From www.fivethirtyeight.com:
RT: Yes, that new report is The Coming End of the Culture Wars. In the report, I argue that the culture wars as we have known them are likely coming to an end. Demographic change-- the rise of the Millennial generation, increasing religious and family diversity and the decline of the culturally conservative white working class--is undercutting both the level and salience of conservative cultural views, thereby reducing the effectiveness of such politics. That will not prevent conservative activists around particular culture wars issues from continuing to press their case. Indeed, reaction to their current desperate plight may lead them to intensify their efforts in some states, especially where demographic change has been slow or where local right wing culture war institutions retain strength. But there will be diminishing incentives for politicians to take up these causes for the very simple reason that they are losers.
To link directly to a pdf version of the report, click here.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Americans United Commends Appellate Court Decision Against Bible Distribution In Mo. Public School
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today praised a federal appeals court decision barring Bible distribution in a Missouri public school district.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the South Iron R-1 School District may not allow distribution of Bibles to children in elementary school.
Americans United, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, hailed the ruling.
"Parents, not school officials, should make decisions about their children's religious upbringing," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "School officials are wrong to allow evangelism by outside groups.
"As a Christian minister, I don't have a problem with the Bible," Lynn continued. "But I do have a big problem with government officials who try to impose religion on school children. They have no right to do that."
Read more here: http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2009/07/au-commends-appellate-court.html
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the South Iron R-1 School District may not allow distribution of Bibles to children in elementary school.
Americans United, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, hailed the ruling.
"Parents, not school officials, should make decisions about their children's religious upbringing," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "School officials are wrong to allow evangelism by outside groups.
"As a Christian minister, I don't have a problem with the Bible," Lynn continued. "But I do have a big problem with government officials who try to impose religion on school children. They have no right to do that."
Read more here: http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2009/07/au-commends-appellate-court.html
Ensign's "C Street House" Owned By Group Touting Plans For Christian World Control digg Share this on Facebook Huffpost - stumble reddit del.ico.us Sh
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/ensigns-c-street-house-ow_b_230015.html
Be sure to check out the video halfway down the page.
Be sure to check out the video halfway down the page.
Monday, July 13, 2009
We're Now Officially a Chapter!
The chapter formation process is now complete, and we're now officially a chapter of Americans United for separation of church and state!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Star Dreck: Religious Right ‘Federation’ Clings On To Same Old Misguided Mission
From the national org:
...Several Religious Right organizations came together June 30 here in Washington to announce the formation of the “Freedom Federation” and to unveil a “Declaration of American Values,” a document reflecting the same obsessions that have animated the Religious Right for decades: opposition to abortion, opposition to gay rights, xenophobia, opposition to church-state separation, etc.
...
Groups joining this effort include the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Liberty University, the Family Research Council, Liberty Counsel, Vision America, Concerned Women for America, the American Family Association, Catholic Online, the Traditional Values Coalition and a host of lesser lights. The federation doesn’t plan to hire a staff or open and office, and it’s unclear what the next step will be. I have been unable to even find a Web site for this federation.
Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank, who specializes in a daily dose of snark, seemed under whelmed. Dredging up the inevitable “Star Trek” comparison, Milbank seemed suspicious of the Federation’s claims that it is politically neutral.
“While ‘we have no allegiance as a federation to either party,’ as Blackwell put it, federation politics are no secret,” wrote Milbank. “Among the many others signed on to the federation are Gary Bauer’s Campaign for Working Families, which is at the moment working on a campaign to ‘stop Obama’s socialism’; Lafferty’s Traditional Values Coalition, which is trying to stop ‘Obamunists’ from destroying private health care; Exodus International, which promises ‘freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ’; Morning Star Ministries, which recently hosted the Spiritual Warfare Conference; and the American Family Association, which is promoting a boycott of Pepsi for supporting ‘homosexual activists.’”
In other words, despite the fancy name and all of the rhetoric, this really is your father’s Religious Right. Yawn. Nothing new here. ...
More at AU: http://blog.au.org/2009/07/06/star-dreck-religious-right-federation-clings-on-to-same-old-misguided-mission/
...Several Religious Right organizations came together June 30 here in Washington to announce the formation of the “Freedom Federation” and to unveil a “Declaration of American Values,” a document reflecting the same obsessions that have animated the Religious Right for decades: opposition to abortion, opposition to gay rights, xenophobia, opposition to church-state separation, etc.
...
Groups joining this effort include the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Liberty University, the Family Research Council, Liberty Counsel, Vision America, Concerned Women for America, the American Family Association, Catholic Online, the Traditional Values Coalition and a host of lesser lights. The federation doesn’t plan to hire a staff or open and office, and it’s unclear what the next step will be. I have been unable to even find a Web site for this federation.
Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank, who specializes in a daily dose of snark, seemed under whelmed. Dredging up the inevitable “Star Trek” comparison, Milbank seemed suspicious of the Federation’s claims that it is politically neutral.
“While ‘we have no allegiance as a federation to either party,’ as Blackwell put it, federation politics are no secret,” wrote Milbank. “Among the many others signed on to the federation are Gary Bauer’s Campaign for Working Families, which is at the moment working on a campaign to ‘stop Obama’s socialism’; Lafferty’s Traditional Values Coalition, which is trying to stop ‘Obamunists’ from destroying private health care; Exodus International, which promises ‘freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ’; Morning Star Ministries, which recently hosted the Spiritual Warfare Conference; and the American Family Association, which is promoting a boycott of Pepsi for supporting ‘homosexual activists.’”
In other words, despite the fancy name and all of the rhetoric, this really is your father’s Religious Right. Yawn. Nothing new here. ...
More at AU: http://blog.au.org/2009/07/06/star-dreck-religious-right-federation-clings-on-to-same-old-misguided-mission/
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