West Suburban Chicago Chapter Americans United for the Separation of Church and StateAll meetings and other activities of the West Suburban Chicago Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State have been suspended for the year 2014. We hope to be able to resume our efforts in 2015.
Thank you for your interest and participation in the past.
West Suburban Chicago and North Shore Chapters Host 3rd Annual Constitutional Round Table Discussion
MOTION: Was the United States Founded as a Christian Nation?
Come join us on Thursday, October 17th, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.
RESCHEDULED*** RESCHEDULED*** RESCHEDULED
Now Showing on Thursday, July 18 at 7:30pm.
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The severe weather and street closings last April only filled us with a greater resolve.
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Presenting a Special Viewing and Discussion of the movie “No Dinosaurs in Heaven” at our July meeting.
Written, produced, and directed by Greta Schiller
Running Time: 53 minutes
Please join us for an interesting evening with Ms. Brigid Leahy, the Director of Legislative Affairs of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. She will be coming to visit us from her offices in Springfield to discuss Women’s Health and take a look back at 2012 and how we need to move ahead in 2013.
Brigid Leahy
The WSCCAU / NSCAU Constitutional Roundtable Discussion conducted on Thursday, October 25th was a resounding success. This year’s event was a joint venture between the West Suburban Chicago Chapter of AU and our sister chapter, the North Shore Chicago Chapter of AU. The topic for discussion was “Is the U.S. Constitution a ‘Living’ Document?”. The panel moderator was the president of WSCCAU, John Wesser, and the audience moderator was the president of NSCAU, Matt Lowry.
Our diverse panel engaged in a very enjoyable and intellectually stimulating interchange enhanced to a high degree by many excellent questions and comments from the audience.
Our distinguished panel members included…
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Theodore Utchen – Attorney and resident of Wheaton, IL
Catherine A. Moscarello – Small business owner from Sugar Grove, IL
Rabbi Adam Chalom – Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation, Lincolnshire, IL
Joseph M. Adams – Attorney who practices in Newport Beach, CA
Jennifer Fredette – Poli-Sci Professor, North Central College, Naperville, IL
Tom Mikesell – Mortgage Broker from Naperville, IL
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Video excerpts of the panelist’s opening remarks:
Ted Utchen, Catherine Moscarello, Rabbi Adam Chalom
VIDEO
Joseph Adams
VIDEO
Jennifer Fredette
VIDEO
Thomas Mikesell
VIDEO
The First Amendment is weakened when enforcement is ignored. The same goes with enforcement of IRS 501(c)(3) regulations of which religious groups fall under. The failure to keep state and church separate is one of the early encroachments of fascism. The Religious Right, and especially the Catholic Church, is wasting no time in taking advantage of this period to further their War on Secularism and the First Amendment. We must insist that the IRS address these blatant violations. It may be time to finally remove the church’s tax exempt status. Note the comment from Rob Boston from Americans United in this article.
October 25th at 7 PM is the date and time to mark on your calendar to participate in this jointly sponsored event of the West Suburban and North Shore Chicago Chapters of Americans United.
“Is the U. S. Constitution a ‘Living’ Document”
Attitudes change, cultures change, societal values change. Our Constitution is over 200 years old and many feel how it is interpreted must also change with the times. Others feel it is a legal document, rigid and inflexible, and is unchangeable except via the amendment process. Yet we’ve had a varied history with a wide degree of interpretations at all branches of our government, especially the court system, from privacy and states’ rights, to the separation of church and state.
As part of our continuing efforts to educate the public about civics and to promote a better understanding of the nature of our Constitution, we will be conducting, for the second year, a “Round Table” discussion to examine the varied aspects of this document. We hope to make this event both interesting and intellectually stimulating. Our goal is to not only do our part to motivate an apathetic American public, but to help satisfy the yearning of those who long to learn more about the foundation of our government. Oh, and refreshments will also be available.
In attendance will be a number of Constitutional scholars as well as everyday citizens who believe in the sanctity of the American Way and the Rule of Law. If you attended last year’s Round Table Discussion, you’ll remember that audience participation was highly encouraged and contributed greatly to the overall success of the event. So please come join us again.
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has formally filed a complaint with the IRS over this bishop’s intervention in the presidential elections.
“Bishop Jenky’s intervention in the election wasn’t just extreme and mean-spirited, it also seems to be a clear violation of federal law,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. “Churches are tax-exempt institutions, and they aren’t allowed to intervene in partisan politics.”
Margo Ely
The West Suburban Chicago Chapter of Americans United (WSCCAU) is planning a joint session with the North Shore Chapter of AU to welcome author Katherine Stewart to Chicago.
Katherine Stewart is the author of “The Good News Club” subtitled “The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children.”
Ms. Stewart will be appearing, as part of her cross-country book tour, at Revolution Books in Chicago on Friday, March 23rd, and will be speaking at our joint event being held from 7 PM to 9 PM on Thursday, March 22nd at…
___ Atherton Hall
___ Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist,
___ 1025 N. Smith Street, Palatine, IL 60067
Ample parking is available, as well as handicap accessibility.
We’re still working on being able to provide some refreshments and have some books available for purchase and signing on Thursday evening. More details on these items will be reported as we obtain information from the bookstore and the church.
Please monitor our chapters’ websites (https://wsccau.wordpress.com/ or http://www.nscau.org/), and your email for additional information as it becomes available. We’re hoping for a good turnout from both chapters to hear Ms. Stewart.
Please info me at wsccau@yahoo.com if anyone needs transportation (we’re looking to do some car-pooling), or if you’d be able to offer a friendly ride-share for one or more people.
The Revolution Books is located at 1103 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622 (http://chicagorevolutionbooks.blogspot.com/).
More information about the book can be found here: http://www.thegoodnewsclub.com/
Katherine Stewart
West Suburban Chicago Chapter Americans United for the Separation of Church and State 