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Keep Religion Free in Your Community

Target: United States Senate
Sponsored by: Defcon - Campaign to Defend the Constitution

The Establishment Clause in the Bill of Rights is supposed to keep our government from interfering with religion, guard against the states' use of religion for political purposes, and ensure that the government does not act in a way that prefers one religion over another, so that we may all worship freely.

But while the Establishment Clause protects our basic freedoms, it is not self-enforcing. If someone is forced to sue the government to protect their constitutional rights, justice and fairness dictate they be able to recover their legal fees expended to do so.

The Public Expression of Religion Act would prevent citizens from recovering their litigation costs if they sue to stop state-sponsored religion. This law is brazenly designed to make it next to impossible for private citizens to sue to protect their First Amendment rights because lawsuits are prohibitively expensive.

In other words, Congress and the Religious Right want to cement the establishment of their own religion as dominant via the force of the government, and the force of law.

Tell your Senators that religious freedom is more important than the agenda of the religious right!

deadline: 10-31-2006
goal: 20,000

13,554
signatures!

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I am writing to express my deep concern over the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA) and to urge you to vote against this proposal should it come up for a vote.

Under the guise of "religious freedom," PERA seeks to undermine the Establishment Clause, weakening our nation's commitment to the separation of church and state and actually threatening the religious freedom of millions of Americans.

Currently, citizens who win lawsuits challenging infringements of the Establishment Clause - such as Ten Commandment displays on government property and prayer in public schools - are able to receive reimbursement for the legal fees they collect in the process. This ensures that all Americans are free to challenge legitimate threats to the freedoms promised in the Constitution - and that this fundamental right will be extended to all Americans, not just those with the financial means to fund a legal challenge.

By ending this reimbursement, PERA would deal a massive blow to our nation's enlightened commitment to the separation of church and state.

Please put the religious freedom of all Americans above the interests of the religious right, and vote NO on this proposal.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

We signed the “Keep Religion Free in Your Community” petition!

# 13,350:

3:08 am PST, Dec 30, Chris Moschini, Massachusetts
The attitude inherent in this bill is unamerican. I'm sure if the text of the Koran were wallpapered on a court with State dollars, the bigots sponsoring this bill would regret considering it.

# 13,349:

12:51 am PST, Dec 30, Jason R, Colorado
dont misunderstand this, this law is to shut down ALL religion.

# 13,348:

10:19 am PST, Dec 29, Name not displayed, Ohio

# 13,347:

9:17 pm PST, Dec 28, LISA NORTHRUP, Florida

# 13,346:

6:14 pm PST, Dec 28, Melissa Wheeler, Vermont

# 13,345:

4:41 pm PST, Dec 28, Bob Bhatia, Czech Republic

# 13,344:

12:09 pm PST, Dec 28, Rachel Kirby, Tennessee

# 13,343:

11:28 am PST, Dec 28, Constance Benfield, Virginia

# 13,342:

7:21 am PST, Dec 28, Thomas Howell, North Carolina

# 13,341:

11:56 am PST, Dec 27, Georgette Freeman, West Virginia
I have refused to buy anything that says "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" this year because I think it is ridiculous that I can't say "Merry Christmas" without offending someone. I am a Christain. If people don't like Christmas, Easter, etc, that is their problem. Don't tell me I can't observe these religious holidays that are in fact Christain holidays. I don't go out and buy a Holiday tree I buy a Christmas tree. I am offended that a very small percentage of the population has a problem with christianity and we cater to them. Let us vote for what we want. If we want to pray in school, we should be allowed to. If certain people don't want to take part, then nobody is forcing them to. We should have our rights too.

# 13,340:

6:39 am PST, Dec 27, Jessica-Dawn Drouin, Canada

# 13,339:

9:08 pm PST, Dec 26, Virginia Trace, Ohio

# 13,338:

6:50 am PST, Dec 25, William Corbett, Florida
We must just simply change the constitution so judges and poloticians can be brought up on charges of treason against the people.This is the REAL REASON govt. is so inconsiderate of the american peoples free rights!!!!WE NEED TO STOP TALKING ABOUT IT AND ORGANIZE BEFORE ITS SO FAR OUT OF CONTROL WE CAN'T FIX IT WITHOUT A WAR!!!?

