‘Tis the season for right-wingers to wallow in their persecution complex whenever a public entity acknowledges the existence of non-Christian beliefs! Continue reading
Federal report: human rights abuses flourish where freedom of belief isn’t protected
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom just issued a report revealing that when governments don’t rigorously protect freedom of belief, they create conditions leading to a slew of human rights abuses. Continue reading
The public must know the truth about health care sharing ministries
by Angela Manion
On July 11, 2022 Congressman Jared Huffman of California introduced H.R. 8324 (the Health Share Transparency Act of 2022) into the House of Representatives. The bill seeks to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, requiring health care sharing ministries (HCSMs) to disclose pertinent information regarding HCSMs to consumers. Continue reading
What election results so far mean for Arizona’s secular movement
Counting ballots continues for the 2022 midterm elections—part of the state’s usual process as county recorders tabulate early ballots dropped off on election night.
No winners have been called in most major races yet, and many are too close to call—including legislative races where it is still uncertain whether Democrats will flip key seats.
But regardless the outcome, voters have already sent a clear message: Christian nationalism far from represents an overwhelming majority of the state’s people. Continue reading
Votes won’t count for Diego Espinoza in LD22. Who to write in?
In Arizona LD-22, all State Senate candidates are write-ins. Continue reading
Courts Say Constitution Doesn’t Protect Churches from Lawsuits
School vouchers exposed… again
With just three weeks until the deadline to turn in signatures for Save Our Schools’ voucher expansion referendum, school vouchers are exploding on the news. Here’s why: Continue reading
No, abortion bans don’t help women
Secular AZ Legal Director Dianne Post just publicly shredded a major lie perpetuated by the religious right about abortion bans. Continue reading
Top four things to bring up when talking about school vouchers
We’ve been talking a lot with our neighbors lately about the issue of school vouchers. If there’s one thing we’ve learned after hundreds of these conversations, it’s this:
Not nearly enough people understand vouchers. Continue reading
AZ’s primary: what the results mean for separation of church and state
The votes are in. This primary, Republicans shifted harder toward the religious right, but Democrats pushed out some legislators who were soft on Christian nationalism. The balance of power in the Legislature may be decided by five races. And conspiracy theorists are vying for control of major statewide offices.
Here are the top results secular supporters need to know: Continue reading
At the Podium: Board Meetings and Civic Significance
An important measure was on the agenda of a July 28 Washington Elementary School District board meeting: a resolution affirming LGBTQ+ students and staff. This was the first official school board meeting I attended.
AZ Democrats who voted for Christian nationalist bills in 2022
This legislative session, the Arizona State Legislature heard 27 bills that advanced religious extremist causes—including those that sought to indoctrinate children in public schools, discriminate for religious reasons, and give religious entities exemptions from a sweeping array of laws and public safety policies. Several were signed into law.
An unprecedented 24 Democrats crossed party lines to pass three such bills. Below is a breakdown of the bills and who supported them. Continue reading