Sunday Funnies

The Blog Against Theocracy Edition:












And classics from Herblock:

Blog Against Theocracy: Obama Expands Faith-Based Initiatives

With the election of a new administration there was much hope for "change" ... but it would appear that not all that much has changed concerning the office of faith-based initiatives.

It might have a new name, but the implications are just the same. Taxpayer funded discrimination.

So far the Obama administration has NOT lifted executive orders left behind by Bush that would allow houses of worship to receive taxpayer money and then discriminate in employment, or to proselytize to people seeking help.

And to make matters worse, the Obama administration has added a faith council to advise the new president on a whole host of policy matters. Check out what my good friend Frances Kissling has to say about this.

Today’s disappointment was the White House announcement of the full President’s Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Fifteen members had been previously appointed. Ten new names were released today. Among the 25 members are six representatives of non-religious, community based organizations. The only Hindu member of the Council and the second Muslim appointed, both women, are in this category. In fact, were it not for the women representing secular organizations (four of the six secular members of the Council are women) the gender distribution would be grotesquely unbalanced.

Perhaps one of the reasons to include community groups is because there are so few women leaders in religion that the White House considers suitable representatives of faith.

But the main purpose of this Council is to establish a formal link between religion and state. It seeks religion it believes can be a partner in the mainstream process of governance—exactly the kind of religion I want to change. It is of course, unreasonable for me to expect that any administration would seek to partner with my brand of religion. But it is still disappointing when I see not a single person like me on the White House Council. OK, it is a little egocentric, I confess, but I am not alone. And changing what is wrong with religion is important. It’s another reason why people like me—feminists—are for separation of church and state. We always lose when the two get together.

Women have every right to be concerned about this new expansion of Bush-era policies. I'm certain this is not the "change" a lot of us voted for.

Nineteen members of the Council represent religious organizations. Not one of the organizations they represent has played a strong role in reforming religion; in fact they have defended themselves against internal reform. There is not a single academic theologian in the batch. Thinkers are sorely absent. The majority of the men representing religious organizations who have been named to the Council either personally or institutionally represent the most conservative religious thought on women’s nature, identity and reproductive choice. Of course, views on reproductive choice are not the only issue—and certainly not the most important issue—facing the Council.

In fact, under the Bush administration the views of Council members on these issues were largely irrelevant. President Obama has made these views important as a substantial part of the Council’s mission relates to women’s role and sexual and reproductive rights. The Council will deal with reducing the need for abortion; preventing unintended pregnancy, and the role of fathers (one cannot deal with the role of fathers without dealing with the role of mothers). Additionally the Council has a mandate to support women and children. Male clerics deciding how women should be supported has some shortcomings. [...]

The National Council of Jewish Women’s president Nancy Ratzen, a committed advocate of women’s rights and reproductive choice assumes a heavy burden on the Council. She is joined by two other women who represent religious institutions that are prochoice: Sharon Watkins of the Disciples of Christ and Peg Chemberlin, a Moravian clergywoman. Bishop Vashti MacKenzie, the other religious woman representative is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal church, which is opposed to abortion rights—although the Bishop has not been outspoken on this issue and is a supporter of women’s leadership. Of the men who represent religious institutions only Rabbi David Saperstein and Rev. Harry Knox are known to support women’s rights and sexual and reproductive freedom.

That leaves a majority of religious leaders on the Council who are likely to lead the nation down a road in which respect for women’s rights will be as absent from their recommendations for government policy and funding as they are in the religious institutions they represent.

You can do better than this Mr. Obama. Either reconstitute this group, or do away with it altogether.

The Man and Woman from D.U.N.G.

They are not quite the Man (or Woman) from U.N.C.L.E. -- but then those people weren't bigots! Take a look at a response to the National Organization for Marriage.


What are these people so afraid of? Lesbians and gay men have been living among them forever, and it's had on impact on their lives.

And unlike what NOM suggests, marriage equality isn't going to force anyone to take part in a marriage ceremony of same-sex couples.

