Tag Archives: separation of church and state

Gothamist reports: Asked about the mayor’s remarks, Fabien Levy, the mayor’s press secretary, clarified that the mayor is not in fact opposed to the separation of church and state. “The policies we make as an administration are rooted in the mayor’s belief in the creator,” Levy said in a statement. “The mayor personally believes all of our faiths would ensure …

The New York Daily News reports: Mayor Adams on Tuesday dismissed the notion that there should be a separation between church and state in American society, drawing ire from fellow Democrats and civil rights advocates who contended his line of argument runs counter to deep-rooted U.S. values. The tone was set by Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Adams’ chief adviser in City Hall, …

ABC News reports: The Supreme Court’s conservatives ruled on Monday for a high school football coach who was reprimanded for leading postgame prayers on the football field’s 50-yard line. The 6-3 decision marked a win for coach Joseph Kennedy in his dispute with the Seattle-area school district that placed him on paid leave for violating a policy that bars staff …

The Washington Post reports: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended a recent streak of victories for religious interests, striking down a Maine tuition program that does not allow public funds to go to schools that promote religious instruction. The vote was 6 to 3, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. writing for the majority and the court’s three liberals …

Posted to Franklin Graham’s Facebook page: I really like the photo of Coach Joe Kennedy that Sports Illustrated used on their daily cover—but I didn’t like their story or their tweet about it. And neither did a lot of other people. Former NFL kicker Jay Feely was one who took issue. He tweeted, “Disappointing article…I knelt and prayed after every …

The Associated Press reports: Between calculus and European history classes at a West Virginia public high school, 16-year-old Cameron Mays and his classmates were told by their teacher to go to an evangelical Christian revival assembly. When students arrived at the event in the school’s auditorium, they were instructed to close their eyes and raise their arms in prayer, Mays …

Mediaite reports: “Do you believe in God?” Not a question typically asked in a Department of Justice confirmation hearing, particularly given the long-standing Congressional tradition of observing the Constitutional separation of church and state, but that didn’t keep Senator John Kennedy from hectoring nominee Hampton Dellinger over his religious beliefs. Dellinger is the former North Carolina deputy attorney general and …

The Christian Post reports: The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit against Alabama’s Secretary of State John H. Merrill [photo] claiming that the state’s voter registration form is unconstitutional because it includes an oath that says “so help me God.” “Alabama is the only state in the country that requires voters to register on a form mandating they swear …

USA Today reports: The Supreme Court delivered a major victory Tuesday to parents seeking state aid for their children’s religious school education. The court’s conservative majority ruled that states offering scholarships to students in private schools cannot exclude religious schools from such programs. The decision was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, who has joined the liberal justices in three …

Via press release from the White House: Since I took office, my Administration has been committed to protecting religious liberty. In May 2017, I signed an Executive Order to advance religious freedom for individuals and institutions, and I stopped the Johnson Amendment from interfering with pastors’ right to speak their minds. Over the last 3 years, the Department of Justice …

CBS News reports: President Donald Trump on Thursday is expected to announce new guidelines in regard to prayer in schools. It’s not clear what that might be, but it is seen as a sign of the president trying to solidify support from evangelicals. The Washington Post reports that the president’s official schedule for Thursday includes “THE PRESIDENT announces guidance on …

The Associated Press reports: President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Wednesday he does not support a proposal to further relax Mexico’s strict legal separation of church and state, throwing cold water on a bill that would upend longstanding political doctrine in the country. The proposal would modify the Law of Religious Associations and Public Worship to eliminate historic language enshrining …

The Philadelphia Weekly reports: “I have asked these poll workers nicely why the Bible is displayed at the polling place. I have tried to explain to them that they cannot leave it out after they are sworn in because it is intimidating to non-Christian voters,” says a Philly resident and self-described “middle-aged white woman” who goes by Veronica. When Veronica …

“There is no such thing as a separation of church and state in the Constitution. We have allowed the secularists, the atheists, the humanists to hijack our Constitution and pervert it into something our forefathers never intended. “And I’m gonna say this. I’m gonna say this, and it may cost me some book sales, but I’m gonna say it anyway. …

The Wrap reports: Meet The Fellowship, the secret organization at the center of Netflix’s upcoming five-part docuseries “The Family,” a project that was made “with unprecedented participation from members of the organization,” which examines the “sophisticated, successful tactics its affiliates use to influence policy-making around the globe.” In the trailer, which dropped Wednesday morning, you’ll see experts and organization members …

CNBC reports: The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a 40-foot cross commemorating World War I can continue to stand on public ground because it does not violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The case concerned a giant, early 20th century Latin cross that stands in a Maryland intersection in the suburbs of the nation’s capital. The project was …

A new survey from Harris Polls: A number of states are in the process of passing new laws to require public schools to offer Bible history classes but a new poll finds that the vast majority of Americans would prefer that other religious and atheist books also be included in such courses, or that they not be taught at all. …

And it’s only for one committee. So far. Fox News reports: A key committee in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is moving to eliminate the words “so help you God” from the oath administered to witnesses testifying before the panel, as part of a new rules package expected to be approved this week, according to a draft obtained exclusively by …

Courthouse News reports: A French atheist living in Massachusetts lost her court battle Friday to strike the phrase “so help me God” from the U.S. citizenship oath. Granting the government summary judgment, U.S. District Judge William Young found that nothing about how the oath is administered, or how it burdens challenger Olga Paul Perrier-Bilbo, amounts to a constitutional violation. Though …

Little Rock’s Fox affiliate reports: Dozens attended a rally held by the Satanic Temple at the Arkansas State Capitol on Thursday. The rally comes after the Arkansas legislature approved the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds. During the Satanic Temple’s Rally for the First Amendment, a more than 8 feet tall Baphomet statue was unveiled. “The …