On April 28 Clay County AU (FL) is hosting David Baldwin, who is speaking on Amendment 8.  Amendment 8 is an effort to repeal the No-Aid Provision of the Florida State Constitution.  It is critical that we share our concerns about why this would be a very bad idea. Mr. Baldwin is on the Board of Directors and a member of the NE Florida Chapter of the ACLU.  The event takes place at 1:00 PM, at Fleming Island Public Library, 1895 Town Center Blvd, Fleming Island, FL 32003.

 

That same day Oklahoma City AU celebrates their Spring Dialogues, with presentations by author Katherine Steward, Professor Joseph Thai and Professor John Starkey.

 

Stewart will keynote the event with a talk about her new book “The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America's Children."  Stewart investigation of the Club’s revealed their real mission, which is to convert children to fundamentalist Christianity, while promoting the false impression among the children that the school endorses its activities.

 

Professor Thai teaches about the First Amendment, Supreme Court decision making, criminal procedure, and criminal law at the University of Oklahoma. Thai has served as law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens and Justice Byron White of the US Supreme Court.  He will certainly have a lot to share about the current church-state climate.

 

And finally, Dr. John Starkey, Professor of Theology at Oklahoma City University, will join the group as well, speaking on the topic “Personhood, Pluralism, and the First Amendment: The Test case of Abortion.”

 

You won’t want to miss this lively discussion! It all takes place at the Midwest City Library, 8143 E. Reno, Midwest City, OK 73110, from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM

 

And last, but not least, Rev. Barry Lynn will head to Texas to keynote San Antonio AU’s Second Annual First Amendment Celebration!  The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 28, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, at TriPoint, 3233 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, TX 78212.  Before Barry’s presentation, the audience will hear from Rabbi Barry Block – Temple Beth-El Senior Rabbi, Rev. Rick McClatchy – State Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Texas, Stephanie Bauman – ACLU Staff Attorney in charge of Individual Liberties, Graciela Sanchez – Director, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Nick Lee – President Atheist Alliance International, Sarwat Husain – President, Council on American Islamic Relations - San Antonio, Rev. Paul Ziese – Senior Pastor, MacArthur Park Lutheran Church, and Greg Hinojosa – Artistic Director at Woodlawn Theatre, who directed “Corpus Christi.”

 

Along with the speakers, the festivities include live music and information booths from a broad spectrum of relevant non-profit organizations in San Antonio.  The event is FREE and one not to be missed!!

 

 

On Sunday, April 29, join Barry Lynn in Arizona, at an event hosted by the Greater Phoenix AU chapter and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona.  Barry will talk about “The Religious War on Liberty.”

 

Some national religious leaders claim that elected officials are engaged in a "war on religious freedom," and have testified so before Congress.  Rev. Lynn is traveling to Arizona to set the record straight!

 

The doors open at 1:00 PM and the program begins at 2:00 PM, at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library Auditorium, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ  85251.  This is another event you won’t want to miss!!