Freethought Today

Vol. 23 No. 5 - Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. -
June/July 2006

View the Table of Contents for this issue

State/Church Bulletin

Faith-based Prison Unconstitutional

Judge Robert W. Pratt, a federal district judge in Iowa, issued a June 2 ruling that an evangelical Christian pre-release program for Iowa inmates violates the separation of church and state.

Pratt called the InnerChange Freedom Initiative at Newton Correctional Facility "pervasively sectarian." In an unprecedented move, Pratt ordered its operator, Prison Fellowship Ministries, to reimburse the state of Iowa for more than $1.5 million.

The prison program involves indoctrination in evangelical Christianity, has no secular alternative or alternatives for those of other faiths, and participants receive benefits denied other inmates.

"For all practical purposes, the state has literally established an Evangelical Christian congregation within the walls of one of its penal institutions, giving the leaders of that congregation, i.e., InnerChange employees, authority to control the spiritual, emotional, and physical lives of hundreds of Iowa inmates," Pratt wrote. "There are no adequate safeguards present, nor could there be, to ensure that state funds are not being directly spent to indoctrinate Iowa inmates."

Prison Fellowship Ministries, started by Watergate felon Chuck Colson, is appealing to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, claiming the decision "will enshrine religious discrimination."

The court found that the contracting process was designated so that only Prison Fellowship could win the bid, that it coerces acceptance of "Jesus Christ as personal savior," that the secular elements cannot be separated from the religious, and that the state made no attempt to monitor religious expenditures. It is believed about 15 states now have religious pre-release programs. Congress is considering the "Second Change Act" to encourage more faith-based prisons.

The case was brought by Americans United for Separation of Church and State three years ago.

State Prayer Sessions Nixed

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in early May agreed with a lower court that an evangelical Christian who works for the California Department of Social Services as an employment counselor may not hold prayer sessions with clients.

Mt. Soledad Appealed, Again

Although a federal judge in early May ordered removal of the Mount Soledad cross from San Diego public property within 90 days, the city, at the last minute, asked to stay that ruling.

Mayor Jerry Sanders promised that if the appeal fails, the cross will come down, bringing an end to the 17-year legal battle. The "Atheist-in-Foxhole" plaintiff Phil Paulson, a Foundation member, will speak about his case at the upcoming FFRF convention.

Oklahoma Decalog on Trial

The ACLU of Oklahoma, as of presstime, was awaiting a verdict, following an early May trial over its challenge of a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments monument on the Haskell County courthouse lawn.

The biblical edict was placed in 2004 by a local lay pastor, Mike Bush, who raised donations for it. Bush testified:

"The Lord just burdened my heart with it. I feel I acted upon my burden." Haskell County resident James Green, the plaintiff, a retired veteran from Stigler, testified that the monument is "an intrusion of religion into governmental affairs. If I'm going to conduct my governmental business, I can't avoid it."

Petition to Appeal South Dakota Abortion Ban Filed

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families turned in more than 38,000 signatures--more than twice the number required--before the June deadline, guaranteeing a statewide vote on whether to repeal South Dakota's new abortion ban will take place in November.

The law bans abortion even in cases of rape, incest or gross fetal abnormality, and is intended as a test case to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Foundation president emerita Anne Nicol Gaylor, through her charitable Women's Medical Fund, was the first to call on tourists to "bypass South Dakota," Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, the Black Hills and the Corn Palace, until the ban is repealed. She urges holders of credit cards by Citibank, which is headquartered in South Dakota as a tax shelter, to cancel their cards and tell the company why. Phone the tourism department at: 1-800-S-DAKOTA.

State Theocrat Gets 15 Months

Former Wis. Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, an aggressive backer of the "faith-based initiative," was sentenced to 15 months in prison in May for "common thievery elevated to a higher plane," according to the sentencing judge.

Jensen, 45, was convicted of directing aides to do campaign work on state time. He was also banned from the Capitol while serving a 45-month probation. Jensen sneaked a divisive requirement into the state budget that the Pledge of Allegiance must be recited daily in Wisconsin public schools, and promoted faith-based prisons and a union of church and state.

Deputies Sue over Roll Call

The Milwaukee County deputies union filed a civil rights lawsuit in mid-May against Sheriff David A. Clarke, for inviting a ministry to speak at department roll calls.

The union unsuccessfully sought a restraining order to bar the Fellowship of Christian Centurions and other nonsecular groups from attending roll calls. The new ministry is supplied by the ultra-fundamentalist Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, Wis.

Clarke piously commented: "Unfortunately, we live in an era where some people will make even God the enemy."

Evolution Sticker Stall

A federal appeals court in late May sent back a lower court's order to remove textbook stickers at a suburban Atlanta school district that label evolution "a theory, not a fact."

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, citing a lack of evidence in the case, said the federal district court must determine whether the government's actions are "religiously neutral."

The Cobb Co. school district was ordered in January 2005 to remove the stickers from the inside front cover of 35,000 biology textbooks by a district court judge, who deemed them an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. The stickers were scraped off of all books.

Since 1995, district policy has been to tear out chapters on evolution from science textbooks, out of "respect for the family teachings." In 2002, the district decided to put disclaimers on a new textbook that contained 101 pages on evolution.

Pharmacist Loses, Again

A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled in early June that Wal-Mart Stores acted appropriately in firing a Catholic pharmacist who refused to deal with patients seeking birth control prescriptions.

