Church State

The American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have threatened to sue Enfield Public Schools if their graduation ceremonies are not moved out of a church.

"Students and their families should not have to choose between attending graduation and being subjected to proselytizing religious messages," said Alex Luchenitser, senior litigation counsel for Americans United, in a statement Wednesday. "Yet that is exactly the choice that the Enfield Schools impose on students and their families."

According to the two civil liberties groups, Enrico Fermi High School and Enfield High have been holding graduations at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, Conn., since 2007 and 2008, respectively. The venue was chosen as work was being done on the schools' football fields. more >>

After nine months in prison, the two young female converts who have gained international attention were freed Wednesday afternoon in Iran, sources inside the country reported.

Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were released at 3:30 p.m. local time without bail, according to Elam Ministries. They are currently at home with their family, but could face more court hearings in the future.

“Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release," they said, according to Elam. more >>

Most Americans still support government funding for faith-based initiatives, according to a new report.

More than eight years after former President George W. Bush launched a program allowing churches and other religious organizations to receive federal funding to perform social services, 69 percent of Americans say they favor the initiative, the Pew Forum reported.

Only 25 percent oppose it. more >>

The American Center for Law and Justice has filed a legal response to a lawsuit that opposes religious engravings in the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington.

In the amicus brief, the ACLJ asks the U.S. District Court for the western district of Wisconsin to dismiss claims that the use of "In God We Trust" as the national motto is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

"Plaintiffs' crusade, targeting religious expression in the federal government, serves no purpose other than to waste judicial resources at a time in our Nation's history when those resources are needed in cases involving real threats to American liberties," the legal group asserts. more >>

More than 75,000 Americans have joined an online movement seeking the revocation of tax-exempt status from churches that were involved in the repeal of Maine's gay marriage law.

"It's no secret that the Catholic Diocese led the 'Yes on 1' effort in Maine, among many other churches encouraging their congregations to vote 'Yes,' handing out signature forms and collection plates during service, and constantly asking for 'sacrificial contributions' from churchgoers," Maine Marriage Equality charges.

"The IRS clearly forbids churches from participating in political campaigns in any form," the group asserts. more >>