Religious groups sue to block Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission

Baptist News Global
By Jeff Brumley

The post Religious groups sue to block Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

FFRF calls out Religious Liberty Commission for misplaced focus and ideological bias

The Freedom From Religion Foundation strongly condemns the continued bias, misplaced priorities and troubling direction of the President’s Religious Liberty Commission, which met for the fifth time today.

Throughout the meeting, commissioners and invited witnesses focused on ideological grievances, culture-war narratives and foreign policy disputes while paying no attention to the growing influence of white Christian nationalism, the erosion of state/church separation, or the ways “religious liberty” rhetoric is being used to justify discrimination and government entanglement with religion. The overall tone underscored longstanding concerns that the commission has been tasked with approaching religious liberty through a narrow, sectarian lens rather than a genuinely pluralistic and constitutional one.

“As an organization dedicated to protecting the First Amendment, FFRF is deeply troubled by this commission’s apparent unwillingness to confront the most pressing dangers to religious freedom,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “True religious freedom means safeguarding the right of every person to live free from religion in our government. This is a phony commission with a fore-ordained conclusions.”

The meeting took place the same day the commission was sued in federal court over what plaintiffs allege is its unlawful lack of religious and ideological diversity. Interfaith Alliance, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Hindus for Human Rights filed the suit, arguing that the commission violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which requires advisory bodies to be fairly balanced in terms of the viewpoints represented. The lawsuit underscores concerns that the commission is structurally tilted toward a narrow, Christian nationalist perspective rather than a genuinely pluralistic understanding of religious liberty.

Antisemitism is rising in America and must be condemned unequivocally, as FFRF has consistently done. That condemnation must also extend to Nick Fuentes, his supporters and the broader movements of white supremacy and Christian nationalism that give antisemitism fertile ground. Antisemitism is not incidental to white Christian nationalism. It is embedded in an ideology that insists political power in the United States should belong only to certain white, male Christians.

The commission’s failure to confront these realities is especially alarming given President Trump’s decision to appoint Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian nationalist and End Times ideologue, has repeatedly denied the existence of the Palestinian people and framed U.S.-Israel policy through an explicitly religious lens. As a Christian Zionist, Huckabee supports Israel not to promote peace or security, but to advance biblical prophecy, welcoming conflict as a prelude to the Second Coming and envisioning a future in which Jews ultimately convert or perish.

Instead of discussing antisemitism coming from the religious right, the commission devoted time to fringe claims such as “debanking” and to private-sector disputes framed as religious persecution while downplaying the real-world consequences of allowing religious beliefs to override civil rights protections and public health policy. Debanking is largely a manufactured grievance, a fringe conspiracy theory that the religious right has promoted and that FFRF has previously debunked.

During a discussion of religious liberty in the private sector, Lacey Smith, a plaintiff in Brown v. Alaska Airlines, spoke about being fired after questioning her employer’s support for the Equality Act. Smith and another employee objected on the basis of their Christian beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman and that sex is defined by biology. Their comments framed the Equality Act as a threat to religious freedom and women’s rights, a familiar narrative used to justify discrimination under the guise of faith.

Another witness, Hermoine Susana, described being fired for her opposition to a Covid-19 vaccine mandate based on her Catholic beliefs. As FFRF has repeatedly noted, vaccine opposition is most often politically motivated and not rooted in sincerely held religious belief. No major religious denomination in the United States opposes vaccination outright. While the First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, it does not grant anyone the right to endanger others or impose religious beliefs on public health policy.

FFRF remains committed to opposing all forms of religious bigotry, discrimination and extremism — whether directed at Christians, Jewish people, Muslims, atheists or any other group. But given the commission’s overwhelmingly Christian composition, with only a single Jewish rabbi and no meaningful representation of nonreligious or minority viewpoints, it is ill-suited to confront the real threats to religious liberty, many of which have been ignored in favor of familiar conservative grievances.

A commission genuinely committed to religious liberty must confront the greatest threats to that liberty honestly and without favoritism. That requires rejecting Christian nationalist ideology, defending the separation of state and church, and refusing to weaponize religious freedom as a tool for extremism or exclusion.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation will continue to hold government bodies accountable to the Constitution’s promise of a secular state, where freedom of belief includes the right to dissent, to criticize government policy and to live free from religious coercion.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

The post FFRF calls out Religious Liberty Commission for misplaced focus and ideological bias appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Secular groups applaud Okla. board for rejecting nation’s first religious public school

A coalition of organizations today applauded the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board for rejecting Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School’s application to form the nation’s first religious public charter school.

