	Americans United, Seattle Chapter Monthly Newsletter
Volume 1	Online at http://www.auseattle.org/newsletter	September 2007

Americans United,

Seattle Chapter

Monthly Newsletter

Volume 1

Online at http://www.auseattle.org/newsletter

September 2007

	Welcome to the monthly newsletter of the Seattle Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Each month, we’ll keep you informed of upcoming events and recent news items related to church-state issues in Seattle and around the country.
	AU-Seattle Activities
First Freedom First Campaign Discussion Dave Miller, President of the Eastside Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, will discuss the constitutional threat from the radical religious right, with a focus on Chris Hedges' book American Fascists. Dave will also discuss what Americans United is doing to resist this threat in concert with the Interfaith Alliance Foundation. WHERE: University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA. WHEN: September 27, 7PM		Letter - Writing Party Thank you to everyone who came to the August 18th letter - writing party for the Hein Supreme Court decision. We had one member attend who is a longtime activist and a founding member of AU — that’s 60 years of activism on behalf of separation of church and state! We are continuing this letter - writing campaign. Join us and send a letter to Senator Murray. She will hear our message and do what she can to work against the use of government funds for religious purposes! You can find all the necessary instructions on the chapter website: www.auseattle.org
Trivia Corner The U.S. is famous for the freedoms that it bestows to it’s citizens. However, as our great country was beginning there were many arguments among lawmakers as to what rights should be written into law. What famous group of essays, penned under the name Publius, tried to sway the public away from a Bill of Rights? (Answer in the next newsletter)		AU Seattle meets the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6:30pm. This month we are meeting at the Ballard Library. Minutes from each meeting are always posted on the chapter website: www.auseattle.org See page 2 for September’s agenda.

AGENDA Seattle Chapter, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Thursday, September 20, 2007 6:30pm-7:30pm Ballard Library 5614 22nd Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98107206 684-4089 6:30 – 6:35 Call to Order, approval of August minutes 6:35 – 6:45 Officers report on actions during past month 6:45 – 7:20 New business: Territory & Organizational Structure of Chapter. “Lost” information and the need for seven specific committees. Project: Compiling the School District info. Project: monitoring Faith and Freedom Network’s “Change the State” Event: Voices of Dissent for Klinghoffer’s “Shattered Tablets” @ THS 7:20 – 7:30 Create Action Plan & To Do List 7:30 Adjourn
Dispute over New Schools Disguised as Church-State Issue On September 4th the Kahlil Gibran Institute opened its doors to sixty students in the New York City area. For its initial year it will teach only sixth graders and will eventually expand to teaching grades 6-12. Parents became outraged when they learned that the school will teach Arabic as a second language as a part of the curriculum. Members of a small group named “Stop the Madrassa” claim that because the school is culturally based that it may breach church-state laws as well as being a possible breeding ground for future terrorists. As long as the school administrators don’t create mandatory prayer, display religious symbols and anyone can attend then there is no problem with this school receiving public funds. Strangely, at the same time in Florida the Ben Gamla Charter School opened its doors. It is also a publicly funded charter school though it will teach Hebrew as a second language. The big question is whether these two schools can teach a foreign language without touching upon religious issues. Of course administrators can avoid this, whether they are willing is another matter. Aside from the religious questions which seem to be a secondary issue, and a method that the voices of dissent are using to threaten the schools, the real reason for public rebuff seems to be the cultural differences these schools create. As long as schools like this function within the letter of the law then there is no issue. Because of the exposure these two schools are getting it is a safe bet that the rest of the country will see similar schools opening their doors in the years to come.

AGENDA

Seattle Chapter, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State

Thursday, September 20, 2007 6:30pm-7:30pm Ballard Library

5614 22nd Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98107206 684-4089

6:30 – 6:35 Call to Order, approval of August minutes

6:35 – 6:45 Officers report on actions during past month

6:45 – 7:20 New business:

Territory & Organizational Structure of Chapter.

“Lost” information and the need for seven specific committees.

Project: Compiling the School District info.

