Washington Archives - American Atheists

Washington State Residents, Protect Children from Religious Medical Neglect!

American Atheists — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 20:30:17 +0000

Although Washington State has laws protecting children from medical neglect, certain loopholes exempt faith healing practitioners from prosecution for child negligence and criminal mistreatment. This situation endangers children and shields faith healers and caretakers from liability when a child dies from this type of medical neglect. Fortunately, the Child Health Protection Act (HB 1376/SB 5749) has been passed by committee in both the Washington State House and Senate in order to protect vulnerable children and eliminate these unconstitutional religious exemptions. State lawmakers almost passed this bill last year—but now there is a real opportunity to pass it into law! We need your help. Please reach out to your state representative and senator and ask them to pass this bill into law! The Child Health Protection Act will ensure that the government can take action to protect children and to prosecute instances of medical neglect. This legislation has broad bipartisan support and has been endorsed by child welfare advocates, medical professionals, religious groups, civil rights advocates, prosecutors, and parents’ groups. Everyone agrees that this is the right thing to do, but lawmakers need to hear from you to understand that it is a priority. In 2009, 17 year old Zachery Swezey of Carlton, Washington, died from appendicitis after his parents refused to seek medical treatment due to their religious beliefs. Appendicitis has a less than 1% fatality rate when treated with conventional medicine. Under Washington’s current law, caretakers and providers who cause tragic deaths like this one in the name of their religion cannot be prosecuted. This cannot stand—no one’s religious beliefs are more important than a child’s life. Ask your state representative and senator to vote this critical bill into law today!

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Oppose Dangerous Religious Exemptions in Washington Universities

American Atheists — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 18:38:16 +0000

Sometimes even well-intentioned lawmakers get it wrong, all too often with disastrous results. Washington SB 5166 is one such example. While its intention is to protect religious minorities in colleges and universities, this bill sets up a system of religious exemptions that is ripe for abuse! Under SB 5166, every college and university in Washington would have to accommodate all students whose religious beliefs conflict with program requirements. Instructors could not question the sincerity of these requests for accommodation, and everything must be kept secret—so there can be no oversight. Tell Washington legislators to stop these sweeping and unfair religious exemptions! If SB 5166 passes into law, students in higher education in Washington may opt out of any number of programs requirements that may conflict with their religious beliefs—no matter how absurd. In just one example, medical students may be able to opt out of essential training on or work with LGBTQ people, reproductive services, vaccination, or other issues that conflict with their religious beliefs. Please take action now by emailing the House Committee on College and Workforce Development! Together we can stop Washington lawmakers from passing this dangerous bill.

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Atheists: Don’t Create Extreme Religious Loopholes at WA Universities

American Atheists — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:03:10 +0000

Olympia, WA—American Atheists, on behalf of its nearly 1,500 constituents in Washington, wrote in opposition to SB 5166. This bill would require college and university instructors to accommodate students’ requests for special treatment concerning exams or course requirements, so long as they are framed in terms of religion. Although we believe this legislation to be well-intentioned, SB 5166 would create religious exemptions that enable discrimination and unfair treatment. If SB 5166 passes, it could allow any number of extreme and absurd “accommodations” at public universities and colleges, including: A Christian social work student receives an “accommodation” so that she does not have to work with, counsel, or learn about LGBTQ people, as normally required by the program. A Catholic medical student receives an “accommodation” so that she does not need to learn about or work with contraception or other reproductive health requirements of the curriculum. SB 5166 is especially dangerous because it: Sets virtually no limits on the types of accommodations in the name of religion that educational institutions must unquestionably provide to students who so request. Provides no explicit protections that would prevent religion-based accommodations from burdening third parties, such as educators and other students. Prevents oversight since the requests and accommodations must be kept confidential. “The religious exemptions created by this bill will have severe and unpredictable effects on Washington’s higher education system,” warned Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy. “SB 5166 is vague, overly broad, and ripe for abuse. Washington lawmakers should consider less sweeping methods to protect religious minority students.” Image by Magnus Manske via Wikimedia under CC 2.0

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Atheists: Students Deserve Comprehensive Sexual Education

American Atheists — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:00:20 +0000

Olympia, Washington—Today, American Atheists, on behalf of its nearly 1,500 constituents in Washington State, submitted testimony supporting SB 5395. This vital measure would require that schools provide comprehensive sexual health education for students in Washington. Currently, 20% of schools in Washington offer no sexual health education or less than one hour of instruction. Religion is no excuse to deprive children of sex ed or to only provide them with abstinence-only sex ed. SB 5395 would give all students access to evidence-informed, medically accurate instruction about their sexual health, allowing them to make well-educated decisions about their lives to become thriving adults. In addition, the bill requires that the curriculum be inclusive for all students covered by Washington’s non-discrimination law, ensuring that vulnerable students who may be less likely to receive sexual health education, such as LGBTQ young people, are proactively included.

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Washington Residents: Protect Children from Faith-Based Medical Neglect!

