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Religious crusaders Reason, not religion, Grad student at the Supreme gave me a path essay contest Court’s gates out of poverty winners printed PAGES 2-3 PAGES 9 PAGE 12-18

Vol. 36 No. 9 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. November 2019

FFRF convention was quite the draw! Photo by Chris Line Supreme Court sides with FFRF Issues denial of petition to hear bible classes case from Mercer Co., W.Va. The nation’s highest court has sided with the Freedom From Religion Foundation and let stand an important ruling ensuring that parents can bring suit over religious instruction in public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court declined Oct. 7 to hear a case by a West Virginia school district that sought to overturn a resounding victory for FFRF and a parent of a public school student. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled last December that Elizabeth Deal, the parent, had standing to challenge bible classes in the Mercer Coun- ty, W.Va., school system. The Supreme Court formally de- Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Steve Benson sketches a caricature of Nancy Northup outside the clined to hear the case by issuing a denial of the school main hall at the Monona Terrace and Convention Center in Madison, Wis., during FFRF’s 42nd annual system’s petition for review. gathering on Oct. 18. Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, is showing The Mercer County Schools system had argued before Benson a photo of her Forward Award, which FFRF presented to her earlier in the day. FFRF members the Supreme Court that Deal’s decision to send her child came from 38 states, Washington D.C., and Canada for the weekend event. There were 660 registered to a neighboring school system meant that she could no attendees — we just needed six more for a devilishly good time! See the eight-page insert in this longer challenge the bible classes. Attorneys affiliated issue for photos from the convention. Speeches will be published in future issues. with the anti-LGBTQ legal group First Liberty Institute See Court on page 9 FFRF billboard campaign features students of color New billboards are up near the as the Secular Student Alliance and campuses of Stanford University and Freedom From Religion Foundation the University of Tennessee as part all contribute to the atheist sense of of a nationwide campaign by FFRF belonging, so it’s like a second home featuring young freethinkers of color to me.” who have overcome discrimination in Anissa Foster, a Stanford Universi- heavily religious communities. ty sophomore who grew up attending “I was raised as a Baptist Christian, Islamic schools and mosques before but I put God to the test with my sci- breaking with tradition, is featured on FFRF’s new billboard campaign features college students of color, including Anissa entific thinking — and he didn’t sur- the billboard that is up in Palo Alto, Foster of Stanford. vive,” says Therrin Wilson, a University which is adjacent to Stanford. of Tennessee senior who is featured on “Throughout the world, women are my religion and all religions.” messages. FFRF pays out more than the billboard that sits on the campus oppressed and oversexualized by mi- This year, for the first time, FFRF $80,000 in scholarship award money in Knoxville. “I’ve had to overcome sogynistic religions,” Foster says. “We featured some of its essay contest annually in five separate essay compe- friends, family, and relationships all as Muslim women can’t keep living award winners in billboards and dig- titions (high school, college, students shutting me out, but overcoming that under a veil anymore; we have to de- ital video ads shown across the coun- of color, grad school, law school). adversity is what made me as proud mand rights and we have to demand try. Wilson and Foster were a couple “FFRF is committed to helping to be an atheist as I am to be an Af- equality. For me, that means speaking of its recent honorees and selected for rican-American. Organizations such out about the oppression of women in the billboard because of their strong See Billboard on page 9 Inaugural grad essay contest launched a career Photo by Chris Line Lifetime Member and FFRF donor contest totaled $5,000, indicating just tled, “The wall of separation requires extraordinaire Brian Bolton of Texas how much this contest has grown. And vigilance.” reminded FFRF that it is the 10th year how appropriate that the second-place “I was so interested in the topic that of the graduate/‘older’ student essay winner in the inaugural competition I began writing a law review article on contest. Bolton has been underwriting published a book on the subject of his the myth that the Ten Commandments the competition since its inception in award-winning essay.” influenced the American founding,” 2010. This year’s prize money totaled That second-place winner back in Seidel said recently. “It got out of nearly $18,000 and the winning essays 2009 was none other than Andrew hand. That law review eventually are printed in this issue. L. Seidel, who is now FFRF’s direc- became my book — eight years later. “It’s hard to believe that this is tor of strategic response and author But an outline of that article became the 10th anniversary of the graduate of the new book, The Founding Myth: my award-winning FFRF essay. Nearly Brian Bolton Andrew L. Seidel student essay competition,” Bolton Why Christian Nationalism is Un-Ameri- writes. “The cash awards for the first can. Seidel’s essay back in 2009 was ti- See Essay on page 3 Page 2 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 Religious crusaders at Supreme Court’s gates

This article first appeared in The New row than they would have preferred. In York Times on Sept. 12 and is reprinted with granting review of this unlikely case, the permission and edited for space. court’s new majority hopes to move the ball forward. . . . By Linda Greenhouse The most intriguing new appeal wait- ing for the justices’ review is . . . Ricks v. he Supreme Court’s decision in State of Idaho Contractors Board, which last term’s big religion case, on the presents a single straightforward ques- Tconstitutionality of a Latin cross tion: whether the Supreme Court should that stands 40 feet tall on public land overturn a 19-year-old decision, Employ- in Bladensburg, Md., left both sides in ment Division v. Smith. That was the case the religion wars unsatisfied. The court’s in which the court refused to grant a re- several opinions, adding up to seven ligious exemption to two members of the votes to keep the Native American Church who had been cross in place, denied unemployment benefits after be- disappointed the ing fired as counselors for a private drug secularists who rehabilitation group for their ritual use of brought the law- peyote, an illegal hallucinogen. The First suit seeking to Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause does have it removed. not provide religious exemptions from But the narrow neutral laws of general applicability, the holding, based on court ruled. The decision set off a biparti- the history of this san, multireligious uproar that led to the particular mon- swift enactment of the Religious Freedom Linda Greenhouse ument, was even Restoration Act, requiring a “compelling more frustrat- justification” to “substantially burden reli- ing to those who gious exercise,” and designed, as the law’s hoped that the court, already tilting no- title suggests, to overturn the court’s de- ticeably in favor of religion in particular cision. The court subsequently ruled that contexts, would go further and adopt It’s an interesting question, but an odd in its petition: Palmer v. Thompson, a case Congress lacked authority to apply this new rules for lowering the barrier be- one in the context of this case, Espinoza from the height of the civil rights move- law to the states, where Employment Divi- tween church and state across the board. v. Montana Department of Revenue, brought ment. Rather than integrate its public sion v. Smith remains the law unless a state It seemed to me then that the court to the court by the Institute for Justice, a swimming pools, the city of Jackson, has enacted its own Religious Freedom was just biding its time. Newly configured libertarian litigating group that has been Miss., simply closed them. The Supreme Restoration Act. with the arrivals of Justices Neil Gorsuch a leader in the school choice movement. Court, in an opinion by Justice Hugo Ricks v. State of Idaho Contractors Board and Brett Kavanaugh and the departure The reason the question is odd is that if Black, rejected the argument that the city, was filed on behalf of a man who says he of Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court the answer is yes, the logical consequence having deprived both white and black believes that a Social Security number is a used this case as a warm-up exercise while is that a state that once had a program of- residents of a place to swim, had violated link to the devil. In 1996, Congress passed the justices took one another’s measure fering financial sup- the equal-protection a law called the Personal Responsibility on the subject that lies at the very heart port to religious and right of its black and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, of the country’s culture wars. The court nonreligious schools The court used this citizens. aimed in part at making it easier to track would have plenty of opportunity to make alike (in this case, [Bladenburg Cross] case as a There are differ- down taxpayers who were behind on child its next move. in the form of a tax ences between the support payments. In exchange for a fed- warm-up exercise while the Sooner than I expected, that time has ar- credit to tuition-pay- two cases, of course, eral grant, states had to agree to require rived. In late June, a week after issuing the ing parents) and justices took one another’s but the question Social Security numbers on applications decision in the cross case, the court placed that subsequently measure on the subject that remains: Why did for professional licenses. When George another important religion case, this one shut down the pro- lies at the very heart of the the Supreme Court Ricks refused to provide his number, the ostensibly concerning the channeling of gram entirely can be country’s culture wars. agree to hear the state denied him a contractor’s license. public money to religious schools, on its deemed to have vio- Montana case? I Idaho has its own version of a Religious docket for the term that begins in October. lated a principle of think the reason Freedom Restoration Act, but the state’s Other cases are rapidly filling the queue of religious neutrality. lies with a case from Court of Appeals found that the state law new appeals seeking the justices’ attention. Can that possibly be the law? The Mon- Missouri that the court decided two years was unenforceable in such a case because None has received much notice outside tana Supreme Court found the tax-credit ago, a case that the Institute for Justice it was pre-empted by the federal law that the conservative religious networks propel- program, in its entirety, to violate the state cites throughout its 36-page petition. imposed the Social Security number re- ling these cases to a court that shows every Constitution’s “stringent prohibition on In Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. quirement. The state court treated Ricks’ sign of being receptive. . . . aid to sectarian schools.” The state court Comer, the court held that the state could religious objection as sincere, but held The new case, to be argued in Decem- didn’t address the federal Constitution. not exclude a church from eligibility to that under Employment Division v. Smith, ber, presents this question: “Does it violate Usually, the justices view a state court de- compete for a state grant to resurface its he couldn’t prevail. The Idaho Supreme the Religion Clauses or Equal Protection cision that relies on “independent and school playground. Chief Justice John Court declined to review the appeals Clause of the United States Constitution adequate state grounds” as inappropriate Roberts wrote that the exclusion mani- court’s decision. to invalidate a generally available and re- for Supreme Court review. fested a religious discrimination “odious The petition argues that Employment Di- ligiously neutral student-aid program sim- This case reminds me of an old Su- to our Constitution.” vision v. Smith was wrongly decided, “con- ply because the program affords students preme Court decision that, not surpris- Strong words, but the chief justice’s trary to the text and historical meaning the choice of attending religious schools?” ingly, the Institute for Justice doesn’t cite opinion contained an unusual footnote: of the Free Exercise Clause,” and is now “This case involves express discrimination “ripe for revisiting.” Conspicuously absent based on religious identity with respect from the petition is a quotation from the to playground resurfacing. We do not ad- majority opinion in that case, written by dress religious uses of funding or other Justice Antonin Scalia, a secular saint, if forms of discrimination.” Say what? While there ever was one, in the eyes of judicial five other justices signed the chief justice’s conservatives. Scalia’s opinion is worth opinion, two of those, Clarence Thom- quoting nonetheless. He explained that Published by Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. as and Neil Gorsuch, dissented from the Oregon, the state involved in that case, footnote, thus depriving it of majority might well have chosen on its own to P.O. Box 750 Madison WI 53701 status. When the Supreme Court rules, carve out a religious exemption from its Gorsuch wrote, it does so on the basis of unemployment law, which refused bene- [email protected] FFRF.org “general principles.” He added: “General fits to people who lost their job because P 608.256.8900 F 608.204.0422 principles here do not permit discrimina- of criminal behavior. Then he continued: EDITOR PJ Slinger [email protected] tion against religious exercise — whether “But to say that a nondiscriminatory re- EDITOR EMERITUS Bill Dunn on the playground or not.” ligious practice exemption is permitted, EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Annie Laurie Gaylor Roberts knows that as well as Gorsuch. or even that it is desirable, is not to say that GRAPHIC DESIGNER Roger Daleiden His footnote has all the earmarks of hav- it is constitutionally required, and that ing been designed to secure the agree- the appropriate occasions for its creation COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Amit Pal ment of Kennedy, whose position at the can be discerned by the courts. It may CONTRIBUTORS ideological center of the court over many fairly be said that leaving accommodation Steve Benson, Linda Greenhouse, James Haught, Sydney Kelly, Chris Line, years exacted a high degree of deference to the political process will place at a rela- Bailey Nachreiner-Mackesey, Ingrid Laas, Jake Swenson, Therrin Wilson from colleagues seeking to get or hold his tive disadvantage those religious practices The only freethought newspaper in the United States vote. The frequent result was that his col- leagues signed on to opinions more nar- See Crusaders on page 3 November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 3 For Eric Krebs, all the world’s a stage

Name: Eric Krebs. own one-person shows. and empathy for less fortunate. Where I live: Highland Park, N.J., and New York City. Where I’m headed: Oblivion . . . but until I get there, I My doubts about religion started: My great- Where and when I was born: Danbury, Conn., in 1944. will do the best I can for those around me. grandfather was a major rabbi in New York City. My Family: Married to Suzanne for 47-plus years. Chil- Person in history I admire and why: Walt Whitman. He father was a German communist who fought the Nazis. dren: Arielle, who runs Get in the Game voter registra- understood life and compassion and empathy as well as My mother was a sometimes Unitarian. Happy to say, I tion at professional sporting anyone I could ever imagine. He celebrated all humanity. never “got religion” . . . just humanism. events, and Justin, who works A quotation I like: “I am of the opin- Before I die: I would like to believe that MoveOn.org and founded Liv- ion that my life belongs to the whole science and rationalism will save humanity, ing Liberally. community, and as long as I live it is but I doubt it. I have come to peace with Education: Rutgers, B.A. in my privilege to do for it whatever I the word “vanish.” English in 1966, master’s de- can. I want to be thoroughly used Ways I promote freethought: I recently gree in 1973. Informal educa- up when I die, for the harder I work commissioned and produced a play called tion: Living life among fellow the more I live. I rejoice in life for “God Shows Up.” What happens when humans. its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ God shows up at the broadcast studio of a Occupation: Professor of for me. It is a sort of splendid torch televangelist and, in so doing, demolishes theater for which I have got most elements of religion? 37 years at MEET A MEMBER hold of for the Also, I love to ask people when we get Rutgers moment, and close to religious topics: “Are you a per- Eric Krebs and 13 years at City University I want to make it burn as brightly as son of faith?” I get a lot of interesting of New York. Retired this summer after my 100th semes- possible before handing it on to future answers, but few out-and-out statements ter. Also, I have been a theatrical producer for over 50 generations.” — George Bernard Shaw of belief. years — Broadway, off-Broadway, regional theater — and These are a few of my favorite I wish you’d have asked me: What more than 150 productions. things: Reading poetry, often aloud. are you working on now? I have just How I got where I am today: I quit playing football The Catskill Mountains in New York, produced three very successful weeks during college and found a wonderful community in where I hang out in the woods in a stone of a comedy festival called Laughing theater production. I wrote plays, performed plays, start- cabin that I built 45 years ago. The re- Liberally: Make America Laugh Again. ed theaters (including George Street Playhouse in New sponse of an audience at a theater event Based on this success, during the coming 2020 Brunswick, N.J., which has just begun its 45th season in a coming together as a joyous community. election cycle I will be mounting a much grand- brand new performing arts center), produced on and off These are not: Organized religion in all its er production in New York in order to make Broadway and even continue to perform occasionally my iterations, greed in all of its forms, lack of compassion America laugh again.

Crusaders tion brought on behalf of a public high Essay letter full of begging and pleading on school football coach in Bremerton, my part, received an offer from Annie Continued from page 2 Continued from page 1 Wash., who lost his job after refusing Laurie Gaylor and Dan. Was I going that are not widely engaged in; but that the school system’s order to stop pray- all its themes are reflected in my book. to abandon my promising career in unavoidable consequence of democrat- ing on the 50-yard line at the end of ev- Indeed, some of its central themes are environmental law and a lovely salary ic government must be preferred to a ery game. The coach, Joseph Kennedy, right there in the essay: ‘The idea that at a private firm to pursue the dream system in which each conscience is a law brought his case as a First Amendment patriotism requires religious belief is of fighting to uphold the First Amend- unto itself or in which judges weigh the free-speech claim, not as a claim about revolting. To truly love freedom, to ment, of battling bullies who want to social importance of all laws against the the free exercise of religion. support the Constitution, to honor use government offices that belong to centrality of all religious beliefs.” The free speech rights of public em- our founding generation and our ‘We the People’ to promote their per- I thought Scalia had it right 19 years ployees are complex, and the record in nation is to strive to build up the ‘wall sonal religion? Damn right! But my sis- ago, and I think his opinion is even this case was unclear as to the school of separation,’ not tear it down.’” ter actually made the most convincing more relevant today, when claims for system’s motivation for the coach’s dis- Seidel added that doing the re- argument. When I was contemplating conscience-based carve-outs from legal missal. The court spent three months search for the law review and essay the offer, she said, ‘Andrew, there are requirements are rampant and are be- wrestling with the petition before final- made him want to become personally thousands of talented attorneys work- ing granted by the courts and the exec- ly denying it. Justices Alito, Thomas, involved. ing to save the environment, one more utive branch with little regard for the Gorsuch and Kavanaugh published a “The more I researched and wrote, may not make a difference. But how harm these exemptions cause to third statement explaining why they agreed the more I wanted to work on state- many are fighting for the atheist or parties — for example, to employees that the case was procedurally flawed. church separation, not just write about Jewish or Buddhist kid whose Chris- who don’t share their bosses’ objec- (The agreement among the four was it,” he says. “I began volunteering to do tian teacher is ostracizing him in his tion to birth control, as in the Hobby significant, because it takes the votes of legal work for FFRF, took Dan Barker public school classroom?’ Very few, Lobby case five years ago. For those de- only four justices to grant a case.) In a out to breakfast when he was in Den- and now, I know them all. I accepted termined to see Employment Division v. final paragraph at the end of their six- ver, and eventually, after a damn good the job after we hung up the phone.” Smith overturned, Ricks’ case is a per- page statement, the four did a remark- fect vehicle. His religious belief is be- able thing, pivoting abruptly from the nignly eccentric, and granting him an speech issue, which the petition pre- exemption would cause no third-party sented, to the religion issue, which it Freethought Today caption contest! harm — except to the principle that didn’t. They offered a blunt criticism Justice Scalia invoked. of Employment Division v. Smith, writing The chance that the court will take that “the court drastically cut back on up the Ricks case has to be seen as better the protection provided by the Free than fair. Idaho at first waived its right to Exercise Clause.” They went on to respond to the petition, a strategic choice criticize a 1977 decision that limited that is quite common at the court, made religious exemptions under the Civil in the knowledge that the justices will nev- Rights Act of 1964. They made it obvi- er grant a petition that lacks a response. ous that they wanted to overturn both. But last Friday, in a little-noticed order, “In this case, however,” they conclud- the court ordered the state to respond ed, “we have not been asked to revisit and gave it 30 days to do so. . . . those decisions.” Last January, the court denied a peti- Translation: Bring us a case, the right case. Less than six months later, the Ricks appeal arrived. By the end of the court’s new term, nine months from now, the shadow cast by the 40- foot cross in Bladensburg that loomed By Ruth Hurmence Green so large not so long ago may disappear Wooden cutouts of Uncle Sam and Santa Claus kneel in front of cutouts of A Missouri grandmother into the new church-state landscape debunks the bible as Mary and the baby Jesus. Please send us a witty or humorous comment now emerging before our eyes. no one has debunked it about this “nativity” scene. Email your response to [email protected] by since Thomas Paine. FFRF Member Linda Greenhouse, the Nov. 27. The winner, chosen by FFRF staff, will receive an FFRF T-shirt! We’ll winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize, writes announce the winner and runners-up in the December issue. If you’ve taken —Published by FFRF. 440 pages / PB about the Supreme Court and the law. She any photos that you think would be good for this contest, please send them reported on the Supreme Court for The New to [email protected]. York Times from 1978 to 2008, and is the author of several books. Page 4 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

