay,” Alexandra said. “Both the IUD and these follow-up procedures would have each cost thousands of dollars, but I was lucky because my insurer covered all of it.

“But there are employers and universities in this country that want to use their religious beliefs to deny access to contraception coverage to their employees and students, harming their health, their education and their careers,” she continued. “Brett Kavanaugh has previously supported using one's religious beliefs to deny contraception coverage and cases on this topic (could come) up before the Supreme Court.”

Mackenzie spoke of how she relies on birth control to treat her medical conditions: “Before I started using birth control, some days I was in so much pain, I had to stay home from work or from school, and my ability to have kids was being put in jeopardy.

“Luckily, I do have access to birth control, but some women with the exact same issue don't. And Brett Kavanaugh supported letting employers and universities use their religious beliefs to deny these women from access to contraceptive coverage,” Mackenzie said.

Also speaking out is Alicia Baker of Indiana, a seminary graduate who was a plaintiff in the first lawsuit Americans United and allies filed last fall against the Trump administration’s proposed birth control rules. When Alicia worked for a church, her insurance provider cited religious beliefs for denying birth control coverage. (AU and allies dismissed the suit after Alicia got a new job with insurance coverage that included birth control.)

In a recent op-ed in USA Today, Alicia explained how difficult it was to get an unexpected $1,200 bill for an IUD because her insurance provider refused to cover it.

“Instead of finalizing last-minute details in the days leading up to our wedding, I was fighting with my insurance company,” she wrote. “Because while I believed – and still believe – that no insurance company or employer should get to decide what’s best for my health, this wasn’t just about the principle. It was also about our family’s financial security. Because we were paying for our student loans and trying to save up for a down payment on a home, the unexpected bill caused us a lot of anxiety.

“Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the bench would shift the balance of the Supreme Court against women’s right to birth control at a time when pivotal cases concerning it will come before the court,” Alicia continued. “Because I’ve experienced firsthand what it’s like to struggle to afford the birth control my family needed, I know how important it is to make sure Judge Kavanaugh isn’t given the chance to sit on the Supreme Court.”

Alicia, Alexandra and Mackenzie are just three of countless Americans whose health care and rights could be infringed by Kavanaugh’s skewed view of religious freedom.

Kavanaugh is wrong on church-state separation and wrong for the U.S. Supreme Court. That’s why it is important for you to urge your senators to reject his confirmation. Religious freedom and church-state separation are on the line.

Issues

Reproductive Rights

Contraception

Discrimination In The Name of Religion

Discrimination In Health Care

Religious Freedom

Tags

Brett Kavanaugh

Supreme Court

Lawsuits

Irish 4 Reproductive Health v. Dept. of Health and Human Services

A Church-State Lesson From Pennsylvania’s Pedophilia Scandal

boston — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 13:47:54 +0000

A Church-State Lesson From Pennsylvania’s Pedophilia Scandal boston Mon, 08/20/2018 - 09:47

Authored by

Rob Boston

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Last week, officials in Pennsylvania released a grand jury’s report detailing more than 1,000 cases of the sexual abuse of children by more than 300 priests in the Roman Catholic Church. The report goes into detail about what happened to these children; it’s extremely disturbing.

Much of the reporting about the pedophilia scandal has, quite rightly, focused on the appalling role church officials played in covering it up and their efforts to send offending priests to other parishes instead of turning them over to law enforcement.

But the report reminds us that in at least some occasions, government officials were implicated as well. The report points to a few cases in which law enforcement officials knew what was going on but failed to act.

In a case from Beaver County, officials with the district attorney’s office declined to press charges against a priest “in order to prevent unfavorable publicity” for the church. In Carbon County, a priest was found in possession of child pornography yet local officials did nothing, and church officials sent him away for “treatment.”

In Lawrence County, a credible report of child molestation was turned over to the police but never followed up on “out of respect for the priest.” In Pittsburgh, a county attorney actually joined forces with a church attorney to browbeat a mother who wanted to report instances of abuse against her two sons.

