Author name: Aidan

Trump vowed to destroy the Johnson Amendment. Thankfully, he has failed. Read More »

At the National Prayer Breakfast a little more than a year ago, President Trump vowed to “totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment, a federal law prohibiting houses of worship, charitable nonprofits and private foundations from endorsing, opposing or financially supporting political candidates and parties. Fortunately for religious congregations — and the entire charitable sector — he

Feb 8 2018

A Proposed Utah Bill Could Block the Most Powerful Critics of the Mormon Church

A Proposed Utah Bill Could Block the Most Powerful Critics of the Mormon Church Read More »

Utah State Rep. V. Lowry Snow just introduced a bill that could silence the most powerful critics of the Mormon Church. H.B. 330 has a seemingly straightforward purpose: It says you can’t record a private conversation without the consent of the other person (with few exceptions). Several other states have laws on the book regarding this issue. So

Trump’s Climate-Denying Coal Lobbyist Nominee Inches Closer To EPA’s No. 2 Job

Trump’s Climate-Denying Coal Lobbyist Nominee Inches Closer To EPA’s No. 2 Job Read More »

Andrew Wheeler, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Environmental Protection Agency deputy administrator, appeared poised and polished at his Senate confirmation hearing in November. He couched his objections to widely accepted climate science in ambiguous legalese, and kept his cool when, at the same hearing, Kathleen Hartnett-White, the president’s pick for the Council on Environmental Quality, flamed out, stammering

South Dakota GOP Wants to Force Abortion Patients to Visit Fake Clinics

South Dakota GOP Wants to Force Abortion Patients to Visit Fake Clinics Read More »

“This bill attempts to make an extreme law—one that does not exist anywhere else in the country, and has already been declared to likely be found unconstitutional—even more extreme.” Three dozen South Dakota Republican lawmakers have signed onto legislation calling for a “mandatory pregnancy help center consultation” prior to the common medical procedure. A state Senate committee advanced

Activists call for removal of Ten Commandments monument in Hobbs

Activists call for removal of Ten Commandments monument in Hobbs Read More »

Another Ten Commandments monument is stirring up controversy, this time in the southern New Mexico city of Hobbs. The monument sits outside City Hall and activists advocating for religious freedom want it taken down. According to the Hobbs News-Sun, members of the Freedom from Religion Foundation asked the Hobbs City Commission at a recent meeting,

Mississippi lawmakers considers a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks

Mississippi lawmakers considers a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks Read More »

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would make this state’s abortion laws among the most restrictive in the nation. “We’ve seen a little over 200 women this past year that fell in that range,” Brewer explained. So, that’s 200 women that it would’ve affected.” Bill sponsor Representative Andy Gipson and other supporters argued the bill

State Lawmakers Introduce New Faith Adoption Legislation

State Lawmakers Introduce New Faith Adoption Legislation Read More »

State lawmakers approved an adoption bill to overhaul the state’s system. But now they will consider another bill, Senate Bill 375, that would let adoption agencies that receive state funding deny services based on “sincerely held religious beliefs.” Last year, Georgia’s adoption bill failed in the Senate due to a provision that let adoption agencies that got state

NM Candidate: Opponents of Our Ten Commandments Display Want a “Secular Utopia”

NM Candidate: Opponents of Our Ten Commandments Display Want a “Secular Utopia” Read More »

Hobbs, New Mexico is one of those cities that has a Ten Commandments monument outside the local courthouse. It’s been up there for decades. A couple of weeks ago, when an atheist activist spoke at a city council meeting about why it needed to be removed, he was essentially mocked by the elected officials. One of

The complex history of ‘In God We Trust’

The complex history of ‘In God We Trust’ Read More »

In his first State of the Union address President Donald Trump sought to link religion with American identity: “Together, we are rediscovering the American way. In America, we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of the American life. The motto is ‘In God We Trust,’” Trump declared. But the history of