We at the Freedom From Religion Foundation have recently felt like a firehose is being aimed at us, since there’s been a torrent of events for us to respond to.
“Mayday, Mayday!” is an internationally recognized maritime signal of distress indicating a grave and imminent danger to life. After oral arguments on the eve of May 1 at the U.S. Supreme Court over the constitutionality of a Catholic virtual charter public school, it unfortunately appears that our secular public schools may soon be on life support. Comments FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor (who was there at the court premises along with FFRF Co-President Dan Barker during the hearing): “If the Supreme Court approves this scheme, it will go viral across the land, ultimately defunding our public schools — the bedrock of our democracy — a blow that our public schools and our secular democracy may never recover from.”
An alarming Trump commission
We raised the alarm over President Trump’s newly announced “Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty,” a dangerous initiative revealed during the National Day of Prayer observance at the White House yesterday. Despite its branding, we warned that this commission is not about protecting religious freedom — it’s about advancing religious privilege and promoting a Christian nationalist agenda.
Dept. of Education gives extremist Franklin Graham a platform
We also upbraided the U.S. Department of Education for using its official platform on the same day to promote a sectarian message from evangelist Franklin Graham. We pointed out that Graham is a religious extremist with a long track record of exclusionary rhetoric. By featuring his blog post, the department has blurred the line between state and church and abandoned its duty to serve all Americans, regardless of their beliefs or lack thereof.
We are part of a unity coalition
We are banding together with other like-minded groups to better counter this onslaught. We are one of many organizations proud to be part of “The Pact: A Civil Rights Coalition Unity Commitment,” created by The Leadership Conference to foster solidarity among nonpartisan civil rights groups. The coalition is designed to ensure that its members will work together should any be attacked by the U.S. government, to share knowledge and resources with one another and to stay true to their missions instead of self-censoring out of fear. Gratifyingly, the Milwaukee Community Journal reprinted the pact.
A delightful Congressional Reason Reception
It hasn’t been all doom and gloom. In a standing-room-only event, leading lawmakers, advocates and a nationally known comedian gathered on Wednesday for the second annual Congressional Reason Reception — a celebration of reason, science, wit and the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. Hosted by us, the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America, the reception served as the freethought community’s counterweight to the National Prayer Breakfast. The co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus — Reps. Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin — honored individuals who have advanced First Amendment freedoms and held the line against Christian nationalism. Guest speaker Susan Wild, a former House member, gave a memorable talk, which will be reprinted in the June/July issue of Freethought Today along with photos of the uplifting event.
Texas resolution has misplaced faith in God’s promises
At the state level, we’re strongly opposing a Texas House resolution that would designate for the next 10 years April as “Promise Month” — referring to God’s faithfulness in keeping his promises. Based exclusively on numerous bible verses and false declarations such as “America was founded upon Biblical principles and Christian values,” the Texas Legislature is effectively endorsing Christianity as the state-sanctioned religion.
No crosses on public school basketball uniforms
We called foul on a Louisiana high school’s basketball shirts that feature a Christian cross. “Religious imagery on official school attire sends the message that the district is promoting religion,” FFRF Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi has written to Jefferson Davis Parish Schools Superintendent John Hall.
Oregon paper notices our objection to prayer proclamation
We urged an Oregon mayor to rescind a proclamation that blatantly elevates Christianity over all other religions. A concerned Sweet Home, Ore., resident informed us that Mayor Susan Coleman proclaimed May 1 as an official day of prayer for the city of Sweet Home, and we insisted that Coleman respect the secular U.S. Constitution by withdrawing the proclamation. The local paper carried a piece spotlighting our objection.
Chapter head has op-ed in Orlando paper
We love our members getting their perspective out into the public, and so when FFRF Central Florida chapter head David Williamson had an op-ed published in the Orlando paper objecting to the National Day of Prayer, it delighted us no end. Way to go, David!
