Join Us For Justice the El Paso Chapter of AU

12/06/2022

Join me in supporting the Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF), April 22-24, 2023, in Washington, D.C., or virtually. is the hub for our collective fight for religious freedom, church-state separation, and the issues that depend on them like LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, protecting public schools, and more. ​Registration and info at www.theSRF.org

It’s a big tent — welcoming everyone from longtime advocates to those just discovering the issue and its critical role in protecting our democracy, our equality, and our rights. We hope everyone can attend and enjoy SRF’s exciting mix of renowned keynote speakers, engaging workshops, and interactive trainings, as well as fun social and networking events.

We’re collaborating to defeat the biggest threats to these values, including Christian nationalism, right-wing radicals, and their coordinated campaign to force us to all live by their narrow, religious beliefs.

Join Us in the Fight at !

https://i.snoball.it/p/lYNK/f

The Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF) is the hub for our collective fight for religious freedom, church-state separation, and the issues that depend on them like LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights,...

11/16/2022

It’s time for the Senate to pass the to protect the tens of thousands of married same-sex & in*******al couples in the US – and the many others who have planned their lives around the freedom to marry. Urge your Senators to vote yes: https://www.au.org/get-involved/actions/urge-your-senators-to-protect-marriage-equality/

11/15/2022

This month, voters across the country went to the polls to vote for candidates, policies and more that will have a major impact on our fight for religious freedom, church-state separation and the issues that depend on them.

Join us, Wednesday, November 16th to be the first to hear about the results, how our democratic processes held up to the threats they faced (especially from Christian Nationalist candidates) and the impact on the issues we all care about including LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive rights, protecting public schools and more.

Featuring staff members of Americans United for Separation of Church & State:
Rachel Laser, President & CEO
​Andrew Seidel, VP of Strategic Communications
Maggie Garrett, VP of Public Policy
​Hosted by Brian Silva, VP of Outreach & Engagement

This webinar is part of our upcoming Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF), April 22-24, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Part of what makes SRF different is the continuous programming that accompanies it, including free webinars like these.

In the future these webinars will only be available to SRF registrants, but to celebrate our inaugural year, we’re inviting everyone to join us!

These webinars give a great example of some of the outstanding programming you can experience at SRF.

If you'd like more information on the April 2023 Summit for Religious Freedom, please contact us by sending us a note here, or send a message to [email protected].

Registration Link: https://www.mobilize.us/au/event/540595/

10/25/2022

October 26, 2022 is the 265th anniversary of the birth of Charles Pinckney. Please raise a glass in his honor!!

Charles Pinckney (October 26, 1757 – October 29, 1824) was an American Founding Father, planter, and politician who was a signer of the United States Constitution. He was elected and served as the 37th governor of South Carolina, later serving two more non-consecutive terms. He also served as a U.S. Senator and a member of the House of Representatives

Why should we care? Because Pinckney introduced a clause into the Constitution in opposition to an established state religion. His No Religious Test Clause read as follows:

no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States

Once the inclusion of the phrase was brought to a vote, it passed with little opposition. For the first time, an official of a national government was not required to have a religion.

09/15/2022

This is horrifying and shows the disconnect between radical white wing and mainstream Christianity.

The United States is seeing the rise of Christian nationalism and how it's deeply impacting today's political climate, especially with the far-right. Amanda ...

08/16/2022

"Religious freedom is supposed to belong to all of us-- not just to those who hold power." -- Rachel Lasar, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

08/13/2022

No public school student should ever feel pressured to pray in school, but the Supreme Court just destroyed that basic protection.

08/09/2022

Our county commissioners court

El Paso County Commisioners approved a resolution Monday to support individuals who may seek abortion services.

07/11/2022

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has abolished the constitutional right to an abortion, religious extremists are feeling as emboldened as ever. Abortion bans undermine religious freedom by attempting to impose one religious viewpoint on all of us.

That’s why on Wednesday, July 13 we want you to join hundreds of thousands of people across every state for the Bans Off Our Bodies Walkout, organized by our friends at Planned Parenthood!

