Maryland Archives - American Atheists

American Atheists Calls Supreme Court’s Bladensburg Cross Decision “A Blow Against Constitutional History and Religious Equality”

American Atheists — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:22:31 +0000

Washington, DC—Today, American Atheists rebuked the Supreme Court for its 7-2 decision upholding a 40-foot-tall Latin cross on public land in Bladensburg, Maryland. Writing for the majority, Justice Alito claimed, “That the cross originated as a Christian symbol and retains that meaning in many contexts does not change the fact that the symbol took on an added secular meaning when used in World War I memorials,” adding, “The passage of time gives rise to a strong presumption of constitutionality.” “Justice Alito’s fumbling, awkward attempt at making a religious cross secular is little more than Christian favoritism at the expense of long-standing Establishment Clause precedent,” responded American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal and Policy Alison Gill. “However Alito may try to spin it, using taxpayer funds to maintain a 40-foot-tall Christian cross on government property is an endorsement of Christianity.” “‘The passage of time’ in no way transforms an unconstitutional religious symbol into a permissible monument. The longer these discriminatory and exclusionary symbols remain, the greater the impact on those who are excluded,” she added. “With this decision, the Supreme Court is dishonoring atheist and religious minority veterans, ignoring their contributions, and cheapening their sacrifice,” said Nick Fish, American Atheists’ President. “The preeminent symbol of one religious group can never represent our diverse and pluralistic society. This decision is yet another example of the Court extending favored status to one religion at the expense of the rights of the tens of millions of atheists and members of minority religions in the United States.” “Taxpayers are footing the bill for a 40-foot tall cross that is, as Justice Ginsburg said in her dissent, a symbol that ‘was never perceived as an appropriate headstone or memorial for Jewish soldiers or others who did not adhere to Christianity,’” added Fish. Image by Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin) via Wikimedia under CC 3.0

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Act Now to Pass Death with Dignity in Maryland

American Atheists — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 14:00:34 +0000

Lawmakers are on the verge of making medical aid-in-dying a reality in Maryland. Now that the House bill is about to come to a vote, we need your help! Act now! Tell your state representative that terminally ill patients deserve compassionate medical aid-in-dying. HB 399 and SB 311 would create a patient-driven system that honors the values and beliefs of the individual. However, religious groups, including the Catholic Church, vigorously oppose this common-sense legislation. Please tell your state representatives to stand strong and pass these bills! By enacting this legislation, Maryland would join the 8 states that already offer these end-of-life options, allowing terminally ill people to die in the comfort of their homes without receiving unwanted medical care. Although approximately 80% of Americans desire to pass away in the comfort of their own home, less than 20% actually do so. We need your help to pass this important legislation to allow terminally ill people in Maryland to die with dignity, in peace. By working together we can pass these important bills into law. Please take action today!

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American Atheists Submits Testimony Supporting Conversion Therapy Ban in Maryland

American Atheists — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 19:51:55 +0000

Annapolis, MD—On behalf of its constituents in Maryland, American Atheists assistant state director for Maryland, Samantha McGuire, delivered testimony in support of HB 902, a bill that would protect young people in Maryland from the dangerous practice of “conversion therapy,” a typically religious-based attempt to change one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Also testifying in support of the bill were numerous mental health professionals, parents, and representatives from the Human Rights Campaign, ACLU, the Born Perfect campaign, and others. Conversion therapy is a practice, sometimes performed by licensed mental health providers, that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. These practices are based on long-discredited beliefs including that being LGBTQ is a mental illness that needs to be cured. Conversion therapy has been soundly rejected as not only ineffective but actively harmful. The proposed bill would enact professional standards for state-licensed mental health providers to clarify that conversion therapy is not an acceptable professional practice when applied to young people under age 18. If enacted, the bill would subject those who conduct such practices to disciplinary actions. The bill also prohibits Maryland from expending state funds to support conversion therapy, including health coverage for conversion therapy and grants or contracts to organizations that conduct or refer individuals to conversion therapy. While there is no credible evidence that conversion therapy can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, it is clear that conversion therapy poses devastating health risks for LGBTQ young people. These dangerous practices can lead to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior, and for this reason the nation’s leading mental health organizations have criticized them. Unfortunately, professional rules have not kept up with this widespread understanding, and some licensed mental health providers continue to engage in conversion therapy, often justifying these dangerous practices based on their religious beliefs. Researchers estimate that 20,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13-17 will receive conversion therapy from a licensed mental health professional before the age of 18. While this bill addresses conversion therapy at the hands of state-licensed mental health providers, it does not address the issue of conversion therapy performed by unlicensed religious organizations. Researchers also estimate that 57,000 such LGBTQ youth will receive conversion therapy from a religious or spiritual advisor before age 18. Although this bill does not address conversion therapy practiced by unlicensed religious organizations, American Atheists condemns those practices as well. No young person should be subject to abuse or mistreatment based on the religious beliefs of their caretakers. You can read American Atheists’ full testimony here.

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