Perhaps most shockingly, the report details one incident from an unnamed county during which the district attorney’s office, after receiving a report of sexual offenses by a priest against a child, wrote a fawning letter to the bishop saying the office would be “most happy to co-operate with Your Excellency in reaching a resolution to this matter” and offering additional forms of help.

I should note that some of these cases go back several years. One hopes government officials would be more aggressive in pursuing complaints like this now – but there’s no guarantee of that. Two years ago, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office issued a report about pedophilia by priests in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. In several cases, county and city officials dropped investigations after pressure from the bishop, who openly boasted about his influence over local office-holders. .

In Pennsylvania and elsewhere, a disturbing form of deference by local officials toward church leaders created an atmosphere that made it next to impossible for victims to secure justice. Even now, church officials are doing all they can to stop Pennsylvania lawmakers from amending state law to make it easier for victims to seek redress – and getting support in the legislature. (Church officials also tried, unsuccessfully, to block release of the grand jury’s report.)

This incident should serve as a cautionary tale of the dangers of government officials allowing themselves to get too close to any church. As I noted two years ago in light of the release of the report about the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, religious groups sometimes break the law, and when they do that, only the state has the power and authority to hold them accountable.

That can’t happen if they two institutions are joined at the hip.

Issues

Government Support Of Religion

Tags

pedophilia scandal

Pennsylvania

More Bad News For Private School Vouchers In Florida And Indiana

LHayes — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 14:14:45 +0000

More Bad News For Private School Vouchers In Florida And Indiana LHayes Fri, 08/17/2018 - 10:14

Authored by

Liz Hayes

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Private school voucher programs in Florida and Indiana have made headlines in recent weeks, and the news is not good. This comes as no surprise to us at Americans United, as years of studies have shown that vouchers don’t improve student achievement and lack accountability. They also funnel public money to private, mostly religious schools that can discriminate and that ignore federal civil rights laws.

The latest study highlighting vouchers’ poor academic results looks at Indiana’s program, the nation’s largest. Researchers studied thousands of low-income Indiana students who used a voucher to switch from public to private schools beginning in the 2011-12 school year.

Focusing on students in grades five through eight over the course of four years, the study found the voucher students consistently scored worse in math than their public school peers. The results for English proficiency were a wash; “there were no statistically significant positive effects after four years,” was how the education blog Chalkbeat described it. These study results echo those from an Indiana voucher study released last year.

So, Indiana diverts more than $150 million per year in taxpayer money away from public schools and into private schools with little to show for it. “Although school vouchers aim to provide greater educational opportunities for students, the goal of improving the academic performance of low-income students who use a voucher to move to a private school has not yet been realized in Indiana,” wrote the study’s authors.

Meanwhile, despite accepting public funding, some of these private voucher schools discriminate against students and staff with no ramifications from the state. Roncalli High School, a Catholic school in Indiana that has received more than $6.5 million in taxpayer money over five years through the state’s voucher programs, reportedly is moving to fire a 15-year employee after learning that she is a lesbian.

Roncalli guidance counselor Shelley Fitzgerald posted on Facebook that school officials gave her an ultimatum after recently learning she had married her wife four years ago. She said she was told she could resign, dissolve her marriage, stay quiet and let her contract lapse at year’s end, or be fired.

“The guidance counselor says she has no intention of divorcing, quitting or, ‘not telling anyone why I have to leave the job I’ve loved so much,’” an Indianapolis TV station reported, quoting Fitzgerald. She added. “I ask that you pray for my family, for change in the world, and know I have absolutely loved my job for the past 15 years.”

Students attending private voucher schools also can face discrimination – which is a particularly alarming facet of Florida’s newest voucher scheme. The Florida Hope Scholarship Program begins this year and is marketed for students who have been “bullied, harassed, or hazed.”

