Latest news with #FreedomFromReligionFoundation
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Families file suit challenging Arkansas law that requires Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms
Seven Arkansas families filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging an upcoming state requirement that public school classrooms have posted copies of the Ten Commandments, saying the new law will violate their constitutional rights. The federal lawsuit challenges a measure Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law earlier this year, similar to a requirement enacted by Louisiana and one that Texas ' governor has said he'll sign. The Arkansas law takes effect in August and requires the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in public school classrooms and libraries. 'Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library — rendering them unavoidable — unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture,' the lawsuit said. The suit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The lawsuit names four school districts in northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale — as defendants. A spokesperson for Fayetteville schools said the district would not comment on pending litigation, while the other three districts did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Attorney General Tim Griffin said his office was reviewing the lawsuit and considering options. Attorneys for the families, who are Jewish, Unitarian Universalist or nonreligious, said they planned to ask the federal judge in Fayetteville for a preliminary injunction blocking the law's enforcement. The attorneys say the law violates longstanding Supreme Court precedent and the families' First Amendment rights. 'By imposing a Christian-centric translation of the Ten Commandments on our children for nearly every hour of every day of their public-school education, this law will infringe on our rights as parents and create an unwelcoming and religiously coercive school environment for our children," Samantha Stinson, one of the plaintiffs, said in a news release. Louisiana was the first state to enact such a requirement, and a federal judge blocked the measure before it was to take effect Jan 1. Proponents of Louisiana's law say that ruling only applies to the five school boards listed in the suit, but The Associated Press is unaware of any posters being displayed in schools as the litigation continues. ___
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Families file suit challenging Arkansas law that requires Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Seven Arkansas families filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging an upcoming state requirement that public school classrooms have posted copies of the Ten Commandments, saying the new law will violate their constitutional rights. The federal lawsuit challenges a measure Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law earlier this year, similar to a requirement enacted by Louisiana and one that Texas' governor has said he'll sign. The Arkansas law takes effect in August and requires the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in public school classrooms and libraries. 'Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library — rendering them unavoidable — unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture,' the lawsuit said. The suit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The lawsuit names four school districts in northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale — as defendants. A spokesperson for Fayetteville schools said the district would not comment on pending litigation, while the other three districts did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Attorney General Tim Griffin said his office was reviewing the lawsuit and considering options. Attorneys for the families, who are Jewish, Unitarian Universalist or nonreligious, said they planned to ask the federal judge in Fayetteville for a preliminary injunction blocking the law's enforcement. The attorneys say the law violates longstanding Supreme Court precedent and the families' First Amendment rights. 'By imposing a Christian-centric translation of the Ten Commandments on our children for nearly every hour of every day of their public-school education, this law will infringe on our rights as parents and create an unwelcoming and religiously coercive school environment for our children,' Samantha Stinson, one of the plaintiffs, said in a news release. Louisiana was the first state to enact such a requirement, and a federal judge blocked the measure before it was to take effect Jan 1. Proponents of Louisiana's law say that ruling only applies to the five school boards listed in the suit, but The Associated Press is unaware of any posters being displayed in schools as the litigation continues. ___ Associated Press Writer Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana contributed to this report
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Ark Encounter offers free police training while critics twist the story
Stephen Kees, a local dentist and supporter of the Ark Encounter, hit the nail on the head when he said, "No good deed goes unpunished," about the recent hit-piece in the Enquirer regarding public safety training at the Ark. Law enforcement departments have used our sprawling attraction south of Cincinnati to train canine officers and their dogs to be more effective in supporting public safety in their communities. The Ark seeks to be a good citizen by hosting the event, but when the atheist group, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, hears about it and goes into a frenzy, it writes threatening legal letters to police agencies that attended − and catches the eye of the Enquirer. More: Kentucky police agencies paid for proselytizing canine training at Ark Encounter Buried deep in the article is a quote from a law enforcement agency about optional talks for officers to attend. Before each day of training, as well as at the end of the day, Bible studies were offered for those who wanted to attend in their personal time. Such studies were not a part of the actual course and were not mandatory. The article falsely suggests that officers had to attend and hear messages about the Ark and other religious topics. Some of the best training a canine officer could receive occurs on the grounds of the Ark Encounter. The conference, led by one of our officers, founder of the Police and Professional Dog Training Association and a world-renowned dog handler, helps canine handlers from law enforcement enhance their dogs' training, handling and performance. The Ark's own canine department (eight units) also benefits from the training as it fulfills a commitment to the safety of the one million-plus guests who visit annually. This is the same public safety department at the Ark and Creation Museum that regularly loans out its specialized services to counties nearby for search/rescue and other tasks. In 2024, we received 34 calls for service. Our canine units have even helped clear public schools when there have been bomb threats. All these services were offered at no charge. Opinion: When police lose support, we lose morale and good people like Larry Henderson Also, canine officers from law enforcement departments representing Boone and Grant counties attend the safety training at no charge since we have a good relationship with these agencies in our backyard. A law enforcement agency anywhere in the East would be foolish not to consider having canine training here. It's our honor to be of service to them. Ken Ham is the co-founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis, a Christian apologetics organization that operates the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. Mark Looy is the co-founder and chief communications officer of Answers in Genesis. