Indiana City Discriminates Against Local Atheists, Violates Constitution

American Atheists — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 20:53:13 +0000

Connersville, IN—Today, the religious equality watchdog organization American Atheists denounced Connersville’s new invocation policy as unconstitutional and anti-atheist, calling for it to be amended. On Monday, the Connersville City Council adopted an unconstitutional policy that excludes atheists from delivering invocations at the start of meetings but allows any religious groups to do so. The discriminatory policy was enacted after American Atheists’ Indiana Assistant Director Jama Sullivan requested in January to deliver an invocation. “Just like religious leaders who have delivered invocations, I am an active leader for the secular community in Connersville,” said Sullivan, founder and executive director of Whitewater Freethought, a group of more than 80 atheist, agnostic, and Christian members committed to community service. “Instead of accepting me with open arms, my local government went to great lengths to exclude me, and others who do good without god, from the invocation process.” “Precisely because Connersville’s new invocation policy is discriminatory, it is also unconstitutional,” explained Geoffrey Blackwell, American Atheists’ litigation counsel. “The Supreme Court has been clear.” In Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014), the Supreme Court ruled that volunteer chaplains could open each legislative session in Greece, NY, with a prayer because “the town at no point excluded or denied an opportunity to a would-be prayer giver. Its leaders maintained that a minister or layperson of any persuasion, including an atheist, could give the invocation.” “I know from my own fundamentalist past that some people are driven by ignorance and fear of nonreligious people—and the idea that our very presence is an attack on their religious beliefs. It isn’t,” said Sullivan. “By just participating in the invocation process, I can change hearts and minds about atheists. However, the Connersville government keeps proving it’s more interested in discrimination than inclusivity. It’s unfortunate.” “We call upon the Connersville City Council to amend this discriminatory policy. No city that claims to care about religious freedom should exclude atheists for our beliefs,” added Sullivan.

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Circuit Court’s Anti-Atheist Decision “Indefensible”

American Atheists — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 22:19:19 +0000

Harrisburg, PA—Today, the United States Appeals Court for the Third Circuit ruled that state legislatures may prevent atheists from delivering invocations, reversing a lower court’s ruling. American Atheists had joined Americans United for Separation of Church and State in filing a lawsuit in 2016 after five individual plaintiffs were barred from offering secular invocations to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Circuit Judge Ambro, writing for the majority, said, “The nontheists here may be members of ‘religions’ for First Amendment purposes, but, because they do not proclaim the existence of a higher power, they cannot offer religious prayer in the historical sense.” “Judge Ambro has given the Pennsylvania House the green light to discriminate against atheists and other non-theists,” said Alison Gill, American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal and Policy. “Ambro seems to say that the Pennsylvania House can require invocations to be theistic, automatically discriminating against atheists and non-religious people. Although the House may not treat religious faiths differently, they are now free to exclude our community.” “The court can dress up this ruling however they want, but the fact is this: They’ve sanctioned the exclusion of Pennsylvanians on the basis of religious belief,” she added. “It is disgraceful, even un-American, for our government to treat atheists like second class citizens,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “No one should ever be made to feel like their voice is being ignored by their elected officials, but that’s exactly what the court today has sanctioned.” “The Pennsylvania House has spent the last three years and tens-of-thousands of taxpayer dollars defending the indefensible,” added Fish. American Atheists will review the decision with its legal team and partners at Americans United for Separation of Church and State to determine next steps.

The post Circuit Court’s Anti-Atheist Decision “Indefensible” appeared first on American Atheists.

Invocations Archives - American Atheists

Indiana City Discriminates Against Local Atheists, Violates Constitution

Circuit Court’s Anti-Atheist Decision “Indefensible”