In an effort to improve the ways in which we communicate with our members, the Iowa Secularists are overhauling the quarterly news letter to provide better content in a better format. However, we need your help to offset the cost. We are currently seeking a one-time donation of $250.00 to cover the increased cost of printing and postage. If you are able to contribute or have questions please email the news letter editor, Brian Sabel at bsabel [AT] iowasecularist [DOT] org.

Contributions to the Iowa Secularists are not deductible for purposes of income tax.

The House of Representatives will vote on the Public Expression of Religion Act (H.R. 2679) on Tuesday, September 26.

Please call your representative today to urge him to oppose this bill. If possible, please call both the DC office as well as your local office.

Rep. Leach
DC Office: (202) 225-6576
Burlington Office: (319) 754-1106
Cedar Rapids Office: (319) 363-4773
Iowa City Office: (319) 351-0789
Ottumwa Office: (641) 684-4024

Rep. Boswell
DC Office: (202) 225-3806
Des Moines Office: (515) 282-1909/ (888) 432-1984

Callers can simply say:

“As your constituent, I urge Rep. Leach/Boswell to oppose the Public
Expression of Religion Act (H.R. 2679). This is an extreme and unwise
proposal that will keep Americans from turning to the federal courts to
protect their fundamental constitutional rights to worship freely and to
make decisions about religion for themselves and their families, without
interference or coercion from the government.”

The House Judiciary Committee has just approved a bill that will undermine the ability of Americans to fight for separation of church and state in court.

Please contact your legislators today to let them know you oppose this legislation.

Click here for the action alert from AU and a form to send to your senators and representative.

Quoted from an action alert from Americans United for Separation from Church and State:
“This morning the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would deter Americans from defending their religious rights in court. The so-called “Public Expression of Religion Act” (H.R. 2679) is now headed to the House floor for a full vote. Similar legislation (S. 3696) is also pending in the Senate. These bills would deny attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket costs in cases won by advocates of church-state separation. The measure would make it much more difficult for citizens to challenge government-backed religious activities.

These bills are extreme and unwise proposals that will keep Americans from turning to the federal courts to protect their fundamental constitutional rights to worship freely. Members of Congress should stand up for the Bill of Rights, instead of undermining it with this harmful legislation”

In a huge win for science education and secularism, a US District Court blocked the efforts of a Dover, PA, school board to mandate Intelligent Design education in their science classrooms.

Judge John E. Jones III declared that the school board’s Intelligent Design policy violates the Establishment clause of the constitution. In the conclusion to his opinion, Judge Jones said, “In making this determination, we have addressed the seminal question of whether ID is science. We have concluded that it is not, and moreover that ID cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents.” Judge Jones went on to caution against those who would accuse him of judicial activism by pointing out that, “this case came to us as the result of the activism of an ill-informed faction on a school board.”

This closely-watched case will likely have a significant impact on future school boards who are considering an ID curriculum. Specifically in Iowa, recent discussions of ID the issue from members of the Muscatine School District Board of Education indicate that they may consider the issue in the near future. They will not likely be the last Iowa school board to do so.

What Can I Do?
This is as important an issue as we will likely see in some time and it is important that IS members voice their opinions. Here are a few simple things you can do:

Where Can I Get More Information?

If you are concerned that your school board is considering an ID curriculum let us know so that we may track ID in Iowa.

Please consider donating to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. So many have lost everything, have no bed in which to sleep, have no idea where they will get their next meal, and are searching for loved ones. Please donate what you can.

A sampling of ways you can help:

Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/
Donations and Family Links Registry

The United Way
http://national.unitedway.org/
Donations

America’s Second Harvest
http://www.secondharvest.org/
Food Bank Network

The Humane Society
https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2005
Pets need help too.

The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
http://www.katrina.louisiana.gov/donate.htm
Providing immediate assistance

Air America Public Voicemail
http://www.airamericaradio.com/katrina/
A service for those trying to contact loved ones

Move On Hurricane Housing
http://hurricanehousing.org/
Providing places to stay for those who have lost their homes

On Monday, June 27, 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to deliver its verdict on the two controversial Ten Commandments cases. It is up to each of us to make the secular viewpoint heard. Many people will chime in on this decision and the vast majority of them will not be sympathetic to our cause. Please take a moment on Monday to express your views. Write a letter to the editor of you local newspaper or call in to your local talk radio show. There are many other ways to get the word out - be creative!

Case Info
The two cases being heard are Van Orden v. Perry, regarding the granite Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas state capitol, and McCreary County v. ACLU, regarding the posting of the Ten Commandments in the McCreary County courthouse building.

Tips
Here are a few pointers that might help ensure your letter to the editor gets printed!

• Keep it short - There will likely be a lot of people pitching in their two cents. The opinions that say more with fewer words are most likely to get in. Focus on two or three points.
• Stick to the facts - Avoid personal attacks, hyperbole, sarcasm, invective, nastiness, etc. Keep your comments to the objective arguments.
• Be prepared - Have a letter ready to send for either a favorable, unfavorable or no verdict so you can have it printed as soon as possible.
• Know the rules - Every publication is a bit different on how many words they will accept, what format they prefer (generally try to fax or email it though so it gets there right away) and required information before they will print (name, address, etc.) Check with your local publication for details.

Talking Points
Know what few specific points you want to get across and craft your letter accordingly. Check in with these sites for some pointers on talking points and submission suggestions:

• Institute for Humanists Studies - PR Pointers: Ten Commandments ruling
• atheism.about.com - Ten Commandments: News, Resources, and Background Information

If you need pointers just let us know and we would be happy to help you word your letter. If you do send a letter to the editor or communicate with the press in some other way, let us know. This will help us track how well our viewpoints are being represented!