HEADS UP

A Poetry Column By Philip Appleman

Sensual music what is past, or passing, or to come — W.B. YEATS

You know that from day one you start to lose a little of your heart; your mother, with a world to save, has given birth beside a grave, Dennis Bower, far right, and five other members of INFS climbed to the summit of and time, relentless surgeon’s knife, Washington’s Mount Maude in 2009. year by year trims off your life. But moments teach you not to be Dennis Bower was activist deceived by immortality: it’s far too little, far too much. What you have is what you touch; atheist, active outdoorsman passion feeds on bread and bells, Dennis Ray Bower, FFRF Lifetime had saved for years and gluing them into a chime of sounds, bouquet of smells, Member and past president of the In- a thick scrapbook — nearly 12 years of land Northwest Freethought Society, “Black Collar Crime.” He wanted to have someone’s arm around your waist, died of bladder cancer on April 4 at the something visual and substantial to pres- the best desire you’ll ever taste; age of 63. ent when someone contended that reli- and every glance is one step of Dennis was born in Mt. Clemens, gion did a lot of good in the world. the pilgrimage that leads to love — Mich., but as an An avid outdoorsman, Dennis en- infant moved to joyed hiking, camping, climbing and silver voices, golden bough: Spokane, Wash., kayaking. He biked the Hiawatha Trail the immortality of now. where he lived several times with other INFS members the rest of his and climbed Mount Rainier. In 2008, From New and Selected Poems, 1956-1996 life. He attend- he climbed Mount Maude in the Cas- ed West Valley cades with fellow INFS members David schools and was a Roeder and Kurt Wyant and Dennis’s Boy Scout. He was dog, Rowan, for the first freethought © Philip Appleman also an accom- mountain climb. David and Kurt took plished drummer pictures holding a copy of Freethought Dennis Bower and formed his Today at the summit, but Dennis had own rock band in to retreat earlier because of an injury the 1970s. He worked for Kaiser Alumi- to his dog’s foot. Dennis decided that Philip Appleman is a Dis­tinguished Pro­fessor num and retired after 43 years as a boil- the second INFS mountain climb would Emeri­tus at India­ ­na Uni­ver­si­ty. He is editor of er-house operator. surpass the first. the Norton Critical Edition of Darwin. He and Photo by Brent Nicastro Brent by Photo Dennis strongly espoused the prin- He immediately sent FFRF an an- his playwright wife, Marjorie Appleman, are ciple of separation of church and state nouncement inviting all FFRF members both “After-Life” Members of FFRF. and was a commit- across the nation ted voice for free- to join him in tack- Other books by him, available at shop.ffrf.org, include Karma, IN MEMORIAM thought through ling the 9,082-foot Dharma, Pudding & Pie and Darwin’s Ark: Poems by Philip Appleman. FFRF and the FFRF-affiliated Inland peak Mount Maude again in July 2009. Northwest Freethought Society (INFS) This time, Dennis and five other INFS for more than 20 years. members made the climb. When the In INFS, Dennis served as an elect- group successfully reached the summit, ed officer in several capacities and took they held up a large yellow banner with the helm of INFS president twice. One words from John Lennon’s song “Imag- FFRF thanks 26 new Lifers, of the earliest members to join in the ine”: “Above us only sky” and the words 1990s (when the group still went by “Team FFRF.” the name of the PAINE Society, named In 2009, as president of INFS, Dennis 3 After-Lifers, Immortal after Thomas Paine — People Actively lobbied for the creation of a special rec- FFRF would like to thank and wel- who want their donation to live on af- Into Non-Theistic Ethics), he was di- ognition award “for the advancement of come its 26 newest Lifetime Members, ter them. rectly involved in lobbying for a brass Enlightenment values, selfless commu- two new After-Life members, one new The new $1,000 individual Lifetime plaque to be placed on the Centenni- nity service, and radiant good humor.” Beyond After-Life Member and one Members are: Anonymous, James L. al Trail in downtown Spokane, which Called the INFS Achievement Award, it new Immortal. Amspacher, Robert U. Anderson, Paul reads: “Preserve America. Keep Church has been awarded to just eight people, The two new Beyond After-Life Baenen, Robyn Baxendale (gifted by and State Separate. INFS 1998.” including Dennis, posthumously. Members are Marjorie R. Devereaux Dave Kinsey), Ian W. Bell (gifted by Rita Although his family never recog- “True to his own example, we cele- and David W. Hall. The Beyond Af- E. Bell), Bradley Boyd (gifted by Philip nized his secular world view — he lost brate his devotion to truth, his strength ter-Life category is a $10,000 mem- Sine), Ryan Dearing, Keith Dricken, friends and family members because of without insolence, his courage with- bership designation. The most recent Ann Furek, Marcia L. Goodman, Larry it — Dennis remained an outspoken out ferocity or anger,” reads his INFS After-Life Member is Mike Spurlino. G. Hay, J. Rene’ Herber, Kevin B. Judd, and ardent atheist. He attended several Achievement Award. “He was an honor- The After-Life category is a $5,000 Michelle King, Kelly Kirkland, Eric FFRF conventions and encouraged oth- able man, who looked at the world objec- membership designation for those Krebs, Larry Krueger, Konrad Kummli, er INFS members to join him. As pres- tively, fearlessly, but trying always, in an Rebecca J. Martinez (gifted by Dave ident, he initiated the rule that only empathetic way, to understand all things Kinsey), John Pedersen, Kathryn Smyly, FFRF members would have voting priv- as part of nature. Glenn Sullivan, Alicia Vande Ven, Glo- ileges in INFS, and even offered half- “Few individuals can match Dennis’s American Infidel: ria Trunk (gifted by Stephen D. Trunk) price FFRF memberships to new mem- stalwart support for advancing the ideals Robert G. Ingersoll and William K. Wenger. bers, with Dennis personally providing of rationalism and freethought in the By Orvin Larson States represented are Arkansas, the matching funds, to encourage them Inland Northwest. In recognition of a Prof. Larson writes California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, to join FFRF. lifetime of unwavering commitment to with affection and Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mex- When INFS sponsored its first booth truth, science, calm reason and non-the- respect of this illustrious 19th ico, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virgin- at the Spokane County Fair, Dennis de- istic ethics, we honor Dennis Ray Bow- century freethinker. ia, Washington and Wisconsin. cided that it needed a large scrapbook to er as the eighth recipient of the Inland The newest Immortal is Carll Peterson. place on the booth’s counter for fairgo- Northwest Freethought Achievement —Published by FFRF. 316 pages / PB That category is a designation for those ers to peruse. INFS members met at his Ward, this 8th day of September, 2019.” Buy it from FFRF online generous members who have contacted house to complete the ardurous task of Editor’s note: FFRF thanks Elizabeth Rose ffrf.org/shop FFRF to report they have made provi- cutting out hundreds of pages from back of INFS for providing the information for this sions for FFRF in their estate planning. issues of Freethought Today that Dennis obituary. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 5 Al Luneman $1,500 Student Activist Award Changing an invocation to an inspiration avoid mention of a higher power or sug- By Sydney Kelly gestion of prayer, I got some ideas. I was actually working on other homework ach year, Elkin High School in when I thought of a line that would lead North Carolina recognizes stu- well into my speech. I opened a Google E dents ranked in the top 10 per- doc and began typing. After the first cent of the senior class. As graduation sentence, the rest of the speech came approached, these top seven students together fairly quickly. (including me) met with a teacher I later submitted my speech to my and guidance counselor to discuss the English teacher and principal for ap- speaking honors at the commencement proval. They asked me to change the ceremony. We were told to each write title from “Graduation Address” to down our top two preferences out of the “Inspirational Message” and omit one possible speaking roles, which includ- line at the end of the first sentence that ed: invocation, special recognitions, a said a religious prayer would be “divi- poem, three speeches and benediction. sive and unwelcoming” because it “had Most of us wanted to deliver a speech. a negative connotation,” but approved To determine who got the parts, higher the rest. I believe the school had al- class rank got higher priority for their ready received the letter from FFRF at choice and the rest was up to the teach- this time, but I was not confronted, and ers to decide. they were now cooperative in dropping I listed “speech” as my first choice. the invocation and benediction from Knowing that several of the students in the ceremony. The benediction was re- the group are not religious, or would placed with a “Welcome.” not be comfortable with an invocation, Here is the speech I delivered at my I picked that as my second choice. As high school graduation ceremony: it turned out, I was assigned the invo- cation and another student, who is not Inspirational Message religious, was assigned the benediction. “Out of respect for all gathered here At first, I thought that if I was going to celebrate our graduates this evening, to be forced to deliver a prayer, I would I will not deliver a religious prayer at try to make it as inclusive to all faiths this ceremony. Recognizing our diversi- as possible. Our school tends to include ty in beliefs, values and faith traditions, prayer — and very obviously Protestant but honoring our unity in gratitude, I Christian-style prayer — in places where Sydney Kelly invite you to reflect quietly on all that it shouldn’t be, including graduation, thing like this or who to report it to. I suggest delivering a secular speech the future holds for the Class of 2019, assemblies with guest speakers, or the thought that if I talked to my teachers, and addressing my motive, if I still felt while expressing thanks for all that singing of traditional hymns at choral they would just tell me that I couldn’t comfortable speaking. I knew that by have helped this year’s graduates to this concerts. A lot of our school’s students speak at graduation and simply hand reporting this I could potentially get point: the gift of intellect, the opportu- are Protestants, but the majority of the the part to another student. thrown under the bus and not be able nity and initiative to learn, the goals we others are agnostic, atheist or unreli- After my brother heard of my situa- to speak at my graduation. Because it have set and met for ourselves and the gious. The prayers always make people tion, I received a text from him wonder- was reported beforehand, it would be support of our faculty, family, friends uncomfortable, myself included, and ing if I had really been asked to lead quite obvious to the faculty that I was and mentors. I’m a practicing Catholic who had gone a prayer at a public school graduation. the one who reported it. I had never “Continuing to reflect with grati- to a Catholic elementary school where I said, “Yeah. Where is the separation heard of a secular-style speech before, tude, ask that good fortune, safety and school prayer was commonplace and of church and state?” He told me that I but I did like that it would have a sim- the desire to perpetual learning be al- expected. I’ve always wondered how could forward any documentation I had ilar sentiment to a prayer and thought ways with this graduating class. As we our public school system was able to get to the appropriate legal defense teams, it would be nice if I was able to deliv- journey forth filled with knowledge, away with including group prayer in so sent me a few links discussing the legali- er a secular speech as an alternative to dreams and hopes for the future, let us many places — meetings, assemblies ty of graduation prayer and then direct- invocation. continue to learn from those around and sporting events — and why no one ed me to FFRF. I immediately took out I spoke with my English teacher us, from our diversity and from our complained. I’ve been frustrated with my laptop and wrote the report. about the invocation during a meet- world, with compassion and gratitude.” our school system for this reason for a A few classmates who heard what ing with the top seven. I told her that I’m truly thankful to FFRF for help- long time and I’m certain others have I was doing thought this wasn’t a big I didn’t think an invocation should be ing resolve this issue. I’m happy with been, as well. I was tired of our school deal. “Yeah, but it’s Elkin. No one delivered at graduation and explained the outcome and that I was able to de- getting away with things like this just cares,” one girl told me. Another said, why. She didn’t seem to agree and didn’t liver a speech that honored everyone’s because we are in the Bible Belt. “Oh, but you’re Catholic, I thought think that the reasoning mattered be- faith traditions (or lack thereof) and you’d be fine with school prayer.” To cause it’s always been that way in this set up our graduation ceremony to be Invocation is wrong which I responded, “Yeah, but I’m not area. She was also confused: “But you inclusive and respectful to all. I know I decided that giving an invocation fine with violating the Constitution and chose to do the invocation.” She sug- that what I did actually made a differ- was wrong, and no matter how religious- infringing on others’ rights.” gested that I could not change that or ence for the students in our school sys- ly inclusive I could make it, it would still FFRF Attorney Chris Line emailed I would be forfeiting my speaking part tem and the surrounding community, be wrong. I was no longer comfortable me shortly after I made the report and if I refused. “I know, but I don’t think it even though the students and teachers delivering something that would in- we spoke on the phone about potential should be done at all,” I said. She gave I spoke with didn’t think it was a big fringe on others’ rights, make others ways to go about the invocation. He me a dirty look and said, “Well, you can deal. Some thought it was brave of me, uncomfortable at a school function and offered to send a letter to the school, take that up with [Principal] Hoyle.” I others thought it was excessive to call violate a clause that is so essential to the but he thought we could do something told her that the school would be con- out school prayer in my speech, but I ideals that this country was founded more, since I was the one who was to tacted soon. thought it was important and needed to on. I wanted to do something about it. deliver the speech and reported the be done. But I had no idea how to report some- incident before it happened. He did A secular speech Sydney Kelly is a recent graduate of El- I began researching secular speeches. kin (N.C.) High School and now attends the Many I read were openings for meetings University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Yip Harburg, rather than a graduation ceremony. But where she plans to major in German and from his book: Rhymes for the Irreverent I was able to get a feel for what a secu- business. “I’m passionate about several so- lar speech should be. I wanted to write cial issues, especially those concerning equal something that would express the same rights and upholding the rights of others,” sentiment that would be behind a prayer she writes. “Last year, my friend and I start- Federal Reserve without it being religious in any way. I ed a much-needed Gay-Straight Alliance feel like most prayers delivered at cere- (GSA) at my school that my younger sister In ’29 when the banks went bust, monies like this work to express feelings has now taken charge of. Some of my hob- Our coins still read “In God We Trust.” of gratitude and sometimes ask a high- bies include weightlifting, hiking, volunteer- er power for protection, safety or good ing and pursuing my passion for language fortune in the future, so those are the learning.” feelings I tried to convey in my secular Illustrated by Seymour Chwast, published by FFRF speech. It was a little difficult to start The Freedom From Religion Founda- Buy it from FFRF online — ffrf.org/shop writing something like this, but looking tion thanks FFRF Member Al Luneman at how secular speeches were worded to for making possible this scholarship. Page 6 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 IN THE NEWS Supreme Court to take on state/church cases With the U.S. Supreme Court term funding religious schools. tion clinics have admitting privileges at ing federal ban on sex discrimination back in session, here are some cases the “This case could have a horrendous a local hospital. This regulation and similarly forbids employment discrimi- Freedom From Religion Foundation is impact on the rights of citizens under ones like it are an insidious attempt by nation against LGBTQ workers. watching closely. state constitutions around the country,” anti-choice legislatures to impose such Very often, the religious beliefs of FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliott burdensome, medically unnecessary re- employers are used as justification for Funding religious education comments. “Depending on how broadly strictions on clinics that they are forced discrimination against LGBTQ employ- FFRF will be filing a friend-of-the- the justices decide the case, it could po- to close. ees. In Harris Funeral Homes, Aimee Ste- court brief in the most prominent state/ tentially undo one of the bedrock prin- The law was declared unconstitu- phens, a trans woman, was fired from her church case so far accepted by SCOTUS, ciples on which this nation was founded: tional by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of job because, her boss argued, it would Espinoza v. Montana Department of Reve- that taxpayers may not be forced to sub- Appeals, which ruled that it imposed an violate “God’s commands” if he allowed nue. The case, at its core, is an attempt sidize churches and church schools.” “undue burden” on abortion access. Stephens “to deny her sex while acting to compel states to fund religious edu- as a representative of the organization.” cation. The plaintiffs argue that a state Abortion regulations LGBTQ discrimination The cases will not only determine the constitution that prohibits funding to SCOTUS announced that it will hear The Supreme Court is hearing three future of discrimination protections for religious schools violates the Free Exer- June Medical Services v. Gee, making this landmark employment discrimination LGBTQ employees, but have the poten- cise Clause of the U.S. Constitution. If the first abortion case the court will hear cases that address whether it is legal to tial to undermine much of America’s the plaintiffs prevail, taxpayers will be since Justice Brett Kavanaugh replaced fire workers because of their sexual ori- existing workplace anti-discrimination forced to fund religious education in Justice Anthony Kennedy, who had vot- entation or gender identity. Altitude Ex- law and lay dangerous groundwork for Montana, and the decision will directly ed in several cases to protect Roe v. Wade. press Inc. v. Zarda, Bostock v. Clayton Coun- the expansion of “religious liberty” be- affect the enforcement of state/church The case centers around a 2014 Loui- ty and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes ing invoked as a legal justification for separation nationwide in the realm of siana law requiring that doctors at abor- v. EEOC all center on whether the exist- discrimination.

