Home : Religion and Belief : Government-Funded Religion

Lawsuit Aims To Remove Amendments 7 And 9 From Florida's November Ballot (06/13/2008)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A group of concerned organizations, including The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Florida, filed a lawsuit today in the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Court in and for Leon County on behalf of a group of Floridians representing parents of public school students, teachers, administrators and concerned citizens. The goal of the lawsuit is to prevent Amendments 7 and 9 from reaching the November ballot.

ACLU Applauds Removal of Unconstitutional "Creation Science" Earmark from Appropriations Bill (10/18/2007)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union, alongside 33 other religious, civil rights, education, science and advocacy organizations celebrated today as Senator David Vitter (R-LA) withdrew an unconstitutional earmark that would have funded the teaching of creationism in public school science classes. The earmark was added on to the Fiscal Year 2008 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill’s Committee Report.

Federal Court Blocks Louisiana from Funneling Taxpayer Funds to Favored Churches (10/05/2007)
NEW ORLEANS - In a victory for religious liberty, a federal judge today issued an order blocking the payment of taxpayer-funded grants to two Louisiana churches. The court found that "these non-neutral, direct money grants of taxpayer funds to favored houses of worship are clearly unconstitutional." The order comes as a result of a lawsuit filed last month by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Louisiana.

ACLU Challenges Louisiana Law Funneling Taxpayer Funds to Favored Churches (08/13/2007)
NEW ORLEANS – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Louisiana filed a lawsuit today asking a federal judge to halt the payment of state taxpayer money to two Louisiana churches.

Louisiana Legislators Should Not Put Taxpayer Money in the Plate for Churches and Ministries to Use for Evangelistic Purposes (06/15/2007)
BATON ROUGE - The ACLU of Louisiana urges the State Senate to strip earmarked tax dollars out of the budget that go directly to fund churches and evangelistic ministries in violation of the First Amendment. The State House has already passed the appropriations bill that contains at least 10 questionable items inserted by legislators without any detailed information about the churches and groups slated for special favors.

ACLU of North Carolina Applauds Court Ruling Preventing Religious Discrimination in the Courtroom (05/24/2007)
RALEIGH – The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina today applauded a ruling by Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway requiring that people of non-Christian faiths must be allowed to use religious texts other than the Christian Bible when being sworn in as jurors or witnesses in state court proceedings.

ACLU Praises Decision To Overturn Georgia Tax Exemption For Certain Religious Texts (05/18/2007)
ATLANTA – The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today praised a decision by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia striking down two state sales and use tax exemptions. The provisions that were overturned Thursday applied only to certain religious texts and the court ruled that they were discriminatory on the basis of the content of the speech.

ACLU Applauds Congress’ Vote For Religious Freedom (05/02/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today praised the House for standing for religious freedom during its vote of HR 1429, the “Improving Head Start Act of 2007.” The body rejected a motion that would have removed longstanding civil rights protections prohibiting the hiring of teachers, staff and volunteers based on religion in Head Start programs. The provision failed by a vote of 195 to 222.

North Carolina Residents File Lawsuit Challenging the Use of Sectarian Invocations to Open County Commissioners' Meetings (03/30/2007)
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Acting on behalf of several Forsyth County residents, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and the Winston-Salem Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit in federal court today, challenging the use of sectarian invocations to open official meetings of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

ACLU Praises Committee’s Vote For Religious Freedom, Head Start Will Continue to Hire Teachers Based on Qualifications not on Religious Beliefs (03/14/2007)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today praised the House Education and Labor Committee for standing for religious freedom during its mark up of HR 1429, the “Improving Head Start Act of 2007.” The committee rejected an amendment to the bill that would have removed longstanding civil rights protections prohibiting the hiring of teachers, staff and volunteers based on religion in Head Start programs. The provision failed by a vote of 24 to 13.

Supreme Court Should Reject Attempt to Silence Taxpayers, ACLU Says (02/28/2007)
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court today heard arguments in an appeal by the Bush administration to severely limit the right of taxpayers to sue over government funding of religious activities. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups filed a brief urging the Court to uphold legal precedent and protect religious freedom.

Appeals Court Finds Louisiana School Board Improperly Engaged in Sectarian Prayer During Meetings (12/16/2006)
NEW ORLEANS—In a religious freedom case brought by a local family and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that the Tangipahoa Parish School Board acted improperly by promoting their own sectarian religious beliefs during meetings.

MCLU Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision Not to Accept Case Challenging Maine Law Protecting Religious Freedom (11/28/2006)
WASHINGTON - This week the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case that sought to undermine Maine’s prohibition on using taxpayer funds to subsidize religious education. The Maine Civil Liberties Union argued successfully in support of the position taken by the state of Maine and approved earlier by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

ACLU Criticizes House Passage of “Public Expression of Religion Act,” Says Bill Weakens Individual Religious Freedom (09/26/2006)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the House of Representatives for adopting H.R. 2679, the “Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005” (PERA). The bill would bar the recovery of attorneys’ fees to citizens who win lawsuits asserting their fundamental constitutional and civil rights in cases brought under the First Amendment.

ACLU Condemns House Panel's Passage of "Public Expression of Religion Act," Calls Bill A Direct Attack on Freedom of Religion (09/07/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its dismay as the House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 2679, the "Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005" (PERA). The bill would bar the recovery of attorneys' fees to those who win lawsuits asserting their fundamental constitutional and civil rights in cases brought under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

ACLU Represents Jewish War Veterans and San Diego Residents in Effort to Relocate Mt. Soledad Memorial (08/24/2006)
SAN DIEGO – The American Civil Liberties Union, the Jewish War Veterans and local residents announced today that they are suing the U.S. government and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, charging that the continued display of the Mt. Soledad Latin cross on federally owned land unlawfully entangles government with religion.

ACLU Asks Senate to Reject "Public Expression of Religion Act," Says Bill Will Stifle Religious Freedom (08/02/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged a key Senate panel to reject a bill whose sponsors say it will enhance freedom of religion, but will actually have the opposite effect. S. 3696, the "Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005" (PERA), would bar the recovery of attorneys' fees to those who win lawsuits asserting their fundamental constitutional and civil rights in cases brought under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

ACLU of Alaska Says Tax Exemption Favors Religious Groups Over Other Charitable Organizations (06/12/2006)
ANCHORAGE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska and two Anchorage residents today filed a lawsuit to overturn State House Bill 334, which gives religious groups a special property tax exemption that is not available to other charitable organizations.

ACLU Wins Open Access for All Visitors to Martin’s Cove National Historic Site in Wyoming (06/07/2006)
CHEYENNE, WY – The American Civil Liberties Union today announced a settlement granting unfettered access to the Martin’s Cove National Historic Site, which had been leased to the Church of Latter-day Saints by the federal government. Prior to the settlement the only way to reach the area was through the church’s privately owned and operated Visitor’s Center.

Prominent Chicago Religious Leaders Ask Federal Appellate Court to Protect Government Neutrality in Religion and End Pentagon's Extraordinary Funding for Boy Scout Jamboree (04/05/2006)
CHICAGO - Two well-known Chicago religious leaders have asked a federal appellate court in Chicago to uphold the basic constitutional principle of government neutrality between religious groups and secular groups and bar the Pentagon from the extraordinary spending of millions of dollars to support future Boy Scout Jamborees (the only youth organization event so funded by the Pentagon). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is hearing arguments on Thursday April 6 in Winkler v. Rumsfeld, a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.