by Deanna Cantrell

Sexual abuse leaves lasting scars that stay with the survivor long past the act itself ends.  With early intervention and therapy the odds are better for that child to have a happy and productive life.  In cases where someone such as a priest violates the trust and personal space of a child, the mental and emotional toll can be devastating.  The Catholic Church has long tried to cover up cases of molestation within its priesthood.

According to a new report from, The Sunday Age, The Catholic Church had set aside tens of millions of dollars to compensate sexual abuse victims years before it was prepared to publicly acknowledge the extent of the problem and now has up to $150 million set aside to cover existing and future claims.┬á The church’s insurance company has allocated up to $150 million to cover outstanding and anticipated compensation claims, more than three times the amount believed to have been paid to victims to date.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is an institution located in Melbourne, Australia.  It held its first public forum in September 2013.  Hearings do not focus on individual cases, rather case studies.  A public hearing is set to be held on November 24 at 10:00am AEDT.  It will inquire into the response of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne of child sexual abuse.  See their website for full details as well as viewing information.

Starting in 1969, the Catholic ChurchÔÇÖs insurance company, called Catholic Church Insurance Ltd., set aside a dedicated fund covering the church for alleged incidents.

“CCI’s aim is to assist the church by providing protection in a difficult area and one which is increasingly being excluded by worldwide insurance markets. We intend treating this insurance as a special accommodation line for the church,” CCI’s then underwriting manager wrote to the bishops in 1990.

Under this, CCI was authorized to pay out $1 million in compensation per abuser, up to a total liability of $5 million.  The total was later boosted to a whopping $15 million.

At the 2013 Victorian inquiry into child abuse by religious and other organizations, Bishop Peter Connors ÔÇô former chairman of the Australian Bishops’ Conference special issues committee ÔÇô testified that the church’s policy before the Melbourne Response was “admit nothing” and “never say you are sorry”.┬á “I think that was the difficulty for bishops, because they were taking the wrong advice never to meet with victims and never to admit something had happened,” he testified.

This is similar to the advice a car insurance company might give to their insured after a collision.  It is almost absurd that a comparison can be drawn between the two.  Then again, so is the mere concept of needing an insurance policy to cover sexual misconduct.  The notion that such coverage is needed to cover the cost signifies that there is a far reaching problem.

Recently, Pope Francis spoke on this issue:

┬áÔÇ£If a person has done wrong, is conscious of what he has done and does not say sorry, I ask God to take him into account,ÔÇØ the pope said. ÔÇ£I forgive him, but he does not receive that forgiveness, he is closed to forgiveness.ÔÇØ

Leave it to the Catholic Church, where ÔÇ£sorryÔÇØ absolves any deed, no matter how horrific. However, under this model, the people who actually deserve such apologies will never receive them. Not that an apology is a spectacular act that heals all. ┬áThough validation can do wonders for the healing process. ┬áAbuse thrives on silence; shining a light on the realities of how the Catholic Church deals with these crimes in secret is a step in the right direction.

View the entire report by the Sunday Age for even more details.

About the International Coalition Calls

Every first Thursday of the month, the Secular Policy Institute holds an international coordinating call for its 300 members to discuss the future of the secular movement.

Call for October 1, 2015

Here’s the latest recording of the Secular Policy Institute’s international coordinating call.

Weekly Demographic Research and Polls Report

by Deanna Cantrell

Sanders-021507-18335- 0004

With US Democratic Presidential Candidate, Bernie Sanders, expressing his personal views on religion recently there has been a buzz of speculation.  He did this during an interview in an unexpected forum, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, a late night talk show.  Sanders did not come out as a nontheist, he sidestepped giving a direct answer.

ÔÇ£I am who I am and what I believe in and what my spirituality is about is that weÔÇÖre all in this together. That I think it is not a good thing to believe that as human beings we can turn our backs on the suffering of other people,ÔÇØ Sanders said. ÔÇ£This is not Judaism ÔÇö this is what Pope Francis is talking about ÔÇö that we cannot worship just billionaires and the making of more and more money. Life is more than that.ÔÇØ

The U.S. is supposed to be a secular nation, so why is a candidateÔÇÖs religious affiliationÔÇöor lack thereofÔÇöhold such an importance among American voters?┬á The reason for SandersÔÇÖ reply could, objectively, be that he already states that he is a Socialist.┬á ┬áAccording to a Gallup poll, As the 2016 presidential election field takes shape, more than nine in 10 Americans say they would vote for a qualified presidential candidate who is Catholic, a woman, black, Hispanic or Jewish. Less than half of Americans would vote for a candidate who is a socialist.┬á Adding in nontheist, regardless of SandersÔÇÖ personal beliefs, could be seen as political suicide.