U.S. Dist. Judge John Shabaz dismissed a lawsuit brought by Neil Noesen, claiming he was fired due to religious discrimination. Wal-Mart did not make Noesen personally fill prescriptions for birth control. He was fired after putting customers on indefinite hold if they phoned about prescriptions, and for refusing to refer customers to pharmacists on staff who would fill prescriptions. Noesen refused to leave after being fired, and had to be dragged out in a wheelchair by police.

Noesen, a Catholic, was sanctioned by the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board last year for refusing to fill or transfer a contraceptive prescription at Kmart in 2002. His license expired in June, because he failed to provide proof that he took ethics classes or paid the $20,767 cost of the disciplinary action against him.

Moore Loses, Again

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley easily bested a Republican challenge in the early June primary from the infamous former judge Roy Moore, running on a Ten Commandments and God-in-government plank.

Florida Gets Pledge Help

A federal judge on May 31 ruled that a state law requiring Florida students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. Plaintiff Cameron Frazier, a 17-year-old at Boynton Beach High, was ridiculed for not participating. The ACLU's request for a statewide injunction is still pending. The 1942 state law allows students to be exempted from the pledge only if they get written permission from parents, and even so, must still stand. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled a year later that students cannot be compelled to participate.

Minister Ousted from School

Complaints ousted youth pastors from school cafeterias in seven public schools in Bend, Ore. Leaders at Bend's Westside church regularly visited schools as part of their youth ministry program once a month for the past three years. The superintendent ended the visitations in June.

Pastor Figures in DeLay Scandal

Edwin A. Buckham, an evangelical minister who met regularly with former House Whip Tom DeLay since 1998 and served as his chief political and spiritual adviser, was also working during that time as a lobbyist. The Washington Post (June 7) reported his clients included "a host of businesses . . . whose interests DeLay supported." Buckham opened a retirement account for DeLay's wife, contributed thousands of dollars to it and paid her a salary to work for him from her Texas home, the newspaper revealed.

The DeLay family took in about half a million dollars in benefits through its association with Buckham in the past seven years. Buckham was DeLay's chief of staff before becoming a lobbyist. He is being investigated by feds because his lobbying firm took in hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients of convicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

House Puts Prayer in Defense Bill

In passing a $513 billion defense authorization bill on May 11, the House inserted language to allow chaplains to pray "in the name of Jesus," at public military ceremonies.

The language was intended to undercut recently adopted Air Force and Navy rules, which call for nonsectarian prayers, or a moment of silence, at public meetings or ceremonies. Chaplains are permitted to pray as they wish at voluntary worship services. The regulations cautioned them to be inclusive at public events or when attendance is mandatory for service members of all faiths.

The language was adopted at the behest of Focus on the Family, the Christian Coalition and other Christian lobbies, according to The Washington Post. It was opposed by the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces, a private association that provides more than 70% of U.S. chaplains.

Bad News on "Good News"

In at least a dozen instances, public school teachers and staff are running "Good News" Christian clubs, according to an exposŽ, "Saving Souls at School," by Daniel Golden in The Wall Street Journal.

The Supreme Court, its its 2001 "Good News" decision, forced a public school to let in Christian evangelists right after the school day ends. Since the 2001 decision, the number of after-school Good News Clubs increased from about 500 to 2500. In 2004, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis approved the right of a third-grade public school teacher to lead a Good News club at her school. Justice Clarence Thomas' majority opinion in the 2001 Good News decision, cited as a factor in the club's favor the fact that bible instructors were "not school teachers."

At Little River Elementary, Durham, N.C., more than a fifth of the school's enrollment attends weekly bible instruction after school ends, taught by teachers. Durham Supt. Ann Denlinger opposes the phenomenon. "De facto, you're having your school employees promoting one type of religion or another." She is examining the bible clubs following parental complaints.

Clubs using teachers are taking place in Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, South Dakota, Utah and other states, according to the Journal. Jay Sekulow, with Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice, called teacher participation a "big breakthrough."

The Child Evangelism Fellowship, Mo., which runs the Good News Clubs, is urging Christian teachers nationwide to head clubs.

Cancer Vaccine Protested

Federal drug officials approved a vaccine in early June, which guards against cervical cancer, the second-leading cause of death by cancer in women globally. The expense of the $360 three-shot course--and opposition to it by Focus on the Family and religious-right groups--may affect use of the medical breakthrough.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, part of the CDC, establishes the classification of government-recommended vaccines, which ensures coverage by insurance companies and public funding. Seated on that committee is Reginald Finger, M.D., the former medical affairs analyst for Focus on the Family.

Report Debunks Bible Classes

The Texas Freedom Network released a new report, "The Bible and Public Schools," analyzing the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. The curriculum by the openly devout Christian group is "aggressively marketed" and increasingly used in public schools, the TFN says.

Dr. Mark Chancey, who teaches biblical studies at Southern Methodist University, authored the analysis of the bible group's curriculum.

The report reveals that Council supporters are a "who's who" of the religious right. Its curriculum "improperly endorses the bible as the 'Word of God.' " The curriculum implies the bible is the nation's "founding document."

Prof. Chancey found "shoddy research, factual errors," and distortions of history and science, plagiarism, lack of sources, and "a blatant sectarian bias."

Saudis: No Female Photos

King Abdullah told Saudi editors in mid-May to stop publishing pictures of women (photographed in traditional Muslim headscarves), because such photos would lead young men astray.