Judge halts Michigan’s openly nonreligious member of Con- gress. The two additions bring the total pro-gay adoption rules to 12 members. A federal judge in Grand Rapids, Mich., The other members of the caucus halted a new state policy that bans state are: Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Rep. Jer- contracts with foster and adoption agen- ry McNerney, D-Calif., Rep. Dan Kildee, cies that refuse to work with gay couples. D-Mich., Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., Rep. The state’s settlement and comments Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Rep. Steve Co- made by Democratic Attorney Gener- hen, D-Tenn., Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., al Dana Nessel about the policy show Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Del. Elea- “that the state’s new position targets St. nor Holmes Norton, D-D.C. Vincent’s religious beliefs,” U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker wrote in his Sept. 24 Family hid dinosaur opinion. fossil for 150 years In his opinion, Jonker said Nessel “is at the very heart of the case” in part because A God-fearing family in Victorian En- of comments she made on the campaign gland buried a giant dinosaur fossil out trail in which she described supporters of of concern it could threaten the family the state’s prior policy as “hatemongers” members’ Christian beliefs. After about and said she “could not justify using the 150 years, the family finally unearthed state’s money” to defend “a law whose the prehistoric fossil. only purpose is discriminatory animus.” The Ichthyosaurus fossil was discov- ered in 1850 by the family of Julian Justice Dept. sides with Temperley in England. The Burnham Catholics over firing & Highbridge Weekly News reported vid Bradford said he would give $10,000 Two more members join the family members were builders’ mer- The U.S. Department of Justice has from his funds for the Bible Museum chants and unearthed the relic while defended a Roman Catholic archbish- on the Square. Commissioner Mick Freethought Caucus digging in a quarry. op’s decision that led to the firing of Wright said he would add $5,000 more. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., and Rep. After returning the fossil to their a gay, married teacher, stating that the The board then unanimously voted in Sean Casten, D-Ill., have recently joined home, the family decided to bury it as First Amendment prohibits courts from favor of those grants. the Congressional Freethought Caucus. they didn’t want to feel they were “de- interfering in how a religious group ap- FFRF did send a letter to the County Both Wild and Casten won their seats nying God” and the creation story by plies its teachings. Board prior to the meeting, stating that in 2018. displaying it. This was several years be- The Justice Department’s civil rights the grant “violates taxpayers’ religious The caucus was announced in 2018 by fore Charles Darwin published On the division filed a statement of interest in a liberty by forcing them to support a liber- Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., the only Origin of Species. lawsuit brought by Joshua Payne-Elliott, ty they don’t believe in.” an educator fired in June from his job at Cathedral High School, which is part of Broader rights sought A note to FFRF Members the Indianapolis archdiocese. for marriage officiating Include FFRF In Payne-Elliott says the archdiocese Don’t miss a single issue of Your Estate Planning interfered illegally in his teaching con- The Center for Inquiry argues that a Freethought Today & Private Line! tract by demanding that the school fire Texas law is unconstitutional because it him. The school was supportive of the gives religious celebrants the ability to Arrange a bequest in your will teacher but faced serious repercussions solemnize a marriage but denies nonreli- or trust, or make the Freedom if it disobeyed Archbishop Charles gious celebrants that same right. From Religion Foundation the Thompson’s mandate. In Texas, those allowed to conduct beneficiary of an insurance marriage ceremonies are a licensed or If the expiration date of your FFRF policy, bank account or IRA. ordained Christian minister or priest, membership on your address label Tennessee county gives a rabbi, a person who is an officer of a says November or earlier . . . IT’S EASY TO DO! religious organization and authorized by $15K to bible museum Please renew now! For related information that group to conduct a ceremony and FFRF Memberships: (or to receive a bequest A bible museum in Collierville, Tenn., a current or retired judge. Officiating at $40 single; $50 household; brochure), please contact: is getting $15,000 in taxpayer money. a wedding without authority is a Class A $100 gung-ho; $250 sustaining Annie Laurie Gaylor Members of the Shelby County misdemeanor. Memberships are tax deductible! Board of Commissioners each are allot- CFI says the law deprives couples of at (608) 256-8900 ted $200,000 a year to “give back to the the opportunity to have a meaningful but info@ rf.org community,” which can be used to fund nonreligious ceremony. a variety of projects, including cultur- U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle reject- Freethought Today is published 10 times a year.

Photoshop # ro ps al programs, community development ed the CFI arguments in an August deci- P.O. Box 750White • Madison, WI 53701 activities and infrastructure improve- sion, saying the law at most provides an ffrf.org/o o frhrs ments. On Sept. 23, Commissioner Da- “indirect or incidental” benefit to religion. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 7 FFRF NEWS Judge can’t spread religion, FFRF says

The proselytizing judge in the Am- a serious First Amendment violation ber Guyger case has inadvertently con- and signaled to everyone watching that fessed to the validity of an ethics com- she is partial to Christian notions of plaint against her, FFRF points out. forgiveness. FFRF had complained to the Texas In a formal follow-up letter on Oct. State Commission on Judicial Conduct 10, FFRF brought the commission’s at- when Judge Tammy Kemp presented tention to Kemp’s appearance on CNN convicted murderer and former Dallas on Oct. 8, during which she admitted police officer Guyger with a bible at the that she was fulfilling her religious duty close of the trial on Oct. 2. Dozens of during that episode rather than her sec- media outlets that covered the case also ular duty as a judge: “I kind of thought Ann Pollard shows off FFRF’s newest billboard in Louisville, Ky. Ann and her husband, reported on FFRF’s about my responsibil- Richard Heath, are both members of FFRF and the Kentucky Secular Society. Ann says complaint to the ju- ities as a person. And this site is near where the Secular Society holds meetings of “Reasonable Living” every dicial conduct com- You can have [my ironically, I was stand- Sunday morning. mission, including bible]. I have three or four ing in a spot where I The New York Times, “ had been standing more at home. This is Washington Post, Fox when I was induct- Billboards protest Kentucky’s News, CNN, MSN, the one I use everyday. ed as a judge in this USA Today and NBC, — Judge Tammy Kemp courtroom, and I re- among many others. membered that one new ‘In God We Trust’ law Courtroom video of the charges that I FFRF also launches have worshipped, not just one, and that had shown that following the sentenc- was given was to do just, to love mercy, many choose “none of the above.” ing and victim impact statement, Kemp and to walk humbly.” student art contest The billboards went up in Louisville at had left the courtroom and returned Kemp is not referring to the oath FFRF has launched a two-pronged Bardstown and Bonnycastle, Barret and with her personal bible. She had then she took as a judge, but is instead citing campaign to combat Kentucky’s unwise Rufer, Berry, Fegenbush, and Frankfort gifted her bible to Guyger, providing Micah 6:8 from the bible, which states: new law requiring “In God We Trust” to and Frank. her directions on how and where to “And what does the LORD require of be displayed in every public school. Any student currently enrolled in a read in the religious text. you? To act justly and to love mercy and FFRF has put together an art contest Kentucky public school who disagrees Kemp said: “You can have [my bible]. to walk humbly with your God.” with a cash prize for the best student art- with the new law requiring posting of I have three or four more at home. This Kemp effectively doubled down on work protesting the new law. The Ken- “In God We Trust” is invited to submit a is the one I use everyday. This is your her message that her primary duty is tucky law specifically states that “In God poster design or other artwork. The art- job for the next month. Right here. to her religion and not to our secular We Trust” displays may be in the form of work must contain the phrase “In God John: 3:16. And this is where you start, Constitution, and that those who might “student artwork,” opening the door for We Trust,” but must either protest the ‘For God so loved the world that he desire favorable treatment in her court- clever student artists to create art displays motto, subvert the religious intent of the gave his one and only Son, that whoev- room would do well to appeal to her that conform to the law’s text but not its new law or otherwise show why “In God er believes in him shall not perish but Christian beliefs. intent, says FFRF. We Trust” is not an appropriate motto to have eternal life.’” Many people were upset with Kemp’s Meanwhile, FFRF placed its own protest place in a public school. She continued, “He has a purpose decision to hug Guyger, but FFRF notes artwork — an eye-catching cartoon by Pu- The grand prize is $500, with hon- for you. This will strengthen you. You that the hug isn’t relevant to FFRF’s litzer Prize-winning cartoonist Steve Ben- orable mention awards of $200 each. just need a tiny mustard seed of faith. complaint. Its request for a formal eth- son — on several billboards in Louisville Every student winner will also receive a You start with this.” ics investigation rests solely on Kemp’s in October. The cartoon jocularly points “clean,” pre-“In God We Trust” $1 bill. These judicial actions were inap- use of a state judicial power to promote out there are many different gods humans Go to surveymonkey.com/r/C2C6GQ5. propriate and unconstitutional, FFRF her personal religion. contended. Government employees “We believe that our criminal justice may not use the power and privilege of system needs more compassion from Just Pretend: A Book For What Is a Freethinker? their offices to preach their personal judges and prosecutors, but here com- Young Freethinkers religious beliefs, FFRF Co-Presidents passion crossed the line into coercion,” By Dan Barker freethinker n. Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker Gaylor and Barker had written in the Illustrated 1 A person who forms opinions emphasized. original complaint. “And there can be by Kati Treu FFRF notes that Kemp appears to few relationships more coercive than about religion on the basis of reason, Revised and have generally handled a difficult and between a sentencing judge in a crimi- adorably independently of tradition, authority, widely publicized trial with grace and nal trial and a citizen accused and con- illustrated classic. or established belief. aplomb, but that her decision to preach victed of a crime.” This fun book explores myths the bible to a criminal defendant was and religion from a freethought point of view, and promotes critical thinking. Color Edition! Published by FFRF View daily quotes at ffrf.org/day Buy it from FFRF online MOVING? ffrf.org/shop FREETHOUGHT OF THE DAY RECRUIT A MEMBER I et that hrh ith rih an ra hatre the riest as a Don’t miss your next issue of Sample copies for $2 ersn an a athin r the Send $2 with the name and Freethought Today hrh as an instittin an address of each person you Please notify us of your I e that I neer wish to receive a sample copy address change promptly! insie a hrh aain of Freethought Today to: email: [email protected] FFRF or phone: 1-800-335-4021 Eugene V. Debs P.O. Box 750 FFRF cannot be responsible for “Talks with Debs in Terre Haute” Madison, WI 53701 replacing back issues if we have not been notified prior to your move. By David Karsner (1922) Please send us only names of likely supporters The U.S. Post Office does not Freedom depends upon freethinkers forward third-class mail. Free Fr eiin Fnatin Page 8 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 FFRF’s Reagan ad ‘won the night’ during debate

The Freedom From Religion Foun- cratic presidential primary debate, but his dation’s “unabashed atheist” commer- provocative plug for a prominent atheist cial with Ron Reagan ruled the internet group earned him the top spot on Google during the Oct. 15 Democratic debate on after he declared himself a ‘lifelong athe- CNN. ist, not afraid of burning in hell.’” The 30-second spot (the first freethink- The ad aired several more times the ing ad believed to have ever run during next day on “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” a presidential primary debate) aired twice “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” during the debate itself, and also during and “Anderson Cooper 360.” CBS, NBC, the primary debate pre-show and post- ABC and Discovery Science networks have show. The name of Ron Reagan, the pro- refused the ad since 2014, but it has previ- gressive son of President Ronald Reagan ously run periodically on CNN, Comedy and Nancy Reagan, was the most searched Central and Rachel Maddow’s show on term on Google in the course of the de- MSNBC. bate, as Google itself acknowledged. His FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gay- name was among the top 20 trenders on lor is delighted about the effect of the ad. Twitter. A story about the ad also appeared “It just shows how much of an impact on the homepage of the Fox News website. a freethought perspective can have, if it’s Reagan says in the ad: “Hi, I’m Ron given a chance,” Gaylor says. “People are Reagan, an unabashed atheist, and I’m A screenshot taken during the broadcast of the Democratic debate on Oct. 15 shows hankering for an uncensored freethink- alarmed by the intrusion of religion into FFRF’s Ron Reagan ad, which ran twice during the debate. ing point of view, and it’s to CNN’s credit our secular government. That’s why I’m that it allowed this.” asking you to support the Freedom From Ron Reagan, lifelong atheist, not afraid of night with a plug for an atheist group that FFRF thanks members who have donat- Religion Foundation, the nation’s largest burning in hell.” turned his name into the top trending ed to FFRF’s Advertising Fund for making and most effective association of atheists Not surprisingly, the ad received a search on Google — as he declared that possible this major campaign. and agnostics, working to keep state and lot of media coverage, albeit sometimes he was ‘not afraid of burning in hell,’” re- Twitter reactions to the ad were either church separate, just like our Founding grudgingly. ported the right-leaning New York Post. quite positive or highly negative, with few Fathers intended. Please support the “Ron Reagan crashed the Democrat- And Fox News stated, “Ron Reagan was straddling the middle ground. Below are a Freedom From Religion Foundation. ic presidential primary debate Tuesday not on stage Tuesday night for the Demo- few from both ends of the spectrum.

FFRF’s ‘IN REASON WE TRUST’ Self inking stamp ‘Freethought Matters’ mug A meaningful message and the logo of FFRF’s new TV show. Ivory Carefully crafted to stamp out imprint on tapered burgundy, 8 fl. oz. ‘god’ on U.S. currency. Good American- made mug. for up to 2000 impressions. $18 postpaid — Item#ST01 $20 postpaid — Item#MU02 Call 800/335-4021 or order online ffrf.org/shop Call 800/335-4201 | Online ffrf.org/shop November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 9 Court Reason, not religion, gave Continued from page 1 are representing the school system in the case. me a path out of poverty In a brief filed with the Supreme Court, FFRF attorneys contended that This article first appeared in the Univer- Deal and her daughter could continue sity of Tennessee Beacon. to pursue their case against the uncon- stitutional bible classes. The brief said, By Therrin Wilson “The 4th Circuit’s conclusion — that a mother has standing to challenge a y mother raised me as a Baptist religious program that she is taking Christian. We attended bible stud- ongoing measures to avoid — is con- Mies every Thursday and church sistent with this court’s Establishment service every Sunday. Church provided Clause jurisprudence.” a welcoming environment for us to con- FFRF commends the Supreme nect with the wider African American Court’s move. community and I was a devout, young “This decision will stand as prec- believer. edent ensuring that people who are FFRF’s new billboard featuring Therrin Wilson was displayed at the I-275 entrance Outside of church, however, my moth- harmed by religious indoctrination in ramp from Henley Street in Knoxville, Tenn., in September and October. er and I encountered a barrage of strug- their community can pursue legal ac- gles, with chronic homelessness at the out of poverty, but it was precisely the use religion to connect. tion to end those illegal practices,” says top of the list. Not having a regular place opposite. Only when I turned away from However, for me, I’m as proud to be an FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliott. to live took a major toll on me as a young prayer and turned to reason did I gain atheist as I am to be an African American. Bible indoctrination classes were kid trying to keep up with my lessons in the freedom of will and thought to take You may flip the script and ask, “What taught in Mercer County Schools for school and cope with fitting in with the the reins in life. is the evidence to support my worldview more than 75 years until this lawsuit. other students. Starting when I was about 15 years as an atheist?” It’s pretty straightforward, The original legal complaint has Furthermore, my mom could not af- old, my realization that there were many through reason and scientific thinking, examples of the blatantly religious ford to buy me glasses, which was indeed contradictions and troubling ideologies I have lifted my family out of poverty, curriculum. One lesson promoted a problem for a kid with 20/450 vision. in the bible led me to first question God. gained my vision, and am now receiv- creationism by claiming humans and During our period of homelessness — Many questions began to arise in which ing my bachelor’s degree in biochemis- dinosaurs co-existed. Students were and for me, near blindness — I turned to I could find no logical answer or re- try from the University of Tennessee in asked to “picture Adam being able to God in every way that I could. But even as sponse. As a budding scientist, I learned Knoxville. crawl up on the back of a dinosaur! I was reaching out to God every day, we of the empirical method, which means From there, I plan to attend graduate He and Eve could have their own continued to be homeless. that ideas must survive all questions and school and become an optometrist, help- personal water slide! Wouldn’t that At a certain point, I decided to put tests of reason in order to be adopted as ing others who suffer from the same vi- be so wild!” my communication with God aside and knowledge. I used my scientific thinking sion problems I have experienced. Following the lawsuit, the classes turned to reason and self-reliance. I want- to put God to the test. And I have been “good without were suspended by the district — a ma- ed a better life for my mother, and also From researching the origins of the God,” in the sense that I have con- jor victory for FFRF. However, the fed- wanted to pursue my dream of becoming scripture, it occurred to me that God did ducted more than 100 hours of com- eral court then dismissed the case on an optometrist — both of which required not create us, but rather we created God munity service while in college. All in jurisdictional grounds due to the sus- education and resources that our church to have a pretense of the reality that we all, my story is proof that God is not pension, even though the bible classes could not provide. don’t understand. I realized that in order needed to be happy or successful and could resume. I worked hard to get my first job at to advance in my scientific field, there that atheists are capable of having just Deal filed an appeal before the Walgreens and continued working full- was no room to believe in something that as much (or more) moral authority as 4th Circuit. The appellate brief filed time through high school. While this job was incapable of being proven through religious people claim. by Attorney Marc Schneider and El- was not enough to pay for a home for me the test of reasoning. Thus, I rejected For those who underestimate their liott argued that Deal and her daugh- and my mother, at least it was enough to God as a fantasy no different than the abilities to be prosperous without divine ter could continue to pursue claims feed us and pay for items of necessity, like Tooth Fairy. intervention, I say: Be yourself, be hu- against the school district even though my first pair of coke-bottle glasses. I also realized that I do not need to man, and be the best you can be with or her daughter was attending a neigh- I got our family out of poverty, not believe in God to pursue my happiness without God. boring school system. because of God, but rather thanks to in life, or to do good unto others in Therrin is in his final semester at the Uni- The 4th Circuit agreed with the old-fashioned bootstrapping hard work the mold of the bible’s teachings. I still versity of Tennessee. In 2018, he earned honor- plaintiffs’ perspective. and reason. Many of my friends and fam- support those members of the African able mention in FFRF’s students of color college “If the district court were to enjoin ily argued that God allowed us to rise American community and others who essay contest. the county from offering the Bible in the Schools program to students in the future, Deal would no longer feel com- pelled to send Jessica to a neighboring First step for secular recovery funding school district to avoid what Deal views A vital first step has been made to help for these grants. organizations will be available to millions as state-sponsored religious instruc- remedy a major problem: Most mutual FFRF and its governmental affairs di- of people, thanks to the billions of federal tion,” the appeals court stated. support recovery programs such as Al- rector, Mark Dann, based in D.C., have dollars that are being dedicated to fight- The district court’s decision was re- coholics Anonymous or Narcotic Anon- been working alongside a secular coali- ing the addiction crisis. This would be a versed and remanded. Now, with the ymous are religious in nature. tion to ensure that government funding monumental boon to these underfund- Supreme Court refusing to hear the Thanks to advocacy by FFRF on this aimed at combating substance abuse and ed programs. Access to these programs case, it is proceeding before Judge Da- issue, a recently released federal bud- mental health issues can go to secular, ev- will provide reliable recovery resources to vid Faber in the Southern District of get includes a request that federal tax idence-based programs, such as SMART those in need and provide more options West Virginia. dollars can be awarded to secular, evi- Recovery and LifeRing. Many areas do than religious-based services. “The country’s topmost judicial dence-based recovery programs. The not have adequate access to secular re- Although this is a major victory, the re- authority has rightly let this decision Substance Abuse and Mental Health Ser- covery programs, in large part due to a quest has not yet been passed. The mea- stand,” says FFRF Co-President Annie vices Administration, which manages bil- lack of funding and awareness. sure must still be passed by the Senate Laurie Gaylor. “There can’t be a bigger lions of federal tax dollars, is responsible If this measure passes, secular recovery and signed into law by the president. boost to our secular Constitution.”

