Freethought-Now
Not too much within our purview — from the global to the local — escapes our attention here at the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
And we often receive good media coverage! A recent complaint of ours was featured on several Indiana outlets, including the state’s public radio network.
“The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is defending a recent inmate baptism, after the Freedom From Religion Foundation raised concerns that it may have violated the First Amendment,” said a story on Indiana Public Radio. “The concerns stem from a social media post by the sheriff’s office highlighting the event at the Monroe County Correctional Center. According to the post, 49 inmates were baptized.”
Much of the piece consists of quotes from FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence, who wrote our letter of complaint. Read on here.
A freethinker’s life is in danger
We’ve been focusing the world’s attention on the plight of imprisoned Moroccan freethinker Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar. This week, her family and legal team held a press conference to reveal that her life is imperiled. Lachgar was sentenced to 30 months in prison in early September over a social media photo deemed blasphemous. The Free Betty Coalition is pressing for urgent intervention to ensure that Betty (the recipient this year of our Avijit Roy Courage Award) receives the specialized medical care she urgently needs. You can sign the petition here.
Congress is targeting a commendable organization
At the national level, we castigated Tuesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center as the latest step in a coordinated effort to intimidate groups challenging Christian nationalism and other forms of extremism.
“Attempts to punish organizations for exposing extremism are an attack on free inquiry, civil rights advocacy and democratic accountability,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The Southern Poverty Law Center has spent decades documenting the dangers posed by white supremacy, Christian nationalism and other extremist movements. It should be commended for that work, not dragged before Congress because powerful politicians dislike its conclusions.”
A coordinated religion-infused backlash
We called out a coordinated effort that several conservative states have launched to undermine Pride Month. While disingenuously framed as celebrations of families and faith, these governmental proclamations clearly are intended as a rebuke to Pride Month and its recognition of LGBTQ+ Americans.
The FFRF Action Fund, our legislative affiliate, chose the governors of these five states as its “Theocrats of the Week.”
A Florida giveaway to Catholic schools
We are decrying a provision in Florida’s newly approved state budget that would hand $15 million in taxpayer funds directly to Catholic schools, which Catholic officials are contending will be used for security purposes. The funding is especially troubling — Catholic schools are already major beneficiaries of Florida’s multibillion school-voucher program, and now lawmakers are directing millions more in public money specifically to Catholic institutions.
IRS needs to look into an electioneering church
Homing in on a local-level outrage, we have called on the IRS to investigate an Oklahoma church after its pastor, congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer, publicly stated that supporters could pick up campaign yard signs directly from the church. Our complaint emphasizes that the situation is particularly concerning because Lahmeyer is both a church leader and a candidate for federal office, creating an obvious risk that church facilities, staff, communications channels and other tax-exempt resources are being used to advance his personal political ambitions.
Watch our tribute to the Gershwin brothers
We have a delectably rich assortment of fresh content for you this week.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker and vocalist Darcie Johnston performed on Monday at Freethought Hall music by brothers George and Ira Gershwin, two of many nonreligious songwriters who have contributed classic compositions to the Great American Songbook. Interspersed throughout the show were regaling anecdotes about the freethinking composers. You can watch the whole concert here on YouTube!
Dissecting a Christian nationalist D.C. shindig
The latest episode of our web series, “Secular Spotlight,” examines the officially organized Christian nationalist shindig held a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C. FFRF’s Liz Cavell and Chris Line are joined by YouTuber Tim Whitaker to examine the event’s messaging, to challenge claims that America was founded as a Christian nation, and to discuss what the growing influence of Christian nationalism could mean for our country.
American infidels
Historian Steven K. Green talked with Dan and Annie Laurie on the most recent episode of Freethought Radio about his fascinating new book, “American Infidelity: The Gilded Age Battle Over Freethought, Free Love and Feminism,” which describes how 19th-century freethinkers fought religious laws such as the Comstock Act. You can watch the video podcast of the interview at this link.
Reject Todd Blanche as AG
The FFRF Action Fund is urging the Senate to reject President Trump’s nominee, Christian nationalist Todd Blanche, for U.S. attorney general. During his time at the Justice Department, Blanche has been a staunch advocate of Christian nationalism. In addition, he has led the administration’s crusade against the Southern Poverty Law Center.
No lawyer of Trump should be a federal judge
The Action Fund is also opposing the confirmation of Matthew Schwartz, a personal lawyer of President Trump, to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It has sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee highlighting the serious concerns posed by Schwartz’s clear conflict of interest and his history of Christian nationalist views. If confirmed, Schwartz’s “stark conflicts of interest and history of espousing Christian nationalist views cast significant doubt” on his ability to serve as a fair and impartial member of the judiciary, the FFRF Action Fund letter states.
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The post Weekly Wrap: American infidels, the next AG, Trump’s personal lawyer and the Gershwin brothers appeared first on Freethought Now.