In seven U.S. states, there are laws on the books outlawing godless Americans from running for public office.┬á These states include:┬á Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.┬á Obviously, these laws are trumped by the ÔÇ£No Religious Test ClauseÔÇØ of the United States Constitution, which is found in Article VI, paragraph 3, and states that:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

List of State Statutes 

• Arkansas,┬áArticle 19, Section 1:
  No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.
• Maryland,┬áArticle 37:
  That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath prescribed by this Constitution.
• Mississippi,┬áArticle 14, Section 265:
  No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state.
• North Carolina,┬áArticle 6, Section 8
  The following persons shall be disqualified for office: Any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.
• South Carolina,┬áArticle 17, Section 4:
  No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution.
• Tennessee,┬áArticle 9, Section 2:
  No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state.
• Texas,┬áArticle 1, Section 4:
  No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall anyone be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being.

Favorable traits leading the pack for a politician are shown, by poll, to be military experience and past political experience.  On the other side of the ledger, not believing in God and never having held elected office before are the most negatively viewed traits of those tested. Just over half (53%) say they would be less likely to vote for someone who does not believe in God, while only 5% say this would make them more likely to support a candidate. And despite a decline in regard for extensive Washington experience, a presidential candidate who has never held any elected office would have little appeal: 52% say this would make them less likely to vote for a candidate compared with just 9% who say this would increase their likelihood of supporting a candidate.

Would Bernie Sanders survive the primary and secure a place as the Democratic candidate if he were, in fact, a nontheist and was clear and outspoken about it?  The polls do not look promising for that possibility.  All we can do is sit and wait to see how this plays out over the course of the campaign.

 

Weekly SPI Fellows Report

by Deanna Cantrell

SPI Fellow Elham Manea is set to have a discussion with former UN special rapporteur, Frank La Rue, on November 10 in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. ┬áDr Manea is an Associate Professor specialized on the Middle East, a writer, and a human rights activist. She is a Fulbright scholar who holds a PhD degree in political science from the University of Zurich, Master degree in comparative politics from the American University in Washington D.C, and a Bachelor degree in political science from Kuwait University. She has published academic and nonfiction books in English, German, and Arabic in addition to two novels in Arabic. Her latest publication was a book entitled The Arab State and WomenÔÇÖs Rights: The Trap of Authoritarian Governance, London: Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics, June 2011. She works at the Political Science Institute at the University of Zurich and a consultant for Swiss government agencies and international human rights organizations. Recently, she has been appointed by the Swiss Federal Council as a Member of the Federal Commission for Women Affairs.┬á For more information, visit the event website.┬á

With all of the recent talk of climate change, it is fitting to join SPI fellow Donald Prothero for a chat about one of historyÔÇÖs largest victims of climate change:┬á dinosaurs.┬á Check out, Is ÔÇ£BrontosaurusÔÇØ Back? Not So Fast!┬á Prothero is an American geologist and mammalian┬ápaleontologist who was one of the first to conduct research┬áin┬ámagnetostratigraphy, a technique to date rock layers that is┬áused to examine┬áhistorical┬áclimate changes.

Weekly Policy Report

by Edwina Rogers

SPI Rogers Invited For Dinner With Costa Rican Ambassador To Review Climate Change Solutions
Ambassador Roman Macaya Hayes, a chemist and biochemist by training, he understands the importance of relying on science in public policy.  Hayes holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UCLA.

The Ambassador explained that Costa Rica has decided to respond and align its national priorities with global climate action. The Government has prepared a far-reaching climate change strategy and is committed to becoming a carbon-neutral (C-neutral) country by 2021.

The climate change strategy, which has a clear orientation for action, is defined around five strategic components: metrics, mitigation, vulnerability and adaptation, capacity-building, and education, culture and public awareness.

Before World War II, almost 75 percent of Costa Rica was covered by forest land. What happened in the next four decades was particularly damaging to the national ecosystem: The national forest coverage decreased to 21 percent.

