Florida State Rep. Randy Fine exploited the three-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting to promote teacher-led, coercive prayer in public schools.
News Archive
News
Federal Policy
American Atheists Expresses Concern About Return of Faith Office to Biden White House
“I remain skeptical that it will be possible to fully protect the right of all Americans to be free from discrimination and coercive religious practices when accessing basic services given the current legal landscape.”
State Policy
Arkansas Legislature Passes Church Superspreader Bill, Allows People to “Kill Themselves” and the Community with COVID-19
This bill passed the Arkansas House of Representatives on January 28 and the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs, chaired by noted Christian nationalist Jason Rapert, yesterday. It will now go to the governor’s desk.
State Policy
Christian Nationalist Jason Rapert Fast Tracks Arkansas’s Church Superspreader Bill, Disregards COVID-19 Infections and Deaths
HB 1211 permits houses of worship to ignore public health restrictions, increasing the likelihood that they will become COVID-19 hotspots.
State Policy
Arkansas’s Church Superspreader Bill Passes House, Limits Ability to Stop Wave of COVID-19 Infections and Deaths
State lawmakers are distorting “religious freedom” to give churches special privileges allowing them to stay open and spread COVID-19
Legal Analysis
American Atheists and Other Groups Sue Trump Admin for Gutting Religious Freedom Protections in Social Services Programs
“Religious groups paid by the federal government to provide services must provide them with no strings attached—not hold them out as a carrot for participating in religious worship.”
Legal Analysis
American Atheists and Americans United Sue to Overturn Department of Education Regulation that Forces Universities to Fund Discrimination by Student Groups
“No students should ever be forced to subsidize clubs that discriminate against them. Students who are LGBTQ, religious minorities, nonreligious, or otherwise marginalized will especially be harmed by this rule.”
Federal Policy
On Day After Failed Coup, Trump Destroys HHS Nondiscrimination Protections
American Atheists denounced the Trump Administration’s latest attack on civil rights, a new regulation that strips nondiscrimination protections from Department of Health and Human Services grant programs.
Data Reports
With Homeschooling on the Rise, New Report Spotlights Lack of Regulations to Protect Homeschooled Children from Abuse
With homeschooling on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re sounding the alarm about the lack of state-level laws protecting homeschooled children from child abuse and educational neglect.
Data Reports
New Report Forecasts Wave of Christian Nationalist Bills to Hit State Legislatures in 2021
In this year’s State of the Secular States report, American Atheists sounded the alarm on an upcoming wave of Christian nationalist state-level bills.
Federal Policy
New COVID Relief Bill to Enrich Wealthy Megachurches with Second Round of Government Funding
Congress has once again excluded church/state separation protections from the new $900 billion coronavirus relief bill while authorizing special exemptions for religious organizations.
Litigation
American Atheists Edges Closer to Victory in Lawsuit Against Christian Nationalist Arkansas State Senator, Jason Rapert
American Atheists celebrates a victory in its lawsuit for free speech and religious equality against Arkansas State Senator Stanley Jason Rapert.