But in reality, this program will strip bullied students of important federal and state protections because Florida private schools don’t have to follow anti-bullying and antidiscrimination laws like public schools do. And as a recent Huffington Post report notes, many of the private schools in Florida’s new voucher program discriminate against LGBTQ students – a population that’s a major target of bullying.

HuffPo found that of the 70 schools that had signed up for the new Florida voucher program, at least 10 percent had a “zero tolerance” policy for LGBTQ students. The report cited student handbooks that noted prohibitions on homosexuality or refer to it as “an abomination to God,” and curriculum and textbooks that “promote regressive or hateful ideas about LGBTQ people, women and non-Christians.”

Imagine how it would be for an LGBTQ student who has already been bullied at another school to transfer to one of these private voucher schools, only to be turned away because of their identity or to have to sit through lessons that denigrate their humanity.

The HuffPo story includes an interview with Lyana Rodriguez, 24, a former student of a Florida Christian high school that participates in voucher programs and is eligible to participate in the new voucher program for bullied students.

Rodriguez said she transferred to Westwood Christian School after being bullied at a different private religious school. But things were no better at Westwood: She was bullied there as well and struggled with her religious beliefs and sexual orientation, which didn’t align with the school’s teachings. “She had nightmares about being damned to an eternity in hell,” HuffPo reported.

These latest stories add to the already voluminous body of evidence that vouchers don’t work. Public money should fund public schools, which educate 90 percent of American schoolchildren.

You can learn more about why vouchers are bad for public education in this video produced by AU, or through the National Coalition for Public Education, which AU co-chairs.

Issues

Schools

Private School Vouchers

Government Support Of Religion

Taxpayer Funding Of Religion

Government-Funded Discrimination

LGBTQ Rights

Tags

Florida

Indiana

They’re Baaaaaack! Masterpiece Cakeshop Seeks New Right To Discriminate Against LGBTQ People

Hassanein — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 14:42:53 +0000

They’re Baaaaaack! Masterpiece Cakeshop Seeks New Right To Discriminate Against LGBTQ People Hassanein Thu, 08/16/2018 - 10:42

Authored by

Rokia Hassanein

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The owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, the baker who violated Colorado anti-discrimination laws when he refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, is in the national spotlight again. This time, he’s suing the state of Colorado alleging religious discrimination after it came to light that he has refused to bake a cake for a transgender woman.

Autumn Scardina, a Colorado lawyer, requested in 2017 that Masterpiece Cakeshop make a cake for her birthday, which is also the anniversary of when she came out as transgender. Scardina asked the shop to make the cake blue on the outside and pink on the inside. Jack Phillips, the owner of the bakery, refused, claiming it went against his religious beliefs.

“The woman on the phone told me they do not make cakes celebrating gender changes,” Scardina wrote in a complaint to Colorado's Division of Civil Rights.

The Colorado Civil Rights Commission then ruled that the bakery discriminated on the basis of gender identity by refusing to bake Scardina’s cake.

Aubrey Elenis, director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division, wrote in her ruling that Phillips “denied [Scardina] equal enjoyment of a place of public accommodation.”

The Religious Right legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is ramping up its efforts to defend Phillips’ bigotry by making him look like the victim of discrimination in the new lawsuit Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Elenis.

In ADF’s statement about the lawsuit, the group claims that Colorado officials were “doubling down on their anti-religious hostility” against Phillips.

“You would think that a clear Supreme Court decision against their first effort would give them pause,” the group stated. “But it seems like some in the state government are hellbent on punishing Jack for living according to his faith. If that isn’t hostility, what is?”

The ADF and the Religious Right’s rhetoric on this is wrong. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission does not mean that businesses suddenly have the right to use their religion to discriminate. What the bakery is doing was illegal before and is illegal now. Public businesses should be open to all.

In fact, in its 7-2 ruling on narrow grounds in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop, the Supreme Court made it clear that public businesses do not have a right to refuse service to members of the LGBTQ community on the basis of religion.

