A lot has happened since last week. Here are some of the developments we’ve been watching:
On Thursday, CNN reported that North Carolina gubernatorial candidate and Christian nationalist Mark Robinson made a series of alarmingly racist and sexually explicit comments on a pornography site between 2008 and 2012.
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order Wednesday making it illegal to use public funds to provide conversion therapy to minors and granting authority to the state’s board of licensure to discipline those who do. The practice, which seeks to change individuals’ sexual orientation or gender identity, has been widely discredited and denounced by the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association.
Beshear’s order is likely to face legal challenges. Christian law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, which helped overturn Roe v. Wade, richly issued a statement, alleging, “The government has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors…”
In Iowa this week, an administrative judge became the first to cite the state’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). A group of taxpayers asked the court last fall to review the property tax exemption on a pastor’s $700,000 home, alleging that public documents indicated the pastor, not his church, paid for the home, which should therefore be subject to taxation.
Ultimately, the judge sided with the church, finding the citizens’ question imposed “a substantial burden on the exercise of religion.” However, he made it quite clear RFRA was to blame, writing that prior to its passage, the answer would have been “an unequivocal yes (with individuals having done precisely this for at least a generation), whereas “the answer now appears to be no.”
There was also some big school privatization news this week. ProPublica reported the state of Ohio is “providing millions of dollars in grants directly to religious schools, most of them Catholic, to renovate buildings, build classrooms, improve playgrounds and more.” And, according to the Associated Press, rapidly expanding voucher programs are not only being used by religious schools to expand existing campuses but by churches to open new schools. The Executive Director of Ohio’s Christian Education Network said, “We didn’t need five Christian schools in the state — we needed 50.”
A new report from the Grand Canyon Institute found 60,000 voucher recipients in Arizona have accumulated $360 million in unspent funds. The report’s author said this money is being “stored away” rather than “being used to educate children” as it was intended. After decades of defunding via school privatization, Arizona’s public schools were ranked worst in the nation this week.
As I said, a lot has happened this week! But while America’s Religious Right continues to get rocked by sex scandals and proof that their policies — from conversion therapy to RFRAs to school privatization — are actively harmful, American Atheists is staying focused on our mission:
Our California Secular Advocacy Team released a ballot measure voter guide earlier this week. Next month in Spokane, WA, we’re partnering with Americans United to host a two-day “Unite Against Hate” conference. At the same time, we’re getting ready for our 2025 Annual Convention in Minneapolis, and our Legal & Policy team is putting the final touches on the forthcoming edition of our State of the Secular States report. Active members of American Atheists will also receive our special pre-election issue of American Atheist magazine in just a couple weeks!
As a nonprofit organization, all of our work depends on the generous support of our members and people like you. So, if your membership has lapsed or you haven’t supported us before, now’s the perfect time to start. I hope you’ll consider becoming a member today by giving a one-time gift of $45 or setting up a recurring contribution of just $5/month.
In solidarity,
Nick Fish
President
PS: We also just launched an exciting new merch campaign, but it won’t last long, so be sure to order your very own, limited-edition “Democracy, Not Theocracy” shirt today! There are six colors available in sizes S to XXXXL. All proceeds will come directly to American Atheists in support of our advocacy work across the nation in 2025 and beyond.
American Atheists is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, nonprofit educational organization that relies on the support of members like you. Contributions are tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 74-2466507 and our Combined Federal Campaign number is 52217.
American Atheists
225 Cristiani Street
Cranford, NJ 07016
United States