Americans United for Separation of Church and State (Americans United or AU for short) is an advocacy group in the United States which promotes the separation of church and state, a concept of political philosophy and, in the US, a legal doctrine that the AU sees as enshrined in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The group was founded in 1947 as Protestants United for Separation of Church and State (later changing its name to the current one) and has both religious and non-religious members, as well as members of multiple political parties. Its current executive director is Rev. Barry W. Lynn, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ ^*," target="_blank" >and its headquarters are in Washington, DC. [http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aboutau

The group opposes:

• "Electioneering" by non-profit churches and religious groups
• The faith-based initiatives of the Bush Administration
• Religious content in official ceremony such as the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency and the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Religious education, mandatory prayer, and Bible reading in the public schools
• Educational vouchers which may be used to direct government funds to private religious schools
• The Federal Marriage Amendment, because it privileges religious groups that do not sanction same-sex unions over those that do.
• The presence of religious symbols on public property, for example, the posting of the Ten Commandments in government buildings (see Van Orden v. Perry and McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky)
• It opposes the teaching of creationism in public schools. It was involved with the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case which involves the teaching of intelligent design.
• The agenda and activities of what it calls the "Religious Right"

The group supports:

• The free exercise of religion
• The right of each religious group to define marriage on its own theological terms.
• Judicial nominees that strongly support separation of church and state
• Groups that strongly support separation of church and state

See also

• Christian Right
• Christian Left

External links

• Americans United official website
• Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State, Speech by Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State to the Freethought Association

Government watchdog groups in the U.S. | Political advocacy groups in the United States | Religion and politics