Freethought-Now

We have you in mind for everything that we engage in at the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

This includes keeping our government true to its constitutional foundations so that religion is not imposed on you and other freethinkers. That’s why, when the Florida Department of Education set up a complaint line for folks in the secular public school system who supposedly had difficulty praying, we voiced our objection. “The Freedom from Religion Foundation said that although it restates existing law, in practice it ‘encourages schools to privilege religious expression over students’ rights to a public education free from religious coercion,’ said Liz Cavell, the organization’s deputy legal director,” the Palm Beach Daily News quoted us.

International paper notes our objection to Erika Kirk’s appointment
And when the Trump administration invoked religion in appointing Erika Kirk (Charlie Kirk’s widow) to a key Pentagon position, we demurred.

“‘It is telling and highly inappropriate that the White House, in announcing Kirk’s appointment, brought up Charlie Kirk’s “bold Christian faith” as if that were a qualification for his widow serving on it,’ said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation,” states a piece in the International Business Times. “‘The Constitution still bars any religious test for public office, but apparently the White House isn’t aware of that.’ Gaylor connected the appointment to wider changes at the Pentagon, adding that it ‘goes hand in hand with Christian nationalist incursions into our armed forces, such as Pete Hegseth’s actions and statements promoting his fervent brand of evangelical Christianity at the Pentagon.’”

MSN highlights our disapproval of Hegseth’s theocratic moves
When Hegseth announced replacing rank insignia on chaplain uniforms with religious signage, we conveyed to the media our disapproval.

“Groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation have raised First Amendment concerns and are monitoring which faiths will be officially recognized under the new system,” said a story on the MSN news portal.

National news service features our legal endeavor

A news service launched to provide quality state-level reporting has given play to a recent joint legal effort of ours.

“Plaintiffs challenging a Louisiana law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms have motioned a federal appeals court to reinstate an injunction against the state law pending a petition for a U.S. Supreme Court review,” says a piece on Center Square. “The ACLU and other organizations, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Americans United for Separation of Church & State, argue that Louisiana House Bill 71 mandates a government-approved Protestant rendition of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public-school classrooms in violation of the First Amendment protections of religious freedoms.”

Hometown paper likes us
We received a wonderful shoutout in our hometown newspaper for castigating the open prejudice that Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Okla., recently exhibited toward Muslims.

“Rep. Mark Pocan’s forceful rejection of Ogles’ hatred was echoed by many other members of Congress, and by the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, which for decades has worked to maintain the basic understanding of the First Amendment that Thomas Jefferson outlined in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists,” stated Capital Times Associate Editor John Nichols in a recent column. “A letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s lawyer to Ogles explains: ‘Members of Congress take an oath not to a religion, ideology, or political movement, but to the Constitution of the United States. If you cannot accept the basic constitutional principle that Americans of all religions — including Muslims — and no religion belong fully and equally in this nation, then you cannot faithfully discharge the duties of your office. For that reason, you should resign.’”

We inspired column in Colorado Springs paper
A column in the Colorado Springs paper drew inspiration from our recent victory at a local public charter school to denounce in its entirety the notion of teaching creationism in public schools. We’re flattered.

Baptist blog site aligns with us against Hegseth
A blog site run by a Baptist minister applauded our objections to some of Pete Hegseth’s recent antics: “Chris Line, legal counsel for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, responded to Hegseth’s remarks by noting the constitutional problem with the services: ‘Hosting sectarian worship services inside the Pentagon is already among the most serious First Amendment Establishment Clause violations we’ve seen in recent memory.’”

Hegseth should resign

We are actually calling on Hegseth to step down.

“This is a cabinet official who is directing our military to advance a Christian nationalist worldview and to frame military action as a violent holy mission,” warns Annie Laurie. “That is deeply unconstitutional and profoundly dangerous. These actions must be roundly denounced.”

Humanist report reveals alarming global trend
We amplified the Humanists International 2025 “Freedom of Thought Report,” which shows that attacks on freedom of conscience are part of a broader global pattern of democratic backsliding. It comes in the midst of international activism to free Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar, an atheist feminist imprisoned in Morocco for “insulting Allah.”