The Bans Off Our Bodies Walkout is a national day of action that Americans United For Separation of Church and State is proud to support in order to amplify the fight for abortion rights and church-state separation. Please sign up to take action by clicking the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_OdnqC6wlsyNUBx3swi47byJqcsxtoQjqgH2r-vllvazMGQ/viewform

There are two ways to participate:

1. If you can, walk out from work on July 13 at 4:00 pm your local time. Participants will turn on an out-of-office message explaining that they left work early to call attention to abortion rights and post a graphic and caption to their social media about it.

2. Post a graphic and caption on your social media in solidarity with walkout participants and abortion providers on July 13 at 4:00 pm your local time.

We hope you will join in this mass action to tell the world we aren't backing down.

The end of Roe is not business as usual. Stripping people of their right to abortion will have dangerous consequences. This ruling harms people of all genders, incomes, and backgrounds — including workers, businesses, and the economy. It jeopardizes the future of work and each worker’s future. N...

07/08/2022

Christian nationalism is not Christian. In fact, it is idolatry, violates God’s commandments, breaches freedom of religion, and claims innocent lives.

More Christians must step up. We must do more than just watch the January 6th hearings aghast. We cannot allow our faith to continue to be hijacked by white supremacists covered in religious langu…

07/05/2022

How to indoctrinate students, 101. Florida gov. launches teacher initiative training
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Americans United for Separation of Church and State is launching an investigation into new Florida educational standards that reportedly promote white Christian Nationalism.

Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a Civics Literacy Excellence Initiative (CLEI) and Florida educators recently attended a three-day training session to learn how to teach students the new material. “There was this Christian nationalism philosophy that was just baked into everything,” one teacher told the Miami Herald, which broke the story.

The billion-dollar shadow network Americans United has been fighting in court and around the country seems to be involved in promoting the standards. Americans United’s investigation seeks to uncover the extent to which the training sessions were developed by the conservative Christian groups like Hillsdale College and the Koch-founded Bill of Rights Institute.

During the training, slides shown to teachers describing the new curriculum called facts about our nation’s history “misconceptions,” including that “The Founders desired strict separation of church and state and the Founders only want to protect Freedom of worship” and “The American colonies were characterized by religious intolerance … and there was no religious liberty in America until the First Amendment.” During breakout sessions, the state’s presenters reportedly highlighted the influence of Jesus Christ and the Bible in the country’s foundation. The training also whitewashed the role of slavery in American history.

In a public records request filed today with the Florida Department of Education, Americans United is demanding all documents, materials, contracts and audio or video recordings related to the CLEI trainings, and all department correspondence relating to the trainings, including communications with Hillsdale College.

Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser said: “Americans United is considering all options. We’re not going to sit by while politicians smuggle white Christian Nationalism into public school curriculums under the guise of good citizenship. This is another attack in the long war religious extremists and their lawmaker allies have launched on our public schools, as is the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which shamefully takes effect in Florida today.

“Our public schools suffered devastating blows at the Supreme Court over the last few weeks. First, the court forced Maine taxpayers to fund private religious education. Then, the court falsely described a coach’s coercive prayer as ‘personal’ and stopped public schools from protecting their students. In both cases, the court redefined the constitutional promise of religious freedom for all as religious privilege for a select few.

“The state shouldn’t be indoctrinating students into Christian nationalism, but educating them about the separation of church and state, which is embedded in our Constitution because the founders recognized it is the only guarantee of religious freedom for all. What we need right now is a national recommitment to the separation of church and state.”

# # #

Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. Learn more at www.au.org.

06/20/2022

"This coach is being used as a pawn."

The expected result is a win for the coach and the erosion of a bedrock of American democracy: the separation of church and state.

05/19/2022

EVENT PLANNING MEETING> EVERYONE WELCOME

Interesting times call for interesting events.

At the May 21st meeting, we'll collaborate to plan a local event in which we will examine what a reversal of Roe v Wade at the Supreme Court would mean to the country, and the probable other similar decisions that may follow.