Marriage equality is definitely a church-state separation issue. Groups like NOM make it so. We must never allow ONE narrow religious point of view to be enshrined into law. Religious freedom is just that -- everyone having a Constitutional right to follow the religious tenants of their choice ... or none at all.

And just in case the video above isn't clear enough for you, take a look at this one:

It's That Time Again!

Blog Against Theocracy!
April 10-12

The theme of the blogswarm, like always, is the Separation of Church and State — we support it. The variations on the theme are as diverse as the people taking part. Please keep in mind this is not about bashing religion — people can believe what they choose, however they choose — but it is a reminder that the Government should keep out of religion, and Religion should keep out of the government.

Here is how to participate in the blogswarm.

1. Write a post in support of our United States Constitution, specifically regarding the separation of Church and State. You can write your post anytime, but the blogswarm takes place Easter Weekend, April 10-12. Your post will be linked at the Blog Against Theocracy website during and just after that weekend.

If you have any writer's block on this I suggest you visit my favorite resource Americans United for Separation of Church and State to get you started:

2. Send the URL of your post via this online form, and add any comments you would like to appear with your link. Make sure you provide the permalink to your post and not just your blog. Our terrific blogger friend Blue Gal will receive your link and over Easter Weekend she will post these to the BAT website.

3. Sit back and enjoy the hits -- and as Blue Gal says: "Know that Thomas Jefferson, Buddha, Mohammed, and Jesus his own self would be proud of you. (Yes, personally? I really believe that.)"

We know you do!

Historic Simulcast For Church-State Separation Coming to a Theater Near You

I'm particularly proud of this event, as it's something I've been working on it for a few months now. This simulcast offers a unique opportunity for citizens across the country to hear directly from individuals who have placed themselves on the front line in the battle to protect our Constitutional guarantee of church-state separation.

On Wednesday, March 26, Actors, musicians and comedians will join church-state activists from across the country to put church-state separation on the national agenda during the 2008 election season.

In movie theatres in 37 cities across the nation, people will gather to learn about the threats to church-state separation and to demand that presidential hopefuls and candidates for other offices answer questions about key issues dealing with individual freedom. A list of 10 great questions to ask candidates will be featured.

Titled “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the Separation of Church and State … but Were Afraid to Ask!,” the program is being hosted by First Freedom First, a joint project of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation.

Celebrated actor and filmmaker Peter Coyote will emcee the program, which is to include a performance by special guests, The Bacon Brothers (actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael).

Other actors and celebrities participating include Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties” and “Spin City”), Jack Klugman (“The Odd Couple” and “Quincy, M.E.”), James Whitmore (“The Shawshank Redemption”), Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me!”), Dan Lauria (“The Wonder Years”), Catherine Dent (“The Shield”), stand-up comedian and Air America host Marc Maron, singer/songwriter Catie Curtis and singer/satirist Roy Zimmerman.

In addition, Americans who have fought for individual freedom will tell their stories, including: Bryan and Christy Rehm (who fought creationism in Dover, Pa. science classes), Matthew LaClair (a New Jersey high schooler who exposed religious indoctrination at his school), Roberta Stewart (an Afghanistan War widow who fought for equal rights for Wiccan veterans), Dr. Susan Wicklund (who wears a bullet-proof vest to provide reproductive services in underserved areas) the Rev. Madison Shockley (pastor and reproductive rights advocate), David and Ryan Altoon (who oppose fundamentalist proselytism at U.S. military academies), Melinda “Lindy” Maddox (who successfully sued Alabama “Commandments” Judge Roy Moore) and Susan Jacoby (author of The Age of American Unreason).

It is my firm belief the power of the blogosphere can help get people, who may have never heard these stories before, into one of the 37 theaters. From the presidential campaigns to city council races, candidates need to hear why protecting our Constitution and Bill of Rights matters!

Blog Against Theocracy is Here!

Yes, it's BAT time boys and girls ... so get your posts rolling! This is, after all, the SECOND annual Blog Against Theocracy. We've all had practice. So this should be a snap!