# 13,337:

3:15 am PST, Dec 24, Name not displayed, Greece

# 13,336:

11:50 pm PST, Dec 23, Linda Berroth-Linderman, Arizona

# 13,335:

9:29 pm PST, Dec 22, Heather Summers, Ohio

# 13,334:

11:49 pm PST, Dec 21, Tom Min, Washington

# 13,333:

7:53 am PST, Dec 21, Name not displayed, Washington

# 13,332:

9:51 pm PST, Dec 19, Marlies Wessbecher, Oregon
No state religion ! Government must serve in a professional secular manner.

# 13,331:

4:51 pm PST, Dec 19, Marcos Monserrat, Argentina

# 13,330:

2:19 pm PST, Dec 19, Julia Taylor, Maryland

# 13,329:

9:30 pm PST, Dec 18, Name not displayed, Michigan

# 13,328:

1:26 pm PST, Dec 18, Crystal Renfrow, California

# 13,327:

2:42 pm PST, Dec 17, Name not displayed, Kentucky

# 13,326:

9:47 am PST, Dec 16, Carol White, Missouri

# 13,325:

5:49 pm PST, Dec 15, Aiz T, Canada

# 13,324:

3:45 pm PST, Dec 13, Ahmed Al-Mawri, United Kingdom

# 13,323:

12:50 pm PST, Dec 13, James Feiling, Pennsylvania
RELIGION+POLITICS=Disgrace to Spirit

# 13,322:

12:42 pm PST, Dec 13, Faith Armstrong, Mississippi
No State Sponsered religion!!!!!!!!!!!!!! freedom of religion YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you don't like Christmas trees don't look I am offended that you have stepped on my right to enjoy them in public!!! these kinds of issues should be put to a vote in local elections so that the voice of the PEOPLE can decide this matter locally.We are the Public and you are Public Servants - act like it!!!

# 13,321:

11:04 pm PST, Dec 12, Leslie Gregoire, California

# 13,320:

10:44 pm PST, Dec 12, Teri Matheny, Texas

# 13,319:

11:14 am PST, Dec 12, Stephanie Gonzalez, Arizona

# 13,318:

6:36 am PST, Dec 12, SARAH Brice, Canada

# 13,317:

11:48 am PST, Dec 11, Mary Ann Dunn, New Jersey
Religion has no place in our government!

# 13,316:

10:08 am PST, Dec 11, Zaina Escandon Francis, Guatemala

# 13,315:

10:00 am PST, Dec 11, Misha Bove, Massachusetts
Religion has no right being in our government. This is a very slippery slope, and opening a door like this would surely be a step in the wrong direction...not to mention that it is against all of the founding principles of this country.

# 13,314:

9:10 am PST, Dec 11, Kay Handy, Texas

# 13,313:

5:47 am PST, Dec 11, Debbie Lueck, Texas

# 13,312:

10:46 pm PST, Dec 10, Name not displayed, Arizona

# 13,311:

2:52 pm PST, Dec 10, Melissa Wetherell-Moore, Oregon

# 13,310:

7:28 am PST, Dec 10, Patricia Mueller, Ohio
Freedom FROM religion too!

# 13,309:

6:47 am PST, Dec 10, Corinne De Ciofalo Guell, California

# 13,308:

10:33 pm PST, Dec 9, Angelica Escobedo, California

# 13,307:

3:25 pm PST, Dec 9, Jacqueline Irene Swartz, California
Religion is not supposed to be in politics.

# 13,306:

2:06 am PST, Dec 9, Terje Reite, Norway

# 13,305:

6:23 pm PST, Dec 8, Jennifer Franklin, Kentucky

# 13,304:

5:00 pm PST, Dec 8, Abby McKellar, Missouri

# 13,303:

12:44 pm PST, Dec 8, Lydia Durkalec, Ohio

# 13,302:

12:43 am PST, Dec 8, Nikola Marshall, Oklahoma

# 13,301:

10:13 am PST, Dec 7, Patti Barrett, Texas

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Keep Religion Free in Your Community

This petition has been closed.