Stop Fundraising for Ten Commandments Monument, Says AHA to Arkansas Senator
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org
David Niose, 202-238-9088 ext. 119, dniose@americanhumanist.org
(Little Rock, AR, Feb. 23, 2016)—The American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center denounces Arkansas State Senator Jason Rapert (AR-35) for fundraising to place an unconstitutional Ten Commandments monument in the Arkansas State Capitol.
According to the legal center’s letter to Sen. Rapert, this project to erect a Ten Commandments monument is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and an attempt to promote his personal religious views. The Appignani Humanist Legal Center cites Sen. Rapert’s leadership in the Appeal to Heaven legislative caucus, a national network of conservative Christian elected officials who openly profess their commitment to governing based on biblical principles.
“Many people in Arkansas have already expressed concern about the Ten Commandments monument and its excessive state entanglement with religion,” said David Niose, legal director of the American Humanist Association. “We urge Sen. Rapert to stop this project and turn his attention to the practical, real-world needs of all of his constituents, both religious and nonreligious.”
The letter warns that Sen. Rapert should cease his fundraising activities for the Ten Commandments monument or risk likely litigation that will result in an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money.
The American Humanist Association recently prevailed in its church/state separation lawsuit in Baxter County, Arkansas, which successfully challenged the county’s practice of displaying a Christian nativity scene on the county courthouse lawn.
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Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other non-religious Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Special thanks to the Louis J. Appignani Foundation for their support of the Appignani Humanist Legal Center.