In just 33 years, from 1950 to 1983, more than 46 percent of forest land in Costa Rica was lost due to lack of reforestation efforts. In the next 27 years, however, tree planting and forest conservation activities have managed to reclaim 26.3 percent of the lost forest areas. This amounts to a 52.3 percent forest density in Costa Rica as of 2010.

There was a tax on land that sat idle and not used in agriculture.  Now there is a payment to owners of idle land that comes from a tax on carbon producing activities.

The public policy programs are called Payment for Environmental Services Program (PSE in Spanish) and the Strategy to Reduce Carbon Emissions Caused by Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+ in Spanish).

The country has a goal of seeing Costa RicaÔÇÖs forest coverage up to 60 percent.┬á This is in line with the┬áCosta Rica ÔÇô Carbon Neutral initiative that is expected to take effect in the year 2021. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, reforestation is the┬áeasiest way to combat climate change.

The Secular Policy Institute has been asked by key Congressional leaders to search for secular solutions to US problems including climate change and present the findings in private briefings.  We work to find top scholars that are thought leaders with proven outcomes.  Ambassador Hayes certainly fits the bill.

Religious Freedom:  The Forgotten Liberty?

On 15 October,┬áspiked┬áand the Newseum Institute in Washington, DC, held a conference, in partnership with the Alliance Defending Freedom and supported by the Acton Institute, called the┬áÔÇÿThe First Amendment in the 21st CenturyÔÇÖ.

Speakers from across the globe gathered to explore the troubles afflicting three of the core First Amendment freedoms ÔÇô speech, press and religion.

Below is the video and podcast of the third and final debate, titled ÔÇÿReligious freedom: the forgotten liberty?ÔÇÖ.

From European pastors being arrested for preaching fire and brimstone in their own pulpits to US campaigners calling for restrictions on freedom of conscience, religious freedom is under threat. But should the religious really be free to discriminate?

View the video featuring SPIÔÇÖs own, Edwina Rogers.

 

Religion in Forefront GOP 2016 Race

Religion as moved to the spotlight of the Republican race for president. ┬áDonald Trump over last weekend implied that his main rival, Ben Carson’s religious beliefs are outside the mainstream. ┬áIn Florida┬áon Saturday┬áTrump said, “I’m Presbyterian. ┬áBoy, that’s down the middle of the road, folks, in all fairness. ┬áI mean, Seventh-day Adventist, I don’t know about. ┬áI don’t know about.

Carson is a Seventh-day Adventists, a religion other Christians reject.  There are approximately only 1.2 million in the US.  They embrace a more literal interpretation of the bible and hold the Sabbath on Saturday.  Carson is ahead of Trump with evangelical Christians at 36 percent to 18 percent.

Christian conservatives are a powerful constituency in Iowa, the first caucus.  Carson caused a stir when he said that he would be opposed to a Muslim being elected as president.

Religion of the GOP Candidates:

• Catholic – Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie
• Presbyterian- Donald Trump, Rand Paul
• Southern Baptist – TED Cruz, Mike Huckabee
• Seventh-day Adventist – Ben Carson
• Anglican – John Kasich
• Non-denominational Christian – Carly Fiorina

Latest US Poll On Climate Change

More than three quarters of the American public accepts the reality of global climate change, according to a new poll. In the latest University of Texas at Austin Energy poll, 76% of respondents agreed that global climate change is occurring, while 14% disagreed and 10% were not sure. The level of agreement is the highest since the poll
started asking the question in 2012.

There was a sharp divide along political lines: 90% of self-identified Democrats agreed and 3% disagreed that climate change is occurring, while only 59% of self-identified Republicans agreed and 29%
disagreed. “Political ideology continues to be the single greatest┬ádeterminant of Americans’ views on climate change,” commented the poll┬ádirector Sheril Kirshenbaum.

The poll did not directly ask whether respondents attribute climate change to human activity. But it is suggestive that, among those who agree that climate change is under way, a majority selected
deforestation, oil, and coal as significant or very significant┬ácontributing factors (“natural forces” was also offered). ┬áWe need more briefings with Republicans.