There is certainly no shortage of things to write about, but if you find yourself stuck ... First Freedom First has helpful hints. Or check out the AU web site -- where you will find a plethora of useful information!

And before I go can I have everyone's assurance that you won't tell my boss I used "ass" and "AU" in the same post? ha


h/t to Blue Gal for starting this in the first place!

It's almost here!!

Yes, it's almost time for the 2nd annual Easter Weekend Blog Against Theocracy! To get you in the "spirit" I thought I would share this message from Catherine Dent.

Tax freeze, a church-state issue?

Have you ever uttered the phrase 'sometimes you've just gotta laugh, 'cause it beats crying?' Well, the majority of Americans who support stem cell research certainly wanted to cry when the president once again vetoed bipartisan stem cell legislatoin that would have eased limitations on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.

If you were as crazed about this as I was it's important that you contact your members of Congress and urge them to schedule a vote to override the president's veto. And while you have them on the phone you might want to remind them that our Constitution does include a separation of church and state, and that the President doesn't have a right to impose his religious views on everyone.

Now, about the 'laugh' part I mentioned above. Comedian Lewis Black, appearing on CNN's Larry King Live, had this to say about frozen embryos:

"It's unbelievable, that frozen embryo thing. Now, how can you say that’s religious? You can't! It's not a religious issue. In what book of the Bible was anything frozen? ... Is there any mention in the Bible of refrigeration? No! So you can't possibly at any time say, 'Oh, y'know, God says...' No, God doesn't say. God, in the Old Testament ... he didn't even see freezers coming!

And you know what I did? Since the president thinks they're alive, I've adopted three frozen embryos and I put them in my freezer. And every time when I open it up I go, "You kids stop it!" Because I want to be a good father, but I'm actually going to take them as a tax write-off. And if it works -- if I can get it by the Feds the first time -- I'm going to adopt hundreds of them. You remember the old Amana freezer where you could buy a cow and dump it in? Well, I'm going to have a billion of 'em in there!"

Black gives a whole new meaning to "tax freeze!"

Love, not politics, should define a family

Many families will gather this week to celebrate our July 4th Independence Day. Some will gather for a family cookout, while others will pack a picnic basket and head to a community park to watch fireworks. When we think of family, what image comes to mind?

For some the word “family” conjures up an image straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting – a mom and dad, with two kids and a dog. But today the picture is more encompassing. Family might be a single mother and her children having dinner together. It could be children having dinner with a parent and step-parent. It also includes families where the parents are two moms or two dads.

In an opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune a few months back, Geoffrey Stone talked about his daughter Mollie:

. . . Mollie has found a life-partner. Mollie and Andrea are deeply committed to each other. They want to spend their lives together. Watching them over the last few years, it is easy to see why. They complement each other, take care of each other, respect each other and love each other. They want to have children, for all the right reasons.

In my experience, they are no different in their love, commitment and aspirations than any of the other young couples whose weddings I have attended over the last half-century.

But Mollie and Andrea cannot marry.

Stone went on to say:

"Marriage," we are told, "is between a man and a woman." It is simply a matter of definition. It is a matter of Scripture. It is what God commands. Indeed, there could be no other reason for such a rule. Apart from religious precept, why would we have such a restriction?

A third of Americans now favor allowing same-sex marriage, and more than half now support same-sex civil commitment. Our nation's greatest achievement has been its ability to recognize and overcome deeply entrenched racial, religious, gender and ethnic discrimination. We will achieve this as well in the realm of sexual orientation. But some of us grow impatient. I'd like to go to Mollie's wedding.

Stone makes a good point that is especially relevant as we celebrate our Independence Day. Our founders didn’t want us to be bound by the dictates of any one religious belief. They recognized it is in our best interest to have a wall of separation between church and state. When there are houses of worship that are performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples, shouldn’t those unions have legal recognition?

Whatever their make up, don’t all families bound by love deserve our respect?

-----------------------

There is something you can do. Visit the First Freedom First web site and sign the petition. We must let our elected officials know that we support separation of church and state.