Donate to FFRF while you shop! Billboards Continued from page 1

young freethinkers like Anissa to come The billboard near Stanford is not out of the closet and speak up,” says FFRF’s first foray into the Bay Area. Annie Laurie Gaylor, who co-founded FFRF held its national convention in FFRF with her late mother, Anne Nicol San Francisco in 2018, featuring free- AmazonSmile allows you to support FFRF Gaylor. “FFRF came into existence thinkers, humanists and nonbelievers every time you make a purchase — at no cost to you! after our realization that the battle for from across the country and world. It women’s rights would never be won was keynoted by author Salman Rush- Visit smile.amazon.com until we got to the root cause of that die and U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, the oppression — religion and its influence only “out” nonbeliever in Congress, and select the Freedom From Religion Foundation over our laws. Anne would have loved who spoke and received an award. to donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to FFRF. seeing strong freethinkers like Anissa taking the reins of leadership.” Page 10 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 FFRF VICTORIES

By Bailey Nachreiner-Mackesey his email signature following the ad- vice of FFRF. A Harrison County Middle Schools California parent reported to FFRF that the A religious song will no longer be a school principal included the bible part of graduation ceremonies at Del- passage “Fear of the Lord teaches ano Joint Union High School. wisdom; humility precedes honor. — A community member reported Psalm 15:33” in official emails he sent that Cesar E. Chavez High School’s Ti- on behalf of Harrison County Schools. tan Choir has performed John Rutter’s FFRF Staff Attorney Elizabeth Cavell 1981 composition “The Lord Bless wrote to district Superintendent Har- You and Keep You” at commencement ry Burchett, reminding the district of for at least the last 10 years. The song its obligation to ensure that employ- is a prayer set to music, FFRF Staff ees do not use their official position Attorney Elizabeth Cavell pointed to proselytize to students. The school out to the district. The lyrics to this district’s attorney has since assured song come directly from the biblical FFRF the bible quote has been re- “Priestly Blessing” (Numbers 6:24-26), moved from the principal’s signature. a biblical benediction of sacred im- portance in Christian worship. “This piece will not be a part of fu- Louisiana ture graduation ceremonies,” Superin- Future Iberville Parish School tendent Jason Garcia informed FFRF Board staff programs will no longer in a response letter. “Additionally, staff include prayer, thanks to FFRF. members have been instructed not to A district community member re- use this piece, to select other musical ported that a school-sponsored grad- works of appropriate solemnity for uation ceremony was organized to this portion of the graduation cere- include an opening prayer from the mony and to clear the selection in the Rev.Clyde McNell Sr., a pastor at the future with district administration.” Pilgrim Baptist Church, and a blessing of food from a district employee. FFRF Associate Counsel Sam Grover Colorado reminded the district that scheduling A religious display has been re- prayers at district events is unconstitu- moved from Pomona High School tional. Superintendent Arthur Joffri- in Arvada after FFRF illuminated the on responded to FFRF’s complaint. issue. “The Iberville Parish School Board An area resident reported that a takes its obligations under the First school resource officer at the district Amendment seriously,” Joffrion wrote. displayed a crucifix on the wall of his “As a result, we have carefully re- office. The complainant was made viewed the issues raised in your letter. aware of this violation after the Den- In light of those concerns, we intend ver Post included a photo of the offi- Schools, regularly led staff members their religious mission. Couch assures to address the permissibility of future cer with the crucifix in his office this in prayer at official district meetings FFRF that “the appropriate protocols program content with the appropriate past June. and functions. She apparently had for visitors, parents and volunteers program staff.” FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line sent acknowledged that she doesn’t know are being addressed to maintain a a letter to the district urging it to en- what everyone’s beliefs are, but that safe and orderly school climate free of sure the crucifix is removed and that she nonetheless asked everyone to carte blanche access to minors in public Missouri school officials are not impermissibly bow their heads while she and other schools.” Prayer has been permanently dis- endorsing their personal religious staff members led a prayer. The com- continued at a Licking, Mo., district’s beliefs to students. According to a re- plainant reported that they feared staff meetings after FFRF Staff Attor- sponse letter from the district’s attor- they would be discriminated against if Iowa ney Chris Line pointed out the consti- ney, the officer has removed the cross they had left during the prayers or re- A religious sign has been removed tutional issues with such district-spon- from his office. ported this violation themselves. The from Bettendorf Police Department sored religious messaging. district’s attorney sent a letter of re- property following a complaint from A district staff member reported sponse to FFRF, assuring that the dis- FFRF. that the district held a staff meeting at Colorado trict has taken appropriate action to A local resident reported that the Licking High School at which one pas- A Harrison Schools District Two address these concerns. department was permanently display- tor in attendance was asked to stand parent reported to FFRF that during ing a bible quote — “Blessed are the in front of the school staff and give a back-to-school event, Sand Creek peacemakers: for they shall be called a Christian prayer. The school super- International Elementary in Colora- Georgia the children of God” — Matthew 5:9” intendent provided the pastor with a do Springs handed out packets that The Harris County School District — in its patrol briefing room. This microphone and the pastor requested depicted students who were wearing in Georgia has addressed protocol religious display was unveiled on the that staff bow their heads before re- various Christian symbols, including a for school visitors official Bettendorf citing a prayer. Once the prayer was fish with the word “Jesus” and several after FFRF took is- Police Department complete, the superintendent spoke Latin crosses. sue with a religious Facebook page. to the staff about the role local pas- The Iberville FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line leader proselytizing FFRF Staff At- tors played in providing vacation bible wrote to the district urging it to re- to students during Parish“ School Board torney Chris Line school for district students to attend. frain from handing out materials that school hours. takes its obligations wrote to the depart- The district’s attorney sent a re- include religious messages or iconog- A district parent under the First ment, pointing out sponse to inform FFRF that the raphy, pointing out the district’s con- reported that a man Amendment seriously the constitutional prayer offered at the beginning of stitutional obligation to protect the called “Pastor Trey” issues with brand- the meeting has been “permanently rights of conscience of impressionable from Cascade Hills — Arthur Joffrion ing its property discontinued.” students. The district responded by Church was regu- with this explicitly email informing FFRF that the issue larly visiting lunch- Christian message, has been rectified and will not occur rooms in the district, sitting down excluding both staff and community again. with students and asking them about members who do not adhere to these Ohio where they go to church and inviting religious beliefs. After receiving the Claymont City Schools in Denni- them to attend his youth group. The letter, Chief Keith T. Kimball respond- son, Ohio, will implement a new poli- Florida complainant reported that Pastor Trey ed to FFRF via email with assurances cy regarding student speeches at grad- A Florida school district has taken makes their child very uncomfortable that the wooden sign along with the uation after attendees were subjected action to address unconstitutional and that they try not to be noticed by accompanying social media post had to a Christian prayer at this year’s prayer at official staff events following him. been immediately removed. commencement. a complaint from FFRF Staff Attorney FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line An area resident and former Clay- Chris Line. wrote to district Superintendent Roger mont student reported that each year A district employee reported to Couch, informing him that the district Kentucky Claymont High School includes a FFRF that Jill Kolasa, director of stu- cannot allow non-school persons to A Harrison County Schools princi- prayer as an official part of the gradu- dent services at Hernando County treat schools as a recruiting ground for pal has removed a bible quote from ation ceremony. This year, it was titled November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 11

“Farewell to Seniors Speech,” but was Wisconsin clearly a Christian prayer with blatant- Abbott vs. FFRF case heard by ly religious content. A teacher in the La Crosse School The school’s attorneys informed District has been reminded of the ob- 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line that ligation to remain neutral on matters while this year’s speech was solely ini- of religion after FFRF objected to his FFRF Associate Counsel Sam Grover that heard the case, was comprised of tiated and led by the student speaker, appearance in a Fellowship of Chris- is pictured outside the 5th U.S. Circuit these federal judges: Senior Judge W. with no previous approval from the tian Athletes promotional video. Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Eugene Davis, a Reagan appointee, district, in the future the content of FFRF was made aware that a Central after delivering oral arguments in the Judge James E. Graves, Jr., an Obama speeches will need to be submitted High School employee appeared in an lawsuit Abbott v. FFRF on Oct. 10. He was appointee and Judge Stephen A. Hig- and approved by district officials. FCA promotional video, introducing accompanied by Richard L. Bolton, the ginson, also an Obama appointee. himself as a teacher and coach at the outside litigator working with FFRF on Tennessee school before discussing his “relation- the case, who took this photo. Grover FFRF has persuaded Cumberland ship with Jesus Christ” and his intent defended FFRF’s victory in its challenge County Schools in Tennessee to hold a to start his own FCA club soon. of censorship by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, district-wide training event regarding FFRF Staff Attorney Ryan Jayne who had ordered the removal of FFRF’s the permissibility of religious displays wrote to District Superintendent Ran- famous “Bill of Rights Nativity” display in schools after getting several com- dy W. Nelson, reminding the district from the Texas state Capitol, while plaints from community members. that teachers may not lead student permitting a Christian nativity display FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line has religious groups and asked for writ- to continue. written to the district multiple times ten assurances that no employees, FFRF’s whimsical cut-out display about religious displays in schools, including this teacher, will be permit- shows three Founding Fathers and the most recently regarding bible quotes ted to found or lead religious student Statue of Liberty celebrating the “birth” on a classroom wall at Stone Memo- organizations in the school district of of the Bill of Rights, which occurred on rial High School. A student reported La Crosse. Nelson sent a gracious re- Dec. 15, 1791. A federal district judge to FFRF that a teacher has “Fight the sponse, thanking FFRF for informing ruled in FFRF’s favor in June 2018. Ab- good fight of FAITH — 1 Timothy him of the teacher’s involvement in bott appealed the case on what FFRF 6:12,” “I press on toward the goal — the video. considers to be a flimsy argument Phil. 3:14,” and “Pray, because you are “Please be assured, while none of based on a technicality: that the presid- not the center of the universe.” our secondary schools currently have ing judge used past-tense language in The district’s attorney sent a re- FCA clubs, we recognize any forma- his decision declaring that Abbott had sponse informing FFRF that Principal tion of such clubs would need to be abrogated FFRF’s free speech rights. Scott Maddux instructed the teacher student initiated and voluntary,” Nel- Meanwhile, FFRF also appealed a law to remove the posters that contained son wrote. “We have followed up with that Abbott had cited in censoring the biblical verses from his room. Ad- this new employee to ensure that he FFRF’s display, requiring that displays ditionally, the attorney noted plans to understands he may not organize, in the Capitol serve a “public purpose.” have conducted a training on these direct or conduct such clubs in the FFRF argues that the law is unconsti- issues before the start of this school district.” tutionally vague, and grants unbridled year. discretion to the governor. The three-judge appellate panel OVERHEARD

