Weekly Policy Report
by Edwina Rogers
Responses To Terrorist Attacks In Paris
SPI Send Thoughtful Letter Of Support┬á-┬áFollow the link below to view the letter that the Secular Policy Institute sent to President Fran├ºois Hollande regarding last weekÔÇÖs terrorist attacks.┬á We at the Secular Policy Institute express our deepest sympathies and sorrow for the actions of those few who permanently impacted the lives of so many.┬á We look to France as a beacon of culture and unity.┬á We are with you in this time. ┬áSee the letter here.
Ohio Gov. Kasich Wants Judeo-Christian Values Agency
┬áIn response to international terrorist threats, Gov. John Kasich and presidential hopeful called for an agency┬áTuesday┬áthat would┬ápromote “Judeo-Christian” values in the U.S.┬áOnly about one-third (35 percent) of the public say the U.S. is and has always been a Christian nation. In contrast, close to half (45 percent) say the U.S. was a Christian nation in the past, but no longer remains so, and┬á14 percent┬ásay it has never been a Christian nation.
Join SPI Letter Objecting to Religious Decals On Police Vehicles
We are asking the National Association of Police Organizations to highly consider advising and educating police officers regarding the use of religious decals on secular government vehicles. These actions can be divisive and threatening toward the over thirty percent non-religious in the U.S.. The United States has two national mottos, of these “In God We Trust” was chosen to be placed as a decal upon police and sheriff cars. Unlike “In God We Trust” (which was adopted as a national motto in 1956 — mainly to counter communism), E Pluribus Unum has been with us since 1776. E Pluribus Unum is a far more accurate representation about what is best of America: “out of the many, one.”
The deadline to sign on┬áis┬áMonday, November 23, 2015; just reply to this email and send us your organization’s name. View the letter here.
Join SPI Letter Regarding Religion Preventing Children Access to Healthcare
Secular Policy Institute and our coalition partners remain steadfast supports of science-based medicine. We expect to find no better ally in advocating for medical science than the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thus we ask the Secretary┬áto lobby the President and Congress to introduce Federal requirements to provide medical care for children against religious and philosophical objections from their parents. The Secretary’s┬áoffice has the leverage to educate lawmakers about science, and the importance of proper medical care. ┬áLet me know at┬áedwina@secularpolicyinstitute.net┬áif your organization can join.
The deadline to sign on is Monday, November 30, 2015    View the letter here.
Governors Refuse Syrian Refugees
┬áPresident Obama criticized 30 governors┬á– 29 of whom are Republican — for┬árefusing to accept Syrian refugees into their states. ┬áHe accused Republicans of aiding in Islamic State recruitment by suggesting that there be a religious test for refugees that would give preference to Christians. ÔÇ£I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for ISIL than some of the rhetoric coming out of here in the course of this debate,ÔÇØ he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs counterproductive and it needs to stop.ÔÇØ
Most (56 percent) Americans say that Islam is at odds with America’s values and way of life, reports┬áthe Washington Post’s Christopher Ingraham on AVS 2015. Notably, Republicans (76 percent) are more likely than Democrats (43 percent) to agree the values of Islam contrast with that of the country’s.┬áHere’s an┬áexpanded analysis on the issue.
SPI Files Comments with HHS Regarding Sex Discrimination in Healthcare 
Below please find the SPI comments filed on Last Monday regarding the Health and Human Services’ Notice of Proposed Rule Making for Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).┬á The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued the proposed regulations that take critical steps toward realizing the promise of Section 1557 in ending sex discrimination in health care. ┬áSex discrimination in health care results in women paying more for health care,┬áreceiving improper diagnoses more frequently,┬ábeing provided less effective treatments,┬áand sometimes being denied care altogether.┬á┬áFurther, numerous surveys, studies, and reports have documented the widespread discrimination experienced by LGBT individuals and their families in the health system.┬á┬áIn response, the ACA included broad protections against sex discrimination in health programs and activities, with Section 1557, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded and operated health programs and activities, as the cornerstone of this protection. ┬áStrong regulations implementing Section 1557, paired with robust enforcement, are necessary to ensure that all women can access affordable, quality health care.
View the letter here.
Biblical Version of Evolution Still Popular in The US
On November 12, 1968, the Supreme Court overturned an Arkansas law banning the teaching of evolution in public schools. As a result, many communities passed laws requiring that schools teach creationism if evolution was included in the curriculum. More than a decade after the trial, half (50 percent) of Americans favored making it mandatory to teach the “Biblical version of evolution” along with the “Darwinian scientific theory,” while 40 percent were opposed (Source: Time/Yankelovich, Skelly & White Poll, Sep., 1981).