Church | State Separation Campaign

We are very excited to announce the launch of the Iowa Secularist Church | State Separation Campaign! Each month for the next twelve months the Iowa Secularists will focus on a particular issue related to the separation of church and state. The Campaign will consist of discussion in our local groups and on the forum of the meaning of church-state separation, a quote of the month, letter writing campaigns to newspapers and elected officials, an Iowa Secularist lobby day at the Iowa Statehouse, and the presentation of a “Friend of the First Amendment” Award at the Annual Conference of the Iowa Secularists. We will make resources available to help you write letters and advocate for the separation of church and state and for the Iowa Secularists. Here’s what we have planned for March:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Iowa Secularist Lobby Day will be Thursday, March 27, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Come to the Capitol and speak to your legislators. Brian J. Sabel, a registered lobbyist for the Iowa Secularists, will be at the Capitol all day speaking to various elected representatives about the importance of the separation of church and state and about the concerns of the members of the Iowa Secularists. Come out and show your support for the separation of church and state and for the Iowa Secularists!

Local Group Discussion Questions: In our local group meetings this month we will discuss the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment. Consider the following questions:

  • The words “Wall of Separation” and “separation of church and state” don’t appear in the U.S. Constitution. Does it actually exist?
  • What government actions violate church/state separation and how far can government go without violating the wall of separation?
  • To what extent must religious politicians leave their faith at the door – how much can their religion influence their decisions?
  • Where does Free Exercise end and Establishment begin? Is there a way to tell when the two clauses conflict?
  • Do cities have to recognize the wall of separation?

    • This entry was posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 10:53 am and is filed under Announcements, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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