American Atheists — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 15:18:33 +0000

Under current law, Washington State fails to completely protect children from medical neglect. Because of religious exemption loopholes, parents and caretakers can get away with providing only prayer instead of necessary medical care to children. This is not right. The law must be changed! Fortunately, the Child Health Protection Act (HB 1376/SB 5749) is making strong progress in both the Washington State House and Senate. This legislation will protect vulnerable children and eliminate these unconstitutional religious exemptions. Now is the time to push this legislation forward and pass it into law! Please email your state representatives and ask them to vote for this important bill! The Child Health Protection Act will ensure that the government can take action to protect children and to prosecute instances of medical neglect. This legislation has broad bipartisan support and has been endorsed by child welfare advocates, medical professionals, religious groups, civil rights advocates, prosecutors, and parents’ groups. Everyone agrees that this is the right thing to do, but lawmakers need to hear from you to understand that it is a priority. Everyone agrees that this is the right thing to do, but lawmakers need to hear from you to understand that it is a priority. In 2009, 17 year old Zachery Swezey of Carlton, Washington, died from appendicitis after his parents refused to seek medical treatment due to their religious beliefs. Appendicitis has a less than 1% fatality rate when treated with conventional medicine. Under Washington’s current law, caretakers and providers who cause tragic deaths like this one in the name of their religion cannot be prosecuted. This cannot stand. No one’s religious beliefs are more important than a child’s life. Protect defenseless children from faith-based medical neglect! Ask your state representatives to vote for this critical bill!

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Atheists: End Faith Healing Exemptions in Washington State

American Atheists — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 21:43:14 +0000

Updated: 2/20/2019 Olympia, Washington—American Atheists, on behalf of its nearly 1,500 constituents in Washington, submitted testimony supporting HB 1376 and SB 5749. These bills would protect children by allowing the government to prevent and prosecute medical neglect. HB 1376 and SB 5749 were introduced in the memory of 17 year old Zachery Swezey of Carlton, Washington. In 2009, he died from appendicitis after his parents refused to seek medical treatment due to their religious beliefs. But he is not alone. Research shows that between 1975 and 1995 alone, there were at least 140 pediatric deaths from conditions with a 90% or higher survival rate with medical treatment. Under current law, prosecutors in Washington can do little to take action against those responsible for these tragic and unnecessary deaths. That’s because Washington’s child neglect law exempts faith healers from prosecution for child negligence and criminal mistreatment. HB 1376 and SB 5749 are common-sense solutions to a tragic situation. They are constitutionally sound, since the Supreme Court has recognized that parents do not have the right to inflict their beliefs upon children by denying them appropriate care. Moreover, these bills remove the current language that unconstitutionally favors one specific religion by creating special exemptions for Christian Scientists. Finally, HB 1376 and SB 5749 have won broad support. Child welfare advocates, medical professionals, religious groups, civil rights advocates, prosecutors, and parents’ groups have all endorsed these bills.

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Atheists: Washington State’s Proposed FGM Ban Too Weak

American Atheists — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 21:43:28 +0000

Olympia, WA—Last week, American Atheists, on behalf of its nearly 1,500 constituents in Washington State, wrote to provide testimony regarding SB 5257. This bill is supposed to protect women and girls from harmful female genital mutilation (FGM) by prohibiting licensed health professionals to engage in such practices. However, the current bill fails to adequately protect women and girls from FGM in Washington, one of just 22 states that does not prohibit FGM. Specifically, SB 5257 fails to address the primary perpetrators of FGM: unlicensed practitioners. Therefore, American Atheists recommends three changes. First, this bill should recognize FGM as a felony for providers, caretakers, and others who facilitate these practices. Second, it should prohibit the transportation of minors for FGM. The bill should clarify that cultural or religious preferences are not an affirmative defense. In addition, American Atheists recommends legislation to create education and outreach programs relating to FGM and establish a private right of action for survivors of FGM. Our full comments can be found below.

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ACTION ALERT: Protect Children from Dangerous Faith Healing

American Atheists — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 16:02:53 +0000

Although Washington State has laws protecting children from medical neglect, certain loopholes exempt faith-healing practitioners from prosecution for child negligence and criminal mistreatment. This situation endangers children and shields faith healers and caretakers from liability when a child dies from this type of medical neglect. Fortunately, the Child Health Protection Act (HB 1376/SB 5749), has been introduced in both the Washington State House and Senate. This legislation will protect vulnerable children and eliminate these unconstitutional religious exemptions. We need your help to move this legislation forward! Please reach out to the House and Senate committee chairs and ask them to hold a hearing on this important bill! The Child Health Protection Act will ensure that the government can take action to protect children and to prosecute instances of medical neglect. This legislation has broad bipartisan support and has been endorsed by child welfare advocates, medical professionals, religious groups, civil rights advocates, prosecutors, and parents’ groups. Everyone agrees that this is the right thing to do, but lawmakers need to hear from you to understand that it is a priority. In 2009, 17-year-old Zachery Swezey of Carlton, Washington, died from appendicitis after his parents refused to seek medical treatment due to their religious beliefs. Appendicitis has a less than a 1% fatality rate when treated with conventional medicine. Under Washington’s current law, caretakers and providers who cause tragic deaths like this one in the name of their religion cannot be prosecuted. This cannot stand—no one’s religious beliefs are more important than a child’s life. Protect defenseless children! Ask the House and Senate committees to hold a hearing on this critical bill!

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