Weekly Wrap: Thomas Paine, Javier Bardem, Justice Antonin Scalia and Hindu nationalism

There’s a lot to report about Freedom From Religion Foundation actions this week to further our mission — and how these efforts are getting well-deserved recognition.

The foremost news service covering belief and nonbelief quoted our advocacy affiliate’s critique of an extremely problematic religion scion who the Trump administration has just appointed as an ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

“The Freedom from Religion Foundation Action Fund, an advocacy group for the separation of church and state, questioned [Cissie Graham] Lynch’s ability to support a range of religious perspectives around the world,” says the Religion News Service piece. “The group pointed to a 2017 commentary posted on Lynch’s website defending Trump’s first-term ban on travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries. ‘Someone who has warned that Muslims are “infiltrating” society simply by working, going to school and living alongside other Americans is a troubling choice to serve as our nation’s chief diplomat for religious freedom,’ said FFRF Action Fund President Annie Laurie Gaylor in a statement.”

Thomas Paine memorial project gets a huge boost

A Baptist news service covered at length the recent testimony of FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor before Congress urging it to authorize a Thomas Paine statue in the nation’s capital.

“In earlier testimony before the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands, Freedom from Religion Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said Paine deserves to be memorialized,” stated the Baptist News Global article. “She traced Paine’s role in the nation’s founding to soon after his arrival from England at Benjamin Franklin’s invitation in 1774. ‘Common Sense,’ published 250 years ago this January, sold an estimated 500,000 copies when the 13 colonies held 2.5 million people. Paine relinquished the copyright and gave the proceeds to the Continental Army, then enlisted as a private in 1776 and marched with George Washington through that first winter campaign. The experience produced the first of the ‘Crisis Papers’ (‘These are the times that try men’s souls’) in 1776, which Washington ordered read aloud to soldiers to keep up morale.”

As an update, we’re delighted that a House committee has unanimously indeed approved a bill to erect a memorial to the Forgotten Founder in a prominent location in Washington, D.C. The bill now awaits action on the House floor. Paine gave the United States of America its very name and embodies this country’s democratic ideals — making it imperative that we pay appropriate tribute to him in the nation’s capital.

A N.D. district ends prayer due to us
We persuaded a North Dakota school district to end its longstanding, unconstitutional practice of including clergy-led prayer during high school graduation ceremonies. The district took appropriate corrective action after a communique from us. We welcome the district’s commitment to ensuring future graduations are inclusive of every student — regardless of their religious or nonreligious beliefs.

Colorado school system nixes prayer after our intervention
We have convinced Colorado’s second-largest school district to address a constitutional violation involving school-sponsored prayer at an official athletics event. “School officials may not direct students to give any type of prayer, invocation, benediction, or sermon at public school-sponsored events,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the superintendent. The district replied positively — verifying that it investigated FFRF’s complaint and addressed the matter with its employees. Hurray!

Tenn. school coaches need to stop proselytizing
We are urging that a school system in Tennessee put an immediate stop to coach-led prayer and religious proselytizing in its football program. “Public school coaches have enormous authority over their players, and they cannot use that authority to pressure students to pray or attend religious athletic clubs,” says Annie Laurie.

How to oppose fascism

We first celebrated on the latest Freethought Radio episode the progress toward a Washington, D.C., memorial to Forgotten Freethinking Founder Thomas Paine. Then, popular podcaster Jennifer Welch discussed with co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor her new book, “Not Today, Fascists: The Lies That Got Us Here, and the Truths That Will Reunite Us.” You can watch at this link the video podcast of her interview.  Jennifer is part of a stellar line-up at our annual convention in Milwaukee mid-October that includes Rep. Jared Huffman and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Reserve your room and sign up here to be assured a seat!

Hindu nationalism in India and the U.S.

I have been busy tackling religious nationalism in South Asia. The latest episode of our “Secular Spotlight” YouTube show had me speak with Faria Rehman of Hindus for Human Rights about the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its recent rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. We discussed the RSS’ influence in the United States, its threat to India’s secular democracy due to its control of the government there currently, and the efforts to counter its sinister reach.

Dinosaurs are real

On this week’s episode of “Underzealous” (our show aimed at millennial and Gen-Z audiences) Rowan and Angelo discuss the long process of religious deconversion, from religion, to anger, to finding peace. They also discuss the frustration of running into young Earth creationists who want to tell you that dinosaurs aren’t real.

The noxious legacy of majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
I interviewed from Sri Lanka for my global affairs community radio show Himal SouthAsian Senior Editor Raisa Wickrematunge on how a new ruling dispensation is handling the country’s affairs — including the legacy of ethnoreligious chauvinism (with Buddhism being a major culprit!) that has historically bedeviled the island nation.

Christian nationalism’s influence on our schools

The hosts of the “We Dissent” podcast welcomed a special guest from the Southern Poverty Law Center to scrutinize the role Christian nationalism is playing in our public education system.

FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Legal Director Rebecca Markert and National Women’s Law Center Director of Nominations & Democracy Alison Gill closely examined with Senior Research Analyst Maya Henson of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project the impact of Christian supremacy and anti-student inclusion movements on public education.

FFRF legal director at Tallahassee event
Good news, Floridians! FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott will be a featured panelist at “SCOTUS Preview: First Amendment on the Docket,” taking place Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Florida State University College of Law in Tallahassee. The event, hosted by the Institute for Governance and Civics’ First Amendment Clinic at FSU Law, will examine several high profile First Amendment cases before the U.S. Supreme Court during the upcoming term. Be there if you can!

Friendly Atheist is ‘Secularist of the Week’

The FFRF Action Fund, our legislative affiliate, is naming Hemant Mehta, better known to legions of readers as the “Friendly Atheist,” as its “Secularist of the Week.” Hemant has been chosen for his extraordinary contributions to the secular movement and, in particular, his painstaking annual effort to document openly nonreligious candidates for public office. 

Dallas megapastor ‘Theocrat’ shows unabashed electoral partisanship

The Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” is Dallas megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress for his dubious intervention at the recent Republican midterm convention. Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, cast the upcoming election as a battle between God and evil. Americans of every religion and no religion are equally entitled to participate in our democracy without being told that casting the “wrong” vote puts them on the side of evil.

The wisdom of Justice Scalia?
Things have come to such a pass that Supreme Court justices who secularists disliked now seem to have contained perhaps some wisdom. As FFRF Rapid Response Counsel Chris Line begins his new blog, “Antonin Scalia (yes, that Antonin Scalia) issued a warning that deserves much more attention right now than it’s getting.” Find out what the warning was.

Investigating a ‘near-death experience’
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker painstakingly debunks in a recent piece the notion of near-death experiences. He investigates the evidence surrounding a widely disseminated example of this phenomenon and shows how it is wanting in his devastatingly logical exposé.

Hispanic freethinking luminaries
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we have compiled a list of the many distinguished Hispanic and Latinx individuals, past and present, who have made known their dissent from religion — from Jessica Alba and Javier Bardem to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Enjoy!

We are able to call attention to freethinkers of all backgrounds — and do so much more — only due to the unremitting support we receive from folks such as you.