Environmental Regulations and Lawsuits

The New York Times reports that as many as 25 states are preparing┬álawsuits against President Obama’s new environmental regulations, which were formally published┬áon Friday. These cases are largely expected to end in a Supreme Court decision. Cutting CO2 emissions is at the heart of Obama’s climate change plan, and it’s something that most Americans are on board with:┬á57 percent┬áfavor stricter limits on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from power plants even if they raise the price of goods and services, while┬á38 percent┬áare opposed.

Weekly SPI Coalition Member Report

by Deanna Cantrell

United Coalition of Reason

United CoR is a hub of activity for the Secular community.┬á Dr. Jase Heap, the Executive Director of United CoR, is a seasoned speaker.┬á He has recently had speaking engagements at WashCon, which went on despite the hurricane outside of the venue.┬á He also spoke at the Sacramento Freethought Day where Susan Corbett, United CoRÔÇÖs Education Officer and National Coordinator, made her first National speaking debut.┬á Notably, Susan also spawned her first meme during this speaking engagement by stating that, ÔÇ£Freethought is the first step of a growing mind.ÔÇØ

United CoR also just secured a spot in the winter display located in Arlington Heights, Illinois.┬á Last year the Chicago displays faced fierce vandalism.┬á Thanks to the local chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the displays managed to be salvaged.┬á The Arlington Heights Police Department is allowing the CoR to put up the, ÔÇ£A for AtheistÔÇØ letter and a Chicago CoR banner.┬á Stay tuned to United CoRÔÇÖs website for developments as to how this yearÔÇÖs display survives.

The Central Iowa CoR

The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition held their 15th Annual Banquet and Presidential Forum at the Knapp Learning Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Eight of the Republican presidential candidates were on hand to speak to the predominantly evangelical audience. On stage were Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki, Rick Santorum and Scott Walker. Many of IowaÔÇÖs own politicians also spoke at the event including Senators Chuck Grassley & Joni Ernst, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, as well as Congressmen Steve King and David Young. Faith and Freedom Coalition Founder and Chairman Ralph Reed also took to the stage to speak about his organizationÔÇÖs goals (and to ask for money-this was a fundraiser after all!). The message repeated by virtually every speaker at the banquet was that there is a war on religious liberty, persecution of Christians, and the need to bring God back into government.

The IAF was present to make it clear to the attendees of the Banquet that religious liberty is not reserved for the privileged few but for all religions or lack thereof. Many of the signs carried stated ÔÇ£Separation of Church & StateÔÇØ. The protest area was in full view of the attendees as they walked from the parking lot and got in line to the entrance of the venue.

For the full story, visit the Central Iowa CoR.

 

Central Coast CoR Faces More Vandalism

California CoRs have seen their fair share of vandalism, when it comes to road signs or billboards. Late last August,Butte County Coalition of Reason experienced more vandalism for the third consecutive year. This time, nearly 400 miles south of Chico, a vandal spray painted over part of an Atheists United Adopt-a-Highway road sign, southbound on Highway 101, near Atascadero. The vandalism was discovered Saturday, September 19 by members of Atheists United San Luis Obispo (AU SLO), a member of the Central Coast Coalition of Reason, which was launched during the first week of May 2015.

Read the full story.

Great News from the Mid-Columbia CoR

In Kennewick, Washington, a ÔÇ£Resolution affirming freedom of conscienceÔÇØ was defeated in a six-to-one vote by City Council members following strong opposition from the local atheist community and others. The Resolution, drafted by┬áJoseph BackholmÔÇöExecutive Director of the┬áFamily Policy Institute of WashingtonÔÇöhas been proposed by a city council member in nearby Pasco, as well. The Resolution entreats State Attorney General Bob Ferguson to┬ádrop the case against an area florist who refused to sell flowers for the wedding of a gay couple┬ábecause of her ÔÇ£relationship with Jesus Christ.ÔÇØ The florist lost in court earlier this year and is appealing the decision. The Resolution also seeks to support the decision of business owners who refuse to serve customers if they perceive doing so would be contrary to their sincerely held beliefs, even though such actions directly violate Washington State anti-discrimination laws.

John Trumbo, the council member in Kennewick who proposed the Resolution, had previously put forward another resolution that council meetings should be opened with explicitly Christian prayers, as he believes Christianity was the religion of AmericaÔÇÖs founding fathers. That resolution received little support from other council members and never came up for a vote.

Find the full story here.

For many of BiharÔÇÖs 110 million inhabitants, the main goal in life is to leave their homeland as soon as possible ÔÇö to study or find work, however menial.