Sunday Funnies

In their own words -- supporting church-state separation

Religious freedom is a celebrated American tradition. Our Founders knew that mixing religion and government only caused civil strife, inequality and very often violence in pluralistic societies. For more than 300 years, church-state separation advocates have fought to keep the tradition moving forward. Thanks to these efforts, modern Americans enjoy more religious liberty than any people in the world.

In deciding on what to put into my first Blog Against Theocracy post, I have decided to share information from two organizations who are working to protect our first freedom: Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and First Freedom First. These two groups devote all of their resources to safeguarding separation of church and state, and protecting religious liberty. They are also excellent resources for information you can use when talking with family and friends.

For example, included below are quotes from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

Thomas Jefferson is considered one of the greatest champions of religious liberty in American history. He often wrote of its importance in legislation, speeches, letters and personal reflections. Here are some of his quotes on religious liberty and church-state separation.

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”
--Letter to the Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802

“I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others…. We ought with one heart and one hand to hew down the daring and dangerous efforts of those who would seduce the public opinion to substitute itself into that tyranny over religious faith which the laws have so justly abdicated.”
--Letter to Edward Dowse, April 19, 1803

“[T]o compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical; that even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern…”
--Jefferson’s “Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom,”
Adopted January 1786

James Madison wrote frequently about religious freedom and its corollary, the separation of church and state. Here are some of Madison’s best quotations on the subject.

"[I]t is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties....Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects? that the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support of any one establishment, may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever?"
--From the "Memorial and Remonstrance," 1785

"The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported. A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity."
--Letter to F.L. Schaeffer, Dec. 3, 1821

"We are teaching the world the great truth that Governments do better without Kings and Nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson that Religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of Government."
--Letter to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822

Writings by the early advocates of religious liberty shows that our forbears meant it to be one of our most cherished rights. We must do all that we can to safeguard separation of church and state today.

Blog Against Theocracy - It's almost here!!

Blue Gal has posted directions for the upcoming Blog Against Theocracy, July 1-4. We hope you will help celebrate our July 4th Independence Day by taking part! Here are the highlights:

The blogswarm against theocracy will begin this Sunday, July 1, and will run through Wednesday July 4.

Follow these instructions to participate:

1. Post to your blog about the separation of church and state. If you want to point your readers to something they can DO about the religious right, send them to the First Freedom First website and ask them to sign the petition. First Freedom First is not a sponsor of this blogswarm, but they have been a very very helpful resource, and Blog against Theocracy would like to return the favor. You may wish to tag your
post "Blog Against Theocracy."

2. send an email toblogagainsttheocracy.jul07AT blogger DOT com

The SUBJECT LINE of your email will be the NAME of your blog. I would type for my subject, "Blue Gal". Don't use all caps or any extra lines. It won't get picked up.

The BODY of your email should have ONE thing in it: The url for your post. Blogger will turn this into a link automatically. Make sure you post the full url, including the http, etc.

I'm sorry, but that's all you're allowed to email. Longer posts will be truncated, and if they're not, BAT staff will edit them. We have to be fair to everyone participating. We'll also be watching for spam and deleting that as it arrives, so don't feel you
have to email me if you see any violations or spam on the site, we'll get to it.

I've tested this system and the biggest problem is getting the darn email address correct. It's AT blogger DOT com not AT gmail DOT com. And make sure you have a period between the blogagainsttheocracy and the july07, and that you spell theocracy correctly.

You may email blogagainsttheocracy AT gmail DOT com if you have any questions or problems.

Yikes! is a proud co-conspirator of this blogswarm. If you are a blogger, please join in. If you are not, why not start blogging! Or, go to one of the participating sites and add your comments.

We can take back our country from the strangle hold of the religious right, but only by working together!

It's Coming!!

To celebrate July 4th, Blue Gal and friends are bringing back the Blog Against Theocracy blogswarm! What better way to celebrate our independence than to remind folks about one of our most cherished freedoms -- religious liberty.