4:00 pm-5:30 pm
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Scenic's Bar & Kitchen in El Paso, TX 4130 N. Mesa

If you would like to invite others, please feel free to do so. We will also have a chapter meeting which is a great way to learn about the issues both local and nationally.

We hold a combination Chapter meeting/Board meeting on the 2nd Saturday every third month. Future times and locations may vary but meetings will generally be in the afternoon and rarely last more than 1-1/2 hours. Anyone interested in learning more is welcome to attend.

COVID-19 safety measures : Event will be outdoor

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns and to RSVP. Email: [email protected]
Text: 525-8543

Click link for map to:
4130 N. Mesa

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

04/27/2022

Very interesting podcast that covers yesterday's Supreme Court hearing of this far reaching case.

The justices’ decision could have broad implications for freedom of religion — and freedom from it.

04/20/2022

Register for this virtual member briefing taking place the day after oral arguments at the Supreme Court. See backstory to this important case below.

Tuesday, April 26
7:30pm-8:30pm EDT
via Zoom

On April 25 AU’s Legal Director Richard Katskee will argue before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the school district in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. This case is about a coach who violated the religious freedom of students by pressuring them to join his public prayers at the 50-yard line at public high school football games. We’re defending the school district, which did the right thing to protect its students when it stopped the coach from leading students in public prayer.

We want our members and supporters to be among the first to hear from us about the arguments. So we’re inviting you to a special virtual briefing on Tuesday, April 26.

For more information and to register:

# Post-Argument AU Member Briefing: _Kennedy v. Bremerton School District_ (SCOTUS) # # # (Via Zoom) Oral arguments in _Kennedy v. Bremerton School District_ are set to take place on April 25th at the U.S. Supreme Court. On the following day we're hosting a briefing where you'll hear our analysis of h...

03/30/2022

03/09/2022

Share your story with Americans United to help us protect everyone's First Amendment rights.

It's getting real. The facts in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District are clear: High school players felt pressure to join their coach's public prayers at the 50-yard line at public high school football games.

Here's the issue: No one at public schools should feel pressured to participate in religious activities. Whether you're a student or a faculty member, public schools are supposed to be inclusive and should not promote religion or compel anyone to take part in religious activities.

* Have you ever felt pressured to pray in public school or as part of a team? Did your public school coaches or teachers lead you in prayer?

* Have you ever felt discriminatedd against at your public school because of your religion?

* Were there teachers who assigned Bible readings or taught religious tenets like creationsim during science, history or health classes?

* Did your public school invite faith leaders to speak at assemblies or include prayers during graduations, sporting events or morning announcements?

* As a public school coach or educator, tell us how you have created a safe environment for all students regardlessw of their religion - so no one feels the need to "pray to play".

Please share your story with us!
Go to: https://www.au.org/get-involved/actions/school-story/
Scroll to the bottom where it says: Take Action.

The facts in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District are clear: High school players felt pressured to join their coach’s public prayers at the 50-yard line at public high school football games.

Our country’s foundational principle of church-state separation means that no one should ever have to choose between their religious freedom and being part of the team.

Have you ever felt pressured to pray in public school or as part of a team? Share your story and help us protect everyone’s First Amendment rights. https://www.au.org/get-involved/actions/school-story

01/01/2022

Please note the following two informative and fascinating upcoming programs.

Katherine Stewart presents: "The Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism"

The Delaware Valley Chapter of Americans United, invites everyone to a Zoom event featuring author Katherine Stewart, Monday, January 10th at 3:20 PM MST.

Click on the link below to register.

Katherine Stewart is the author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism (Bloomsbury). She writes about politics, policy, religion and education for The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, and The New Republic among others. The Power Worshippers was awarded First Place in the Excellence in Nonfiction Religion Books category by the Religion News Association. Stewart's previous book, The Good News Club, was an investigation of the religious right and public education.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUoceqrqzkpGdT2asGBdbO26Sa2P304jZSU
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Should there be religious exemptions from public health requirements?