Before reaching the Supreme Court, a Colorado state court said that Masterpiece Cakeshop violated Colorado’s anti-discrimination law – which bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation – when it refused to provide a wedding cake for Charlie Craig and David Mullins, a same-sex couple, for their wedding reception. The court ruled that neither the bakery nor its owner had a religious-freedom right to violate the law. Americans United filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that religious freedom is not an excuse to discriminate against others.

Phillips always insisted that he was happy to sell baked goods to LGBTQ people, but he argued that he did not want to use his artistic skills to create a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding. Now it turns out that he won’t even make a simple birthday cake for a transgender person. This latest incident has nothing to do with “artistic freedom.” The truth is, Masterpiece Cakeshop wants to use religious beliefs to treat LGBTQ folks like second-class citizens. But religious freedom is not a license to discriminate.

Americans United will continue to fight in court, in legislatures and in communities for the rights of all to live free from discrimination. In a diverse society like the United States, religious freedom is truly achieved only if businesses remain open to all regardless of their beliefs. Our country is strongest when we are all free to practice our religion, or no religion, as we choose – without hurting others.

To learn more about our work fighting discrimination in the name of religion, visit our Protect Thy Neighbor project.

Issues

Discrimination In The Name of Religion

Discrimination Against Customers

Tags

Lawsuits

Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission

What’s At Stake With Brett Kavanaugh On The U.S. Supreme Court? Religious Minorities’ & Immigrants’ Rights.

LHayes — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 14:34:31 +0000

What’s At Stake With Brett Kavanaugh On The U.S. Supreme Court? Religious Minorities’ & Immigrants’ Rights. LHayes Wed, 08/15/2018 - 10:34

Authored by

Liz Hayes

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If you care about the rights of religious minorities and immigrants, then you should be concerned about President Donald Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kavanaugh’s record indicates that he’s hostile toward church-state separation, and that hostility could have a huge impact on religious minorities, particularly immigrants.

Before he worked in the George W. Bush White House and before Bush appointed him to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Kavanaugh was a private attorney who filed some friend-of-the-court briefs that made troubling arguments about church-state separation and religious freedom.

In one case, Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, Kavanaugh wrote in support of a Texas public school district that broadcast student-delivered prayers at its football games. The Supreme Court – with Justice Anthony Kennedy in the majority – deemed the prayer practice unconstitutional.

In that brief, Kavanaugh implied that practices “deeply rooted in our history and tradition” should be permitted even if they “favor or promote religion over non-religion.” In other words, he indicated that he may elevate the interests of people who practice mainstream faiths – particularly Christianity – at the expense of people who are religious minorities or who are nonreligious.

Writing in The Washington Post, University of Texas law professor Stephen I. Vladeck noted that Kavanaugh has shown more deference to presidential powers in some contexts than Kennedy, meaning that Kavanaugh could shift the balance of power on the court.

As a federal judge, Kavanaugh has shown reluctance to extend constitutional rights to immigrants and has been “excessively deferential” to the president’s power in national security contexts. These views have been on display in cases arising from the detention or prosecution of noncitizens detained as “enemy combatants” at Guantanamo Bay and in last year’s Garza v. Hargan case involving “Jane Doe,” an undocumented immigrant teenager whom the government tried to block from getting an abortion while she was in federal custody.

These views are particularly worrisome coming from a man who could sit on the high court while the White House is occupied by a president who has tried to use unsubstantiated claims of national security to screen his anti-Muslim bias. Citing presidential authority in national security matters, the Supreme Court in June ignored Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and allowed his Muslim ban to remain in place for now. But litigation surrounding the ban continues – including three distinct legal challenges Americans United is involved in regarding the ban, the documentation that Trump officials claim justifies it and the process to acquire waivers from it.

Any of these challenges could end up back at the Supreme Court, or (I shudder to say it) Trump could launch new assaults on the religious freedom of Muslims or other religious minorities. Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court would make an uphill climb for justice that much steeper.