Biharis toil on construction sites from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu and as far away as the Gulf. ÔÇ£Mostly people from here have to migrate to other states to get jobs,ÔÇØ sighs Parimal Paritosh, 20, who moved to Punjab to study engineering and has come home for the funeral rites of his grandmother on the banks of the River Ganges.

Yet this month politicians from Prime Minister Narendra Modi downwards have been flocking to the landlocked north Indian state ÔÇö a byword for poverty, despair and overcrowding ÔÇö to court its people. It is election time in Bihar, and it is a pivotal state.

BiharÔÇÖs population ÔÇö if it were a country it would be the worldÔÇÖs 12th-largest, just behind Mexico ÔÇö makes victory in the state election a crucial prize for Indian parties.

If Mr. ModiÔÇÖs Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party ousts the current chief minister Nitish Kumar when results are announced on November 8, it would eventually help the BJP wrest control of the national parliamentÔÇÖs upper house from the opposition, which has blocked key economic reforms such as a planned goods and services tax.

The BJP can count on its traditional support from the Hindu upper-caste minority. ÔÇ£I come from a forward caste and the only party that seems to support my ideology is the BJP,ÔÇØ says Mr Paritosh. But Mr. Modi hopes his charisma and the promise of jobs and development, which swept him to power in last yearÔÇÖs general election, will lure the middle and lower castes into the BJP fold as well.

In fact, Bihari voters complain, election promises of development and handouts for the poor have been overshadowed by frenzied ÔÇ£vote-bank politicsÔÇØ, with politicians trying to win over different caste groups and pro-BJP activists seeking Hindu votes by demonizing Muslims as beef-eating slaughterers of sacred cows.

ÔÇ£NobodyÔÇÖs talking about education, health, employment or real development,ÔÇØ says RK Sinha, head of the zoology department at Patna University. ÔÇ£EverybodyÔÇÖs talking rubbish ÔÇö caste and beef.ÔÇØ As for education, he echoes Mr Paritosh. ÔÇ£Almost 90-100 per cent who have the means, who can sell land or jewelry, they send their children out of Bihar.ÔÇØ

For the full story, visit The Financial Times

An original SPI news article

by Deanna Cantrell

Within BostonÔÇÖs subway system, called the MBTA, it is illegal to panhandle, peddle, or pass out flyersÔǪ Unless it is religion that you are peddling.┬á A lawsuit filed by Jews For Jesus, Inc. in 1993 overturned the law prohibiting leafleting within the subway system.┬á Allowing religious organizations to set up shop in the closed confines of a subway not only forces patrons to endure unsolicited contact from these organizations, but it also results in a potential threat to public safety, noise pollution, and litter.

There are now a total of 51 stations in the MBTA making up the subway system, with 4 main hub/transfer stations.┬á According to a study conducted in 2013, on any given day the MBTA services 766,924 people via subway.┬á Each station contains 2 ÔÇ£zonesÔÇØ, free and paid; the free zone consists of any area before a turnstile, and paid areas are all areas which are accessible to patrons after crossing the turnstile where fare has been paid.

The issue at hand, is that greeting and the passing out of literature by religious organizations is considered noncommercial expressive activity.  Such activity was found to cover the following: conducting any of the following activities for political or non-profit purposes; solicitation of signatures; distribution of printed materials; handshaking or greeting individual transit patrons or members of the public; or publicly addressing transit patrons at a noise level greater than 85 decibels.  Such activities were determined to be protected by the first amendment.  Organizations do not have to obtain prior consent from the Transit Authority in order to practice proselytizing, they just simply show up and set up shop.  Many bring rolling carts and stands for their material.  This serves to further congest and already busy area, impairing the flow of traffic.

The district court voided the authorization requirement as an unconstitutional prior restraint. It explained that the MBTA could not require a license to engage in ordinary speech like handshaking or greeting and that the authorization requirement did not promote the Authority’s avowed interests in public safety and evenhanded access to the subway stations for First Amendment activities.

