Category: Courts

November 2, 2011

The Latin Cross Is Still Christian – Drives Justice Thomas Insane

image of Utah Trooper Latin Crosses

A private non-profit association in Utah, the Utah Highway Patrol Association (UHPA), had been placing 12 foot tall white Latin crosses along roads and highways controlled by the state. The Utah Highway Patrol allowed the UHPA to use the trademark logo of the patrol as well. American Atheists filed suit in 2005 on 1st Amendment grounds and then on 10/31/2011 the US Supreme Court refused to hear the case leaving intact the ruling that the placement of crosses was unconstitutional. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ head exploded.

This again was an effort of religious right groups to make the Latin Cross generic which is the only way it might have made them constitutional.

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October 10, 2011

Government’s Argument In Church-School Discrimination Case Shocks Supreme Court

The fragile wall between church & state

Back in July I posted about a discrimination case involving a fired teacher at a church school in Redford Township, Michigan. She was fired after a long medical leave. The case was heard by the US Supreme Court on Wednesday October 5th. Instead of trying to argue under the religious clauses of the 1st amendment, the government is using an argument under the freedom of association clause. That choice seemed to shock the justices. I think it is brilliant – if it works.

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September 13, 2011

Federal Court to Decide on Oklahoma Sharia Ban

Image of a generic angry mob
Supporters of Sharia Law banIn the 2010 general election, voters in Oklahoma passed a ballot measure that attempts to ban Oklahoma courts from considering Islamic laws in the their decisions. The law was blocked when the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and ACLU sued. They claim the law violates the 1st amendment of the US Constitution, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act. This story shows that those who support the ban have a bigoted idea of Sharia law and have little knowledge of what our civil rights actually are.

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September 7, 2011

Court blocks land gift for Indiana religious school

August 31, 2011

An actual historian misleads about religious freedom

Image of actual Bill of Rights

You expect anti-knowledge people like “historian” David Barton to mislead the public about US history especially when it concerns religious freedom. You don’t expect an actual historian to mislead the public. I found one yesterday who tried to defend saying prayers during government meetings. He misses the point of the 1st amendment.

According to his bio on his column, Thomas S. Kidd…

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July 31, 2011

American Atheists risks bad PR to challenge World Trade Center “cross”

Two beams from World Trade Center that formed a cross

American Atheists have filed a lawsuit challenging a recent addition to the 9/11 memorial in New York. A piece of rubble from the World Trade Center terrorist attack that is in the shape of a cross. The suit has generated a lot of “bad” press from the media, death threats, and other nasty messages from the “peace and love” Christians. Some freethinkers and seculars might be complaining about picking this fight but I admire American Atheist for standing up for what they believe. I think they have a good case and so do the directors of the memorial.

The “cross” was found in the debris and then worshiped in the following days by believers working the site of the tragedy.

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