God and Government
Barry Lynn
Sunday, 31 Jan 2016 at 4:00 pm – Great Hall, Memorial Union
Barry Lynn is executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. A long-time activist, a civil rights lawyer, and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, he offers a unique perspective and a wealth of experience on church-state controversies. Lynn is a frequent First Amendment commentator on national television and radio programs like The Today Show, 60 Minutes, Fox Network's O'Reilly Factor, and NPR's All Things Considered. His new book is God and Government: Twenty-Five Years of Fighting for Equality, Secularism, and Freedom Of Conscience. He also helped author The Right to Religious Liberty: The Basic ACLU Guide to Religious Rights. National Affairs Series: When American Values Are in ConflictBarry Lynn earned his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and his theology degree from Boston University School of Theology. He began his professional career working at the national office of the United Church of Christ, including a two-year stint as legislative counsel for the Church's Office of Church in Society in Washington, D.C. From 1984 to 1991 he was legislative counsel for the Washington office of the American Civil Liberties Union. He is a member of the Washington, D.C. and U.S. Supreme Court bar.
Lynn served for a decade as host of the syndicated radio show "Culture Shocks," a daily look at various issues affecting society and the culture. In the 1990s he was the regular co-host of "Pat Buchanan and Company" and after that did a weekly syndicated radio program, "Review of the News," with Col. Oliver North. His other books include Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault On Religious Freedom and First Freedom First: A Citizen's Guide to Protecting Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State.
His many honors include the Freedom of Worship Award from the Roosevelt Institute, the Puffin/Nation Foundation's Creative Citizenship Award, the American Humanist Association's Religious Liberty Award and an award from the Hugh H. Hefner Foundation for his work to protect freedom of speech.
Cosponsored By:
- Ames United Church of Christ
- National Affairs
- Committee on Lectures (funded by Student Government)
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