Home : Religion and Belief

Texas Supreme Court Calls Removal Of Children From Yearning For Zion Ranch "Unwarranted" (05/29/2008)
AUSTIN, TEX. – The Texas Supreme Court today agreed with the American Civil Liberties Union that the state failed to provide evidence sufficient to justify its removal of children from 38 mothers at the Yearning For Zion Ranch (YFZ) in Eldorado. In its ruling, the Supreme Court denied the state’s challenge to an appeals court finding that the removal was unwarranted, effectively requiring the state to return the children to the custody of their mothers.

ACLU Submits Brief In Texas FLDS Case Saying State Can't Separate Families Based Solely On Beliefs (05/29/2008)
AUSTIN, TX -- The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Texas today submitted a friend of the court brief with the Texas Supreme Court opposing a petition from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS) to retain custody of the children of 38 mothers from the Yearning For Zion Ranch (YFZ) in Eldorado, Texas.

Court Agrees Public Schools Cannot Hand Out Bibles to Students (04/22/2008)
NEW ORLEANS - Today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana ruled against a public school in Tangipahoa Parish that handed out Bibles to 5th-graders, saying the school infringed students' religious freedom. On May 9, 2007, the principal at Loranger Middle School invited the Gideon group into the school to distribute Bibles. Students were pulled out of class, brought outside of the principal's office and put in a line to receive Bibles.

Design Should Not Be Taught in Florida’s Public School Science Classrooms (03/12/2008)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today spoke out against Florida Senate Bill 2692, following a news conference held by TV personality Ben Stein. The following can be attributed to Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida: “The presumption of this bill is that all you have to do to teach something in a science class is to call it science. Simply saying something is science does not make it so and calling Intelligent Design science, does not make is science. Intelligent Design relies on the assertion that there is a supernatural creator, which inherently precludes it from being scientific, as the ACLU proved in our landmark case in Dover, PA.

Texas School Board Agrees To Stop Teaching Unconstitutional Bible Class In Public Schools (03/05/2008)
ODESSA, TX – The Ector County School Board agreed today to stop teaching a course in its public schools that unconstitutionally promotes a particular interpretation of the Bible that is not shared by Jews, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and most Protestants.

ACLU Sues To Protect Marriages Threatened By Recent Court Decision (02/14/2008)
PHILADELPHIA – The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed the first three lawsuits today in a planned statewide challenge of a recent judicial declaration stating that marriages are invalid if presided over by a minister who does not regularly serve a church or preach in a physical house of worship. The ruling potentially endangers thousands of marriages in Pennsylvania.

ACLU Urges House Committee to Fix Flawed Workplace Religious Freedom Act (02/12/2008)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today called on the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions subcommittee of the House Education & Labor Committee to fix the flawed Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA). As written in the 110th Congress, the legislation threatens the personal and civil rights of religious and racial minorities, women, LGBT individuals, and persons seeking reproductive health care.

Vidor School District Makes Pledge of Allegiance Optional After ACLU Challenge (01/23/2008)
AUSTIN, TX - The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas applauded the Vidor Independent School District (VISD) Board of Directors today for revising district policy to protect students’ right to decide for themselves whether to participate in the pledge of allegiance. The new policy, which went into effect immediately, provides students the daily “opportunity to stand and recite the pledges of allegiance to the United States and Texas flags.”

American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota inquiry into Normandale Community College meditation room (12/18/2007)
St. Paul, Minn - The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota announced today that it is inquiring into Normandale Community College’s meditation room after hearing allegations of improper use. The ACLU-MN is concerned that way the prayer room is currently structured may violate the establishment clause.

ACLU to Florida Board of Education: Don’t Allow Religious Groups to Force Their Beliefs Into Science Classes (12/18/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter to the Florida Board of Education (FBOE) outlining the potential legal risks of adopting a science curriculum that includes particular religious groups’ beliefs about the origins of the universe.

ACLU Says Religious Tests for Public Office Unconstitutional (12/06/2007)
NEW YORK – Today’s speech by presidential candidate Mitt Romney provides an excellent opportunity for all Americans to consider the appropriate role of faith in public life. While religious expression is a valued and protected part of the First Amendment rights guaranteed to all citizens, as is the right to speak about it, the Constitution also mandates that government stay out of the business of promoting religion.