And as we are reminded by First Freedom First, the founders of our nation believed that all Americans should have the right to worship according to their own beliefs, or not to worship at all. So strong was their commitment to religious freedom that they enshrined it in the first sentence of the Bill of Rights.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..."

If we do not stand together as a nation to safeguard separation of church and state, we could lose this fundamental freedom.

Please help spread the word!

Religion and government a bad mix at NIH

In yet another example of how mixing religion and government is a bad idea, the Washington Post reports trouble at the National Institutes of Health. The former head of the spiritual ministry department, Rev. O. Ray Fitzgerald, was accused of bias against Jewish and Catholic chaplains.

Fitzgerald was demoted from the chief chaplain's post two weeks ago after the EEOC, which cited the "animus," and the Merit Systems Protection Board ordered the rehiring of and back pay for the priest, the Rev. Henry Heffernan.

NIH officials "endorsed intolerance, and they reinforced intolerance with intolerance," said Rabbi Reeve Brenner, who testified last year in support of the priest and was fired as a hospital chaplain in February. He has filed a complaint with the Merit Board, an agency that hears federal personnel disputes, saying that he was removed by NIH as retribution for his testimony.

The chaplains tend to the spiritual needs of patients on the NIH campus. Fitzgerald employed a "generic chaplaincy" approach, which didn't really work. Non-Catholic chaplains were unable to perform the Catholic sacraments, such as hearing confessions and performing last rites. When a priest, Father Henry Heffernan, came in on his day off to offer these services, he was suspended by Fitzgerald for disobeying an order to not come into work.

Another ousted chaplain, Greek Orthodox lay minister Edar Rogler, is suing the Department of Health and Human Services, NIH's parent agency, saying that she also was removed for testifying in support of Heffernan. In her lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court in Maryland, and in her testimony in Heffernan's case, she says NIH officials hatched a plan, "Operation Clean Sweep," to purge staff members who cooperated in the priest's complaint.

Rogler alleges that Fitzgerald made frequent anti-Semitic comments about Brenner. In her lawsuit, she says that Fitzgerald referred to Brenner as "the butthead Jew" and "the crass Jew."

"He would not refer to the rabbi ever by his name," Rogler said in an interview. "It was always 'that Jew, that Jew.' " She was fired from her part-time chaplain's job in 2005 after she said she informed NIH officials that she planned to testify before the EEOC on behalf of Heffernan. The EEOC called her testimony more credible than Fitzgerald's.

NIH has long been a microcosm for what is wrong in society as a whole. In the 1990's dozens of women came forward with complaints of sexual harassment and sex discrimination. It isn't clear whether those complaints were ever properly addressed.

When decisions about faith are religated to the 'majority' faith tradition, others traditions clearly suffer. When decisions about equality are made by affluent, white, presumably straight men, women and people of color suffer.

Happy Birthday Mr. Jefferson!

The guiding influence behind our recent Blog Against Theocracy

Thanks to all who Blogged Against Theocracy

If you haven't yet had an opportunity to read some of the posts, please do. The content was excellent, as were many of the comments. The blogswarm even managed to attract some detractors -- which is always a good sign. It means the word is getting out there.

It's also affirming to see individuals from both ends of the spectrum -- people of faith and atheists -- engaging in meaningful, respectful exchanges. That doesn't always happen when talking about one of the two topics people are warned NEVER to talk about in public ... namely, religion and politics.

The exchanges that took place are EXACTLY what the founders had in mind when they gave us a Constitutionally guaranteed separation of church and state.

Church-state separation allow people to make up their own minds about religion. You can decide to follow a faith tradition, you can later choose to change to another one, or you can decide that holding a religious belief is not for you. We get to make those decisions in America. And we have very little religious conflict because of that freedom.

But we must keep in mind there will always be those bullies who believe that everyone must think as they do -- and will do everything possible to try and force their beliefs upon you by law. Which is why we must be vigilant.

