November 15, 2012

Fiscal Cliff, Tax Reform and Religious Privileging

Now that the election is over the crowd in Washington is finally focused on the fiscal cliff. We will face higher tax rates on January 1, there is also the sequester automatic budget cuts scheduled to take place on January 1. Politicians have been spending so much money we're about to bump up against the nation's debt limit. Every tax in every deduction is on the table to be examined and slashed. The Secular Coalition has religious privileging in the tax code as one of its seven major policy areas to secure a success. Now is the time. We are calling on all nontheist groups to participate in the National Summit on Correcting Religious Privileging in the Tax Code. There are problems with abuse, lack of disclosure (not having to file with IRS), the parsonage exemption for ministerial housing, among other ways to level the playing field between religious groups and secular groups. See more information on our tax policy positions and stay tuned for the date, time and agenda for the national summit.
Photo above courtesy of Shutterstock.

UPCOMING EVENTS
November 29, 2012 - 12 pm, Next weekly Secular Movement Call , 559726-1300, code: 199568 (Every Thursday)
December 1, 2012 - 10:00 am Nathan Cox speaking at Michigan Atheists 26th Annual State Convention March 28, 2013 - American Atheists National Convention, Austin, Texas May 4, 2013 - Freethought Alliance Conference, Anaheim, California May 30, 201 3- American Humanist Association Annual Conference, San Diego, California

View Full Calendar, including all of SCA's legislative & monthly state chapter calls, and more. View a web versions of this and past newsletters, as well as this week's movement call agenda here.

And now for the weekly wrap-up...

Overlooked in the election news of last week was an item that could have a profound impact on the state of Alabama: Judge Roy Moore, the 10 Commandments judge won his old job back as Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. Kyrsten Sinema was finally declared the winner in the newly-created Ninth District of Arizona. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, regarding a South Carolina public school program that offers religious classes. This week the American Humanist Association launched its website "Kids Without Gods", which offers
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resources for the young and growing secular population. UPS halted donations to the Boy Scouts of America due to its discrimination policy--the organization discriminates against nontheists and LGBT persons. Would You Vote For An Atheist? Tell The Truth via NPR Politicians Who Reject Labels Based on Religion via The New York Times Nontheist News Corner
At OKcupid, being an atheist is a date-maker, not a deal-breaker Charles Darwin gets 4,000 write-in votes against Rep. Paul Broun who said evolution is a lie straight from pit of hell The Evolution of the Religiously Unaffiliated Vote, 1980-2008 AHA Tells Newly Elected Congress: Don't Join Prayer Caucus New book claims Abraham Lincoln was not necessarily the "fiery atheist" many were lead to believe. Public Religion Research Institute's info graphic of the week: The End of the white Christian [political] strategy Get more on the SCA's state chapters and find out when your state meets

Voting photo via Shutterstock.

Religions photo via Shutterstock.

"While I fully understand why a political figure like Kyrsten Sinema might shy away from labels or a public declaration of her personal beliefs, this kind of disclosure might be precisely what's required for people to start to believe in atheists." - NPR. Read more.

For the real underdog story in the elections this year, you have to look further out on the margins of popular next! respectability. Consider the two religiously unaffiliated women headed for the House Don't forget to follow or friend us! and the Senate. SCA quoted in this article. Read more.

Secular Coalition for America | http://www.secular.org 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 205, Washington, D.C., 20005-3429 Phone: (202) 299-1091 Fax: (202) 293-0922

Questions? Comments? Contact us. (Please do not reply to this email message) We are giving you a place at the table. Support us with a monthly or single donation via credit card, PayPal, or check. Log in to manage subscription Unsubscribe Receive this e- mail from a friend? Sign up here The Secular Coalition for America is the national lobby for atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheistic Americans. From our office in the nation's capital, our lobbyists and support staff engage public policy makers and the media on issues ranging from religion's influence on education and medical research to the privileging of faith groups by government. We are the first and only cooperative venture of freethought organizations coming together to improve the cultural and political situation of a previously unrepresented constituency: the tens of millions of atheists and agnostics in the United States. The Secular Coalition for America is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. Please consider joining or donating to one of our national member organizations: American Atheists American Ethical Union American Humanist Association Atheist Alliance of America Camp Quest

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Council for Secular Humanism HUUmanists Institute for Humanist Studies Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers Secular Student Alliance Society for Humanistic Judaism

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