The Georgia Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced (on October 20th) the unanimous election of (ECDA member) Jeffrey Selman of Cobb County as its new president. The organization’s special election was called because of the recent death of the Georgia president, Rev. Bo Turner of Tallulah Falls. According to Selman, “Bo Turner led the revitalization of the organization in Georgia, giving us his tremendous strength and vision to promote religious liberty for all. He cannot be replaced, but we will fight, as Turner did, for the vigorous protection of all Americans’ right to believe as their consciences lead them, for keeping government at all levels out of the business of making religious decisions for citizens.”

Selman pledged to continue Turner’s work and to help deepen the
understanding of what true liberty, under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, means to all citizens. In response to his election, he also said, “I want all Georgians to know that we stand with them, ready to protect their right to believe as they will or will not without interference from government. No one belief, even if it is the majority belief, can take precedent over any other belief in matters of law. For true justice and freedom, the size of a group, even if it is in the majority, doesn’t count against individual rights. It also must be understood that protecting citizens’ beliefs by keeping government neutral doesn’t mean keeping any belief out of the public sphere. It just means that the government cannot act, in the name of any of our citizens, to support or coerce the practice or non-practice of any religious belief.”

Selman, a well-known activist for religious liberty, was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit successfully seeking the removal of “warning” stickers regarding evolution in biology textbooks in Cobb County high schools; he is also a plaintiff in a current suit against the Cobb County Commissioners seeking the end of sectarian prayers before commission meetings. A graduate of Lehman College of the City University of New York, Selman is a congregant of Kol Emeth Temple in Cobb County.

Other officers of the state group include Walter Bell of Atlanta (VP), Kathy Brooke of Marietta (Treasurer), and Ed Buckner of Smyrna (Secretary). Board members of the group hail from across the state. Any member of the national organization who lives in Georgia is eligible and welcome to be a member of the state group (with no additional dues).

Americans United, both nationally and in Georgia, protects separation of church and state by working on a wide range of pressing political and social issues. To learn more about our ongoing work to protect religious liberty in America, visit www.au.org.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State was founded in 1947 by a broad coalition of religious, educational and civic leaders. Since 1947, Americans United has led the way in defending the separation of church and state, the cornerstone of religious liberty in America. As a non-sectarian, non-partisan organization, AU's membership includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, people with no religious affiliation, and others.  Democrats, Republicans, and independents have joined our ranks.

Americans United is an independent organization with no ties to any larger group or political movement. We are a true grassroots
organization. Thanks to the support of thousands of Georgians and other Americans, Americans United is able to defend separation of church and state in the courts, educate legislators, work with the media to inform Americans about religious freedom issues, and organize local chapters all over the country.

Contact Jeffery Selman