As stated within the suit:

the Supreme Court has dismissed the danger to traffic congestion as a justification to ban leafleting. The Court has explained that “the distribution of literature does not require that the recipient stop in order to receive the message the speaker wishes to convey.”┬áISKCON, 112 S. Ct. at 2713-14 (O’Connor, J., Concurring) (quoting┬áKokinda, 110 S. Ct. at 3123). Bottlenecks, therefore, are unlikely to develop. Because leafletting is a particularly unobtrusive form of expression, the Court recently invalidated a ban on leafletting, even within a nonpublic forum.┬á This may be true if organizations merely handed out their single leaflet without stopping anyone, but if anyone stops this impedes the flow of traffic within these confined spaces.

The Fernandes v. Limmer court found that the interest in keeping terminal traffic freely flowing “is not sufficiently compelling to justify the total exclusion of those wishing to exercise free speech and freedom of religion within the terminals.

The MBTA argued that by disrupting passenger flow opens up the window of opportunity for crime.  When a passenger pauses to speak with a member of a religious organization greeting and handing out literature, the congestion that this creates poses a danger for pick-pocketing.  A passenger is engaged in conversation and not actively aware of surroundings and belongings, this could easily pose a risk for such theft.  However, the court found that this risk is not a substantial enough cause to ban such activity.

The lawsuit also dismissed existing noise restrictions.  Previously restrictions were 85 decibels, even 85 decibels sustained over a prolonged period of time can produce hearing damage.  For reference, 85 decibels is the same noise level of a bulldozer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, noise-induced hearing loss can result from a one-time exposure to a very loud sound (at or above 120 decibels), blast, impulse, or by listening to loud sounds (at or above 85 decibels) over an extended period. The louder the sound, the shorter the time period before hearing damage occurs.

Finally, leafleting was argued to lead to an increase in litter.┬á This was found by the court to be the fault of the litterer, not the organization leafleting.┬á Granted, it is an individualÔÇÖs responsibility to adhere to laws, this includes disposing of unwanted materials properly.┬á This is great in theory; however litter bugs still abound.

So, if you are a part of a religious organization what rules do you have to abide by in the Boston subway?┬á Remain 15 feet away from the platformÔÇÖs edge, as well as any structures such as doors, elevators and turnstiles, and do not leave your materials unattended.┬á Sounds like a small price to pay to have a captive audience of thousands.

Weekly Coalition Update

by Deanna Cantrell

Happy early Halloween, Little Rock!

The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers is throwing a Halloween party! ┬áFrom their site, “The Halloween Party of all Halloween parties at Edgewood Memorial Cemetery. Bwahhhhhhaaahhhhaaaaah. Be there and experience the ground on which the crematory once stood. Or are you too scared???!!! Bwahhhaaahaaahhh!!!!” ┬áDon’t miss out! ┬áThe fun happens tomorrow!

After the fun, be sure to join in to beautify your local community.  Adopt a street cleanup takes place on October 25th from 10:00am-11:00am.

Members in Action

SPI Coalition Member, The National Secular Society gave their support for a bill being debated in the House of Lords.

The Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill, proposed by Baroness Cox, has passed its second reading in the House of Lords and was met with support from peers across the political spectrum.

The Bill would make it illegal for any arbitration tribunal to “do anything that constitutes discrimination, harassment or victimization on grounds of sex” and several honorary associates of the NSS offered their support for the Bill.

It would specifically prohibit those providing arbitration services from “treating the evidence of a man as worth more than the evidence of a woman” and from “proceeding on the assumption that a woman has fewer property rights than a man”.

For the full story, see the National Secular Society

Altruism in Athens

The Atheist Union of Greece has been active sending out a press release for the abolition of blasphemy laws and calling for the separation of church and state.  In December, they have an upcoming event which includes a blood drive and collection of other necessities to help those in need.  They encourage Grecians to do good without god!

Weekly US and World Public Policy Report

by Edwina Rogers

Myanmar Passes Four Protection Of Race And Religion Statutes – SPI Coalition Takes Note
Since May, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar signed into law four ÔÇ£Protection of the Race and ReligionÔÇØ statutes. These laws place restrictions on marriage, religious conversion, and reproductive freedom of the people within MyanmarÔÇÖs borders. As an emerging democratic nation, these laws are injurious to secularism and democratic norms, and fuel an ongoing humanitarian crisis afflicting 1.4 million people of the Rohingya ethnic group. The Secular Policy Institute, and it’s signed coalition members, ┬ácalled on the government of Myanmar through a letter this week to President Sein and the Houses of Nationality and Representation to review the Monogamy, Interfaith Marriage, Religious Conversion, and Population Control laws and to support the cause of human rights.