People are already being harmed by Trump’s cruel immigration policies – how much more damage could his administration do with Kavanaugh on the court to rubber stamp his dictates?

This is just one of the many areas in which Kavanaugh has demonstrated he is wrong on church-state separation and wrong for the U.S. Supreme Court. We’ve outlined several other areas of concern – including LGBTQ rights, reproductive justice and public education.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is pushing ahead with Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings starting on Sept. 4, despite the lack of requested documents about Kavanaugh’s record in the Bush White House. Now is the time to act! Help us stop Kavanaugh by urging your senators to reject his confirmation. Religious freedom and church-state separation are on the line.

Issues

Religious Freedom

Religious Minorities' Rights

Tags

Asylum Seekers In Oregon Told ‘Religious Minorities Aren’t Welcome Here’

LHayes — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 16:53:28 +0000

Asylum Seekers In Oregon Told ‘Religious Minorities Aren’t Welcome Here’ LHayes Tue, 08/14/2018 - 12:53

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Yet again, the federal government under President Donald Trump has made it clear that religious minorities aren’t welcome here.

Oregon federal public defenders on July 26 filed a motion calling for the release of more than 70 asylum seekers being held in the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Ore. According to the brief, the seekers had been denied basic religious accommodations.

Under Trump’s “Zero Tolerance” policy, immigrants fleeing persecution and violence in their homelands have been treated more like criminals than vulnerable asylum seekers. After filling up immigration detention centers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent hundreds of detainees to federal prisons where they are housed alongside prisoners.

Held on separate floors from the general prison population, the seekers were refused religious accommodations they are entitled to. And – to the surprise of no one – religious minorities were disproportionately affected. The detainees were denied accommodations for their religious headwear and dietary practices; their personal religious items were seized; and they were denied access to clergy or representatives of their faiths, appropriate locations for religious worship and religious texts in their languages.

The Oregon prison personnel entrusted with the care of the asylum seekers failed to comply with ICE’s Performance-Based National Detention Standards. Under these standards, detainees are permitted to wear religious headwear while in detention. The standards also call for “adequate space, equipment and staff” for religious practices, none of which was provided for these asylum seekers.

“Upon being taken into custody, Sikhs had their turbans and other items essential to their religious practice confiscated,” the court filing notes. “For weeks, no religiously appropriate food was provided to those with dietary religious restrictions.”

In the Sikh religion, turbans are worn as an important symbol of faith, equality and morality. Removing an individual’s turban – as done in the Oregon prison – is a serious violation of their religious practice. And in Hinduism, cows are revered as sustainers of life and many Hindus choose not to eat them. In the prison, Hindu asylum seekers were served beef with no alternative options. Additionally, the seekers were refused prayer time and scriptures in their native languages.

Refusing to accommodate the religious practices of the Sikh, Hindu and other asylum seekers seriously infringed their ability to freely exercise their religion and, according to federal defenders, it is cause to have them released.

America stands as a beacon for religious freedom in the world, but now when individuals come seeking that freedom, they are met with discrimination and cruelty.

The treatment of these asylum seekers, the Trump’s Muslim Ban, and Attorney General Jeff Session’s new “Religious Liberty Task Force” make it clear that the federal government is working to curb religious diversity in America. And things could get even worse if Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Separation of church and state means that all religions – and nonreligious – identities have a place in America, including those of these asylum seekers.

Issues

Religious Freedom

Religious Minorities' Rights

Rights Of Incarcerated People & Parolees

Tags

Don’t Want To Be Called A Hate Group? Then Stop Hating.

boston — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:09:36 +0000

Don’t Want To Be Called A Hate Group? Then Stop Hating. boston Mon, 08/13/2018 - 10:09

Authored by

Rob Boston

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week popped in to see his pals at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to assure them that the current administration loves the group a whole lot.