This would have been a flagrant violation of Oklahoma and federal law guaranteeing religious freedom, and the constitutional promise of church-state separation, and that public schools be open to all, the coalition points out. The coalition includes the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, Education Law Center, and Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice.

The groups issued the following statement in response to today’s decision:

“By refusing to approve what would have been the nation’s first religious public school, the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is protecting Oklahomans’ religious freedom, public education and church-state separation. As the Oklahoma Supreme Court recently reaffirmed, charter schools are public schools that must be secular and open to all students. We’re proud to be part of a large and diverse group of Oklahomans and people nationwide committed to defending America’s secular public education system.”

In a letter to the board last week, the coalition explained the many ways Ben Gamla’s proposed school would violate state and federal law by indoctrinating students in a specific religion and discriminating against students, staff and, potentially, parents. The groups also pointed to substantial deficiencies in required elements throughout the application, as well as passages that appear to have been copied from other schools’ applications and are plainly inapplicable to Ben Gamla.

Most of these organizations represented Oklahoma public school advocates, parents and faith leaders in a 2023 lawsuit to block Oklahoma from creating and funding St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that proposed religious public charter school unconstitutional in 2024, a decision the U.S. Supreme Court let stand in 2025.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

Founded in 1947, Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization that educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

For more than 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has worked in courts, legislatures and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all. For more information, visit www.aclu.org.

Education Law Center (ELC) pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right to a high-quality education in safe, equitable, nondiscriminatory, integrated and well-funded learning environments. ELC seeks to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. Visit edlawcenter.org.

Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is a 501(c)3 public interest law firm that fights for the rights and opportunities of every Oklahoman.

The post Secular groups applaud Okla. board for rejecting nation’s first religious public school appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

AU & allies applaud Oklahoma charter school board for rejecting Ben Gamla religious public school

A coalition of civil rights organizations today applauded the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board for rejecting Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School’s application to form the nation’s first religious public charter school, which would have been a flagrant violation of Oklahoma and federal law guaranteeing religious freedom, church-state separation, and that public schools be open to all.

The coalition includes Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, Education Law Center, Freedom From Religion Foundation, and Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. The groups issued the following statement in response to today’s decision:

“By refusing to approve what would have been the nation’s first religious public school,  the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is protecting Oklahomans’ religious freedom, public education, and church-state separation. As the Oklahoma Supreme Court recently reaffirmed, charter schools are public schools that must be secular and open to all students. We’re proud to be part of a large and diverse group of Oklahomans and people nationwide who are committed to defending America’s secular public education system.”

Ben Gamla’s proposed school would violate state and federal law

In a letter to the board last week, the coalition explained the many ways Ben Gamla’s proposed school would violate state and federal law by indoctrinating students in a specific religion and discriminating against students, staff and, potentially, parents. The groups also pointed to substantial deficiencies in required elements throughout the application, as well as passages that appear to have been copied from other schools’ applications and are plainly inapplicable to Ben Gamla.

Most of these organizations represented Oklahoma public school advocates, parents, and faith leaders in a 2023 lawsuit to block Oklahoma from creating and funding St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that proposed religious public charter school unconstitutional in 2024, a decision the U.S. Supreme Court let stand in 2025.

AU & allies sue over Trump administration’s biased ‘Religious Liberty Commission’

New York City – A multifaith coalition has united to file a lawsuit challenging the unlawful creation of the Trump-Vance administration’s so-called Religious Liberty Commission, pointing to violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the unbalanced and biased viewpoints assembled for the panel. The lawsuit comes as the commission meets today at the Museum of the Bible.

Religious Liberty Commission consists almost exclusively of Christians

The commission was established by Executive Order 14291 on May 1, 2025. Despite the guidelines set by law through FACA, the commission’s membership consists exclusively of Christians, except for one Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, all of whom collectively represent the narrow perspective that America was founded as a “Judeo-Christian” nation and must be guided by Biblical principles. No members of the commission represent other minority religions, such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism, or non-religious Americans, and the commission’s meetings have expressly adopted and promoted purportedly Judeo-Christian ideals and viewpoints, with members routinely expressing their views during meetings that the United States is a Judeo-Christian or Christian nation.