The Central Savannah River Area and Houston chapters will co-host a Zoom event at 5 pm MT, Thursday, January 20 featuring an infectious disease specialist, a medical ethicist, a clergy member and AU Associate VP/ Associate Legal Director Alex Luchenitser to will address this question

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Zoom event.

We invite you all to tune in. If you can't watch live, you can register to receive a recording once it is published.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2916402196359/WN_fKbDSI70Rh2CVYkAaCxguw

An infectious disease specialist, a medical ethicist, a clergy member and a legal expert will discuss public health requirements that have been mandated during the COVID-19 pandemic & whether religious organizations should be exempted from such requirements. (Scroll down for panelists' bios.) Thursd...

12/04/2021

Religious extremists and their lawmaker allies are trying to force everyone else to live by their beliefs and to use religion as a license to harm others. Shielding our shared laws from ANY religion’s influence frees us to come together and build a stronger democracy.

10/31/2021

Please remember to vote against Proposition 3 this Tuesday!

While some fundamentalist groups chafed at the stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic, mainstream religious leaders acknowledged them as necessary to protect everyone’s health and safety.

10/22/2021

A proposed constitutional amendment that would restrict the government’s ability to place restrictions on worship services will appear on the ballot before Texas voters this Election Day.

10/14/2021

By David Marcus On Nov. 2, Texas voters will be asked to vote on Proposition 3, which would prohibit state and local governments from adopting any

09/25/2021

Newly released video by the League of Women Voters of Texas explains Texas Proposition 3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncFEnVq6sTs

For more information find the League of Women Voters nonpartisan Voters Guide at VOTE411.orgProposition 3 would add a new section to Article 1 of the Texas C...

03/10/2021

Join the Houston Chapter of AU for a webinar with Dr. Neal Jones.

6 pm Mountain, Monday, March 15th, 2021

In recent years, the Religious Right has resumed an old tactic--distorting the meaning of "religious freedom" in order to justify discrimination against groups they frown upon, including LGBTQ people, women, religious minorities, non-believers and others.

Dr. Neal Jones will discuss how religious extremists are asking state legislatures, Congress and the courts to legalize their bigotry. He'll suggest how we can stand up to those who would harm others in the name of religion.

Dr. Jones is chair of the board of trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

He's been a plaintiff in two AU lawsuits: to prevent South Carolina from issuing state-sponsored Christian license plates and to end the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' policy barring nontheists from offering invocations to open House sessions.

Dr. Jones is a practicing psychologist in Asheville, NC and a Unitarian Universalist minister who has worked in clinical settings and served congregations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Register using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3216142943906/WN_HZrwDFNhR1GZJsjp1Pcfhg

Dr. Neal Jones is chair of the board of trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He'll discuss how religious extremists are asking state legislatures, Congress and the courts to legalize their use of religion as an excuse to discriminate against others and will suggest how we...

11/24/2020

David Marcus from the El Paso, TX Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church & State delivered an invocation at the El Paso County Commissioners Court Meeting on Nov 23, 2020. The invocation starts after the Pledge of Allegiance at about 9:33 min.

*Full video of meetings can take up to 24 hours to post to Youtube after the conclusion of live broadcasts. El Paso County Commissioners Court Meeting Novemb...

09/15/2020

David Marcus JUFJ president, participating today in Lobbying Day on the Hill -- from his office as part of the Americans United virtual National Leadership Conference.

He and others are meeting virtually with Texas legislators or their legislative assistants: Representatives Veronica Escobar and Kenny Marchant, and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to represent our organization's members and supporters throughout the state.

Issues at hand: the Do No Harm Act and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

06/30/2020

Religious school voucher program: new ruling exposes taxpayers to forced funding of discrimination

Five takeaways from today's Supreme Court Ruling on Vouchers.
Go to:
au.org/blogs/montana-voucher-ruling

For latest daily news on all current activities impacting separation of church & state, go to our website at joinusforjustice.org. Scroll down to the bottom and see the link to the Americans United blog.