For those unfamiliar with it, ADF – originally known as Alliance Defense Fund – is the nation’s largest Religious Right legal group. Founded by a group of TV and radio preachers in 1993, its annual budget now exceeds $50 million.

The group is quite clear about its goals: to knock down the church-state wall, reverse LGBTQ rights, redefine religious freedom as a tool to take away the rights of others and merge its version of fundamentalist Christianity with public policy. If ADF has its way, we’ll all live under the reign of neo-Puritans.

Don’t believe me? Consider this: As recently as 2014, ADF’s website stated the following: “Alliance Defending Freedom seeks to recover the robust Christendomic theology of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries.” (I’ve often remarked that leaders and followers of the Religious Right want to take us back to 1950. Turns out I was off by about 1,500 years.)

In his address to ADF, Sessions noted that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has designated ADF a hate group. SPLC took this step based on ADF’s anti-LGBTQ agenda and its past statements. SPLC points out that it does not use the "hate group" designation simply because an organization has a moral objection to homosexuality; the organization under scrutiny must also demonize members of the LGBTQ community or seek to criminalize their behavior. SPLC argues that ADF meets this standard.

But Sessions assured ADF that it’s not a hate group and blasted SPLC, remarking, “They use it to bully and intimidate groups like yours which fight for the religious freedom, the civil rights and the constitutional rights of others.”

So is ADF a hate group? Well, some of the stuff it has put out hardly shows love for the LGBTQ community. In 2003, ADF’s former president and CEO Alan Sears coauthored a book titled The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today. The tome, produced by Broadman & Holman Publishers, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, sees a “gay agenda” everywhere. Sears asserted that the wacky 1959 comedy film “Some Like It Hot,” in which two musicians dress as women and join an all-female band to hide from mobsters, promotes cross-dressing. He also speculated that the popular cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is gay. (Sears cited a Wall Street Journal article that noted that SpongeBob often holds hands with his friend Patrick, a pink starfish. I mean, what more evidence do you need?)

Sears no longer runs ADF. The group’s current president is Michael Farris, a homeschooling advocate and attorney. I’ve noticed that under Farris, ADF seems to be dialing back some of its more lurid anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Rather than attack LGBTQ people directly, the group tries to make folk heroes out of bakers, florists and others who cite their fundamentalist religious beliefs in refusing to serve people they consider to be immoral, wicked or sinful.

So let’s look less at ADF’s words and consider how its actions might affect some of our fellow citizens. Like most Americans these days, I know members of the LGBTQ community. They’re my family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors and allies. And when I expand my social circle to include friends of friends and extended family members, the number only grows bigger.

ADF has fought assiduously to take away the rights of all of these people. ADF opposes marriage equality and fought it all the way to the Supreme Court. It defends for-profit business owners who want to tell LGBTQ people literally or metaphorically, “Get out – we don’t serve your kind here.” It argues on behalf of taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies that refuse to place children who need loving homes with same-sex couples. ADF is in court right now arguing to take away the rights of transgender people.

Think of someone you know who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender fluid, questioning, asexual, non-binary, etc. Maybe that person is a sibling, a cousin, a child, a best friend, a co-worker – or maybe it’s you. Think of that person and remember that if ADF has its way, he or she will lose crucial rights – the right to marry the person he/she loves, the right to walk into a shop and enjoy service like anyone else, the right to be treated with dignity and respect in public life and the right to access necessary medical care, among other things.

Think of that person being relegated to second-class citizenship. Consider the message that is being sent to him or her: There’s something wrong with you. You are a threat to our community’s values. You don’t deserve the same rights others take for granted. You are so vile that people should have a legal right to discriminate against you. Go away.

Consider all of that. ADF says it’s not hate. But honestly, I’m at a loss for what else to call it.

