Tag: church and state

June 28, 2013

Ohio State Gives Church $12.8 Million Bribe

Ohio State logo and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Ohio State is giving St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church $12.8 million

In a report, in my local paper, I learned that the Ohio State University is paying a church $12.8 million to keep them from building student housing on their property which is surrounded by the University. Talk about a windfall for the church. The property the church planned to use was valued at $212,000 by the county auditor. The agreement is set to last for 25 years and gives OSU the right to buy the property if the church plans to sell it. To me, the millions being paid should have purchased the property not to support the church. Is this really a good use of tax dollars?

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June 17, 2013

Fifty Years After Abington School District v. Schempp, Church & State Still In A Struggle

photo of Ellery Schempp in 2012
Ellery Schempp – His protest of required Bible reading in his High School lead to the case Abington School District v. Schempp being decided in 1963

On June 17th 1963, the US Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision that supported the separation of church and state in public schools – Abington School District v. Schempp. Even 50 years after the decision, we seem to have to fight the same battle over and over again. That is what happens in the struggle for civil rights. You have to be vigilant or they can be taken away. We need to celebrate dissenters like Schempp and we all need to try and emulate his activism.

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June 11, 2013

Ohio Representative Introduces Law To Give Public School Students Credit For Religious Study

official photo of Ohio Representative Bill Patmon (D-10)
Ohio Representative Bill Patmon (D-10) wants to give credit for religious study during school time

Ohio House Bill 171, introduced by Representative Bill Patmon (D-10), would allow students to receive credit for studying religion during what is called release time. If passed, Ohio would be the second state to give credit for religious study during the school day. It’s too bad that Rep. Patmon reasons for the law are based on false assumptions and it looks like just an attempt to subvert court decisions that keep church and state separate in public schools.

Here is the text for the proposed law as introduced on May 21st 2013:

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June 6, 2013

Religious Freedom Only Counts If You’re Christian

cartoon showing hypocrisy of those who want unity but exclude Muslims

Two recent church and state stories once again prove that some Christians in this country only believe religious freedom counts if you’re a Christian. Debate over a Defense Department budget bill in Congress and Hecklers at a Muslim Group’s Event In Tennessee shows there are still people on the wrong side of history. This is why we have to remain vigilant against attempts by bigots to violate the separation of church and state.

On Wednesday while Congress was debating a large defense authorization bill, an amendment was offered to allow non-theists to join the armed forces chaplaincy. The reaction from the Christian bigots was intense:

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May 7, 2013

Brunsman Wants Every Student To Know They Can Opt-Out Of The Beliefs Of The Cultural Mainstream

offical image of August E. Brunsman IV, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance
August E. Brunsman IV, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance

I have known August Brunsman, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance (SSA), for at least 13 years through my Humanist group in Columbus Ohio. I got to watch from the front row as SSA hatched and grew into the premium secular student group in the United States it is today. SSA, as a group, has little drama and they seem to do things right. I conducted an e-mail interview with August asking a range of questions from when his first act of religious dissent was, what is a major issue facing secular students today, and his feelings on the current and sometimes fiery debate over sexism in secular groups.

August graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The Ohio State University in 2001. While at OSU he co-founded Students for Freethought at the Ohio State University. He has also volunteered over the years for Camp Quest, serves as Secretary for the board of the Humanist Community of Central Ohio and served as Secretary for the board of the Secular Coalition for America. August is a registered humanist celebrant and performs nontheistic weddings, naming ceremonies, and memorial services.

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May 2, 2013

National Day of Reason – For Everybody

graphic with words National Day of Reason
National Day of Reason: May 2nd 2013

The first Thursday in May is the National Day of Reason. It was created as a response to the National Day of Prayer held on the same day. the National Day of Reason is to celebrate reason – a concept all Americans can support – and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government when it takes sides.

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