The legal challenge is being brought by Interfaith Alliance, Muslims For Progressive Values, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Hindus For Human Rights. The coalition is represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Democracy Forward. It asks that the court declare that the commission was created and administered in violation of federal law, to require the disclosure of documents that should already be public, and to ensure that any recommendations produced by this body are clearly identified as coming from an unlawfully constituted commission. 

“Religious freedom for some is religious freedom for none,” said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “The government has no right to pick and choose which religious beliefs to promote, and which to marginalize. The Trump administration has failed to uphold our country’s proud religious freedom tradition, and we will hold them accountable. Today’s lawsuit is our recommitment to fight for religious liberty for all with every tool available to us.” 

“As a Muslim American organization, we have seen first hand how elevating a singular religion above others, especially in a country as religiously diverse as the United States, leads to the oppression and possible persecution of minority faiths,” said Ani Zonneveld, president and founder of Muslims for Progressive Values. “As Americans, we must work together so that no form of religious supremacy cements itself  in our country.”

“Religious freedom and religious liberty for all  are foundational American values. America thrives when all religious traditions are respected and diverse perspectives considered in the public realm. As Americans, we must work together to ensure these values are upheld,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“Religious liberty means religious liberty for everyone, not just one faith community. By stacking this Religious Liberty Commission with a narrow set of voices and hiding the commission’s work from the public eye, the Trump administration is evading the transparency and balance that federal law requires. Hindus for Human Rights is proud to stand with our multifaith partners to defend a pluralistic democracy where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and nonreligious people all belong as equals,” said Ria Chakrabarty, senior policy director of Hindus for Human Rights.

Religious Liberty Commission must follow FACA requirements

Congress enacted FACA in 1972 to curb the executive branch’s reliance on secretive and biased advisory committees, and the law establishes strict requirements for the creation and conduct of committees that are intended to influence national policy. Every advisory committee must meet public transparency requirements, be in the public interest, be fairly balanced among competing points of view, and be structured to avoid inappropriate influence by special interests. 

“The Religious Liberty Commission isn’t about protecting religious liberty for all; it’s about rejecting our nation’s religious diversity and prioritizing one narrow set of conservative ‘Judeo-Christian’ beliefs,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “The commission’s public meetings – most of which have been held at the Museum of the Bible and have been dominated by a very specific brand of Christian faith, Christian prayers, and predominantly Christian speakers – are a vivid example of this favoritism. The commission’s true purpose and operations can’t be squared with America’s constitutional promise of church-state separation.”

“Since the nation’s founding, the values of religious liberty and pluralism have been central to the American identity. These values are now under accelerated attack. The Trump-Vance administration’s Religious Liberty Commission is not about religious liberty, it is about pursuing a culture of Christian Nationalism that seeks to divide and isolate people across our nation,” said Skye Perryman, president & CEO of Democracy Forward. “The fatally flawed way this commission was assembled makes clear that the outcome isn’t just un-American, it’s against the law. Inspired by this diverse multifaith coalition of plaintiffs and their commitment to true religious liberty, we will continue to use every legal tool available to protect the American people and the best of our nation’s values.”

The case before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is Interfaith Alliance et al. v. Trump et al. The legal team on this case includes Anna Deffebach, Robin Thurston, and Ayesha Khan from Democracy Forward and Jenny Samuels from Americans United. 

*Perryman also serves as a member of the Board of Interfaith Alliance. 

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2026

CONTACT: Court Beyer (cbeyer@americanhumanist.org)

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project
$100,000 in grants to be distributed to fund service projects across America

WASHINGTON – Today the American Humanist Association has opened grant applications for its inaugural year of the American Empathy Project (AEP). The Project aims to mobilize humanists across the country for a national day of service on May 2, 2026. Selected grantees will receive $1,000 from the AHA for their chosen project, along with planning support and additional project resources.

“The American Empathy Project is our response to the crisis of cruelty plaguing our country and communities,” said Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. “With an administration in power that diminishes our collective humanity day by day, we knew it was incumbent upon us to put our values into action – to show up for each other where the system has failed.

“That’s where the American Empathy Project comes in. A single act of service can send a seismic ripple through a cynical world. As humanists, we know that a compassionate future doesn’t build itself, that the hope we’re searching for has to come from each other and within ourselves, stepping up to meet the moment with bravery and compassion.

