Freethought-Now

The Freedom From Religion Foundation’s secular message is getting featured all over.

CNN noticed our work around the Ag Sec’s blatantly religious Easter missive.

“A ‘Christ is Risen’ Easter message sent by the secretary of agriculture has sparked backlash inside the department, angering some of its nearly 100,000 employees and prompting a formal complaint against the secretary for the religious message,” it reports. “The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for the separation of church and state, told CNN it fielded complaints about Brooke Rollins’ Easter message from nearly 30 USDA employees who expressed outrage, describing the message as ‘inappropriate and insulting.’ The organization said it sent a formal letter to the secretary demanding she stop ‘promoting your personal religious beliefs through official communications.’”

MSN reports on our Florida activities
It feels good when a massive media outfit takes due note of our efforts. And CNN hasn’t been the only one.

“As Good Friday and Easter Sunday approached, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced he will not enforce any state law that prohibits religious schools from accessing public funds,” MSN recently reported. “The announcement also came weeks after Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas unveiled a new email hotline for parents to file complaints if they feel public schools have violated their children’s religious rights. The Freedom From Religion Foundation later warned that the system offers a one-sided protection of constitutional freedoms. ‘The department’s new reporting mechanism focuses exclusively on alleged restrictions of religious expression, without any parallel mechanism to address violations of the Establishment Clause,’ foundation counsel Chris Line wrote.”

By the way, we complained separately about the Florida AG’s unconstitutional shenanigans — and asked him to step down.

Salt Lake paper spotlights chapter head
The Salt Lake paper highlighted the activism of our chapter head there.

“After festivities ended and public comment began, some speakers called [a problematic school board] resolution ‘unconstitutional’ and demanded the board rescind it,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports. “They argued it promoted teaching religion in public schools. ‘Words matter,’ said Douglas Hendricks on Thursday. ‘You need to always remember that you serve all students: religious students and nonreligious students.’ Hendricks is president of the Salt Lake Chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national organization that advocates for the separation of church and state. Before public comment Thursday, Hendricks told The Salt Lake Tribune that he was not speaking on behalf of the organization but as a citizen and retired school teacher. He went on to ask board members to rescind the resolution, noting that more than 400 others had signed a petition demanding they do.”

Way to go!

Progressive religious news site features Arkansas victory

Our recent court victory in Arkansas was featured on a progressive religious news site.

“A Ten Commandments monument in front of the Arkansas State Capitol and the 2015 law that approved it were ruled unconstitutional by a federal court March 31,” stated a piece at Baptist News Global. “Plaintiffs included the American Humanist Association, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, a rabbi, an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church, a Wiccan and other individuals.”  

The article features quotes from FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor and FFRF Senior Counsel Sam Grover. 

Venerable news agency mentions us
A century-old Jewish news agency highlighted a recent legal move of ours.

“A rabbi, a Jewish mother who invokes her family’s Holocaust history, and a Jewish teenager are among seven Oklahoma residents who have asked a federal court to let them join the fight against a proposed Jewish public charter school in their state,” stated the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “The motion was filed on behalf of the seven by the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Education Law Center, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Oklahoma Appleseed.”

We stopped City Council member-led prayer

City Council members in a West Virginia town will no longer deliver religious invocations at official meetings — thanks to our constitutional advocacy. Ravenswood Council Member Todd Ritchie led a prayer to begin the Jan. 20 public meeting. Because a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals precedent specifically weighed in against prayer led by local legislators, FFRF wrote a letter to the mayor asking that council-led prayers not become a practice. Thankfully, FFRF’s work paid off. The mayor responded to our concern by noting that the city has taken action to prevent further council-led prayers. Yipee!

Our investigation revealed something awry

A recent investigation of ours into a faith-based program slated for an Ohio juvenile facility revealed that it was never formally approved and will not take place now. We wrote to the Trumbull County Juvenile Detention Center last month pointing out the drawbacks of the Christianity-centered approach of a program called “MyTribe,” which, led by a Christian singer, songwriter and motivational speaker, was reportedly being introduced to detained minors. 

“This was an unconstitutional scheme to convert detainees who were not only minors, but also literally a captive audience,” says Annie Laurie. “We are delighted that reason and the Constitution have prevailed, and that the program will not happen.”

A ridiculous Oklahoma resolution
The FFRF Action Fund, our legislative affiliate, blasted an outrageous resolution proclaiming “Christ is King” that is back under consideration in the Oklahoma Legislature. The resolution is a brazen attempt to inject Christian nationalism into government and is a clear violation of the First Amendment. The FFRF Action Fund calls on Oklahoma lawmakers to honor their oath to uphold the U.S. and Oklahoma Constitutions by swiftly and soundly rejecting this unconstitutional resolution.

Distorting history

Three legislative staffers crafted a joint blog for the Action Fund to educate readers about various theocratic bills in statehouses all over the country.

“If you listen to lawmakers trying to force religion into public schools, you’ll hear the same line repeated again and again: ‘It’s about history,’” they write. It isn’t. 

A ‘Secularist’ lead singer

The Action Fund honors Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan as its “Secularist of the Week” for his recent remarks on the importance of state/church separation. Keenan, who is also the frontman of the bands A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, spoke in a recent interview with the Arizona Republic about the current political climate in the United States and its religious fundamentalism. Public figures who raise awareness of the dangers of religious fundamentalism and encroachment on the wall between state and church are always a welcome addition in the ongoing fight to safeguard our secular democracy. 

‘Theocratic’ Florida AG

The Florida attorney general is FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” for indicating that he will no longer enforce the state Constitution’s clear prohibition on public funding of religion. James Uthmeier cannot pick and choose which parts of the Florida Constitution he wishes to enforce. His memo clearly shows that the attorney general is willing to abuse his government authority to privilege his religion — wholly earning Uthmeier his “Theocrat” label.

Pope doesn’t deserve plaudits
Annie Laurie says that we shouldn’t be overly appreciative of the pope for his recent anti-war statements seemingly denouncing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s religion-inspired belligerence.

“Hegseth and the pope (officially deemed the ‘Vicar of Christ on Earth’ by his church) share the same hubris in claiming to speak for Jesus and in Leo’s case, to even know whose prayers Jesus would answer,” she writes. “They are two sides of the same coin, hollowly arguing from religious authority, and claiming public policy must follow their interpretations of discrepant teachings.” She adds, “Judicious decisions should be based on human morality, not on a baffling, bellicose Bronze Age book. Whenever anyone insists they know what their god wants, watch out!”

Tribute to a Supreme Court victor

Annie Laurie also pays tribute to FFRF’s first “Freethinker of the Year,” Ishmael Jaffree, whose 1985 Supreme Court victory reinforced precedent removing prayer and bible reading from public schools.

“He was truly a quiet and unsung freethought hero,” she writes. “His legacy must be remembered and revered.” And, we might add, preserved.

Our Freethought Radio episode this week devotes its central portion to honoring the life and legacy of Ishmael Jaffree in his own words.

How religion influences the Supreme Court
FFRF Legal Fellow Kyle Steinberg writes on the implication of a recent Supreme Court decision in which religion played a subtler but still significant role. “Herein lies yet another signal of this Supreme Court’s growing trend: If you bring a civil rights case to its attention, it sure helps if you’re religious,” he concludes.

It’s against such trends in the judiciary — and otherwise — that we’re constantly battling, with your help.

The post Weekly Wrap: The pope, a departed freethinker, a ‘Secularist’ singer, and religion and the Supreme Court appeared first on Freethought Now.