Even relatively calmer weeks here for us at the Freedom From Religion Foundation are just that — calmer only relatively.
We may not have raised as much Cain this week as we sometimes do, but we did our fair share.
An appalling waste of time
We expressed our dismay at the waste of time and money exemplified by the weekly White House bible study sessions.
“Study the bible in your private capacity, not in your official capacity and at your government desk,” we said. “Do it on your on time, not the taxpayers’.”
Newsflash: FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel is scheduled to be interviewed on “Fox and Friends” this Saturday, Aug. 5, shortly after 8:20 a.m. Eastern Time to debate the White House bible study meetings. (Note: Occasionally, breaking news pre-empts these invitations.)
We also condemned one of the country’s most prominent community radio stations for disinviting Richard Dawkins, supposedly for his remarks against Islam. “No idea is above criticism, certainly not an idea as bad as religion,” we stated.
A couple of warnings
We dispatched a couple of warnings, too. We asked a Michigan town to cancel plans to allow an outdoor church service at a city-sponsored event this coming weekend. And we expressed our outrage that an online public Ohio charter school is teaching creationist myth.
“Science and religion do not go well together,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Public schools should not permit nonscientific, religiously inspired nonsense to be foisted upon their students.”
A few victory dances
We weren’t just sending off blistering dispatches. We did a few victory dances — and that, too, in our home state of Wisconsin. We made a state agency promise that it won’t ever host religiously tinged public events. And we snipped the ties between a Wisconsin elementary school and a Christian financial services firm.
Speaking of home base, FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover was on our local community radio station to explain why we’re against a state bill that would bar University of Wisconsin employees from performing any abortion-related services. (Click on the “8 O’Clock Buzz” show for Monday, July 31. Sam is on from the 7 to the 22-minute mark.)
A shot in the arm
We also received a shot in the arm when two kindred organizations submitted a supporting brief in a New Jersey case we’re fighting over unconstitutional funding of churches. Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union agree with us that such funding violates the state Constitution. Thanks for the support, folks!
We have a lot to offer
And, dear member, we have a lot to offer you. We’ve created a fun ad based on our lawsuit against the Trump Administration for allowing church politicking. Watch it here. On our Ask an Atheist Facebook Live feature this week, we proffer some advice on secular parenting.
Our Attorneys Rebecca Markert and Elizabeth Cavell talk about a fun and energizing secular trip to St. Louis on our Newsbite video segment.
And on our radio show, we interview Egyptian-American ex-Muslim Noura Embabi, president of Muslimish, a unique organization dedicated to fostering dialogue between current and former Muslims.
Please contact your radio station
On the subject of our radio show, we have to ask you for a favor. All of us have a stake in spreading the freethought message as far and wide as possible. Please contact your local radio stations (especially community radio stations) and urge them to carry our show. You can provide them this link if they’d like to learn more about the show. Or you can direct them our way. We appreciate your help in getting out the secular message.
Our radio show, our video segments, our Facebook outreach, our ads — all of this would not exist if it weren’t for you and your support.
