8/1/2008 - August 2008 SLI Newsletter
August 2008
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Religious freedom has been one of SLI’s main areas of concern and purpose for many years. We have participated in most of the development of religious freedom in Alabama’s public schools. However, the job is not done.
This month’s Educational Update summarizes testimony that SLI presented to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights at a public briefing on April 29, 2008, entitled “Religious Freedom in Alabama Public Schools.” It is our hope this information will be used in the greater process nationally to carry on what SLI and other religious liberty groups have worked for over the last 25 or 30 years.
Federal initiatives have worked to remove discrimination of all types in our society. Yet, little recognition, or even realization, is given to the discrimination that has resulted against predominantly Christian religion in public schools. Total removal of religious activities and speech is unconstitutional. We believe federal law should be applied to this unconstitutional situation. We do not mean this process should be used to make public schools into Christian schools, only that the religious rights of students, of whatever religion, should be recognized.
Alabama is enjoying a fairly good climate of religious liberty in public schools, as well as protection of nonpublic schools from state interference. However, that could change at anytime. School will begin its new year later this month. If you have problems with religious rights of students, parental rights or questions related to these, please feel free to contact us. Please refer anyone to us that is having such a problem. We are glad to conduct an initial telephone interview to see if we can help. SLI stands to provide assistance to any student, family, school or school official where First Amendment rights of free exercise of religion are at issue. We do not charge a fee.
We are grateful to serve and to be called upon to provide service. We are a service organization. If a problem comes within our areas of purpose, we may provide services without charge. Our purposes are defending individual and institutional religious freedom, defending and promoting the sanctity of human life throughout the life continuum, protecting parental rights, preserving free speech rights, especially in public schools, and providing legal counsel on constitutional and public policy issues.
We are able to provide these services without fees because of your financial support. As we come to the end of summer, that support has slowed down. Please send your contribution. It is tax deductible to you and allows us to continue our work. Thank you for your concern and support.
Yours very truly,
A. Eric Johnston
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