“The world can feel broken, but people are still good. We hope the American Empathy Project creates a tidal wave of action that inspires more Americans to show up for each other and lead with empathy at a time when our government is doing everything in its power to divide us and pit neighbor against neighbor. Compassion will beat cruelty.”

Individuals applying for American Empathy Project grants can suggest their own service project, or select from a list of community-wide events:

• Food Over Cruelty: organize a food drive for a local food bank
• Care Over Cruelty: coordinate a medical debt jubilee
• Affirmation Over Cruelty: run a clothes drive for trans youth
• Welcoming Over Cruelty: conduct a supply drive to support immigrant families
• Conservation Over Cruelty: host a community environmental clean-up
• Respect Over Cruelty: facilitate a “joy drive” for a senior center

Organizers who share humanist beliefs and are excited to mobilize their communities on May 2 are encouraged to apply for grant funding at americanempathyproject.org by the March 13 deadline.

###

The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

The post American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project appeared first on American Humanist Association.

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2026

CONTACT: Court Beyer (cbeyer@americanhumanist.org)

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project
$100,000 in grants to be distributed to fund service projects across America

WASHINGTON – Today the American Humanist Association has opened grant applications for its inaugural year of the American Empathy Project (AEP). The Project aims to mobilize humanists across the country for a national day of service on May 2, 2026. Selected grantees will receive $1,000 from the AHA for their chosen project, along with planning support and additional project resources.

“The American Empathy Project is our response to the crisis of cruelty plaguing our country and communities,” said Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. “With an administration in power that diminishes our collective humanity day by day, we knew it was incumbent upon us to put our values into action – to show up for each other where the system has failed.

“That’s where the American Empathy Project comes in. A single act of service can send a seismic ripple through a cynical world. As humanists, we know that a compassionate future doesn’t build itself, that the hope we’re searching for has to come from each other and within ourselves, stepping up to meet the moment with bravery and compassion.

“The world can feel broken, but people are still good. We hope the American Empathy Project creates a tidal wave of action that inspires more Americans to show up for each other and lead with empathy at a time when our government is doing everything in its power to divide us and pit neighbor against neighbor. Compassion will beat cruelty.”

Individuals applying for American Empathy Project grants can suggest their own service project, or select from a list of community-wide events:

• Food Over Cruelty: organize a food drive for a local food bank
• Care Over Cruelty: coordinate a medical debt jubilee
• Affirmation Over Cruelty: run a clothes drive for trans youth
• Welcoming Over Cruelty: conduct a supply drive to support immigrant families
• Conservation Over Cruelty: host a community environmental clean-up
• Respect Over Cruelty: facilitate a “joy drive” for a senior center

Organizers who share humanist beliefs and are excited to mobilize their communities on May 2 are encouraged to apply for grant funding at americanempathyproject.org by the March 13 deadline.

###

The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

The post American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project appeared first on American Humanist Association.

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2026

CONTACT: Court Beyer (cbeyer@americanhumanist.org)

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project
$100,000 in grants to be distributed to fund service projects across America

WASHINGTON – Today the American Humanist Association has opened grant applications for its inaugural year of the American Empathy Project (AEP). The Project aims to mobilize humanists across the country for a national day of service on May 2, 2026. Selected grantees will receive $1,000 from the AHA for their chosen project, along with planning support and additional project resources.

“The American Empathy Project is our response to the crisis of cruelty plaguing our country and communities,” said Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. “With an administration in power that diminishes our collective humanity day by day, we knew it was incumbent upon us to put our values into action – to show up for each other where the system has failed.

“That’s where the American Empathy Project comes in. A single act of service can send a seismic ripple through a cynical world. As humanists, we know that a compassionate future doesn’t build itself, that the hope we’re searching for has to come from each other and within ourselves, stepping up to meet the moment with bravery and compassion.

“The world can feel broken, but people are still good. We hope the American Empathy Project creates a tidal wave of action that inspires more Americans to show up for each other and lead with empathy at a time when our government is doing everything in its power to divide us and pit neighbor against neighbor. Compassion will beat cruelty.”

