Government Funding of Religion
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
The Latest
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Oklahomans File Lawsuit to Stop State From Sponsoring Nation’s First Religious Public Charter School
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OKPLAC, Inc. v. Statewide Virtual Charter School Board
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The Supreme Court Benches the Separation of Church and State
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Civil Rights and Religious Groups Urge Federal Appeals Court to Affirm That Maine Need Not Fund Religious Education
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What's at Stake
Our federal, state, and local governments do not always respect these core religious freedom principles. Through so-called “faith-based initiatives,” government officials have granted religious social services providers the right to discriminate, proselytize, and play by different rules than other organizations do—all while spending tax dollars.
Faith-based organizations have long provided admirable and important services to America’s neediest communities. It has been well understood and accepted, however, that when this work is funded by tax dollars, religious social services providers may not discriminate in hiring or providing services and that the publicly funded social services will be administered in a non-religious manner.
The ACLU works to ensure that taxpayers are not forced to support religious activity and that our government and public funds are not used to favor, endorse, or promote religion generally or any specific faith over others.
Our federal, state, and local governments do not always respect these core religious freedom principles. Through so-called “faith-based initiatives,” government officials have granted religious social services providers the right to discriminate, proselytize, and play by different rules than other organizations do—all while spending tax dollars.
Faith-based organizations have long provided admirable and important services to America’s neediest communities. It has been well understood and accepted, however, that when this work is funded by tax dollars, religious social services providers may not discriminate in hiring or providing services and that the publicly funded social services will be administered in a non-religious manner.
The ACLU works to ensure that taxpayers are not forced to support religious activity and that our government and public funds are not used to favor, endorse, or promote religion generally or any specific faith over others.