06/09/2020

The government is allowing federal pandemic aid to pay for clergy salaries, something that once would have been unthinkable.

05/30/2020

A California church argued that restrictions on public gatherings treated houses of worship worse than many businesses.

04/09/2020

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a32068491/stimulus-bill-fund-religious-organizations

"...this is the direct funding of religion with money taxed from the rest of us, some of whom may not believe in anybody’s god."

This is unconstitutional.

04/05/2020

When the health and well-being of the population is at stake, and public officials have a duty to take steps to protect it.

03/28/2020

Trump’s response to the pandemic has been haunted by the science denialism of his ultraconservative religious allies.

03/02/2020

-- March 1 Trivia Night fundraiser --

According to the staff at Scenics Bar & Kitchen we attracted the largest crowd they've had so far at the Trivia Night event we hosted Sunday, March 1st.

A portion of each person's entry fee was used to award a cash prize to the winning team with the larger portion going to our organization.

In addition to the regular trivia questions, we also held three bonus rounds of trivia questions related to the separation of church & state. Two winners for each round received our "I Respectfully Disagree" signature mug.

Congratulations to all the winners. And thanks to everyone who came to support our organization.

02/29/2020

On what night is Super Tuesday?

Too easy? We guarantee that the questions in tomorrow’s “Geeks who Drink Quiz Night” will be more challenging than that! But if you enjoy trivia, we can guarantee that you’ll have a great time. Some of you may go home with cash prizes!

5:30 Sunday, March 1
Scenics Bar & Kitchen
4130 North Mesa in El Paso
Entry fee $5 per person.
Proceeds benefit Join Us for Justice

The game begins promptly at 8 so be there early (7:30) to ensure your best chance of winning. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

Bring your friends and join the fun!

02/21/2020

02/04/2020

Most Trump supporters probably aren't even aware of the more extreme Trump initiatives.....but this one is one of the more frightening ones.

If you're a parent, hoping to send your child to a public school, paid for with your tax dollars, and you want to be able to have some control over what faith your child is brought up believing in, good luck.

Trump hopes to use your public schools, and your tax dollars, to force your children to pray to whatever Christian faith is in the majority in your community.

And, almost without fail, that majority won't be Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, or any other minority faith. And if you happen to practice a more secular lifestyle, good luck.

We are rolling back the clock to the worst of times and all
our children will have to learn to conform, or they will be the target of incredible abuse. Prayer in school will become a tool to convert those of other faiths, and an excuse to harm those children who refuse to participate.

Here are some of the more abusive guidelines outlined in the piece below:

• The guidelines state that students have an absolute right to “attempt to persuade their peers about religious topics just as they do with regard to political topics.” Interpreted broadly, this rule could open the door to religiously based harassment and bullying. Equating religious speech with political speech also invites students to introduce religious topics into classrooms at times when it may not be appropriate.

• The guidelines imply that “student-initiated prayer” is permissible at school-sponsored events, a standard that has never been adopted by the Supreme Court.

• The guidelines cite a 1984 federal law known as the Equal Access Act to assert that student-led religious clubs may deny leadership positions based on religious or moral views. In fact, the Equal Access Act does not say that.

While Trump made a big deal about the release of the document, it was hardly the Earth-shattering move he portrayed it to be. Federal law requires that administrations periodically issue religion-in-public-school guidelines.

10/22/2019

You don’t have to be a cynic to question the timing of this eruption of God talk. We have an administration that claims to be championing Christian values at a time when news headlines every day expose more rot and corruption within it.

10/19/2019

The US State Department promoting Christian Values (as opposed to other religious beliefs and values??).

If you practice ANY faith other than Christianity, or no faith at all, I'll bet this makes you feel all warm and fuzzy about the Trump administration.

I wonder when this administration will take an occasional moment to glance at the US Constitution?

“Secretary Pompeo cannot use his official position and government resources to proselytize and impose his faith on the rest of us – those are fundamental violations of the separation of religion and government,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United.