Yesterday, February 13 2012, the American Humanist Association argued in Massachusetts Superior Court that the state’s constitutional equal rights amendment should bar the practice of public schools conducting a daily flag-salute exercise that utilizes the version of the Pledge of Allegiance that includes the phrase “under God.”

Britain’s High Court today ruled that local councils cannot include public prayer in their formal meetings. IHEU member organizations the National Secular Society and the British Humanist Association welcomed the court’s decision that "The saying of prayers as part of the formal meeting of a Council is not lawful under s111 of the Local Government Act 1972, and there is no statutory power permitting the practice to continue".

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the British government’s decision to not fund schools that teach creationism or are run by creationist groups. The Department of Education issued a new revision of the model funding agreement for Free Schools in order to preclude "the teaching, as an evidence-based view or theory, of any view or theory that is contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations"  The change follows the BHA coordinating the ‘Teach evolution, not creationism!’ campaign, which called for this precise change.

Two court decisions announced this week have received contrasting responses from American Humanists. A decision ordering the removal of a religious banner from a state school in Rhode Island was applauded by Humanists, whereas a Supreme Court decision to exempt religious groups from laws against employment discrimination was strongly criticized.

Public prayer will no longer be part of local authority council meetings in England and Wales, if the National Secular Society (NSS) wins a case that began at the High Court on Friday, 2 December. About half of local government councils in England say prayers as part of their meetings.

Six billion euros. That's how much the Catholic Church costs Italy every year, according to the first detailed investigation of the impact of state support and tax privileges received by the Church. The findings by Italy’s Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics (UAAR), a member organization of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, were published the day after Italy’s new government announced a budget filled with new taxes and drastic spending cuts.

RESOLUCIÓN APROBADA EN EL CONGRESO: Posiciones laicas ante el -->

RESOLUTION ADOPTEE AU COLLOQUE : POSITIONS LAIQUES EN TERME DE « BIOETHIQUE ».

The conference “Secular Positions in 'Bioethics' -- Assessment and Outlook”, held Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, 2011, at the University of Barcelona has issued a resolution on “Freedom of conscience – freedom for research.”