The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is committed to safeguarding the rights of all Americans to practice their faith. Despite this, many people mistakenly believe that the ACLU does not defend the rights of religious believers. To prove this assumption wrong, the ACLU has taken a number of steps in recent years to protect the rights of religious minorities. In 2000, the ACLU of Maryland successfully settled a lawsuit on behalf of a Christian ministry for the homeless in Elkton, Maryland.
The ministry had purchased land for a religious day center to provide job training, food, showers, and spiritual services to the local community. The transportation and printing revolutions of the 19th century enabled news about British missionary efforts in India and Tahiti to be quickly published in American religious publications. This spurred American efforts to evangelize Native Americans, border colonists, immigrant groups, and even people abroad. In 2010, the ACLU successfully represented first-class aviator Sunjit Singh Rathour by obtaining religious accommodation from the Air Force to wear a turban, beard, and uncut hair in accordance with his Sikh religious beliefs.
The new programs will focus on the state's religious history, engage the state's religious communities, and strengthen public access to archival collections related to religion. The ACLU and the ACLU of Oklahoma submitted a brief in support of a Muslim job applicant who experienced religious discrimination in the hiring process. The ACLU of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Muslim woman who had to remove her veil in front of male prison guards in order to visit her husband at the Columbia Correctional Institution. Research has begun to illustrate how and why faith-based health interventions can promote health.
For researchers, involving religious leaders in the early stages of the process can lead to a better understanding of community health challenges and achieving active acceptance and participation from these leaders. Without this knowledge, researchers often develop thematic approaches before involving religious communities in health promotion activities. The ACLU and the ACLU of Mississippi were able to sue officials in Horn Lake (Mississippi), who had unlawfully denied approval for the construction of a proposed mosque on anti-Muslim grounds. The ACLU of Delaware was victorious in a lawsuit brought on behalf of Christians, Pagans, and members of the Wiccan community, alleging that a department store had violated a Delaware public establishment law by canceling community courses after some people complained about the religious beliefs taught at the centers.
The North Carolina Division of Prisons agreed to review their policy and determine if they need to provide religious services in languages other than English in their correctional system. The ACLU of Virginia threatened to file a lawsuit against the Fredericksburg-Stafford Park Authority after they enacted an unconstitutional policy prohibiting religious activities in the park and preventing a pastor from Cornerstone Baptist Church from holding baptisms there. Finally, while professionals and researchers often maintain an interest in using technology-mediated outreach strategies, it is essential that religious leaders are consulted before investing significant resources into such approaches.
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