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Latest California Church/State News

Marin School Drops Meditation Club

[10/19/2006] A controversial proposal to start a transcendental meditation program at a Marin County high school was dropped Wednesday after the David Lynch Foundation withdrew a $175,000 grant.

Terra Linda High School Principal Carole Ramsey said a few people created such a stir over the issue that it became a distraction. Nonetheless, she is encouraging students to pursue their interests in meditation because it remains an effective way to reduce stress.

"I don't regret bringing it (to students) at all," she said. Ramsey recently announced the school would start a transcendental meditation club as part of a new wellness program that also encouraged students to eat better and exercise more. But she abruptly ended an informational meeting for about 75 parents last week when opponents raised a ruckus over claims the program is linked to a religious movement.

Transcendental meditation was developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to improve mental and physical health. Maharishi is perhaps most famous as a spiritual adviser to the Beatles in the 1960s.

Full Article from InsideBayArea.com

Catholic Church Supported Prop. 85 has abortion debate back in spotlight

[10/04/2006] Abortion opponents came within 6 percentage points of passing the first restriction on abortion rights in California in decades when their parental-notification measure, Proposition 73, was defeated in November 2005.

Now, largely with $2.1 million from abortion opponent Jim Holman, the publisher of the San Diego Reader, they are trying again.

Proposition 85, on the Nov. 7 ballot, requires a physician to notify a parent or guardian 48 hours before performing an abortion for a girl younger than 18. It exempts girls who obtain a waiver from a judge or face a medical emergency.

Full Article from San Diego Union-Tribune

Supreme Court Refuses Parents Objecting to Teaching Islam

[10/02/2006] The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a lawsuit by parents objecting to a three-week class for seventh-graders on Islam. Jonas and Tiffany Eklund say pupils at a public school in California were given pages from the opening chapter of the Koran to read and studied Islam's Five Pillars of Faith in a world history unit on Muslim culture. The Eklunds wanted the Supreme Court to find that the world history unit entitled "The Roots of Islam and the Empire" violates constitutional guarantees separating church and state.

Full Article from Associated Press

Establishment Clause Bill to Limit First Amendment Rights

[09/28/2006] A new House bill could greatly undermine the constitutional firewall between religion and government, according to civil rights groups.

Congress is currently considering H.R. 2679, the "Veterans' Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006." This bill aims to prevent parties that bring up cases under the Establishment Clause from being awarded attorney's fees, making such cases less likely.

Anyone winning a case involving a constitutional rights violation can normally be awarded attorney's fees, on top of any damages, to cover the cost of hiring a lawyer. By targeting the Establishment Clause, which protects against government sponsorship of religion, observers argue that this bill deems it less important than any other constitutionally-protected right.
Full Article from CivilRights.org