Individuals applying for American Empathy Project grants can suggest their own service project, or select from a list of community-wide events:

• Food Over Cruelty: organize a food drive for a local food bank
• Care Over Cruelty: coordinate a medical debt jubilee
• Affirmation Over Cruelty: run a clothes drive for trans youth
• Welcoming Over Cruelty: conduct a supply drive to support immigrant families
• Conservation Over Cruelty: host a community environmental clean-up
• Respect Over Cruelty: facilitate a “joy drive” for a senior center

Organizers who share humanist beliefs and are excited to mobilize their communities on May 2 are encouraged to apply for grant funding at americanempathyproject.org by the March 13 deadline.

###

The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

The post American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project appeared first on American Humanist Association.

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2026

CONTACT: Court Beyer (cbeyer@americanhumanist.org)

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project
$100,000 in grants to be distributed to fund service projects across America

WASHINGTON – Today the American Humanist Association has opened grant applications for its inaugural year of the American Empathy Project (AEP). The Project aims to mobilize humanists across the country for a national day of service on May 2, 2026. Selected grantees will receive $1,000 from the AHA for their chosen project, along with planning support and additional project resources.

“The American Empathy Project is our response to the crisis of cruelty plaguing our country and communities,” said Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. “With an administration in power that diminishes our collective humanity day by day, we knew it was incumbent upon us to put our values into action – to show up for each other where the system has failed.

“That’s where the American Empathy Project comes in. A single act of service can send a seismic ripple through a cynical world. As humanists, we know that a compassionate future doesn’t build itself, that the hope we’re searching for has to come from each other and within ourselves, stepping up to meet the moment with bravery and compassion.

“The world can feel broken, but people are still good. We hope the American Empathy Project creates a tidal wave of action that inspires more Americans to show up for each other and lead with empathy at a time when our government is doing everything in its power to divide us and pit neighbor against neighbor. Compassion will beat cruelty.”

Individuals applying for American Empathy Project grants can suggest their own service project, or select from a list of community-wide events:

• Food Over Cruelty: organize a food drive for a local food bank
• Care Over Cruelty: coordinate a medical debt jubilee
• Affirmation Over Cruelty: run a clothes drive for trans youth
• Welcoming Over Cruelty: conduct a supply drive to support immigrant families
• Conservation Over Cruelty: host a community environmental clean-up
• Respect Over Cruelty: facilitate a “joy drive” for a senior center

Organizers who share humanist beliefs and are excited to mobilize their communities on May 2 are encouraged to apply for grant funding at americanempathyproject.org by the March 13 deadline.

###

The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

The post American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project appeared first on American Humanist Association.

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2026

CONTACT: Court Beyer (cbeyer@americanhumanist.org)

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project
$100,000 in grants to be distributed to fund service projects across America

WASHINGTON – Today the American Humanist Association has opened grant applications for its inaugural year of the American Empathy Project (AEP). The Project aims to mobilize humanists across the country for a national day of service on May 2, 2026. Selected grantees will receive $1,000 from the AHA for their chosen project, along with planning support and additional project resources.

“The American Empathy Project is our response to the crisis of cruelty plaguing our country and communities,” said Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. “With an administration in power that diminishes our collective humanity day by day, we knew it was incumbent upon us to put our values into action – to show up for each other where the system has failed.

“That’s where the American Empathy Project comes in. A single act of service can send a seismic ripple through a cynical world. As humanists, we know that a compassionate future doesn’t build itself, that the hope we’re searching for has to come from each other and within ourselves, stepping up to meet the moment with bravery and compassion.

“The world can feel broken, but people are still good. We hope the American Empathy Project creates a tidal wave of action that inspires more Americans to show up for each other and lead with empathy at a time when our government is doing everything in its power to divide us and pit neighbor against neighbor. Compassion will beat cruelty.”

Individuals applying for American Empathy Project grants can suggest their own service project, or select from a list of community-wide events:

• Food Over Cruelty: organize a food drive for a local food bank
• Care Over Cruelty: coordinate a medical debt jubilee
• Affirmation Over Cruelty: run a clothes drive for trans youth
• Welcoming Over Cruelty: conduct a supply drive to support immigrant families
• Conservation Over Cruelty: host a community environmental clean-up
• Respect Over Cruelty: facilitate a “joy drive” for a senior center

Organizers who share humanist beliefs and are excited to mobilize their communities on May 2 are encouraged to apply for grant funding at americanempathyproject.org by the March 13 deadline.

###

The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

The post American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project appeared first on American Humanist Association.