First Freedom First offers a way to get involved, at what ever level you feel comfortable being involved. You can simply add your name to the petition. That's an excellent way to help. You can encourage others to do the same -- another excellent idea. You can volunteer, which is MOST excellent. And you can continue to keep the conversation going long after the Blog Against Theocracy ends. That's one of the most important things of all.

The 2008 race for the White House is well under way. What are the candidates thoughts on safeguarding separation of church and state? It's a question we must ask them at every stop.

There are going to be races for everything from local school board to the US Congress. How do those candidate approach church-state separation? Anyone who cares about the issue needs to ask.

Thanks to everyone who participated. It's been fun getting to know a few of you. I hope we can all keep in touch!

Respect for all families

It seems that First Freedom First, and others, have a new partner promoting respect for all families. Check out the latest news from Disney!

Disney Opens Fairy Taile Weddings Program to Same Sex Couples

The Walt Disney Co., known for its family friendly stance, has given a stamp of approval to the controversial subject of gay marriage.

In a dramatic change of policy, Gay couples who have been previously barred from participating in Disney's lavish "Fairy Tale Wedding" package were granted such rights at all Disney parks including its cruise line.

"We are updating our Fairy Tale Wedding guidelines to include commitment ceremonies," Donn Walker, a Disney spokesperson was quoted as saying. "This is consistent with our policy of creating a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment for all of our guests."

The shift is said be in response to criticism of the barring of the program from a gay website afterelton.com. Conversly, religious conservatives have accused the Disney company of promoting the gay agenda which includes acceptance of "gay days" when the park is inundated with gay tourists.

"We are not in the business of making judgments about the lifestyle of our guests. We are in the hospitality business and our parks and resorts are open to everyone," Walker said.

Corporations that do the right thing deserve to hear from us. Here is how to contact Disney:

Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons at Disneyland Resort: 714.956.6527
Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons at Walt Disney World Resort: 321.939.4610
or via their websites here or here.

Tag: Blog Against Theocracy

School vouchers and the fight to safeguard separation of church and state

At first glance it might appear to be a solution, but like all things deemed "to good to be true" taxpayer funded school vouchers are a really bad idea. It's also one of the toughest discussions you might ever have, particularly if you are taking with a parent concerned about the kind of education their child is receiving. So let's examine the issue for a moment.

First, more than 90% of all children are educated in public schools. So doesn't it seem reasonable to think that if there is a problem with public education the solution might be to fix the problem, instead of simply offering a Bandaide solution, so that all students would benefit?

Rev. Barry Lynn, the executive director at Americans United for Separation of Church and State is fond of using this analogy. He says, in essence, 'think about your house for a moment, and how you would feel if it caught fire and burned to the ground because the local fire department didn't have enough fire trucks, and the fire fighters just couldn't get to your house in time to put out the fire. What would the solution to this problem be? To pass a voucher measure, that provided taxpayer funded vouchers so that everyone could go to the nearest Home Depot and purchase a fire extinguisher for their home? Or, would a better solution be to fix the problem that prevented the fire department from getting to your house in the first place?'

Do we really want to give a handful of students taxpayer funded school vouchers, in the hope that a few might get a better education? Or would a better solution be to finally get serious in the country about public education and put the necessary resources behind solving the problem. (And I'm NOT talking about Leave No Child Behind -- which has left a BUNCH of little behinds behind.)

By now you might be asking yourself, if this is a Blog Against Theocracy blogswarm, why is she talking about taxpayer funded school vouchers

Well, in case you weren't aware of it, more than 85% of all private schools are private religious schools -- which means your tax dollars could be going toward funding a religious belief that is counter to your own. (And I am including in that comment your 'belief' not to believe.)

Also, almost all the taxpayer funded school voucher programs in existence today were designed so that the only schools willing to participate are private religious schools. The religious schools will accept a voucher of anywhere from $2500 to $4000 as full tuition payment. The better private schools, that have waiting lists and cost $20,000 a year or more, won't.

So, most of the taxpayer funded school voucher dollars are going right into church coffers.

