Freethought Today
Vol. 26 No. 4 - Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. -
May 2009
View the Table of Contents for this issue
State/Church Bulletin
Obama’s Notre Dame Speech
Catholic hierarchy, including Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops, opposed Notre Dame’s invitation to Pres. Barack Obama to give the May 17 commencement address. The Cardinal Newman Society petitioned Notre Dame’s priest president to disinvite Obama. Cardinal James Francis Stafford at the Vatican called Obama an unfit honoree, whose views on abortion and vision are “apocalyptic.”
In his speech, Obama made many religious references: “We must decide how to save God’s creation from a changing climate that threatens to destroy it.” He said “the imperfections of man” are understood by “those of us in the Christian tradition . . . to be rooted in original sin.”
He said “through this service” of working on community projects with Chicago churches, including Catholic churches, “I was brought to Christ.”
He counseled graduates: “Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. Stand as a lighthouse.” Then he cautioned that “the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt. . . It is beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us, and those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own. This doubt should not push us away from our faith. But it should humble us.”
Obama made one reference to “the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together,” the Golden Rule. “We are all fishermen.”
Basque President Omits Oath
Patzi Lopez, a Socialist leader, became the Basque region’s first non-nationalist president in early May. He was sworn into office after omitting the traditional mention of not being “humbled before God.”
Texas Parents Lose Cases
- A 2003 Texas law requiring public school students to observe a daily minute of silence in order to pray, reflect or otherwise remain quiet was upheld by a 3-judge panel in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in mid-March. Challenging the law were David and Shannon Croft, on behalf of their three children in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in suburban Dallas. They contended the inclusion of the word “pray” in the mandatory moment of silence law showed the religious intent.
- A federal judge in late March then dismissed their claim to remove “one state under God” from the Texas pledge of allegiance. They said the insertion of the words in 2007 was unconstitutional. Children are required to recite the pledge every morning after the U.S. pledge.
Shakedown Suit
A lawsuit has been filed charging that police in Tenaha, Texas, systematically shake down drivers passing through the town of 1,000. As much as $3 million has been seized from motorists–virtually all African-American or Latino. CNN reported in May that a local Baptist church received two checks totaling $6,000 as part of the shakedown.
Church Loses Suit in Michigan
A lawsuit filed on behalf of a Catholic organization against Northville township over a zoning dispute was rejected by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in early May. A group of monks and priests living in a residential neighborhood complained when they were asked to submit plans through the township’s review process. The monks argued they did not have to submit such plans under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
Death Penalty Not Overturned
The U.S. Supreme Court on April 20 turned away a challenge by a Texas inmate on death row, who claimed his rights were violated when jurors consulted a bible. Khristian Oliver said jurors reviewed a biblical passage stating that a murderer who used an iron object “shall surely be put to death,” before deciding whether to sentence him to death for shooting and bludgeoning his victim with the barrel of a gun.
The high court refused to review the case after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year agreed jurors wrongly consulted the bible, but ruled it did not prejudice them.
Arizona Tax Credit Case Revived
A federal appeals court in late April revived a challenge to Arizona’s decade-long income tax credit for donations to private (mostly religious) school scholarships. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that plaintiffs challenging the 1997 state tax credit law may stay in court. Challengers argue that the law channels a disproportionate amount of donations to sectarian scholarship groups, which funnel grants to students attending religious schools.
Bus Company Sued
The ACLU and the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign filed a lawsuit in May against the Bloomington Public Transportation Corp., for refusing to permit advertising of a sign saying, “You Can Be Good Without God.” The ACLU said the bus company’s policy to refuse any ad it considers controversial is “unconstitutionally vague.”
Judge Rules Against Teacher
A federal judge in early May ruled that a history teacher at a southern California public high school violated the First Amendment when he called creationism “superstitious nonsense” during a classroom lecture.
Student Chad Farnan sued James Corbett, his teacher, alleging Corbett had made more than 20 statements disparaging to Christians and their beliefs. The judge found only that Corbett’s reference to creationism crossed the line. Corbett teaches at Capistrano Valley High School.
Finally! Texas Evolves
The State Board of Education by two 8–7 votes in late March removed two provisions from proposed science standards that questioned key principles of the theory of evolution.
The closely-watched science standards set the state’s curriculum for the next decade.
Pakistani Cleric Demands Sharia
President Asif Ali Zardari signed a law on April 13 to implement sharia, or fundamentalist Muslim law, in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan vowed that Islamic law will spread to the rest of the country. Human Rights Watch protested that the Taliban is “taking Swat back to the Dark Ages and the Pakistani government is now complicit in their horrific abuses.”
Obama’s “Dial-a-Pastor” Line
Pres. Barack Obama is taking “spiritual guidance” from five different pastors, whom he phones “at moments of stress or when making big decisions,” according to the British Telegraph (March 21).
Four of them oppose equal rights for gays, including some who believe gays can be cured of their “sin” through prayer. Two advisers include Texas megachurch pastors who preach that personal wealth is a sign of godliness. They also oppose abortion. The pastors include:
- Bishop T.D. Jakes, who heads the 30,000 Potter’s House parish in Dallas, calls homosexuality “brokenness,” and wouldn’t hire a sexually active gay person. Yet his son Jermaine was arrested in February for soliciting gay sex in a park. Jakes preaches “prosperity theology,” in which God rewards the faithful with material gifts. He once bragged about his stable of luxury cars during a sermon.
- Kirbyjon Caldwell, who runs the world’s largest United Methodist congregation in Houston. His church prohibits ordaining “practicing gays” and same-sex unions.
- Joel Hunter, who runs a Central Florida megachurch and is a lifelong Republican (who gave the benediction at the Democratic National Convention). Hunter is already serving on a 25-member advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which will make policy.
- Jim Wallis, who edits Sojourner and has a deceptively liberal reputation, also opposes legal abortion and gay rights.
May 2009 Excerpts |
|
News |
Articles Confronting the Anything Goes Red Herring by John CarverPowerless Prayer? by Brian BoltonReviewing Darwin Books for Children by Nan SinceroCartoons by Don Addis |