Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Senior Policy Analyst at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Washington, DC, and author of Taking Liberties: Why Religious Freedom Doesn't Give You the Right to Tell Other People What to Do
The Clash of Religious Freedom and Civil Rights Arizona's Senate Bill 1062 did not give businesses the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians, but it did say they could use religious belief as a defense if they were sued for refusing service. In any case, the issue has not disappeared since Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the measures under heavy pressure from businesses and gay rights groups. As more and more states recognize the right to same-sex marriage, some religious conservatives are finding ways to fight back. Photographers, bakers and florists have claimed they can't participate in same-sex weddings without violating their religious beliefs. Is that outright discrimination or an exercise of the First Amendment? Can hotels, restaurants or other public businesses do the same thing? We hear how the Religious Freedom Movement is making waves from Arizona and other states to the US Supreme Court.
Church and State in 21st Century America America's founders wrote a Constitution to intentionally exclude God, and their first amendment forbids the government to establish any religion. Thomas Jefferson even called for a "wall of separation between church and state." But, during the Red Scare of the 1950's, "In God We Trust" not only appeared on American money, but replaced E Pluribus Unum —"Out of Many, One" — as the national motto. Even though there was no substantive challenge in sight, Congress reaffirmed that last year—by a vote of 396 to 9. Americans have the right to practice any religion they want to, but are these official references threatening the commitment to a secular government? Do they imply that this is a Christian nation or recognize that one God is as good as another in a country of many different faiths?
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.