| Revision as of 18:25, 11 April 2015 editDoug Weller (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Autopatrolled, Oversighters, Administrators264,337 edits →Recent work: again remove material that doesn't mention AU at all, add a quote to the sentence sourced to Reuters that does mention AU (without it that sentence wouldn't belong either - put all this in the AIG article, not here← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:33, 11 April 2015 edit undo66.190.249.59 (talk) deleted portion that has nothing to do with AU per Dougweller's suggestions in ongoing editwarNext edit → | ||
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| In May 2013, Americans United released a parody video starring ] and ] as "Church" and "State", respectively, undergoing a humorous musical breakup.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRBrHowWXMU</ref> | In May 2013, Americans United released a parody video starring ] and ] as "Church" and "State", respectively, undergoing a humorous musical breakup.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRBrHowWXMU</ref> | ||
| In March 2015, Americans United filed a motion to intervene and a proposed motion to dismiss a federal lawsuit filed in the state of Kentucky. Americans United is representing, four Kentucky taxpayers, two of whom are Baptist ministers.<ref>http://baptistnews.com/culture/social-issues/item/29956-baptist-ministers-oppose-tax-break-for-ark-park</ref> In the lawsuit,<ref name="NYTKY">{{cite web | url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/05/us/ap-us-rel-noahs-ark-park-suit.html?_r=0 | title=Kentucky Sued Over Lost Tax Incentive for Noah's Ark Park | publisher=The New York Times | date=5 February 2015 | accessdate=8 April 2015 | author=The Associated Press}}</ref> ], the developer of a tourist attraction featuring a life size model of Noah's Ark, is requesting the state of Kentucky approve its application for a tourism incentive program that would offset some of its development costs by deferring sales taxes the theme park itself will generate through its ticket sales. |
In March 2015, Americans United filed a motion to intervene and a proposed motion to dismiss a federal lawsuit filed in the state of Kentucky. Americans United is representing, four Kentucky taxpayers, two of whom are Baptist ministers.<ref>http://baptistnews.com/culture/social-issues/item/29956-baptist-ministers-oppose-tax-break-for-ark-park</ref> In the lawsuit,<ref name="NYTKY">{{cite web | url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/05/us/ap-us-rel-noahs-ark-park-suit.html?_r=0 | title=Kentucky Sued Over Lost Tax Incentive for Noah's Ark Park | publisher=The New York Times | date=5 February 2015 | accessdate=8 April 2015 | author=The Associated Press}}</ref> ], the developer of a tourist attraction featuring a life size model of Noah's Ark, is requesting the state of Kentucky approve its application for a tourism incentive program that would offset some of its development costs by deferring sales taxes the theme park itself will generate through its ticket sales. | ||
| Kentucky governor Steve Beshear also filed a motion to dismiss the suit and according to Reuters, "Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and a lawyer, said the suit was without merit and would fail in court."<ref name="ReutersKY">{{cite web | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/05/us-usa-religion-ark-idUSKBN0L92TK20150205 | title=Noah's Ark theme park developers sue Kentucky over lost tax rebates | publisher=Reuters News | date=5 February 2015 | accessdate=8 April 2015 | author=BITTENBENDER, STEVE}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 18:33, 11 April 2015
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 | |
| Founded | 1947 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Area served | United States |
| Method | Litigation, education |
| Members | Over 75,000 |
| Revenue | $6,921,251 USD (2007) |
| Website | http://www.au.org/ |
Americans United for Separation of Church and State (Americans United or AU for short) is a group that advocates separation of church and state, a legal doctrine set forth in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"
Organization
Americans United describes itself as officially non-sectarian and non-partisan. According to The Praeger Handbook of Religion and Education in the United States "It includes members from a broad religious, and nonrcligious, spectrum, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and atheists." Its national headquarters are in Washington, D.C.. Its current executive director, Barry W. Lynn, is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, as well as an attorney involved with civil liberties issues.
History
Americans United for Separation of Church and State was founded in 1947 as Protestants and Other Americans United for Separation of Church and State (POAU) by a coalition of religious, educational and civic leaders in response to proposals pending in the U.S. Congress to extend government aid to private religious schools. They believed that government support for religious education would violate church-state separation. The decision was made to form a national organization to promote and defend this point of view.
The organization aimed to influence political leaders, and began publishing Church & State magazine in 1952 and other materials in support of church-state separation to educate the general public.
In its first years a main focus of AU's activity was opposition to the political activities of the Roman Catholic Church and it was thus seen by critics as an anti-Catholic organization.
Recent work
In May 2013, Americans United released a parody video starring Jane Lynch and Jordan Peele as "Church" and "State", respectively, undergoing a humorous musical breakup.
In March 2015, Americans United filed a motion to intervene and a proposed motion to dismiss a federal lawsuit filed in the state of Kentucky. Americans United is representing, four Kentucky taxpayers, two of whom are Baptist ministers. In the lawsuit, Ark Encounter LLC, the developer of a tourist attraction featuring a life size model of Noah's Ark, is requesting the state of Kentucky approve its application for a tourism incentive program that would offset some of its development costs by deferring sales taxes the theme park itself will generate through its ticket sales.
See also
People
- James C. Corman (1920–2000), California politician, president of Americans United
- Paul Blanshard (1892–1980), editor, lawyer, special counsel and spokesman for Americans United; author of American Freedom and Catholic Power.
- Barry W. Lynn (b. 1948), lawyer, United Church of Christ minister, Executive Director of Americans United.
References
- AU FAQs
- Charity Navigator
- http://www.au.org/about/authors/barry-lynn.html
- http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?eadid=MC185&kw=
- OCLC 752009655, 235992965; ISSN 0009-6334
- "The Wall of Separation", Time, 1949-02-07
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRBrHowWXMU
- http://baptistnews.com/culture/social-issues/item/29956-baptist-ministers-oppose-tax-break-for-ark-park
- The Associated Press (5 February 2015). "Kentucky Sued Over Lost Tax Incentive for Noah's Ark Park". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
External links
- Americans United official website
- Local chapters of Americans United
- Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State, Speech by Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State to the Freethought Association
- Allen Dulles Papers at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University