The laws of ÔÇ£Protecting Race and ReligionÔÇØ include the ÔÇ£Monogamy LawÔÇØ criminalizing ┬ácohabitation with an unmarried partner that is not a recognized spouse (signed in law 31 August, 2015); the ÔÇ£Religious Conversion LawÔÇØ requiring that those wishing to change their religion seek the approval of a board for religious conversion requiring a 90-180 day approval process resulting in a ÔÇ£certificate of religious conversionÔÇØ (August 26, 2015), with penalties for ÔÇ£forced religious conversion;ÔÇØ the ÔÇ£Interfaith Marriage LawÔÇØ regulating marriage between Buddhist women to non-Buddhist men, where women under the age of 20 must obtain parental consent and those applying for marriage licenses must publicize their applications with a 14-day window┬áfor objections that are met with litigation (August 26, 2015); and the ÔÇ£Population Control LawÔÇØ that was passed in May. This final law imposes restrictions on the number of children that married couples (from ÔÇ£certain regionsÔÇØ) may have. ┬áWe have also asked for a meeting with the Myanmar Ambassador in Washington. ┬áFind the letter by following this link.

Where the Grass Is Greener: Biblical Stewardship vs. Climate Alarmism 

On October 21 in DC, lawmakers and their staff were invited to a screening of this one-hour documentary that harnesses the expertise of over 30 world-class scholars on climate science; developmental, environmental, and energy economics; and theology, ethics, and public policy to address global warming and climate policy from a Biblical Worldview perspective to protect the worldÔÇÖs poor from harmful climate and energy policies. ┬áSPI offers private briefings to Congressional members from the secular perspective.
Keeping An Eye On The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court could decide in the next few weeks to take up one or more of the religious non-profit challenges to the accommodation in the Accountable Care Act on birth control coverage requirement. Stay tuned to SPI regarding case selection.
Proposed Bill In Tennessee On World Religion Education In Schools

SPI is working on a response to the┬áproposed law by Tennessee state representative Sheila ButtÔÇÖs against religious indoctrination in schools. Candidly, this is intended to target Muslims and establish Christian privilege, yet in her paranoia, Representative ButtÔÇÖs bill seems to disestablish Christian privilege up until grade 10.

“I think that probably the teaching that is going on right now in seventh (and) eighth grade is not age appropriate,” Republican Rep. Sheila Butt, who proposed the bill, told The Tennessean. “(Students) are not able to discern a lot of times whether it’s indoctrination or whether they’re learning about what a religion teaches.”

We will emphasize the need for state neutrality while being critical of the latent prejudice. Further investigation is warranted by the secular community

Twenty-Four

The number of people that Bahrain has charged with trying to establish an Islamic State Affiliate.

Bahrain was swept by protests during the 2011 “Arab Spring” uprisings in which the Shi’ite majority demanded political reforms from the Sunni Muslim ruling family. Some Shi’ites faced accusations of militancy related to the unrest.

The new case was the first time Bahrain named the Sunni Islamic State in connection with alleged militancy inside the island kingdom, which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet as a bulwark against Shi’ite Iran across the Gulf.

Eight of the 24 accused have been arrested and the rest remain at large, according to a statement by Public Prosecutor Ahmed al-Hammadi. Other charges included weapons possession and conducting training in the use of explosives, it said.

See the full story at Reuters.

Courting The Religious Right In Presidential Campaigns

“It’s time for us to bring God back to our country,” said Ben Carson said to a crowd of Texan evangelicals, joining fellow GOP presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum, and Mike Huckabee at an event at Dallas’ Prestonwood Baptist Church, known as a Megachurch because of its size. White evangelical Protestants remain an important part of the Republican base: more than one-third (36 percent) of Republicans identify as white evangelical Protestants, making it the largest religious tradition in the party.

ÔÇ£Religious liberty is under threat as never before in this country.ÔÇØ They cheered when he vowed he would ÔÇ£not surrenderÔÇØ on gay marriage and listened intently as he recounted his legal fights over religion as Texas solicitor general. ┬áÔÇ£My goodness, you know how to fire people up,ÔÇØ remarked Jack Graham, PrestonwoodÔÇÖs influential pastor, after Cruz was finished. ÔÇ£You could be a preacher.ÔÇØ

To see the full story of this Republican revival, visit Politico