A theocratic fusion in a Texas county
We are spotlighting a Texas county’s hiring of the theocratic First Liberty Institute to defend a Ten Commandments monument at its courthouse. What began as a controversial and unconstitutional display at the Tarrant County Courthouse in Dallas-Fort Worth is escalating into something even more concerning: the effective integration of a Christian nationalist outfit into the county’s official legal and strategic decision-making.

$10,000 in prize money for our essay competition

We proudly announced the awarding of a total of $10,000 to the three winners (and two honorable mentions) of the Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial Essay Competition for Law Students. Law school students were asked to write an essay on this topic: Analyze how the principle of “parental rights” has changed after last year’s Supreme Court decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor, that allows parents to exclude children from certain public school lessons based on religious objections. “It is an honor to continue to support the next generation of freethinkers,” says Annie Laurie.

Iowa freethinker ‘Secularist of the Week’

The FFRF Action Fund, our legislative arm, honors Jason Benell, Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers president, as its “Secularist of the Week” for his recent op-ed in the Des Moines Register deriding Hegseth’s dangerous calls for an “American Crusade” and his disparaging claims about the nonreligious. Benell details his experience as a combat veteran and an atheist in response to Hegseth’s blatant Christian nationalism and erasure of the nonreligious in the U.S. military.

Trump pronounces theocratic link of SAVE Act
Proof that the secular community must speak out loudly against voter suppression was provided when President Trump told Republicans to pass his SAVE Act “for Jesus.” Speaking in Memphis at a “Make America Safe Again” event, Trump told Republicans not to take their two-week “Easter recess” starting at the end of this week, but instead to stay in Washington, D.C., to pass his voter suppression law. Voting rights are a secular issue — without a doubt. 

Podcast discusses transgender sports bans

The latest installment of the “We Dissent” podcast features a special guest to get to the bottom of two important recent Supreme Court cases. FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell, Americans United Legal Director Rebecca Markert and National Women’s Law Center Director of Nominations & Democracy Alison Gill welcome Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center, who analyzes the anti-trans sports ban cases currently before the Supreme Court.

Interview with author of atheist book

The centerpiece of Freethought Radio this week, after a chilling review of Christian nationalist pronouncements by Trump and other federal officials this week, is the engaging interview co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor conducted with David G. McAfee, author of the book “Hi, I’m an Atheist! What That Means and How to Talk About It with Others.” You can watch the video podcast of the interview here.

Nine months after Supreme Court Skrmetti decision
FFRF Contributing Writer Kat Grant tries to trace where things are going nine months after the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Skrmetti holding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors as constitutional. 

“The fight is moving into the adult arena, and it is going to be up to each and every one of us to work with our legislatures and communities to prevent the damage of the Christian nationalist anti-transgender movement from spreading even further,” Kat concludes. “Because once they are done with us, they will begin a new campaign of policing anyone who does not visibly comply with their theology — regardless of gender identity.”

We are co-sponsoring ‘No Kings III’

We are a co-sponsor of the national No Kings Day protest taking place in more than 3,000 locations this Saturday, March 28. If you haven’t yet registered and you plan to be attending, which is still encouraged, using this link will count you as an FFRF supporter.

Our ad in the New York Times
We are issuing a national call to defend secular democracy with a full-page advertisement in the March 28 print edition of The New York Times, coinciding with the “No Kings” marches. The ad, which will appear in perhaps the country’s most respected newspaper, warns against the growing influence of Christian nationalism in American government and calls on citizens to reaffirm the nation’s foundational principle: that there are no divinely appointed kings — only laws, and a Constitution that applies equally to all.

Registration opens for our annual convention
Registration is now open for our 49th annual convention being held mid-October in Milwaukee! The conference opens with “early bird” workshops, registration and a complimentary reception on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 15. The formal convention program takes place over two full days, Friday, Oct. 16–Saturday, Oct. 17, and is followed by the annual membership and state representatives meetings the next morning. There will be a provocative lineup of diverse activists, authors, podcasters and state/church activists. Come join us! 

After all, to repeat ourselves: Everything that we do is for you.

The post Weekly Wrap: Pete Hegseth, Erika Kirk, ‘No Kings’ and our annual convention appeared first on Freethought Now.