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio police benefit from Ark training. Why the controversy? | Opinion
Miami Herald
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump's anti-Christian bias task force begins. Here's what they're watching for
Efforts to quash what President Donald Trump's administration perceives as 'anti-Christian bias' were formally launched with a meeting between members of a task force established under a presidential executive order issued earlier this year. The meeting, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 22, invited Cabinet members and three Americans who identify as Christians to share specific experiences of anti-Christian bias in the federal government and brought clarity as to what the task force will be looking to eradicate. 'Together, this task force will identify any unlawful anti-Christian policies, practices or conduct across the government, seek input from the faith-based organizations and state governments to end anti-Christian bias, find and fix deficiencies in existing and regulatory practices that might contribute to the anti-Christian bias,' Bondi said during the meeting's opening remarks. While some experts welcomed Trump's executive order on eradicating anti-Christian bias when it was announced in February, others raised alarm about what it meant for non-Christian groups, McClatchy News reported. The Freedom From Religion Foundation called the task force a 'sham' and said it's encouraging Christian entitlement, according to an April 22 statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'The Constitution demands neutrality, not special treatment for one religion,' the organization said. Nevertheless, a growing number of white evangelical Christians are concerned that Christianity is under attack in the U.S., according to data from the Survey Center on American Life, McClatchy News reported. Sixty percent of white evangelicals said they believe evangelical Christians are regularly discriminated against in 2023, up 18 points from 2009. What anti-Christian instances were brought up during the task force? Three non-task force members — Scott Hicks, provost and chief academic officer at Liberty University; Phil Mendes, a former Navy SEAL; and Michael Farris, founding president of Patrick Henry College — were invited to speak about their experiences with anti-Christian bias, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Hicks spoke about how Liberty University and Grand Canyon University had been 'singled out' under the Biden administration and received Education Department fines 'due to the schools' Christian worldview.' Mendes said he was fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine because of his religious beliefs. Farris brought up how his church had been charged by the IRS for violations against the Johnson Amendment, a tax code that prohibits churches and other tax-exempt organizations from participating in political campaign activity, according to the release. During Trump's first term, he vowed to get rid of the amendment, NPR reported. Other members of the task force also shared examples of anti-Christian bias they had seen. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke about retaliation against federal workers for opposing DEI and LGBT ideology on religious grounds, and Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins said a chaplain was reprimanded under the Biden administration for preaching a sermon from the Bible. In a statement on Facebook later that evening, Farris said he was 'blown away' by the 'frank stories of terrible treatment of Christians by the prior administration.' 'If every believer could have seen this in person their hearts would be overflowing tonight,' he said. How is Trump's anti-Christian bias order already impacting the government? Earlier this month, the Trump administration sent a cable out under Rubio's name encouraging State Department employees to self-report on experiences with anti-Christian bias among their co-workers using an anonymous tip form, Politico reported. Some of these findings were to be discussed at the inaugural task force meeting, according to the cable, Politico reported. More recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs asked staff members in an email to 'report any examples of anti-Christian bias,' Hemant Mehta, an American blogger and atheist activist, said in an April 22 statement on X. According to Mehta, the email requested 11 things, including 'adverse responses to requests for religious exemption under the previous vaccine mandates,' 'any mistreatment or reprimand issued in response to displays of Christian imagery or symbols' and 'any retaliatory actions taken or threatened in response to abstaining from certain procedures or treatments.' Additionally, during the task force meeting, Bondi said three cases against people who are pro-life were dropped and the FACE Act was redefined. 'Protecting Christians from bias is not favoritism. It's upholding the rule of law and fulfilling the constitutional promise,' she said. 'We have an incredible opportunity — all of us around this table — to protect the rights of all citizens from discrimination based on their religious beliefs.'
Wall Street Journal
30-03-2025
- Science
- Wall Street Journal
Losing My Nonreligion
As an evolutionary biologist, I joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation because I supported its work guarding the wall of separation between religion and government, educating the public about how to be moral without faith, and, most important, upholding science and rationality over dogma and superstition. I served on an FFRF advisory board, and the foundation gave me its annual 'The Emperor Has No Clothes' award in 2011. I resigned because the foundation has abandoned science. Two other board members, Steven Pinker and Richard Dawkins, joined me.