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Youth Activists Reflect On Their Summer Of Church-State Separation Advocacy

LHayes — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 13:36:45 +0000

Youth Activists Reflect On Their Summer Of Church-State Separation Advocacy LHayes Fri, 08/10/2018 - 09:36

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Alas, the end of summer is near. Soon Americans United’s awesome team of summer interns will venture forth into the world of higher education. Before they depart, AU would like to recognize their hard work and contributions to our mission of church-state separation. Read our dedicated interns’ reflections on their experiences here with us! If you missed getting to know them, check out their introduction here.

Lily Berman, Legal Intern

Working at AU has shown me how impact litigators and rights advocates drive social movements. As an undergraduate interested in law, I have a clearer understanding of how constitutional law is applied today to protect the rights of women, immigrants and the LGBTQ community. As a citizen, my time at AU has made me able to understand our current challenges more deeply and act on them with more intelligence and conviction. Most importantly, AU has taught me that the separation of church and state is essential to protect the rights and freedoms I cherish.

Amy Fallaw, Advocacy Intern

Interning at Americans United this summer has been an unforgettable experience for me. From being on the steps of the Supreme Court to attending Netroots Nation in New Orleans, I got the most hands-on advocacy experience I could’ve hoped for. Being in D.C. has been amazing. I love being so close to the most influential politicians in the country and feeling so connected to every piece of legislation, court case and protest I see every day on the news. Best summer ever!

Emily Midyette, Communications Intern

In my nine weeks working with AU’s Communication Department, I have honed my organization and writing skills. With guidance from my supervisor and fellow department members, I developed professional confidence that I will cherish as I prepare to enter the workforce.

My most powerful experience at AU occurred on the steps of the Supreme Court after the Muslim Ban ruling. Standing in solidarity with the communities of faith being discriminated against by the government solidified my passion for church-state separation advocacy. I will be an AU supporter long into the future!

Mackenzie Price, Legal Intern

One of my favorite parts about working at Americans United was hearing about the cases AU works on and how they relate to the projects I completed as an intern. Not only did it make me feel like I was an important contributor to the organization’s effort to prevent government-endorsed discrimination, but it also taught me much about America’s legislative system and what needs to happen to create positive change today. I am grateful to have helped AU stand up for the rights of Americans. I am also very pleased to have learned so much from some amazing people along the way! I look forward to seeing AU’s work in the future and thank its staff for my newfound appreciation of the nuances and importance of the First Amendment.

Urjita Sudula, Legal Intern

Interning for Americans United has given me the opportunity to work with talented and passionate people who care about maintaining the separation between church and state. As a law school student, I learned about the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause from more of a theoretical lens, but coming to AU has allowed me to understand how these clauses impact people on a day-to-day basis. I’ve met people who came to AU because of their interests in a wide range of issues, such as reproductive rights or LGBTQ rights, which has helped me better understand how these issues intersect with church-state separation. I look forward to taking what I’ve learned here back to law school and into my legal career.

Alexandra Willingham, Legal Intern

This summer has been the perfect first law school internship. The Legal Department’s size allowed me to be intimately involved in matters and contribute substantively to briefs. I have also loved the diversity of topics amongst AU’s cases: I’ve contributed to cases involving school prayer, government funds to churches, contraception coverage and health care refusals. I have learned how critical church-state separation is to other fundamental freedoms and how endangered it is. I am leaving AU having seen impact litigation at its finest, an opportunity that has only strengthened my commitment to this form of civil rights work.

Nicole You, Advocacy Intern

Interning with the AU Field Department this summer has truly been an eye-opening experience and a privilege. These past months I have come to learn what it means to organize leaders and facilitate coalitions and create genuine substantive change. I’ve gained a plentitude of hands-on experiences that I will use in the future to further the mission of Americans United and to advocate for other progressive issues!

Editor’s Note: College students interested in interning at Americans United can learn more here.

(Top photo: Top row from left, Mackenzie Price, Nicole You, Amy Fallaw, Alexandra Willingham and Emily Midyette. Bottom row from left, Urjita Sudula, Lily Berman and Rebecca Fate.)

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Religious Freedom

Religious Minorities' Rights

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