Let me add that I fully support a parents decision to choose to send their children to a private religious school. Many do so because they not only want their children to be educated in the basics -- reading, writing and arithmetic -- but they also want their children to receive religious instruction. In many private religious schools religion isn't taught as a separate class. The students don't learn religion in first period, and then switch to secular math, english and science classes for the rest of the day. Religion is woven into every class lesson. And again, for the parents who choose that for their children, that's great!

But what about the child that transfers from a public school deemed to be "failing", into a private religious school that is not in keeping with the faith tradition of his or her family? Should that child's math education include learning how to add by counting the number of animals that boarded Noah's Ark?

And there is a great deal of evidence that suggests that the education children are receiving in these schools isn't significantly better than the education they receive in public schools. Keep in mind that public schools MUST ACCEPT EVERY student. That means students with behaviour problems, students with special needs, students with modest test scores. And, public schools must meet certain standards.

Private schools can exclude disruptive students, they can decide not to accept children with special needs, and they can even require that students maintain a certain grade point to remain at the school. And, there are no education standards that must met. It's also good to keep in mind there are no significant differences in test scores of public and private school students. To find out more about this I would suggest you start with David Berliner's book The Manufactured Crisis (written with B. J. Biddle).

You might wonder why I care about this, since I don't have any children of my own. I care because I recognize the value to me, and to all of us, in having an educated people living in this country.

As a nation we've made a commitment that our children received an education. How do we expect to compete in a global community if they don't? I want every child to receive the best education possible, and I want them to learn a full spectrum of ideas -- not ideas tied to one specific religious ideology.

Americans United says it best:

Americans must be free to contribute only to the religious groups of their choosing. Voucher programs violate this principle by forcing all taxpayers to underwrite religious education. Often, religious schools promote sectarian dogma and take controversial stands on issues such as gay rights, the role of women in society and reproductive freedom. Taxpayers should not be required to subsidize the spread of religious/moral opinions they may strongly disagree with. All religious projects including schooling should be funded with voluntary contributions from church members.

Blog Against Theocracy!

I've decided that my first post on this subject would be in the form of an introduction that shows what the First Freedom First project staff is doing to help get the word out about the importance of safeguarding separation of Church and State, and protecting religious liberty.

The young man featured in this video is Eric, one of the First Freedom First project managers. The interview took place at the Media Reform conference in Memphis, TN. It was at that conference that Phil Donahue and Laura Flanders signed on in support of the project.

Basically, from now until the end of the year, FFF staff and volunteers will spend many of our weekends staffing tables at various conferences, festivals and events. We do this to help spread the word about why it's important to keep church and state separate. It's also a way to answer people's questions about church-state separation face-to-face.

If you've never "tabled" before, it can really be fun. Most of the time the people who stop by agree with your point of view, but not always. And fortunately, only a few of the people who disagree are overtly hostile. (Maybe that's because much of this sort of outreach takes place at progressive events where people tend to support church-state separation.)

Let me close by making a blatant appeal for volunteers. There are any number of ways you can help safeguard separation of church and state. You can:

1. Continue posting about the importance of church-state separation.

2. Go to the resource page of the FFF web site and copy the HTML code to add a sidebar or banner graphic promoting First Freedom First.

3. You can click on the volunteer sign-up page, and come join us if we are tabling in your area.

4. You can continue to urge everyone you know to sign the petition in support of safeguarding separation of church and state, and protecting religious liberty.

We know that a majority of Americans support church-state separation, but far too many of our elected officials in both Congress and in State Legislatures don't seem to know or want to acknowledge this fact. If we want them to set policy that strengthens the wall of separation, instead of threatening it, we must be able to demonstrate that there is support. And the easiest way to do this is for everyone who supports church-state separation to ban together in one simple act -- by signing the petition.

I've heard Blue Gal say that getting progressives to all do the same thing at the same time is like trying to herd cats, but if we want to prevent Religious right leaders like James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson from having a disproportionate amount of influence over policy makers, we need to urge everyone to sign on.

I'm very excited about this weekend's Blog Against Theocracy, and can't wait to see what everyone contributes!



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It's almost here!!