Privileging Religion

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Secular Coalition for America applauds the people of Mississippi for voting against Initiative 26, an amendment to the state constitution that would have defined a person as a human being “from the moment of fertilization.”  Read more »

On August 1, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that certain preventative health services for women must be included by insurers and employers providing health insurance. Among these benefits are contraceptive methods and counseling. HHS also included a narrowly defined exemption to the contraceptive coverage for “religious employers.”   Read more »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, the Secular Coalition for America criticized the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, for appointments to its panels reviewing financial accountability of tax-exempt religious organizations, including churches.
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Secular Coalition for America Questions Expensive Subsidies for Clergy as Congress Considers Massive Cuts to Social, Other Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Congress looks for ways to cut billions of dollars from the federal budget, an Aug. 23 Wall Street Journal article shed light on a special tax privilege that makes it possible for any minister of the Gospel to “buy or live in multiple homes tax free.”   Read more »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Responding to recent comments by President Barack Obama and a top White House official, the Secular Coalition for America today urged the Obama administration to stop ignoring faith-based and taxpayer-funded employment discrimination and recommit to the president’s 2008 campaign promise to overturn the Bush-era policy that allows such discrimination to occur.   Read more »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a live-televised town hall meeting in College Park, Maryland, today, President Barack Obama gave the first question opportunity to Amanda Knief of the Secular Coalition for America, who asked the president why he has still not fulfilled the campaign promise he made three years ago to end the Bush-era policies that allow federally funded religious organizations to discriminate in hiring and employment on the basis of belief.   Read more »