Great Plains Chapter in the News
The following piece is entitled Letter to a Young Activist: Do Not Drop the Banner by Dr. Barbara Santee and published in On the Issues magazine. Although neither this particular author nor publication are affiliated with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, it touches on a very relevant subject to the separation of church and state and the AU cause, namely the anti-abortion movement by Christian Right Dominionists.
Vickie Stangl: Brownback blurring lines of church, state
September 13, 2011
By Vickie Sandell Stangl, President of the Great Plains Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Since the election of Gov. Sam Brownback, Kansans have witnessed a disturbing trend in blurring the lines between church and state.
It has taken roughly two generations for self-serving politicians and the religious right to smear this noble principle as a fictitious protection in the Constitution. In reality, the battle to destroy the separation principle was a highly partisan scheme concocted in the early 1980s to lure Southern Democrats to the Republican Party by attacking the principle as a sinister plan by godless liberals.
Most Americans are unaware of the history behind religious freedom in America. In 1787, the founders took the historic step of adopting the political philosophy that governing should be separate from personal devotion and doctrines of faith. To avoid the sectarian violence European nations experienced, the founders fashioned a new government to accommodate all beliefs and uphold freedom of conscience.
The First Amendment provides the mechanism for separating governing from religion with two distinct clauses. The establishment clause prohibits an establishment of religion by the government, while the free-exercise clause provides freedom of conscience to all.
Thus, the institution of religion is on its own in the marketplace of ideas, and Americans are free to decide their own beliefs. Government, however, is limited to the business of governing — not joining with religion and dictating beliefs to the nation and stirring up sectarian disputes.
Unfortunately, in the 19th century, politicians and powerful clergy ignored the separation principle. The Protestant faith was supreme during this period and had little regard for other beliefs — especially those of atheists.
Ironically, it was the Catholic Church and other religious minorities that first began to use state courts to uphold the separation principle. Catholic parents objected to their children being forced to recite mandatory Protestant prayers in school. As the nation became more diverse and other faiths grew stronger, the courts faced more challenges to defend the separation principle.
By the 1970s, students did not doubt the importance and wisdom of the separation principle. No one confused the fact that our Constitution was derived from English common law instead of the Ten Commandments. Students understood their government was secular, but America's religious beliefs and culture were largely Christian.
Fast-forward to 2011 and much has changed. Religious groups such as Focus on the Family have convinced many Americans that the founders created a Christian nation and that the real rule of law in America is the Ten Commandments.
Sadly, political pressure and cultural ridicule have caused political leaders to fall short in upholding the separation principle. Americans must reject political efforts to use public funds to partner with religion (school vouchers, faith-based programs) that elevate and promote religion through the government, as the Brownback administration is striving to do in Kansas.
Denying the separation principle has created exactly what the founders labored to avoid — mismanaged government and sectarian suspicions for those who hold a different viewpoint.
See the published piece here.____________________________________________________________________
The Wichita Eagle
August 24, 2011
By Michael Alldaffer, Great Plains AU Board Member
____________________________________________________________________
The Wichita Eagle
July 3, 2011
By Vickie Sandell Stangl, Great Plains AU President
____________________________________________________________________
Faith-Based Frenzy: Kansas Governor Preaches Religion As Solution To Social Problems here. The Wall of Separation
June 27, 2011
By Sandhya Bathija,
National Americans United for Separation of Church and State Communications Associate ____________________________________________________________________
El Dorado Correctional Facility Stalling on Inmates Requesting Secular/Humanist Call Out Time here. The Kansas Free Press
October 10, 2010
By Vickie Sandell Stangl, Great Plains AU President
____________________________________________________________________
The Wichita Eagle
February 11, 2011
By Janet Ruder, Great Plains AU Board Member
____________________________________________________________________
Cardinal Brownback builds his theocratic state here. The Kansas Free Press
January 23, 2011
By Vickie Sandell Stangl, Great Plains AU President
____________________________________________________________________
The following clip of the December 7th, 2010 Wichita City Council meeting with an invocation given by Mayor Carl Brewer can be accessed on the City Council's official website by clicking here.
This video demonstrates the very concerns the Great Plains Chapter of AU raised at the Wichita City Council Meeting in July of 2010. We maintained that invocations were unnecessary to government business and in fact may become an opportunity to promote one faith over all others since there is little religious and philosophical diversity among speakers delivering invocations before Wichita City Council meetings. Another issue we raised was the fact that city staff often stepped in to find someone to perform the invocations on city time and expense even though the Council maintained this was the job of Interfaith Ministries. The video we have posted above reveals that a speaker failed to show up to deliver the invocation, and instead of moving on to council business, the Mayor actually delivered the invocation himself and invoked his own personal deity. As we explained to the Council in a follow up letter in January of 2011, "Specific sectarian prayers may not be advanced at the meetings and over half of the invocations have included references to a particular sect. Thus, those persons giving invocations are consistently violating a Supreme Court decision this issue should be addressed immediately by council members." We feel that Mayor Brewer set a bad example in this instance and should have moved on to current city business instead of personally praying to his God at the exclusion of all others. The Mayor represents ALL citizens of Wichita, not just those of Christian faith. ____________________________________________________________________
Room for all in City Council invocations here. The Wichita Eagle
July 27, 2010
____________________________________________________________________
The secular invocation shown in the video above was presented by Great Plains Chapter board member Michael Alldaffer before the Wichita City Council on July 20th, 2010 and can be accessed on the City Council's official website by clicking here. ____________________________________________________________________
Don't impose faith in government meetings here. The Wichita Eagle
July 25, 2010
By Vickie Sandell Stangl, Great Plains AU President
____________________________________________________________________
Council members defend prayer at council meetings here. The Wichitopekington (The Wichita Eagle Blog)
July 20, 2010