I think Democrats have been a little sisters in the country. In 2018, there ple with false promises of a warm bed cherries begin to blossom, people flock allergic to talking about faith, and it’s were 44,117. and meals. Instead these victims were into the parks because, in 10 days or so, largely for a very good reason, which is Columbus Dispatch, 8-26-19 held captive, stripped of their hum- the frothing pink flowers will be gone; that we passionately believe that when ble financial means, stripped of their and every time the maple leaves blaze you’re running for office, or when [People] hate religion because, at a identification, their freedom and their in late November, my Japanese friends you’re in office, you have an obligation moment to stand up and be counted on dignity. and family throng into temple gardens to treat people of any religion and the right side of history, religion is used U.S. Attorney in much the same spirit that people of people of no religion equally. It’s a as moral cover for despicable behavior. Robert Brewer of any faith may gather in temples or cathe- basic American principle. Timothy Egan, in his column, “Why the Southern Dis- drals. To be joined in a congregation; to Pete Buttigieg, Democratic presidential people hate religion.” trict of California be reminded of something larger than candidate, speaking to Stephen Colbert The New York Times, 8-30-19 on how Imperial ourselves, keeping us in place; to catch on “The Late Show.” Valley Ministry moments of light in a season of mount- CBS, 9-5-19 We focus on sex and then we do not give took in homeless ing darkness. weight to social injustice, slander, gossip and vulnerable Pico Iyer, “The beauty of the ordinary.” I think it’s going to be a while before we and lies. The church today needs a pro- people, forcing The New York Times, 9-22-19 figure out exactly how this is all going to found conversion in this area. them to turn over fit. Religion in this country is shifting a Pope Francis, during informal conversa- their money and Instead of moving away from Gilead, we lot right now. tions with Jesuit clergy in Africa. Robert S. Brewer welfare benefits, started moving towards it, especially in Margaret McGuinness, professor of re- Religion News Service, 10-3-19 and to panhandle the United States. ligion and theology at La Salle University six days a week with 100 percent of pro- Author Margaret Atwood, quoted recent- in Philadelphia, on the dearth of wom- The indictment alleges an appalling ceeds going to the church. The church ly in London. en seeking to become Catholic nuns. abuse of power by church officials who also took their identification and all of The New York Times, 9-15-19 In 1970, there were 160,931 religious preyed on vulnerable homeless peo- their personal belongings, so that even if they wanted to leave, they couldn’t, History does not often give the satis- prosecutors said. faction of a sudden and lasting turning Freethought Matters Washington Post, 9-11-19 point. History tends to unfold in messy A weekly half-hour TV talk show produced by FFRF cycles — actions and reactions, revo- I would underscore the concerns raised by lutions and counterrevolutions — and An antidote to religion on the airwaves and Sunday morning sermonizing the Freedom From Religion Foundation even semipermanent changes are sub- Freethought Matters TV Talk Show airs in: about the expansion of the Jesus Lunch tle and glacial. But the rise of religious to Memorial and Verona high schools. . non-affiliation in America looks like one Watch our show Chicago WPWR-CW (Ch. 50) 9:00 a.m. . . Antisemitic slurs were offered to Jew- of those rare historical moments that is every Sunday! Denver KWGN-CW (Ch. 2) 7:00 a.m. Houston KUBE-IND (Ch. 57) 9:00 a.m. ish students; other non-participants were neither slow, nor subtle, nor cyclical. You Los Angeles KCOP-MY (Ch. 13) 8:30 a.m. similarly singled out and felt harassed. . might call it exceptional. Madison, Wis. WISC-TV (Ch. 3) 11:00 p.m. . . These and other consequences came Derek Thompson, in his article, “Three Minneapolis KSTC-IND (Ch. 45) 9:30 a.m. about as a result of one group of people Decades Ago, America Lost Its Religion. New York City WPIX-IND (Ch. 11) 8:30 a.m. boldy asserting a constitutional right but Why?” Phoenix KASW-CW (Ch. 61) 8:30 a.m. not considering any of the effects that The Atlantic, 9-26-19 (Ch. 61 or 6 or 1006 for HD) their actions have on others. Portland, Ore. KRCW-CW (Ch. 32) 9:00 a.m. Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, in a letter to the Knowledge is always power. If you’re (703 on Comcast for HD or Ch. 3) editor, regarding high schools in the Mad- afraid to take a course because you’re Visit FFRF’s YouTube Channel Sacramento KQCA-MY (Ch. 58) 8:30 a.m. ison, Wis., area having “Jesus lunches” worried it’ll change your beliefs, that’s to watch the shows. Seattle KONG-IND (Ch. 16) 8:00 a.m. hosted by parents. not a very good sign. (Ch. 16 or Ch. 106 on Comcast) The Capital Times, 9-25-19 Nadia Muraweh, outreach director for Washington, D.C. WDCW-CW (Ch. 50) 8:00 a.m. the Muslim Students Association of Ar- In Japan, the seasons are treated with izona State University, on students not Go to: ffrf.org/freethought-matters for more information the sort of passion and reverence usually wanting to take courses on religion. associated with religion. Every time the The State Press, 10-4-19 Page 12 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 FFRF awards $17,850 Grad/‘older’ students essay contest winners The Freedom From Religion Foundation Fifth place is proud to announce the 19 winners of Angela Wu, 23, University of the Brian Bolton Essay Contest for Grad- Pennsylvania Law School, $1,600. uate/“Older” Students. FFRF has paid out Sixth place a total of $17,850 in award money to this Benjamin Stokes, 29, George year’s contest winners. Washington University, $1,000. Graduate students up to age 30 or un- Seventh place dergrad students ages 25-30 were asked Meagan McLendon, 28, University of to write a persuasive essay that uses at North Texas, $750. least one biblical passage to show how Eighth place its influence continues to cause harm Alexis Muschal, 29, Boston University- today to individuals, civil liberties or so- Grad School of Medicine, $500. ciety in general. In an overview of all the Ninth place entries received, the students selected 37 Neil A. Heacox, 29, Cal Poly Pomona, different verses from 15 books in the bi- $400. ble. The most-used verse in these essays Tenth place (tie) (written about by four students) was Ro- Sam Hyde, 26, University of Florida- mans 13:1 — “Let everyone be subject to Levin College of Law, $300. the governing authorities, for there is no FFRF also thanks “Director of First Winners, their ages, the colleges or uni- Tenth place (tie) authority except that which God has es- Impressions” Lisa Treu for managing versities they are attending and the award Jonathan Ortiz, 22, University of tablished. The authorities that exist have the details of the essay contests. And amounts are listed below. The winning es- Florida, $300. been established by God.” we couldn’t judge these competitions says are reprinted or excerpted in this issue. Honorable mentions ($200 each) This contest is generously and single- without help from our “faithful faithless” James Bingaman, 26, University of handedly endowed by Lifetime Member volunteers and staff members, including First place Delaware. Brian Bolton, a retired psychologist, hu- Don Ardell, Linda Aten, Dan Barker, Bill Skylar Christensen, 28, University of Florencia Cabral Berenfus, 29, manist minister and professor emeritus Dunn, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Kettner, Utah, $3,500. University of Colorado-Boulder. at the University of Arkansas. Bolton is Katya Maes, Gloria Marquadt, Dave Pet- Second place Kristina M. Lee, 28, Colorado State. also underwriting FFRF’s Bible Account- rashek and PJ Slinger. Barbara Alvarez, 30, University of Amber Osborn, 29, Butler Community ability Project to call attention to the con- FFRF has offered essay competitions Wisconsin-Madison, $3,100. College. tinuing harm of the bible to society. to college students since 1979, high Third place Miranda Percy, 30, Texas Tech. FFRF thanks Dean and Dorea Schramm school students since 1994, grad and old- Joseph Sankowski, 27, University of Chelsea Robinson, 30, University of of Florida for providing a $100 bonus to stu- er students since 2010 and one geared Toledo, $2,500. Southern California. dents who are members of a secular group, specifically for students of color since Fourth place Samaya Shuput, 29, Roseman student club or Secular Student Alliance. 2016. A fifth contest for law school stu- Danyka J. Morgan, 25, College of University. The total of $17,850 reflects those bonuses. dents debuts this year. Western Idaho, $2,000. Amber Wright, 26, The New School. First place Brian Bolton Essay Contest winner The ultimate argument from authority FFRF awarded Skylar $3,500. away from referring to women as chattel belief that their ends must be achieved, or urging the killing of gay people. The no matter how evil the means. It is 2 Tim- By Skylar Christensen pastor reveals his own sexism by agreeing othy 3:16 that gives all of the homopho- with scripture concerning women teach- bic, sexist, racist and amoral passages in ll scripture is given by ing religion, but stops the bible their force. inspiration of God, and is short of supporting Without this passage, profitable for doctrine, for the death penalty for It is 2 Timothy and others like it, the “A 3:16 that gives all of the reproof, for correction, for instruction in gay people. Anoth- bible could be con- righteousness.” This passage at 2 Timothy er bible group was “ sidered another book homophobic, sexist, racist 3:16 may, at first glance, appear to be started for U.S. repre- and amoral passages in written by mere men benign compared to the homophobia sentatives and has 50 the bible their force. whose ideas could be in Leviticus or the sexism in Genesis members, according reformed and cast and elsewhere in the bible. A short to recent reports. — Skylar Christensen aside as society devel- examination shows that it could be the One assumes that ops. Instead, we are most pernicious verse in the bible. This these government stuck fighting reac- passage and others like it give the bible’s leaders are not studying the bible for tionaries from our own time and from most destructive passages their epistemic purely personal enrichment. They aim centuries past. authority and their rhetorical force. to justify their misdeeds by reference to Skylar, 28, is from South Salt Lake, The bible gives Christians the ultimate Skylar Christensen the authority of the bible — not a bad Utah, and attends the University of Utah, argument from authority. Arguments strategy given that, according to the Pew where he is majoring in philosophy. He from authority are often considered val- that they are not quoting the ravings of Research Center, three-quarters of Amer- earned an associate’s degree in business id when the authority supporting the ar- a pre-scientific writer from the fifth cen- icans believe that the bible is the inerrant at Dixie State University. After that, he gument is considered valid. What source tury BCE, but the unerring word of the word of God. This gives a special force to worked as a freelance photographer and could be more authoritative than the cre- creator of heaven and Earth. This level arguments in favor of policies decimat- helped his father build a commercial light- ator of the universe itself? To a believer, of epistemic closure can only lead to au- ing the civil liberties of women, minori- ing company. He currently works as a pho- the bible is the direct word of an omni- thoritarianism. One who is so certain that ties and LGBTQ individuals. tographer for a real estate firm in Salt Lake scient, omnibenevolent being. This be- they have the right answer to all of life’s Bible-thumpers are filled with a dan- City while going to college. He plans to go lief forecloses the possibility of debate. A questions will not tolerate debate or delay gerous sense of righteousness and a firm to law school after graduation. religious person cannot put the merits of in acting on those beliefs. Worse, the bi- the bible’s views up for discussion if those ble contradicts itself repeatedly and can, views originated from an infallible deity. therefore, be used to justify almost any Your weekly antidote to the Religious Right That would be especially thin ice to tread public policy. The bible, for the last 2,000 on, given the jealous fire-and- brimstone years, has been regarded by a large por- God represented in the Old Testament. tion of our society (and a larger portion FREETHOUGHT RADIO Never mind that concluding that the bi- of its lawmakers) as a divine and infalli- ble is unerring requires one to use the bi- ble handbook for living. This attitude has PODCASTS AND BROADCASTS ble as the primary source, a circular argu- had terrible consequences for women, FIND OUT MORE: rf.org/radio ment which doesn’t slow down politically minorities and LGBTQ individuals. motivated Christians at all. For the first time in at least 100 years, — Hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor — The bible not only forecloses debate a bible study group has been established Slightly irreverent views, news, music & interviews on the basis of logical inconsistencies, but for White House cabinet members. The it also gives Christians unearned confi- teacher is a basketball player-turned-theo- dence in the righteousness of their views. logian who believes that legislators ought The confidence is the result of the belief to be guided by a book that never shies November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 13

Second place The bible and abortion legislation

FFRF awarded Barbara $3,000. tor that delivers a product to meet supply services for sex workers and members of and demand. LGBTQ communities. In the name of the By Barbara Alvarez When available legally and readily, bible, the global gag rule has resulted in abortion is a simple and safe procedure. 20,000 maternal deaths in 29 countries in ven though we live in a country When restricted, it causes emotional trau- just one year. founded on secularism, interpre- ma, physical danger, financial destruc- Yet to some conservatives like Rick Etations of biblical verses permeate tion and even death. Parameters such as Santorum and Richard Mourdock, wom- legislative decisions regarding abortion waiting periods, lack of health insurance, en should “accept what God has given.” in the United States. Alabama has passed and parental consent Even when resulting a near ban, and states like Georgia, Mis- reinforce classism by from rape or incest, souri and Louisiana have passed “heart- making abortion in- ‘You have been pregnancy “is some- beat bills,” making abortion illegal once accessible to the most bought with a price’ quite thing that God in- a physician detects a fetal heartbeat with marginalized of wom- “ tended to happen.” literally commodifies no exception for rape or incest. These en who do not have Some may argue that women’s bodies. bans are constructed with pseudoscien- the resources to take these statements are tific language to mask religious intent. time off of work, travel — Barbara Alvarez not representative of Dr. Ted Anderson, president of the Barbara Alvarez to remote clinics, and Christianity. But when American College of Obstetricians and pay for expensive pro- a biblical verse says Gynecologists, stated that the so-called your own” justifies the subjugation of cedures. On the rare occasion when sci- that “you are not your own . . . glorify “heartbeat” at the core of this legislation women. Republican Sen. Clyde Cham- ence is referenced to drive anti-abortion God in your body,” it is a direct reflection is “actually electrically induced flickering bliss of Alabama mirrored this when he laws, it is meant to shame and guilt women of Christianity. of a portion of the fetal tissue that will be- pontificated that “life is a gift of our cre- with mandated ultrasound tests and un- Legislation should embody science come the heart as the embryo develops.” ator and we must do everything we can founded claims such as abortion reversal. and logic, not religion. A secular nation Indeed, there is no scientific, logical to protect life.” But what about the life The United States extends this op- should not allow biblical verses to infringe or economical reason to ban abortions or of the woman? pressive dogma internationally through on women’s reproductive choices and restrict funding to organizations that pro- According to the bible (and the pol- the Mexico City policy, commonly representatives should not be permitted vide abortions. And yet, politicians invoke iticians who credit it), women do not known as the global gag rule. Initiated to cite them in their legislative decisions. biblical text to justify their legislative de- and should not have bodily autonomy by President Reagan, the global gag rule Until that becomes a reality, women’s cisions to do so. One such bible verse is 1 because they are in servitude to God and denies funding to any nongovernmental bodies will never be their own. Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know the world. health care organization that provides, Barbara, 30, is from Madison, Wis., and that your body is a temple of the Holy “You have been bought with a price” or even mentions, abortion. attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Spirit who is in you, whom you have from quite literally commodifies women’s bod- The consequences of this biblically She is working on a Ph.D. in library and in- God, and that you are not your own? For ies. In lieu of abortion, pro-natalist pro- inspired legislation are catastrophic and formation sciences with a minor in gender and you have been bought with a price: there- ponents encourage women to choose hardly save lives. In fact, the global gag women’s studies. Barbara is the author of the fore, glorify God in your body.” adoption on behalf of wishful parents. rule does not curb abortions, but rather book, Embedded Business Librarianship for This verse exemplifies the abusive re- A woman’s own physical and mental makes them dangerous. It also reduces the Public Librarian. She received a Master lationship between the bible and wom- health, as well as life goals and situations, funding to organizations that provide in Library and Information Science from the en’s bodies. To begin with, “you are not are irrelevant. Instead, she is an incuba- HIV tests and treatment, as well as crucial University of Illinois. Third place An irrational shipwreck FFRF awarded Joseph $2,500. as the literal truth. Through repeated did the carnivores eat for 40 days? More gin to blindly accept the narrative and contact, children are desensitized to inquisitive youth will undoubtedly ask the explanations by adults whom they By Joseph Sankowski the glaring inexactitudes bursting forth about the size of the ark. Fortunately trust (and who should know better.) from this story and are blinded to its for them, the ridiculousness of this is Those raised on a literal translation of hildren raised in Christian homes ability to single-handedly sink the factu- spelled out because the ark’s dimen- the bible become a liability to a dem- are exposed to numerous apoc- al accountability of “the word of God.” sions are listed. If they inquire further ocratic society if these unfounded be- Cryphal stories from The gross inaccura- as to what a cubit is, they’re left with the liefs persist. The bible’s unreliable text the bible by an early age. cies of the creation myth answer that the ark was 450 feet long, has been used to justify legal stances on Of all these tales, perhaps might go unnoticed by 75 feet wide and 45 feet tall. It won’t slavery, abortion, women’s rights, envi- none is more preposter- children. So, too, might take most youngsters long to realize ronmental issues, immigration, and just ous — even to the mind the implied incest in the that there are a vast number of species about every other matter that has come of a young child — than lineage of Adam and Eve. on Earth, and to fit two to 14 of each of up in a self-governed society. that of Noah’s ark. This However, not long after them on a ship smaller than the U.S.S. Children taught to interpret the absurd fable is regaled encountering the story Arizona is dubious, to say the least. bible literally have been dangerously to youth more frequently of Noah’s Ark, many chil- Astute children who realize these misinformed of its proper usage. When than possibly any other dren will inevitably be flaws and ask questions of them are understood as a work of poetry or a biblical story — spare the left with questions that met with the most dangerous response metaphorical-laden work of fiction, the creation myth or the birth literal translations can’t of all: “God made it so.” This trump bible is fine. But when taught as the irre- of Christ. For an unfor- legitimately answer. One card of ignorance seems to solve every futable words of a supreme creator, the tunate number of these of these is: “How were all discrepancy in the bible. Those who bible becomes a dangerous weapon in youngsters, this fallacy is Joseph Sankowski of the animals able to get hear it used to account for one biblical the hands of an irresponsible owner. No taught as fact. Misguided along without eating each illogicality are bound to hear it used sane person would use the Quidditch parents, teachers and ministers, who other?” Many children are sure to re- for another. This sentiment is echoed matches in the Harry Potter series as a were often themselves erroneously led ceive the perfunctory “Noah kept them through phrases such as “God works flight manual. In the same manner, no in their youth, preach this fabrication in separate pens” answer, but then what in mysterious ways.” This repugnant sensible person should use the bible as line of thought is the ultimate appeal an authority on ethics or the history of to ignorance. To claim that “God” the Earth, the cosmos or humanity. Its Freedom from Religion Foundation intervenes on the rules that “God made” credibility comes into question almost in order to account for the bible’s immediately after one begins to read it. P.O. Box 750 • Madison, WI 53701 • (608) 256-8900 • FFRF.org numerous incompatibilities is a surefire Yet, every day, countless voters and law- What is the Freedom From Religion Foundation? way to nurture an irrational mind. These makers use it as the basis for their be- 006980 Founded in 1978 as a national organization of freethinkers (atheists and “miracles” are the only thing keeping liefs, decisions and policies. This puerile agnostics), the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., works to keep state literal interpretations of the bible afloat. trust in a fallacious book should have and church separate and to educate the public about the views of nontheists. Children are routinely indoctrinated sunk with Noah’s Ark. FFRF has more than 30,000 members. FFRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and by this nonsense before they reach the Joseph, 27, is from Toledo, Ohio, and donations are tax deductible for income tax purposes. age of reason. attends the University of Toledo, where he is FFRF’s email address is [email protected]. Please include your name and physical With the age of reason these ques- majoring in middle childhood education as mailing address with all email correspondence. tions often arise. With these ques- an undergrad. After some time re-evaluating FFRF members wishing to receive online news releases, “action alerts” and tions come the uninformed answers. his career path, he decided to go back to college “Freethought of the Day” should contact [email protected]. Through repeated exposure to this at age 24 to pursue a career as a sixth-grade material, many unfortunate kids be- English and social studies teacher. Page 14 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

Fourth place To question is damnation

FFRF awarded Danyka $2,000. sustenance for the ward dependent upon staunch obedience to indisputable de- the parental figurehead(s). In order cree seek to gain positions of absolute By Danyka J. Morgan to keep the maturing adolescent safe, unremitting authority. Under religious those considered to have the “wisdom” persuasion, individuals are led to be- he biblical myth of Eve in the set rules and boundaries for guiding the lieve they cannot be responsible for Garden of Eden partaking of the developing individual. As children grow, themselves. A moral code is provided Tforbidden fruit is one of the most learn and explore, they begin to cross for the faithful. Questions and answers prolific scriptural anecdotes within the thresholds of development that require are limited by governing sources. Self- Christian narrative. Eve’s tale transfix- pushing against previously established gained wisdom is forbidden. One can es the reader through relatable moral boundaries. Children fathom how such re- elements that sink its abysmal hooks want to know why, to straining regulations into the psyche of the individual read- experience life, and A nation thoroughly might suppress inno- er. This effect ripples into culture as to seek knowledge influenced by Christian vation and evolution. individuals studying this ideology form for themselves. In “ While Eve’s biblical ideology is rife with communities that propagate obvious the allegory of Eve — passage of defiance pernicious policies that anti-feminine dogma. Such deleterious and as with religion disseminates anti-fem- principles also encourage policies that — questioning is exclude female input inist rhetoric in favor are uninformed at the very least and not tolerated. Even and personal choice. of patriarchal domi- often harmful to society at large. Most more so, curiosity is — Danyka J. Morgan nance, the extreme concerning, Eve’s punishment for the punishable. religious command act of seeking wisdom through inquis- To hinder person- to deny the pursuit of Danyka J. Morgan itive exploration sends a clear message al growth of a child in actuality would knowledge cannot be ignored within the to its readers: Do not question. The re- be considered abhorrent. In a religious text. Religion seeks to mediate inquiry ligious objective is to provide human- by Christian ideology is rife with perni- setting it is normative. Those who poke and answer. To soothe quizzical minds kind with a moral code decided upon cious policies that exclude female input at the incoherent — and often contra- into a mass religious psychosis reliant by the leaders of this blind belief. Re- and personal choice. This claim is cor- dictory — veil of biblical “wisdom” are on an “all-knowing” hand to spoon feed liance on an external force to dictate roborated by the century it took to gain outcasts, nonbelievers, or in the very personal morals and dictate capricious a personal moral code halts the devel- women’s suffrage and is most currently least, confused. One is required to be- cultural boundaries. These arbitrary opmental process for the individual. observable in present policy dictating lieve without evidence, to obey without strictures foster stagnation of society Further, persecution over the pursuit women’s reproductive rights. complaint. An environment that fosters through a culture shackled by religious of knowledge produces a society un- This position has been compre- healthy development promotes explora- constraints and stifled by an omnipotent interested in the quest for truth and hensively recognized and discussed at tion of theory, encourages investigation authority that claims to reign supreme in open-minded exploration of inquiry. length throughout modern intellectual and welcomes open-ended discussion. knowledge. Instead, one should refute The biblical myth identifies Eve culture. More nuanced, however, are Religious dogma prohibits these exam- and reject religious dogma to inquire as both the initiating transgressor of the implications of religious dogma that inations. The castigation of Eve warns and explore beyond religious boundar- treachery and the mischievous manip- require its followers to consider person- faith followers that seeking wisdom is ies. To take of the forbidden fruit. ulator of her male counterpart. Super- al exploration for “wisdom” as a sin. out of bounds. To question is to invite Danyka, 25, is from Meridian, Idaho, ficial religious principles derived from The setting of the fabled Garden damnation, according to biblical text. and attends the College of Western Idaho, this part of the myth — along with re- of Eden tale is analogous to the As the average adolescent progresses where she is working on a master’s degree in curring anti-female themes throughout environment of an adolescent in the throughout life, guardianship will ta- social work. She is the mother of three kids the bible — endorse patriarchal atti- real world. The authority figure (God per off until the individual has gained who are being raised as freethinkers. Her in- tudes that suffocate the advocacy of fem- in the case of religion, guardians in enough knowledge to govern their own terests include the human psyche and person- inism. A nation thoroughly influenced the circumstances of a child) provide actions responsibly. Entities that require al wellness.

