Here at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, every week we do a bit here and a bit there — and before we know it, we have achieved a lot.
Opening up a jail
On Monday, we took legal action against a religion-imposing Kentucky penal institution to make it comply with the state’s open record law.
Watch FFRF Legal Fellow Colin McNamara discuss the case and its implications on our “Newsbite” segment.”
Colin also chats about the lawsuit on our radio show. In addition, we talk about HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s response to the lawsuit we’ve filed against him and his department, and interview Camille Beredjick, author of the new book, “Queer Disbelief: Why LGBTQ Equality is an Atheist Issue.”
Correcting a Trump
Carson is not the only person in Trump’s inner circle who has caught our attention recently. When someone dearer to the president’s heart made unfounded statements about the role of religion in the United States, we immediately wrote him to correct his misconceptions.“The Freedom from Religion Foundation is trolling Eric Trump after the president’s son made an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday demanding people clap for his father,” reports the Raw Story website. The article concludes by quoting us: “Trump should work on being a president to all Americans, including atheists, agnostics, the nonreligious, nonbelievers and non-Christians of every stripe and of every color.”
Damn right, he should.
A large-scale religion expulsion
We undertook some effective actions this week. We were able to engage in a large-scale expulsion of religion from Georgia’s public schools. In no less than three school districts in the state, we halted constitutional violations. And we stopped an unscientific middle school science teacher in Kansas City from peddling creationist myth to his students.We celebrated the demise of a high-profile school voucher scheme in a Colorado county after the state’s highest court dismissed a case involving the program. In October, FFRF had filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of the Taxpayers for Public Education, a Colorado-based group that challenged the voucher plan.
Having fun with Julia Sweeney
To get us all in a fun mood, who can be better than actress, comedian and author Julia Sweeney? Watch her discuss her life and work (including her “Saturday Night Live” stint) Sunday at 11 p.m. on Channel 3 if you’re in the Madison area or online Monday onward. We have posted on our YouTube Channel our interview last Sunday with internationally renowned sculptor Zenos Frudakis.
Do something, Gov. Bevin!
On a somber note, we called out the Kentucky governor for his pointless prayerful proclamation over the recent school shooting in his state. Action is needed, not more meaningless “thoughts and prayers,” FFRF emphasized. To that end, FFRF donated $1,000 to the Marshall Strong Victims Fund to directly assist the families of the two dead students and the 18 others who were injured.
How to counter bad legislation
As you can probably figure out by folks like Bevin, it’s at the state level that much of the worst religious stuff gets traction. In our “FFRF’s Ask an Atheist” Facebook Live feature, we talk about the most horrible bills in statehouses around the country — and what you can do to stop them.
A bit of this and a bit of that
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor touches on a number of issues in a wide-ranging blog that dwells on everything from the pope to “pro-lifers” who want to execute women — and in the process makes a larger point.That’s the trick, we suppose. Between doing a bit of this and a bit of that, we get more accomplished in the state/church separation cause than even we can imagine — and all due to your help and generosity.
