Separation of Church and State

As Secular Humanists and as Jews, Machar has a strong interest in maintaining the high wall of separation between religion and the government, which has begun to erode in recent years. One of the principal methods being used to attack the separation of church and state is the increasing use of school vouchers, by which government funds are used to pay the tuition of students attending non-public, primarily religious-based, schools.

Machar conducted a campaign in opposition to school vouchers. In March, 1998, we sent letters to Secular Humanistic Judaism groups around the United States asking them to tell their representatives in the Congress they should oppose the imposition of any voucher programs in Washington, D.C. or nationwide. These letters were accompanied by an information sheet explaining in detail why vouchers are a threat to both public education and to the separation of Church and State. When similar legislation was moving through the Congress in October, 2003, we sent e-mails to Secular Humanistic Judaism groups around the country and faxes to every member of Congress expressing our opposition to this legislation.

In January, 2000 , Machar undertook an initiative to publicly state our opposition to the growing "anti-evolution crusade" -- the various efforts being taken in certain states to restrict the teaching of evolution and/or to encourage the teaching of creationism as science. A letter has been sent to other Secular Humanistic Judaism organizations urging all interested parties to not remain silent in the face of new and legally complex challenges certain religious groups have taken to thwart the historical, and Constitutionally mandated, separation of church and state in public schools.

In January 2001, Machar issued a position statement opposing the nomination of John Ashcroft to be the Attorney General of the United States. Mr. Ashcroft's record indicated that his appointment would threaten separation of church and state and other values of fundamental concern to us as Secular Humanistic Jews. In taking this stand, we joined a coalition organized by the Alliance for Justice to oppose the Ashcroft appointment.