At SCA’s last executive committee meeting as he shared news of his prognosis, he asked those in the meeting not to be sad, only saying, “I had a great time.” It is with the heaviest of hearts in sharing the sad news that Woody Kaplan, chair of the advisory board of the Secular Coalition for […]
It’s mid-summer so Congress is focusing on defense policy for a week. The House and Senate are both considering their annual defense authorization bills which set policy on how many ships the Navy needs, what aircraft to buy, how many troops we need, and many, many smaller decisions as well. With 1.4 million active duty
Heretic on the Hill: The Atheists in Foxholes Read More »
I thought this week I’d be writing about the Supreme Court because we are right at the end of the Court’s annual term and there are two big “religious freedom” decisions yet to be announced. There is the decision about the Postal Service employee who doesn’t want to work on Sundays, which could have much
Heretic on the Hill: Fishy Ethics Read More »
What happens when you order pizzas at the Rayburn House Office Building and tell secular House staff to show up for lunch? They show up! We had the first ever Secular House Staff Lunch this week so we could get to know more of them and they could get to know the Secular Coalition for
Heretic on the Hill: Help Support Secular Treatment Programs Read More »
Celebrity candidates for office are becoming more common. When someone who spent his life coaching football is then elected to the Senate, expectations are low. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has generally met them. (He’s a celebrity in Alabama.) Shortly after his election in 2020 he identified the three branches of government as the House,
Heretic on the Hill: Tackling White Christian Nationalism in the Military Read More »
I worked for a Senator who popularized, but maybe didn’t originate, the saying that we’re all entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts. So when there’s a new book from the political science professor who regularly takes data on religion and politics and finds something new to think about, I’m buying it. Twenty Myths
Heretic on the Hill: Writing the Book on Religion and Politics Read More »
In 1964 Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart wrote an opinion concerning a film the Ohio courts had deemed to be obscene. On the question of what exactly counts as pornography he said it was difficult to define but “I know it when I see it.” I apply the same standard in deciding when a judge is incorporating
Heretic on The Hill: Knowing It When You See It Read More »
Letter to Attorney General Garland
Letter to Attorney General Garland Read More »
Four amateur lobbyists, five meetings on Capitol Hill, and one goal: build support for the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act (SCERT). That was my team at the Secular Coalition’s first in-person lobby day in four years. The event began with a reception last Thursday evening which featured remarks from Congressman Jared Huffman, who
Heretic on the Hill: Getting Lucky on Lobby Day Read More »
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