Last winter, the Secular Coalition for America, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the American Humanist Association prioritized better enforcement of the Johnson Amendment by the Internal Revenue Service and began lobbying members of Congress on this issue. The IRS has been lax, to put it charitably, in enforcing this section of the tax law …
House Appropriations Committee Increases IRS Enforcement Funding Read More »
Throughout the month of June, we will be sharing information about historic American figures who were involved in both secular and LGBTQIA+ spheres. James Baldwin (1924-1987) was a novelist, playwright, and journalist who wrote frequently during the Civil Rights Movement and its aftermath in the United States. Though he was opposed to labeling his …
The pandemic is receding from the public eye for now, and most indicators are where they were a year ago — meaning low active cases. But last year saw a dramatic post-summer increase in cases and hospitalizations that is likely to happen again this fall. Just as the virus doesn’t go away, neither do the …
Heretic on the Hill: Help Us Fight the Latest Religious Exemption Read More »
Throughout the month of June, we will be sharing information about historic American figures who were involved in both secular and LGBTQIA+ spheres. Jane Addams (1860-1935) was a pacifist and feminist activist, an international humanitarian, and a Nobel laureate. The social settlement she co-founded and ran, Hull-House, was an early institution of secular community …
Church and state are becoming less and less separate in churches. Churches, other faith-based institutions, and in fact all nonprofit organizations are prohibited from participating in most political campaign activities but many churches are crossing the line or just ignoring this prohibition. The consequence should be losing their nonprofit status but the IRS has been …
Heretic on the Hill: Dropping a Dime on Campaigning in Churches Read More »
In March the White House presented its proposed $773 billion for defense in 2023, a four percent increase. The top Senate Republican on defense spending immediately stated that the budget “woefully” underfunded defense given the state of the world and the effects of inflation and said “That budget will go nowhere as is.” We could …
Heretic on the Hill: Religion Is The Opiate Of The Supreme Court Read More »
I’ve previously mentioned the Supreme Court case involving a high school football coach who led some players in prayer at the 50 yard line. The Court heard oral arguments this week and we were outside on the steps at a rally for the school district being sued by the coach. The Secular Coalition for America …
Heretic on the Hill: Put Me In, Coach, I’m Ready To Pray Read More »
Senator Daniel Moynihan once wrote a scholarly paper in his spare time, the kind most Senators just don’t write, called “Defining Deviancy Down.” He was using the sociologist’s meaning of deviancy: different from societal norms. His point was that the nation had become so accustomed to gun violence that what was once front page news …
Heretic on the Hill: Defining Religious Freedom Down Read More »
What if you could start your own religion, get it sanctioned by the IRS, and bring some of your believers from overseas to work at your faith-based nonprofit? Well you can! There is a special visa program known as the R-1 Nonimmigrant Religious Workers Program. “Noncitizens working in the United States temporarily as a minister …
Heretic on the Hill: Visas for Religious Workers — Who Thought This Was A Good Idea? Read More »
The Supreme Court continues to accept cases that involve issues of religious freedom. In January the Court agreed to hear Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, in which it will decide whether the First Amendment protects a high school football coach who, joined by students, prayed after football games. The school district says he was acting …
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