Fifth place The absence of great responsibility

FFRF awarded Angela $1,500. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, they could produce letters of ordina- for example, specifically states that or- tion. Such explicit judicial exemptions By Angela Wu dained individuals are given “sacred no longer exist in modern-day Ameri- character” by the Holy Spirit. This sa- ca, but religious institutions still enjoy nyone arrogant enough credness implies that priests and their many unspoken benefits that diminish to reject the verdict of the actions are morally correct by nature, legal accountability. Victims of clerical “A judge or of the priest who enabling abusive behavior to go un- abuse may, therefore, run into sub- represents the Lord your God must checked or unnoticed. This has been stantial roadblocks when they choose die” (Deuteronomy 17:12). particularly damaging for minors, but to pursue their abusers in court. For The bible has long been one of other populations are also vulnerable. example, the Pennsylvania attorney America’s most cherished works, and All priests are, of course, not predators this remains true in the 21st century. or morally corrupt, but the halo effect According to a 2017 Gallup poll, 26 afforded to religious leaders has led FFRF’s classic percent of Americans believe the bible to systemic patterns of abuse within is the actual word of God and should be American society. ‘Freethinker’ mug taken literally, while 47 percent believe In Minnesota, the Catholic archdi- Our classic ‘Freethinker’ mug has it is inspired by God and should be tak- ocese reported its clergy had sexually been re-created. White imprint on en somewhat literally. When taken liter- abused over 450 children. In Texas, ap- classic blue, matte finish. 9.5 fl.oz. ally, the verse above subsequently indi- proximately 380 members of the South- American-made mug. Angela Wu cates the death of one who challenges ern Baptist Church sexually abused the authority or wisdom of a religious more than 700 individuals in its con- leader. When taken figuratively, the power has failed to consistently emerge gregation. These instances of miscon- verse nevertheless urges readers to im- among American church officials and duct have all been in recent times, but plicitly trust the judgment of religious religious institutions, resulting in det- evidence of clergy abuse also dates back authorities, as these authorities are or- rimental consequences for individuals hundreds of years. In fact, William Cax- dained, exceptional and representative and society as a whole. This is particu- ton published a book in 1483 specifical- of God himself. larly relevant in regard to clerical sexu- ly detailing clerical sexual misbehavior However, in the words of a charac- al abuse in the United States. in medieval London. ter from another cherished American First, as the bible’s teachings imply Furthermore, verses like Deuteron- work (Spider-Man), “With great pow- literal or figurative death to those who omy 17:12 enable religious figures to — Item# MU01 er comes great responsibility.” Indeed, question their priests, abusive behavior be held above the law, even when sur- $20 postpaid there perhaps exist few greater powers by members of the clergy go potential- vivors consult secular authorities. His- than the power to hold a subordinate’s ly unreported. This is because priests torically, in England and the American Call 800/335-4021 unadulterated trust. Despite this, the enjoy the presumption of infallibility colonies, clergy members were given Online ffrf.org/shop responsibility associated with this great on the basis of their priesthood. The exemption from capital punishment if November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 15 general’s office issued a report noting abuse.” These lobbying efforts are per- and religious institutions enormous great responsibility, the civil liberties of how government officials stopped in- haps unwittingly aided by the special privilege in American society, even in vulnerable societal populations contin- vestigating cases of clerical pedophilia privileges afforded to religious insti- the face of obvious misconduct. This ue to suffer. upon the request of a bishop, who tutions in the United States, such as endangers individuals in church con- Angela, 23, is from Sparks, Md., and “openly boasted about his influence automatic tax-exempt status. These gregations, but it also endangers the attends the University of Pennsylvania over local office-holders.” instances of special treatment make it civil liberties of all potential sexual Law School. She graduated from the Uni- Additionally, church-led lobbying more laborious for victims of clerical abuse survivors through church-led lob- versity of Maryland, where she majored in efforts can further impede victims of abuse to obtain justice, fundamentally bying efforts. As historically witnessed, life sciences and sociology, with a focus on clerical abuse from seeking justice. In infringing on the right every American priests and ministers have the potential social psychology. She is also particularly 2019, a report revealed that the Cath- citizen has to equal protection under to commit wrongdoing just as easily interested in research and has previous- olic Church spent $10.6 million over the law. as the unordained, even as stringent ly published neurosurgical and ophthal- eight years “to lobby against legislation Deuteronomy 17:12 is a biblical readings of the bible continue to imply mological papers with the Johns Hopkins that would benefit victims of child sex teaching that continues to give priests otherwise. As a result, in the absence of School of Medicine. Sixth place Christianity and welfare FFRF awarded Ben $1,000. Yet, many Christians would rather focus at Texas A&M University found that 61 on charity and eliminate these programs percent of American households, not By Ben Stokes altogether. accounting for religion, gave 3.7 percent If charities are the supposed solution of their income to charity. These statis- hile some sects of Christianity to human misfortune and suffering, tics suggest that adhering to a Christian preach generosity and compas- then it’s important to examine how do- belief system, including but not limited Wsion for the disadvantaged, oth- nations to charities and religious entities to concepts of charitability, does not en- ers weigh more heavily on the “prosper- play out in our communities. According sure higher rates of donations. ity gospel.” This rationale espouses that to Christianity Today, from 2015 to 2016 Upon closer inspection, those who those who work hard and put their faith there was a 2.2 percent rise in cash con- say they support charity over govern- in the Lord flourish, whereas the sloth- tributions, equating to a total of $12.6 mental interventions do not practice ful and unrepentant do not. This can be billion, to evangelical ministries. At what they preach. Conservative Chris- seen in the parable of the talents in Mat- the same time, these very ministries de- tian groups say they support charity thew 25:14-30, where a master gives three creased funding to education by 8.3 per- and promote self-reliance in an effort of his slaves varying amounts of talents, cent, rehab by 5.4 percent, community to help those in poverty. However, these or property, to do with as they will while development by 2.6 percent, and relief remedial avenues ultimately fail to ade- he is away. Two of them put their talents and development by 1.2 percent. The quately support the millions of impov- to work (in other words, they invest), areas with the largest increases in fund- erished and undernourished adults and while the third stows his talent away. The Ben Stokes ing were literature and publishing (13.2 children in this country. In truth, the first two earn their master more talents percent), adoption (11.4 percent), and antiquated ideology of pulling oneself and receive praise, while the latter is ad- camps and conferences (10.1 percent). up by the bootstraps serves only to de- monished as wicked and lazy. Family Foundation found that, com- An additional study by The Giving Insti- monize those who struggle to provide The prosperity gospel, most clearly pared to the nonreligious, white evan- tute noted that 32 percent of all charita- for themselves and their families as seen in evangelical and Mormon follow- gelicals were three times more likely to ble donations in 2015 went to churches. deserving of this fate because they are ings, largely rejects governmental rem- blame poverty on a lack of effort. Yet, Together, the aforementioned statis- lazy and unrighteous. The true laziness, edies for impoverished communities in empirical evidence from the Labor Cen- tics indicate that much of the funding it seems, is in the hearts and minds of favor of faith and travail. Both groups ter at University of California-Berkeley churches receive directly benefits the those whose words and actions charade are staunchly against welfare programs. shows the contrary: The impoverished religious institutions themselves, rather as charity, but in reality, do little more In their eyes, using the welfare system are often victims of circumstance and than those vulnerable in the communi- than provide a false sense of superiority. creates a “mentality of dependency.” will do everything they can to improve ty. How, then, does this form of charity Ben, 29, is from Hillsboro, Ore., and at- This prejudice perpetuates the myth their situation. However, most cannot suffice to provide for those in need? tends George Washington University, where that hard work and gumption alone cul- simply claw their way out. Those strug- Regardless of efficacy, believing that he is working on his doctorate of physical ther- tivate success, while ignoring the harsh gling face many barriers, including giving to charity is the only way to help apy. He was raised as a Mormon. “Once I reality of systemic barriers. health care costs, housing costs, trans- the less fortunate ought to correlate with reached the age of reason, things didn’t quite Many evangelicals and Mormons portation costs, education, adequate nu- increases in charitable donations, but it line up,” he writes. “With an open mind, I further condemn the poor as eager for trition and childcare in order to be able does not. In a study done by Nonprofits began evaluating the things around me and “handouts,” contributing to the stigma to hold a job. All of these disadvantages Source, Christians who donate give 2.5 found them to be lacking. I no longer find ful- that they are not hard-working. A poll could be overcome with the implemen- percent of their income to charity. On fillment in blind faith, but instead in helping by the Washington Post and the Kaiser tation of proper governmental policies. the other hand, research by economists those around me.”

Seventh place Bought at a high price

FFRF awarded Meagan $750. body is to sin against God’s temple. God and fellow Christians. This particular bible verse is wide- Teaching adolescents to wait until By Meagan McLendon ly spread to Christian adolescents at marriage — or suffer the consequenc- home and church as a warning to flee es — has influenced educational pol- lee from sexual immorality. from having sex before marriage and icy. Much like The Purity Code, absti- Do you not know that your to remain “pure.” Focus on the Family, nence-based education uses shame as a “F bodies are temples of the Holy one of America’s most popular Chris- means of teaching students to remain Spirit, who is in you, whom you have re- tian ministries, directs its millions of pure until marriage. And the strongest ceived from God? You are not your own; followers to Jim Burns’ The Purity Code tool in the abstinence toolkit is the vir- you were bought at a high price. There- for sex education. The Purity Code is ginity/object-based metaphor. In public fore, honor God with your bodies.” about remaining pure until marriage, schools, middle-school-aged girls are All across the internet, one can find and “those who don’t follow the Code compared to unchewed pieces of gum Photoshopped graphics of this verse will possibly give their bodies sexual- or unused pieces of tape as a means of pasted over images of piney woods, ly outside of marriage. They may fill guilt-tripping young women away from steaming cups of coffee or young wom- their bodies with unwholesome ingre- sex. In the case of Jackie Kendall’s widely en donned in flower crowns gazing dients, including alcohol and drugs. popular Lady in Waiting: Becoming God’s upon a sunset. At first glance, these im- They might even cut themselves and Best While Waiting for Mr. Right, girls are ages are a fairly benign verse instruct- do other types of self-injury,” accord- unwrapped gifts. “Have you ever secretly ing young Christians to respect one’s Meagan McLendon ing to Burns. opened a Christmas gift before Christ- body. However, behind a well-chosen Following the verses in 1 Corinthi- mas Day and rewrapped it, putting it cursive font and stock photo, one can has shamed and emotionally stunted ans 6:18-20 is a dotted line to sign the back under the tree? But what about the find a host of problematic issues fac- generations of women. purity code contract. There is no stan- ‘big day’ when the gifts were supposed ing American youth today, particularly According to that verse, sexual im- dard for sex outside of marriage that to be opened for the first time?” Kendall when it comes to sexuality. Ultimately, morality is to sin against one’s own doesn’t include unwanted pregnancy, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20’s focus on purity body. And to sin against one’s own STDs, or suffering the judgment of See McLendon on page 16 Page 16 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

McLendon But what does this do to young wom- our own value” and “shake our confi- standard and treat sexuality as shameful. en? The pressure to be “pure” severely dence in life and cause enormous self- Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has Continued from page 15 impacts self-worth and relationships doubt and demoralization,” according donated thousands to Focus on the Fami- throughout a lifetime. Feelings like to Peter Breggin, author of Guilt, Shame ly, and as long as conservative politics and asks. “Where was the excitement when shame and guilt “can make us feel small, and Anxiety: Understanding and Overcom- religion are entwined, girls will suffer. you opened your gift? The gift did not powerless, and meaningless in relation- ing Negative Emotions. Meagan, 28, is from Austin, Texas, and seem quite as special because it had al- ship to other people” as well as “lead to Generations of women have been attends the University of North Texas, where ready been opened for the first time.” dreary speculation about our place in taught to place purity above strength, she is working on a master’s degree in li- No matter the object, each scenario the universe rather than an enthusiastic compassion or self-respect. As opposed brary science. She’s a library assistant and draws on the same conclusion: What engagement with life.” Such negative to comprehensive sex education, church- wants to dedicate her life to the distribution man would want an impure woman? emotions can also “make us question es and schools still teach the biblical of information.

Eighth place Thank God I stopped believing FFRF awarded Alexis $500. girls. It is not in “God’s” plan. “You shall because they themselves do not require only intends for there to be women not lie with a male as with a woman; it such actions. and men since that is what is indicat- By Alexis Muschal is an abomination” — Leviticus 18:22. Even the vice presidency is wrought ed in Genesis. I have seen instances I have heard misogynist and ho- with bigotry, as the vice president re- of non-binary and trans people being or God knows that in the day mophobic propaganda for years. For fuses to even enter rooms alone with discriminated against over the use of you eat of it, your eyes will be the first 17 years of my life during a woman other than his wife, hinting bathrooms and told they don’t belong. “Fopened, and you will be like which I identified as religious, I bought that it is the woman’s fault should he I see pundits pushing for “bathroom God, knowing good and this thinking. One day, I be “tempted.” This thinking is used to laws,” claiming that anyone not strictly evil. So, when the woman thought to myself, “What justify sexual assault and rape as is seen cisgender could be a child molester. saw that the tree was good would happen if I didn’t widely after the I feel like that for food, that it was pleas- believe? What if I chose “Me Too” move- little girl who had ant to the eyes, and a tree wisdom of the tree over ment. Women’s I feel put down as to hide from her desirable to make one the arbitrary rules of the “impurity” is to be a woman knowing that own sexuality even wise, she took of its fruit Church? What if I could blamed for all of “ a decade after she there are people out and ate.” Genesis 3:5-7 love and be myself, guilt- these attacks. no longer believed Imagine growing up free?” So, I stopped be- As a bisexual, there who automatically the lies of Leviti- Catholic, hearing this lieving. I have been so I see politicians disqualify me as a woman cus. I feel put down verse and believing that much happier ever since. passing laws that because of book written as a woman know- women were the first There are still many allow for religious over two millennia ago. ing that there are true sinners. Try being a moments when I feel like freedom over my people out there little girl who was taught that little girl again. I see sexual freedom. — Alexis Muschal who automatically that a woman’s period Alexis Muschal typically conservative pol- Religious liberty disqualify me as a comes from woman’s iticians act in ways that laws openly allow for discrimination woman because of book written over first sin. Think about how this im- are outright sexist and get supported by against LGBTQ members. While I am two millennia ago. I am terrified that pacts a growing mind that is already a large evangelical base. Misogyny that all for allowing people to believe as kids will learn to hate themselves and faced with a myriad of lies about her takes root in religious tradition springs they will, I do not want those beliefs others as I did growing up. If this is identity: Women are the weaker sex, up in political debate about women’s infringing upon my rights. It is none how the bible is being used, I don’t the fairer sex, and truly not capable of rights to join the military, women’s of my baker’s business who I chose to think it lives up to its purpose. Or anything outside “God’s” role for her qualifications to be president or other marry, and I don’t believe that per- maybe it is. in the home. esteemed offices, and women’s right to son should be allowed to openly dis- Alexis, 29, is from Villa Park, Ill., and Now imagine you are that little girl, choose. Politicians and public leaders criminate against me and my partner attends Boston University Graduate School and in addition to all that, you discover defer to the idea that women are un- because of their beliefs, which, quite of Medicine, where she is working toward a that on top of liking boys, you also like worthy or weak and cannot be trusted frankly, are none of my business. master’s degree in forensic anthropology. She girls. But then you remember that the in this manner. They attempt to strike I have many friends on the gender also works at the Museum of Science and teachers and priests at your Catholic down affirmative-action laws which spectrum that identify as nonbinary Industry in Chicago, where she volunteers school have made sure you know that have largely supported women. They or gender queer. I witness so many teaching female colleagues how to build sim- it’s wrong. You can’t like other little posit that we no longer need these laws religious people claiming that “God” ple fighting robots.

