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”

Redemption for the Iowa Secularists!

What!?

That’s right, the Iowa Secularists need redemption. Can and bottle redemption, that is! The Iowa Secularists are asking you to pitch in and send us your can and bottle redemption money to help fund membership and community outreach.

Why Can & Bottle Redemption?
Well, first of all, it’s kinda funny! Second, it will be a bit of friendly competition. But more importantly, if each of us contributes a little, it will add up to a lot.

What is the money for?
The money for the Redemption drive will be earmarked exclusively for outreach. Specifically, we will use the funds to reach other Iowans who are looking for what you’ve already found - a community of people who share the same values that you do.

How does the Redemption Drive work?
First, redeem your cans and bottles to your local recycling center. Keep a tally of the redeemed amounts. Mail a check with “Redemption” in the memo for the amount redeemed to the Iowa Secularists at P.O. Box 883, Iowa City, IA 52244-0883 before the end of each quarter of the calendar year. On January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st of each year we will tally up the redemption amounts and announce how much we raised that quarter and who the biggest redeemer is. On January 1st of each year we will announce the total for the year and who the year’s biggest redeemer is.

The first quarter ends on September 30th so start redeeming today! We will announce this quarter’s leader on October 1st. Happy redeeming!

We are very excited to announce our First Annual Iowa Secularist Conference! The Conference is scheduled for Saturday, July 15, 2006, at Stoney Creek Inn, in Johnston, Iowa and will feature break-out sessions, a round-table discussion with the Board of Directors, cocktail hour, and keynote dinner. Our speaker will be Rena Levin, National Grassroots Organizer for Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Washington, D.C. See below for the schedule, pricing, and check out.

We will also hold our Annual Meeting of the Members for Associate and Contributing Members in conjunction with the Conference. It is not necessary to attend the Conference to attend the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will include an election for a seat on the Board of Directors, open discussion of goals and objectives for the next year, and business. There is no cost for members who attend only the Annual Meeting.

I sincerely hope you can join us at our Annual Conference. This is a very exciting time for the Iowa Secularists and this is your opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a growing organization!

I’ll Be There!
Pick the best option for you and click “Buy Now” to save your seat at the Iowa Secularists Annual Conference. UPDATE - Click here to sign up through PayPal. You may also mail your payment to P.O. Box 883, Iowa City, IA 52244.

Single Member - $25.00

Non-Member Couple - $50.00

Conference Schedule (May be subject to change)

10:00 am - 12:00 Annual Meeting of the Members
12:00 - 1:00 Break for Lunch
    BREAK-OUT SESSIONS
1:00 - 1:45 Session 1
    The Wedge Strategy: How Intelligent Design threatens secularism
      OR
    Constitutional Myths: “There is no freedom from religion” and other nonsense
1:45 - 2:00 Break
2:00 - 2:45 Session 2
    Is God Dead or in a Persistent Vegetative State?: A discussion of the philosophy of religious dogma
     OR
    Speaking Out!: Effective communication tools for the secularist
2:45 - 3:00 Break
3:00 - 4:00 Round Table Secularism in Iowa
4:00 - 5:00 Free Time
5:00 - 6:00 Cocktail Hour (cash bar)
6:00 - 8:00 Keynote Dinner featuring Rena Levin

Contact Stoney Creek Inn
Here is some helpful information if you would like to reserve a room or get more information on the location.

(515) 334-9000
www.stoneycreekinn.com
5291 Stoney Creek Ct., Johnston, IA 50131

Nominations are open for a seat on the Iowa Secularist Board of Directors.

The election will be held at the annual meeting on July 15 and all associate and contributing members are eligible to vote. Directors serve three year terms which begin in July and are required to attend quarterly meetings which are typically held in Des Moines or Iowa City.
In addition, directors have responsibilities as determined by the position held and as deemed necessary by the board.

The person nominated must approve the nomination and also must be or become a contributing member. Directors receive no compensation. If you would like to nominate someone or are interested in running, please contact Doug Nelson, the chair of the nomination committee, at toast@iowasecularist.org. Questions regarding nominations and responsibilities of directors should be sent to Brian Sabel, the president of the board, at bsabel@iowasecularist.org.

We will have a spring gathering for those in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday, April 22nd from 4:00-6:00pm at the Cedar Rapids Peace Center. Please email eventsATiowasecularistDOTorg for more details.

The date for our summer conference has officially been set for July 15th in Des Moines. Our keynote speaker will be Rena Levin from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Details are still being solidified so mark your calendars and check back here for more information.

ISU Atheist and Agnostic Society presents:

Why Intelligent Design Is Not Science
Robert M. Hazen
2 Feb 2006, 8:00 PM
Sun Room, Memorial Union

Robert M. Hazen is the Clarence Robinson Professor of Earth Science at George Mason University, and a scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington’s Geophysical Laboratory. He received his M.S. in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Harvard University. Dr. Hazen is the author of over 240 articles and 16 books, including the most recent Genesis: The Scientific Quest for Life’s Origin; Why Aren’t Black Holes Black?/and the best-selling Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy, which he co-authored with James Trefil. Dr. Hazen has recorded the acclaimed lecture series, “The Joy of Science,” with the Teaching Company, which provides a fresh and definitive overview of all the physical and biological sciences.

http://www.stuorg.iastate.edu/isuaas/

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.

Americans United for Separation of Church & State, an organization with which the Iowa Secularists are affiliated, filed suit in U.S. District Court against Newton Correctional Facility alleging that the facility’s agreement with Prison Fellowship Ministries violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution and various sections of the Iowa Constitution.
The case, which began on October 24, is an important case with national significance. Among the complaints filed by AU on behalf of various Newton inmates, are accusations of religious discrimination in hiring, religious discrimination against inmates, government funding of religious indoctrination and others.
The Iowa Secularists openly support this action by AU. Further, we urge you to voice your opinions on this matter to your local media outlets. To help you with your letter to the editor click here for an FAQ compiled by AU with talking points on their case.
If you have any further questions please feel free to email me at bsabelATiowasecularistDOTorg.

On Wednesday, October 19, 2005, the University of Iowa Freethinkers will host a panel discussion titled Intelligent Design: In Your Classroom?. The discussion will be in room C20 of the Pomerantz Center at 7:00 p.m.