Project: monitoring Faith and Freedom Network’s “Change the State”

Event: Voices of Dissent for Klinghoffer’s “Shattered Tablets” @ THS

7:20 – 7:30 Create Action Plan & To Do List

7:30 Adjourn

News from around the Country

Dispute over New Schools Disguised as Church-State Issue

On September 4th the Kahlil Gibran Institute opened its doors to sixty students in the New York City area. For its initial year it will teach only sixth graders and will eventually expand to teaching grades 6-12. Parents became outraged when they learned that the school will teach Arabic as a second language as a part of the curriculum. Members of a small group named “Stop the Madrassa” claim that because the school is culturally based that it may breach church-state laws as well as being a possible breeding ground for future terrorists. As long as the school administrators don’t create mandatory prayer, display religious symbols and anyone can attend then there is no problem with this school receiving public funds. Strangely, at the same time in Florida the Ben Gamla Charter School opened its doors. It is also a publicly funded charter school though it will teach Hebrew as a second language.

The big question is whether these two schools can teach a foreign language without touching upon religious issues. Of course administrators can avoid this, whether they are willing is another matter. Aside from the religious questions which seem to be a secondary issue, and a method that the voices of dissent are using to threaten the schools, the real reason for public rebuff seems to be the cultural differences these schools create. As long as schools like this function within the letter of the law then there is no issue. Because of the exposure these two schools are getting it is a safe bet that the rest of the country will see similar schools opening their doors in the years to come.

Other Events & Activities

Tony Campolo Public Lecture Tony Campolo, popular lecturer of the Evangelical Christian Left, will present a public lecture to benefit the Church Council of Greater Seattle on October 24, 2007, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle. WHERE: Town Hall Seattle WHEN: Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 7:30PM	Voices of Dissent needed for David Klinghoffer’s “Shattered Tablets” WHAT: AU Seattle needs ten people to act as voices of dissent at this Town Hall event. The chapter will pay for the event and you will be joined by the Chapter President. WHEN: October 1st, *7pm*. If you are interested please join us at the Sept. 20th meeting to hear more or inquire at info@auseattle.org
Thank you to all of you who support AU - Seattle. We will continue to fight for religious liberty here at the local level as well as inform you of any issues or events that may be of interest. If you are facing such an issue yourself, have a question regarding religious liberty, or would like to become more involved in the chapter, feel free to send your inquiries to info@auseattle.org.

Tony Campolo Public Lecture

Tony Campolo, popular lecturer of the Evangelical Christian Left, will present a public lecture to benefit the Church Council of Greater Seattle on October 24, 2007, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle.

WHERE: Town Hall Seattle

WHEN: Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 7:30PM

Voices of Dissent needed for David Klinghoffer’s

“Shattered Tablets”

WHAT: AU Seattle needs ten people to act as voices of dissent at this Town Hall event. The chapter will pay for the event and you will be joined by the Chapter President.

WHEN: October 1st, 7pm.

If you are interested please join us at the Sept. 20th meeting to hear more or inquire at info@auseattle.org

The Religious Right is determined to turn churches

all over America into cogs in its partisan political

machine. Its goal is to elect as many of its followers

as possible to high office, tear down the church-

state wall and impose its narrow interpretation of

religion on everyone.

The national election is 15 months away and AU is

already being flooded with examples of religious

groups engaging in inappropriate – and possibly

illegal – intervention in partisan politics. In an

effort to stop this AU is ramping up Project Fair

Play, which educates religious leaders about the

dictates of federal tax law. In cases of flagrant

violations, we ask the Internal Revenue Service to

act. If you would like to find out more, or to report

a religious organization that is in violation of

federal tax code, log on to www.projectfairplay.org

Religion, Politics, and the Modern American Presidency.

Presented by Seattle Arts & Lectures

David Domke will be presenting this lecture

over several Wednesday evenings.

Synopsis: “Political leaders speak openly

and often about their religious beliefs, and

news media respond. Religion has become

a defining — and often partisan — part of

the political arena. The course will examine

how this change occurred, who has led

these developments and why, and what it

means for the American experiment in

democracy.”

To find out more log on to:

http://www.lectures.org/wed.html

Thank you to all of you who support AU - Seattle. We will continue to fight for religious liberty

here at the local level as well as inform you of any issues or events that may be of interest. If you are facing such an issue yourself, have a question regarding religious liberty, or would like to become more involved in the chapter, feel free to send your inquiries to info@auseattle.org.

First Freedom First Campaign Discussion

Letter - Writing Party

Thank you to everyone who came to the August 18th letter - writing party for the Hein Supreme Court decision. We had one member attend who is a longtime activist and a founding member of AU — that’s 60 years of activism on behalf of separation of church and state!

Tony Campolo Public Lecture

Tony Campolo, popular lecturer of the Evangelical Christian Left, will present a public lecture to benefit the Church Council of Greater Seattle on October 24, 2007, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle.

WHERE: Town Hall Seattle