Ninth place Evangelicals and environmental responsibility FFRF awarded Neal $400. alists in his cabinet, giving fundamentalists minion over the fish of the sea, the birds an enormous amount of power. It’s been of the air, and all living things that crawl on By Neil Heacox argued, in fact, that biblical literalism is the Earth.” At first glance, this translation what’s keeping Americans from an agree- seems straightforward, but scholars don’t ible passages are common justi- ment to fight climate change. agree. The bible often uses dominion as fications used by evangelical cli- The most influential evangelicals in his a synonym for authority and self-sacrificial Bmate-change denialists to excuse administration have included Vice Pres- love, rather than exploitation, as when it harming our planet for personal gain. ident Mike Pence, Agriculture Secretary mentions parents’ dominion over their This religious group uses the bible and Sonny Perdue (who questioned the link children and God’s relationship with hu- its outsized political strength to quash between climate mans. Unfortunately, science-based public policy and the func- change and weather fundamentalists use tioning of our government, hurting society events), former EPA Biblical literalism is the biblical texts in an and everyone on Earth. head Scott Pruitt (a first defense evangelicals overly literalistic way, The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel climate-change de- “ ignoring cultural, use to shirk responsibility. on Climate Change report finally roused nier), and former historical or literary mainstream politicians to acknowledge White House Press — Neal Heacox context. Another the urgent threat of human-caused climate Secretary Sarah passage contradicts change. Since then, we get seemingly daily Neal Heacox Huckabee Sanders the “exploitation” ar- reports of increased frequency of extreme (“We’ll leave climate change to a much, gument: “God took the man and put him weather events, higher levels of carbon mate denialists, despite compelling ev- much higher authority.”). in the Garden of Eden to work it and take dioxide contributing to lung disease and idence from its own scientists. Trump’s With evangelists in power, environmen- care of it.” Evangelical leaders are promot- respiratory problems, and even warnings administration withdrew from the Paris tal progress is backsliding. Two core evan- ing particular verses over others to advance that corn production could fall 50 percent Climate Accord, approved new mining gelical beliefs (biblical literalism and Je- their denialist agendas. by century’s end. leases for coal, cut water and air pollu- sus’ return / apocalyptic imminence) are The next most commonly used passages Findings from scientific research on tion regulations, proposed expanding taught in a way that discourages concern are apocalyptic. Some evangelicals point to climate change have become so dire it offshore drilling, and more. Why? His ad- for nature’s stewardship. God’s promise to Noah that he won’t flood can almost seem fictional, but fact-based, ministration is chock-full of evangelicals, Biblical literalism is the first defense the Earth again. Others cite the apocalypse peer-reviewed analyses are the only logical the one voting block consistently resistant evangelicals use to shirk responsibility. in Revelation, Hosea and Psalms as a good sources for governmental guidance. to climate change. As Vice has reported, Genesis 1:28 is the most popular verse, in thing: that the Earth giving way, animals Sadly, the White House sided with cli- Trump has put a number of biblical liter- which God instructs humans to “have do- dying, and seas frothing are God’s plan to November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 17

save the righteous while Earth and every- change their meaning to fit your world- The undue political influence these a master’s degree in landscape architecture. “I one else are disposable collateral. Some view. Using such an ambiguous text for evangelical denialists have is troubling. moved to New York City to work in graphic even use Jesus to excuse responsibility: public policy is dangerous. Our laws and Our current leaders justify corruption design and along the way was disheartened Luke 21:25-28 states that roaring seas and Constitution, while not perfect, are gen- and greed at the expense of destroying our by the lack of nature in the lives of everyday nations in peril signal his second coming, erally better guides for lawmakers. The planet as their win-win ticket into heaven, urbanites,” he writes. “When the Intergovern- so the faithful need not fear. Constitution strongly advocates for sepa- while the rest of us face environmental col- mental Panel on Climate Change released its Evangelicals pick and choose what ration of church and state, something the lapse and death. The fact that this is our 2018 report, I decided rearranging pixels on a God has promised them — will he not forefathers considered a necessary safe- current reality and not some fictional hor- screen wasn’t enough of a purpose, and decid- destroy the Earth, or is it a sign they’ll guard for a multicultural society. Using ror movie should terrify everyone. ed to pursue a major in landscape architecture be saved when he does? Bible verses a bible for public policy then is not only Neil, 29, is from San Diego and attends with the goal of better interweaving the natural can function like horoscopes: You can unfair and problematic, but unpatriotic. Cal Poly Pomona, where he is working toward world with the human world.” Tenth place (tie) The dangers of a blind land FFRF awarded Sam $300. Obedience of the kind embodied by ence, enabling the regime to get away with the above bible verse rejects this type of self-benefiting behaviors without having to By Sam Hyde questioning. Instead, readers are simply worry about revolts. The regime in North told to believe in their leaders, and to not Korea uses this method, having formed ave confidence in your leaders, make life difficult for them. In such a so- a cult of personality around the head of and submit to their authority, be- ciety, scientific progress would slow to a state, in which citizens are indoctrinated Hcause they keep watch over you as crawl. This would leave erroneous and to be blindly obedient to whoever the cur- those who must give an account. Do this dangerous models, such as the theories rent Glorious Leader is, regardless of the so that their work will be a joy, not a bur- that led to asbestos — now known to be failings of the nation around them. This, den, for that would be of no benefit to carcinogenic — being used as a construc- obviously, is not an ideal state for society. you. — Hebrews 13:17 tion material. Science needs to be able to Civilization has reached the point There are themes in the bible that question authority to develop and adapt, where the status quo is no longer work- some would consider to be against the best something that the obedience preferred able. The crises that will come in the interests of modern society — verses that by the bible is incompatible with. next decades are global, in effect, and endorse slavery, gender subordination and Blind obedience also leads to the en- will require innovation in both science sexual subordination. The passage of time abling of despotic regimes. Hebrews 13:17 and policy to overcome. Blind obedi- Sam Hyde and sift of cultural beliefs have worked instructs readers to just believe in their ence of the type proselytized by Hebrews against these practices, and they’ve fallen as a discipline, hasn’t had a perfect track leaders, and have confidence in their ac- 13:17 stymies both of these matters. It out of favor among many sects. There are, record when it comes to getting things tions. However, questioning leaders is an quells the populace and prevents them however, other tenets in the bible that have right on the first try. Diseases were once important tool in the political arsenal, from holding their leaders to account successfully resisted time’s ravages, yet have thought to be caused by bad air, the solar especially in a democracy such as the for failing to deal with issues in an ap- the capability to damage civilization — in- system was considered to be geocentric, United States, where public displeasure is propriate manner. It stymies the devel- cluding Hebrews 13:17. It tells readers to and slaves only ran away because they suf- the only thing reining in representatives. opment of new scientific theories and not only obey their leader, but to have con- fered from drapetomania. Each of these The United States itself was born out of inventions that could help mitigate the fidence in them, to not make their work “a theories ended up being overturned by colonists questioning and eventually dis- issues before us. These cause society to burden.” This type of obedience is blind, later researchers, working from newer obeying the British Empire in order to simply sit in place and stagnate, unable in that it suggests that people should nev- models and with new information. Over- form a new country. Questioning leaders to break free from a rigid status quo. er question authority, but merely follow turning these erroneous models often is the central pillar of current democrat- Given the global crises coming upon us, along like sheep. This line of thought is meant going against existing authority, ic regimes. If politicians were never held this simply is not an option. dangerous, stymying scientific innovation sometimes enduring ridicule by peers and accountable by the populace for their ac- Sam, 26, is from Tallahassee, Fla., and at- and enabling despotic regimes. superiors to do so. A large part of scientific tions, they wouldn’t need to take actions tends the University of Florida Levin School of First and foremost, blind obedience research has arisen from individuals ques- to benefit the citizenry. Despotic regimes Law. He is interested in reading, chess and the stifles scientific innovation because it dis- tioning accepted explanations and investi- often take advantage of this, indoctrinat- occasional delivery of a lengthy philosophical courages questioning authority. Science, gating alternative possibilities. ing their citizens into a state of total obedi- argument to his cat.

Tenth place (tie) The bible as a scapegoat

FFRF awarded Jonathan $300. which these migrants and their children is not about enforcing laws or maintain- are being held, he derailed that discus- ing order, but rather about perpetuating By Jonathan Ortiz sion entirely by alluding to the bible as white privilege and systemic racism. reason why these conditions are, in fact, Until politicians and voters quit giv- n U.S. politics, the Christian bible com- just: In short, the U.S. government has ing such inordinate deference to reli- mands an astounding amount of re- laws against persons illegally entering the gion, Sessions and others will continue Ispect from voters and politicians. While country, and because the government to use the bible to restrict liberties and some forms of government support of and its laws are ordained by God and repress the American people into sub- Christianity have successfully been advo- these migrants are entering illegally, they mission. It is, after all, much easier to cated against or ruled unconstitutional, it deserve the consequences. What is inter- garner public support with a bible verse is disturbing how much power politicians esting is that Romans 13:1 is not cited than it is with a statement declaring your still wield in political discourse and pub- when evangelical zealots illegally bring bigotry and goal to force said bigotry lic policy when armed with the bible. religion into our classrooms or into our onto all Americans. Romans 13:1 is one such verse that is public spaces, or when they attempt to Romans 13:1 is just one example of used by politicians today to justify and restrict a woman’s constitutional right to the way in which the bible continues to guide bad public policy. It reads that make use of family-planning services. harm people today, especially those peo- “everyone [is] subject to the governing Sessions further stated that “orderly ple whose civil liberties are already com- authorities” as “the authorities that exist Jonathan Ortiz and lawful processes are good in them- promised. We must begin to call out ap- have been established by God.” In con- selves and protect the weak and lawful” — peals to the bible for what they really are: text, Paul the Apostle does not call for In June 2018, then-Attorney General except that these policies do not protect cowardly excuses. As then-White House subservient obedience to government Jeff Sessions cited Romans 13:1 as justi- those individuals. In late June, Francisco Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and its public officials under all circum- fication for the Trump administration’s Erwin Galicia, an 18-year-old Dallas-born stated, it is “very biblical to enforce the stances, but rather refers to the view that harsh policy stance on immigration, sep- U.S. citizen, was unlawfully detained for law,” especially when those laws attempt human governance is transcended by arating children from their parents and more than three weeks by border officials to mainstream the racist, regressive and God’s divine governance and is there- holding them in facilities where living when he could not present a passport to atavistic worldviews of those devoid of fore included as a part of the divine or- conditions are tantamount to those that officials while traveling within the Unit- compassion or empathy. der. This nuance, as with all other widely exist within concentration camps. Ses- ed States. He reportedly lost 26 pounds Jonathan, 21, is from Gainesville, Fla., used bible verses, is not understood by sions stated that people should “obey the during his detention time, was not allowed and attends the University of Florida, where most, and so its superficial interpretation laws of the government because God has to shower, and even considered self-de- he is studying economics and working to- is used to justify restriction of the most ordained them for the purpose of order.” porting to escape the conditions. It is clear ward a master’s degree. He was born and basic values of freedom and opportunity Instead of addressing serious concerns from this case and others like it that this raised in Germany. He would like a job in upon which our republic was founded. about the inhumane conditions under administration’s stance on immigration the public sector. Page 18 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 FFRF student essay honorable mentions FFRF selected eight essays from the ties and adversely affect individuals, ulti- it is no wonder why children and some Samaya, 29, is from American Fork, Utah, graduate/“older” student essay contest mately, people have the right to believe women are ashamed of their bodies. The and attends Roseman University of Health Sci- that it deemed worthy of honorable men- what they want. As such, it is imperative effect that this lack of self-esteem causes ences where she is working toward a doctor of tion status. Each of the following students that we challenge theistnormative ways on our society is clear to see. Men are pharmacy degree. received $200 from FFRF. To read each of of thinking that lead people to conclude clearly valued more than women, even the honorable mention essays in full, go that everyone else in the United States is though the power of life resides within a to freethoughttoday.com. somehow obligated to follow these same woman’s womb. By Chelsea Robinson Here are edited excerpts from each logics of the bible. Miranda, 30, is from Arlington, Texas, one, including the bible verses the stu- Kristina, 28, is from Fort Collins, Colo., and attends Texas Tech University Health Sci- “Wives, be subject to your husbands as you dents used for their essays. and is attending Colorado State Universi- ence Center, where she is majoring in clinical are to the Lord. For the husband is the head ty, where she is working toward a Ph.D. in laboratory sciences. of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the communication studies. church.” — 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 By Florencia Alejandra ne of the most egregious views that Cabral Berenfus By Amber Osborn the bible supports is the subservi- By Amber Wright Oence of wives to their husbands. “God created man in his own image “If anyone would come after me, let him This is a prevalent theme throughout the […] male and female created he them.” hristianity has been intertwined deny himself and take up his cross daily and bible that fails to protect women from “[…] and God said unto them, Be fruitful, into America’s being from small in- follow me.” — Luke 9:23. harm and inevita- and multiply, and replenish the Earth.” Cstances such as “In God We Trust” his verse and others call for hu- bly sets up a dan- — Genesis 1:27 on currency to larger and more influ- mankind to deny themselves and gerous precedent hristianity has certainly taken it ential areas such as policy. Policies in Tgive control of their lives to their that a husband’s to heart; We are hardly surprised the United States god. This loss of self is detrimental to actions cannot be C at its ongoing war on nonprocre- based on the bible the individual psyche, produces a group disputed. ative heterosexual intercourse, uses of and Christianity mentality that ex- Commerce, birth control or reproductive rights, in have been and con- cludes outsiders women’s rights, general. tinue to be unfair to make them feel and, most impor- In more general to and disenfran- isolated, and gives tantly, lives are at terms, the battle re- chise groups such people validation stake when real-life ligious groups wage as women, the of their bigotries. Chelsea Robinson implications of this is against safe, legal LGBTQ commu- As a whole, the verse are upheld access to services nity and people of teachings the bi- among Christian communities. like contracep- color. These beliefs ble support only The bible quote implies (“just as tion, STD testing, Amber Wright continue to prevail a group mentality, Christ is the head of the church”) that sex education and today and prevent losing the individ- husbands can commit spousal abuse and abortions. progressive social change. Amber Osborn ual along the way. deter their wives from seeking help or We know that Many Christian politicians will use the We often find leaving them due to these abuses. The Florencia Alejandra denying youth sex bible to support their stance on women’s that people use the bible for their own verse also supposes that wives should Cabral Berenfus education and rights, equal pay or even why a woman prejudices. We often find people citing worship their husbands as they do the contraception can shouldn’t be president. the bible for controversial issues like Lord, which directly compares husbands only lead to a teenage pregnancy crisis, The inferiority of women is present abortion and LGBTQ rights. These to the Lord and contradicts their infal- and an increased demand for abortions throughout the bible, starting from people turn to their church for sup- libility. This could further be construed — the very phenomenon these groups the book of Genesis, which states that port, hiding behind the group instead that a husband’s abuse of his wife is godly wage against. Moreover, we know that Adam was made in God’s image, making of admitting their own bias. This is ex- should she “deserve it.” undermining the work of such publicly him and thus all subsequent men holy, tremely harmful when there is a large Chelsea, 30, is from West Hollywood, Ca- funded organizations would have an es- whereas Eve was created by God taking assembly of people seeking to alter lif., and attends the University of Southern pecially devastating impact on working- one of Adam’s ribs (Genesis 2:22) and another’s lives to their own desires, all California, where she is working toward a class women and men, leading to further not made in God’s image, but only as an based on a book written by humankind master’s degree in marketing and consumer hardship and societal inequality. extension of Adam. centuries ago. behavior. As a text of ancient doctrines and This theme of women’s inferiority is Amber, 29, is from Piedmont, Kan., and ostensibly discriminatory content, it not only present in the Old Testament, attends Butler Community College, working on simply has no role in the context of but also the New Testament. The bible is an associate’s degree in nursing. By James Bingaman policymaking. a piece of literature that has no place to Florencia, 29, is from Boulder, Colo., shape public policy as it deprives minority “Let everyone be subject to the governing and attends the University of Colora- groups of civil rights and prevents our so- By Samaya Shuput authorities, for there is no authority except do-Boulder, where she is majoring in ap- ciety from achieving equality and equity. that which God has established. The author- plied computer science as an undergrad. Amber, 26, is from New York City and at- “But because of the temptation to sexual ities that exist have been established by God.” tends the New School, where she is working to- immorality, each man should have his own — Romans 13 ward a master’s degree in media studies. wife and each woman her own husband.” ou can see why governments in pow- By Kristina M. Lee — 1 Corinthians 7:2. er would use such a quote. It takes his verse implies that sex before the onus off of them and puts it on By Miranda Percy Y “If there is a man who lies with a male marriage is immoral. It implies that a higher power. as those who lie with a woman, both of Tabstinence is the only permissible In 2018, then-At- them have committed a detestable act.” “When a woman has a discharge, if her dis- sexual state unless the individual is mar- torney General Jeff — Leviticus 20:13 charge in her body is blood, she shall continue ried as a heterosexual. It is not inclusive Sessions quoted Ro- heistnormative thinking assumes in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and of the LGBTQ+ mans 13 to defend that people will or should em- whoever touches her shall be unclean until eve- community, adoles- the Trump adminis- T brace religious recognitions, rit- ning.” — Leviticus 15:19 cents and teenag- tration’s controver- uals and symbols. In the United States, erhaps if the bible were more fo- ers, or even unmar- sial zero-tolerance theistnormativity (a term I coined) cused on the miracle that is a wom- ried sexually active immigration policy. typically takes the Pan’s body, rather than condemn- individuals. When Sessions was form of Christian ing her, religion could then be more of I believe the criticized for the use privilege, while of- an ally to making women feel that they strongest tool we James Bingaman of this biblical pas- ten claiming to be have nothing to be yield for socie- sage, White House simply reflecting ashamed of. tal change is our Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders the values of the The impact this knowledge. We can responded that she was not aware of what United States. kind of teaching Samaya Shuput teach our commu- Sessions was referring to, but added that There are nu- has on society can nities that they can it is “biblical for a government to enforce merous political still be seen in to- choose to be sexually active and they can the law.” This defense further deepens the situations where day’s socioeconom- avoid consequences if they are respon- idea that the bible is relevant in governing. people have relied ic system. Wom- sible. We can teach our adolescents that As we have seen, if policies are not based Kristina M. Lee on theistnorma- en are constantly they can have low-risk sexual encounters on science and reason, we open ourselves tive assumptions to fighting for equal by getting tested, using contraception, and up to erroneous and disastrous laws intend- make their cases. One of the most vocal rights and simply receiving appropriate vaccinations. We ed to persecute, silence and demean mi- in recent years has been the fight against Miranda Percy want to be treat- can teach our students that they can have norities, LGBTQ individuals, immigrants marriage equality, in which the opposi- ed as equals. This sexual freedom without fear mongering. and a slew of other ostracized groups. tion relied almost entirely on theistnor- verse has the exact opposite effect by Much like how atheism is not a religion James, 26, is from Chandler, Ariz., and mative and biblical arguments. promoting that we ostracize women for — it is lack of religion — abstinence-only attends the University of Delaware, where While it is important to challenge the something that is natural. sexual education is not education — it is a he is working toward a Ph.D. in media and verses in the bible that target civil liber- With verses such as Leviticus 15:19, lack of education. communication. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 19 FFRF ON THE ROAD

