Home : Religion and Belief

Expert Witness in Kitzmiller v. Dover Says Intelligent Design is Disguised Creationism (10/05/2005)
HARRISBURG, PA - Testimony today in Kitzmiller v. Dover , the first legal challenge to teaching intelligent design, traced the historical progression from creationism to intelligent design and revealed the true nature of the design theory: that it is creationism in disguise.

ACLU Urges Congress to Maintain Civil Rights Protections in Head Start; Warns That Removing Provisions Would Make Law Unconstitutional (09/21/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly urged the House of Representatives to oppose any amendments to the Head Start program that would repeal critical civil rights protections. That legislation, to be considered tomorrow, currently contains longstanding protections for teachers, staff and volunteers against employment discrimination. However, some lawmakers are expected to offer amendments that would repeal these key protections.

ACLU of New Jersey Joins Lawsuit Supporting Second-Grader's Right to Sing "Awesome God" at Talent Show (09/20/2005)
NEWARK, NJ -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today announced that it is seeking to participate as a friend-of-the-court in the case of a second-grade student who was barred from singing a religious song in a voluntary, after-school talent show.

ACLU Calls on President Bush to Keep Politics Out of Katrina Relief Legislation (09/15/2005)
WASHINGTON - In anticipation of President Bush's address to the nation tonight to unveil a new federal aid package for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, the American Civil Liberties Union cautioned that any government relief action must be mindful of the privacy and civil liberties of those affected. The president is expected to call for legislation that would provide job training and housing, but also controversial measures like school vouchers, faith-based initiatives and attacks on medical privacy.

Federal Judge Denies Pennsylvania School Board's Move to Stop Trial in "Intelligent Design" Challenge (09/13/2005)
HARRISBURG, PA -- A federal judge today denied an attempt by the Dover Area School Board to prevent a lawsuit challenging the presentation of "intelligent design" in public science classrooms from going forward. The trial will begin as scheduled on September 26, and the legal team representing the 11 parents who filed the lawsuit will host a pretrial media teleconference on Friday, September 16 at noon.

ACLU Helps Free New Mexico Street Preacher From Prison (08/04/2005)
PORTALES, NM -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico today announced that it has succeeded in freeing street preacher Shawn Miller from the Roosevelt County jail. Miller was arrested last April after Portales police claimed he was yelling at passing cars, although Miller maintains he was merely ""preaching the word of God.""

ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging Religious Discrimination by North Carolina Courts (07/26/2005)
RALEIGH, NC -- The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina today filed a lawsuit challenging the state's practice of refusing to allow people of faith to take an oath in court using a religious text other than the Christian Bible.

Georgia County Agrees to Remove Ten Commandments Display from Courthouse (07/19/2005)
ATLANTA--A federal judge today approved an order proposed jointly by Barrow County and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia requiring the removal of a Ten Commandments display from the county courthouse.

ACLU Applauds School Board Vote to Remove Evolution Disclaimers From Science Textbooks (07/14/2005)
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Beebe School District for formally voting to remove the stickers it had placed in science textbooks undermining the validity of evolution and introducing the religious concept of an "intelligent designer" behind the origin of life. Tuesday night, July 12, the school board voted three to two to remove the stickers, overcoming concerns about the cost of a lawsuit that might be filed by the ACLU and potential difficulties in monitoring how teachers might present intelligent design.

ACLU Urges North Carolina Courts to Allow Use of Multiple Religious Texts for Swearing Oaths (07/11/2005)
RALEIGH, NC -- The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina today accused the Administrative Office of Courts of dragging its feet on an important issue of religious freedom and called upon the rule-making body to adopt a policy allowing the use of the Qur'an and other religious texts for the swearing of oaths in court proceedings.

Prominent Chicago Religious Leaders Applaud Court Order Ending Pentagon's Special Funding for Boy Scout Jamboree (07/07/2005)
CHICAGO -- Two well-known Chicago religious leaders today hailed an injunction by U.S. District Court Judge Blanche Manning that bars the Pentagon from spending millions of dollars to support future Boy Scout Jamborees (the only youth organization event so funded by the Pentagon).