State-level legislation in Trump’s first 100 days
In the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term, a wave of state-level legislation has emerged that undermines the constitutional principle of church/state separation. Meanwhile, some states are moving in the right direction, passing bills that keep Christian nationalism at bay and protect true religious freedom. The growing team of the FFRF Action Fund, our legislative arm, is monitoring these bills all over the country.
Our legislative testimonies
As part of the efforts, Fund managers are busy shoring up secularism in legislatures all across the United States. To that end, Action Fund State Policy Manager Ryan Dudley submitted testimony to the Texas Statehouse opposing a measure mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms and in support of a no-loophole child marriage ban in Oregon. Fund Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens submitted testimony against a Missouri bill with several objectionable provisions.
A laudable bill to curb religious health care entities
The Action Fund applauds Congressional Freethought Caucus Co-Chair Jared Huffman, D-Calif., for reintroducing a bill to rein in religious health care entities. This bill is a critical step in protecting consumers from deceptive, frequently religiously motivated health care sharing ministries that often leave Americans in medical and financial peril. Here is the official news release on Rep. Huffman’s site, which includes a statement of support from FFRF Action Fund President Annie Laurie Gaylor.
AG Pam Bondi is Fund’s ‘theocrat’
The Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” is U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for leading the inaugural meeting of the so-called “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias” Task Force last week. In actuality, the second Trump administration is only using the task force as a means to further distort the principle of religious freedom and give Christianity preferential treatment in the United States.
Wisconsin lawmakers are ‘secularists’
The Action Fund’s “Secularists of the Week” are two Wisconsin lawmakers for leading legislation that would vastly expand reproductive freedom in Wisconsin. Wisconsin state Rep. Lisa Subeck and Sen. Kelda Roys recently introduced the Abortion Rights Restoration Act, which would establish a statutory right to abortion and repeal anti-abortion restrictions in Wisconsin. Kudos!
How Christian nationalists misuse scripture in biblical ways
Our “Freethought Matters” TV show this week is a change of pace: an “unsermon” about how Christian nationalists misuse the bible in epical ways. “Freethought Matters” co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor explain how Christian nationalists not only get it wrong when they claim America is a Christian nation, but also how they misread and misquote the bible to back up that false assertion. You can already watch the show on our YouTube channel. Or find out where and when to catch it Sunday on television.
The challenges of being a secular lawmaker
What does it mean to serve in public office as an openly nonreligious lawmaker — especially during a time when Christian Nationalism is growing across the country? On the latest episode of our Facebook Live “Ask An Atheist,” feature, we hear directly from secular elected officials navigating the political landscape during President Trump’s second term.
A Swedish humanist explains ‘the flame of reason’
Just in time to celebrate the National Day of Reason, after doing a news round-up, Freethought Radio co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor interview Swedish humanist Christer Sturmark, author of the book “To Light the Flame of Reason: Clear Thinking for the Twenty-First Century.”
How the Rohingyas have been the victims of Buddhist nationalism
I did an informative interview for Madison’s community radio station with the head of a Rohingya rights group on how that community has intensely borne the brunt of majoritarian nationalism in Myanmar (in this case, interestingly, Buddhist nationalism).
Why reading broadly is a good thing
FFRF Contributing Writer Kat Grant’s latest blog, in response to an ongoing U.S. Supreme Court case, argues that religious opt-outs for parents are antithetical to a good education. “Every child deserves the opportunity to explore worlds beyond their own cultural bubble — and no method is as effective as providing them access to a wide array of books,” the blog concludes.
There’s such an intense barrage of events for us to react to — and we’re able to do it only because of your unrelenting backing.
FFRF Contributing Writer Kat Grant’s latest blog, in response to an ongoing U.S. Supreme Court case, argues that religious opt-outs for parents are antithetical to a good education. “Every child deserves the opportunity to explore worlds beyond their own cultural bubble — and no method is as effective as providing them access to a wide array of books,” the blog concludes.
There’s such an intense barrage of events for us to react to — and we’re able to do it only because of your unrelenting backing.