FFRF Co-President Dan Barker spoke at East Tennessee State University on Sept. 26. Officers of Secular Humanist Alliance at ETSU are (from left): August Hyde, treasurer; Hannah Rauhuff, president; Dan Barker; Carter Warden; Aaron Barlow, secretary, and Shawn Carter Warden (“Adam Mann”) invited Dan Barker to speak on Sept. 26 Quilliams, vice president. at East Tennessee State University, where he is now assistant director of student activities and organizations, his new job after leaving the ministry. prisoners, however she did snap this photo of the sign outside. Before the meeting, Carter took Dan by the church where he used to minister, and they grabbed this “I am free!” photo. This is the (edited) invitation Markert received from Chaplain Zachary McKenzie at A sidewalk the prison: “Greetings, I am the chaplain at sign pro- Taycheedah Correctional Institution. We are motes Dan a female prison that currently houses 927 Barker’s talk inmates. I am wondering if anyone from FFRF at East would be willing to come lead/speak at our Tennessee humanist/atheist/agnostic service. We have State On Sept. 24, FFRF Legal Director Rebecca 19 women who identify as humanist/atheist/ University Markert spoke to the atheist/agnostic/ agnostic at TCI, and we are currently the only on Sept. 26. humanist group at Taycheedah Correctional prison in Wisconsin that hold services for the Institution (a women’s prison) in Fond humanist/atheist/agnostic umbrella religious du Lac, Wis. Markert said that she was groups. We once received some donated not allowed to bring in anything from the issues of Freethought Today from you and outside, including a camera or phone, so several of the women would like to hear more was unable to get a photo of her visit with about FFRF.”

Photo by Greg Dohler Dan Barker, center, stands with students from the Secular Student Alliance at Colorado State in Fort FFRF Staff Attorney Ryan Jayne speaks Sept. 26 at the 2019 Collins, Colo., on Oct. 3. Members of the SSA include (from left): Holden Copous, Spencer Riley, club SCA Lobby Day on Capitol Hill (in the Rayburn House Office President Ann Kane and Jack Hermanson. Building) in Washington, D.C., about the threat of Christian Nationalism to secularism.

FFRF sponsored a panel on Christian Nationalism at the Religion News Association’s annual convention in Las Vegas in mid-September. FFRF Communications Director Amit Pal, left, was the moderator and author Katherine Stewart, FFRF Director of FFRF Communications Director Amit Pal speaks at a panel on Hindu Nationalism at Strategic Response Andrew L. Seidel and Religion News Service national reporter the Religion News Association’s annual convention in Las Vegas in mid-September. Jack Jenkins were panelists. Page 20 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 LETTERBOX Freethought Hall tour Freethought Today makes Essay winners thank FFRF was great experience the rounds in offices Thank you so much for choosing me to be a recipient of the David Hu- Thanks for all you do. As a new dak essay scholarship. Your generosity has lightened my financial obligations, I take Freethought Today (and oth- member, I am happy to help support which allows me to focus better on my studies. I hope one day I can pay this er magazines and papers) with me in your work in underlining the First kindness and consideration forward in the same way you have helped me. the car. When I’ve finished reading Amendment and helping people to Kathy Ho them, I leave them for others to enjoy think rationally for the benefit of hu- Oklahoma in places such as the doctor’s office, manity. When I found I had an oppor- the mechanic’s lobby, the dentist’s of- tunity to get to Freethought Hall, I Editor’s note: Kathy earned an honorable mention in the 2019 David Hudak College fice. I especially like leaving them in didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t Students of Color Essay Contest. government waiting rooms. even sure if I would be let in the door, Thank you for the scholarship. I am sincerely touched and honored by your One day, I finished the paper at my but Kristina [Daleiden, FFRF’s pro- generosity. With your contribution toward my education, I am able to attend doctor’s office, folded it so the “Free- grams manager] was wonderful and Rutgers University without significant financial stress. I am one step closer to thought Today” was visible on the out- I am so grateful for her tour of the achieving my goals and changing the world. side and put it into the rack with other building. And it was very exciting to Madison “Matt” Mastriola reading material. meet [Co-Presidents] Annie Laurie New Jersey About two weeks later, I was at the Gaylor and Dan Barker. The whole ex- Humanist Center for a meeting and perience was an hour of my life that Editor’s note: Matt took seventh place in this year’s William Schulz High School Essay a guy came up to me and said he was will stay with me always. Contest. so thrilled because he had been in the Bob Scheidegger same doctor’s office and went to get Missouri Thank you so much for awarding me second place in the Brian Bolton some reading material and there, star- Graduate College Essay Contest. I am truly honored for this recognition, as ing him right in the face, was the Free- well as extremely grateful for the $3,000 prize. As a student, these funds are thought Today! He eagerly grabbed it. For a good retort, use much appreciated and will help me continue my studies in gender equality. He knew it was mine because I had for- quote from Cicero Thank you all for the important work you do to defend democracy. gotten to remove or obscure my name Barbara Alvarez on the outside sheet! While reading a biography of Cice- Wisconsin Dianne Post ro, I came upon the following quote Editor’s note: You can read her essay on page 13. Arizona from his book, The Laws: “Virtue is rea- son completely developed.” Isn’t that great? I think it’s the perfect comeback Do others think a cross to people who insist that humans can’t Life membership is knew the truth from Mary Baker Eddy, is a secular symbol? be good without the threat of eternal dedicated to my parents and now my cold is all gone. I was cured.” torment from an imaginary sky spook. Again, the elderly ladies applauded. Sever- I, like many atheists, am disturbed On second thought, those people I’ve been an atheist my entire life, al of them came up afterwards to compli- by the Supreme Court’s decision that wouldn’t pay attention because Cice- having been raised in a secular home. ment me on my amazing story of healing. said the huge Maryland cross is a sec- ro was a (gasp!) pagan. What wisdom I joined FFRF as a member almost two It was clear to me that prayer works! ular symbol. Therefore, I suggest we could he possibly impart? years ago and really stand by the work A few years later in biology class, I found start asking those who wear a cross Keep up the good work. The United you do keeping religion out of govern- out about my immune system and its white around their neck whether they wear States and the world need to be freed ment and in pointing out all the harm blood cells. Apparently, that is what really it because it represents their secular from religion more than ever. that religion creates for humanity. Your did the job on my cold. So, what I learned values, like the Supreme Court seems Darlene Fouquet organization is comprised of wonderful, is that prayer plus my immune system to be saying. Colorado rational thinking people and you are all plus the white blood cells cured my cold. Douglas T. Hawes my heroes. I’m deeply concerned about Hmmm? Guess the old ladies were feeding Texas the rise of Christian nationalism in our me a line of bull. It is irrational to country and the current administration’s Rick Gilbert believe in any god role in that. California Hotel offers bibles only I am pleased to inform you that I have to those who want them Belief in a god is fundamentally decided to become a Lifetime Member. irrational. I’m doing this in honor of my parents, The Darkening Age offers I recently stayed at a Candlewood It really isn’t difficult to show that Paul and Dawn Kummli, who are de- great lesson in history Suites hotel in La Crosse, Wis. This there can exist no reason to suppose ceased. They provided an expansive, dog- chain has a “closet” in the lobby where that any properties, including exis- ma-free, rational-thinking environment I just finished The Darkening Age: The guests can borrow items such as crock tence, of any god can be demonstrat- for my sister and me to grow up in. Christian Destruction of the Classical World pots and games for use during their ed. In particular, it should be stressed Thank you, Annie Laurie Gaylor, for by Catherine Nixey. I cannot recommend stay. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the “god of the gaps” argument your role in starting and running this this book highly enough. that guests can also borrow bibles. is fundamentally flawed. This argu- most important organization and thank She describes in vivid detail how zeal- This is because there are no bibles in ment is probably the one most used by you to all of your staff for all you do to ous fanatical Christians in the fourth, fifth the rooms! What a great idea. I only apologists. Even National Institutes of save us from the wages of religion. and sixth centuries obliterated about 90 wish all hotels would do this. Health Director Francis Collins’ book Konrad Kummli percent of the cultural legacy of the glo- Dave Glenn The Language of God uses this fallacy Colorado rious Classical world: its literature, its sci- Wisconsin twice — notwithstanding the fact that ence, its religion, its poetry, its history, its he recognizes in the book itself that it stage dramas, its philosophy, its art and its is fallacious. I learned that nothing architecture. Maybe 10 percent of, as Ed- Robert A. Saunders succeeds like science gar Allan Poe quipped, “the glory that was ADRIFT ON A STAR California Greece and the grandeur that was Rome” Music CD I grew up around the corner from a survived the brutal onslaught of super- Christian Science church that my grand- stitious barbarians who sought to erase Religion offers the most mother attended. For a few years, when I all traces of the “demonic pagan” world. corrupt form of morality was ages 9 to 12, I went to that church to Nixey is an engaging writer who has done make her happy. her research and pulls no punches in her My professional life as a clinical lab- At a “Testimonial Meeting” one eve- descriptions of the enormous crimes per- oratory director has been dedicated ning, a man got up and held his left arm petrated in the name of Christianity once to applying my scientific expertise to high in the air. He said that a week earlier it became the only recognized religion in help others when medical crises arise, it had been cut off in an accident at his the Roman Empire. Among those crimes yet even in my profession I find pre- job. He told us he knew the truth about was the brutal murder of Hypatia, the bril- cious few people with whom I can com- Mary Baker Eddy, and her book, Science liant Alexandrian mathematician and phi- fortably share my disdain for religion. and Health With Key to the Scriptures, and losopher. Her horrific demise is described Irreverent selections by Christianity represents a pathetic pack since we are all made in the image of in harrowing detail. Sadly, as Nixey points Dan Barker, Yip Harburg, of lies, childhood brainwashing and God, there can be no error — like a miss- out, she was far from the only great think- Charles Strouse, Cole Porter, indoctrination that is almost unassail- ing arm. He told us his arm grew back. er to fall victim to the deranged acolytes able, the most corrupt form of morali- Everyone applauded. of the cross. Gershwin and others. ty (“Do what I say or else”) and its only I was impressed. As the session drew to a Dennis Middlebrooks value is in providing hope. Unfortu- close, I realized I wanted to testify. With my New York Buy it from FFRF online nately, it is false hope. 10-year-old heart pounding in my chest, Daniel T. Harvey I slowly rose to share my testimonial: “A Editor’s note: This book can be purchased shop.ff rf.org California week ago, I got a bad cold. I prayed and from FFRF’s shop at ffrf.org/shop. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 21

THEY SAID WHAT? Where do you ‘Freethought’? I have always been open to signs from has relied on science far more than the God when it comes to balancing my previous administration, and I would desire to serve both my family and my argue more than any administration in country. history. U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, after announcing that he would be resigning being asked at an event in Kansas if from his congressional seat to spend he supports the suppression of scien- more time with his family. tific reports from within the Depart- Associated Press, 8-26-19 ment of State as it pertains to climate change and other topics. These books present magic as both MSNBC, 9-9-19 good and evil, which is not true, but in fact a clever deception. The curses The goal is a bible for every child, not and spells used in the books are actu- just a computer for every child. al curses and spells; which, when read Israeli Education Minister Rafi Peretz by a human being, risk conjuring evil during a seminar. Israeli schools con- spirits into the presence of the person tinue to spend more hours teaching the reading the text. bible than almost any other country in Rev. Dan Reehil, a pastor at St. Ed- the world. Israel allocates 14 percent ward Catholic School in Nashville, in- of classroom time to religious subjects forming the school that all Harry Pot- — the vast majority of this time is used ter books would be removed from its to study the bible. Here I am at the laundromat with my copy of Freethought Today. I am a retired library. Faithwire.com, 8-29-19 professor and out as an atheist, and it’s a good day when I check my mailbox and The Tennessean, 8-31-19 find Freethought Today waiting for me. It is always enjoyable reading. Ma’am, It’s not because I’m good. It’s Randall Spalinger Our country was founded on the view because I believe in Christ. Texas that a correct un- Judge Tammy Kemp to Amber Guyger, derstanding of God who was convicted of killing Botham Editor’s note: In the September issue, FFRF Member John Fisher suggested that other and the human Jean. Kemp left the courtroom and members send photos of themselves with their copy of Frethought Today and where they person is critical came back with a bible and handed it are reading it (if it’s away from their homes). Send your photos and descriptions to to preserving the to Guyger, telling her she could have [email protected]. liberty that we so it because “I have three or four at enjoy. home.” Supreme Court Dallas Morning News, 10-2-19 Justice Clarence CRANKMAIL Thomas, speaking It is odd to include a statement on Join us as we tread into the sullied waters of Freedom FOR religious beliefs: I support my Clarence Thomas at Hillsdale College religious freedom in a resolution FFRF’s collective inbox. Printed as received. Note: conditional RIGHT to support God Almighty abeliv- in Michigan to cel- about those who are not religious. . . Some language not suitable for childen (or adults, for ers!!!! — Elizabeth Brown ebrate the private Christian college’s . The religiously unaffiliated are not a that matter). Awfull: Everything you stand for is absolutely 175th anniversary and the dedication coherent voting bloc. They are defined Banned?: You have banned me from posting on horrid. I cannot believe the things I am reading that your facebook page. Our governor will NEVER bend are taken out of context in such extreme cases that I of its newly completed Christ Chapel. by what they are not, rather than by to your illegal demands about praying. You are vio- am sickened. The Bible verses you reference and at- an affirmative characteristic. The lating the second amendment of free speech. Shame tempt to explain are all taken out of context and used President Trump has really been on problem with lifting up the religiously on you. You will hear from me again. You will NEVER to support your own agenda. Your foundation makes the side of evangelicals and we want unaffiliated for praise is that, by the succeed in removing our Loving Creator from this me sick. — Andy Hostetler to do everything we can to make him very nature of the category, the only world. Give up, it won’t happen. — Janine Holder Evil: I just want you to know your doing Satans South Carolina Atttack: I AM OFFENDED AT week and Hell will burn a little hotter in the spots successful. And if that means having thing you are praising is that they are YOUR ATTACK ON SOUTH CAROLINA AND OUR GOV- your in Doesnt matter That doesnt matter evil — Jeff dinner or staying in his hotel, we are not religious. ERNOR! Leave us alone - we are not bothering you. Mercer going to do so. Michael Wear, in his column, “Why are By the way, the Freedom is “of Religion” not “from ATTENTION FFRF: I’m contacting you today to Sharon Bolan Yerby, Dallas evangelical Democrats embracing those with no Religion”. Anyone who doesn’t like our prayers is urge you to Stop harassing Christians! You are noth- minister. religion?” after the Democratic Na- free to ignore them. Amendment 1 says “Congress ing more than a corrupt bully organization! GOD is The New York Times, 9-8-19 tional Committee passed a resolution shall make no law respecting an establishment of watching you! Your days are numbered. You’re end religion”. Gov. McMaster wasn’t making a law, he was will come at a time when you least expect It and recognizing the value of religiously un- having a prayer. Get over it! — Elaine Huttenstine there will be NO escape. You need to repent. Ask GOD I would argue that this State Depart- affiliated Americans. Imagine: Imagine would a beautiful place it to forgive you. Live Righteous, clean, sober and walk ment — indeed, this administration — America magazine, 10-1-19 would be without ASSHOLES like yourselves upright. Time is running out. — Lisa Jenkins Imagine would a beautiful place it would be with- Business: Your foundation spits on the constitu- out ASSHOLES like yourselves. — Rob Burke tion and the rights of millions of Americans. You can’t Women Without Woe to the Women: Bible: You can go shove your head in a toilet full force people to live their lives a certain way. This isn’t Superstition The Bible Tells Me So of diarrhea . Next you can go chew the genital warts slavery. — Walter Blount “No Gods—No Masters” By Annie Laurie Gaylor off of your grandmas vagina lips . Finally clip some Cedar Hill: Your organization is PURE EVIL- sa- Editor, Annie Laurie Gaylor A concise, easy-to-read jumper cables to your moms nipples. May God bless tan backed. This town is a very Christian town and Collected writings of 50 book that will challenge you and yours . AMEN ! — Joe Mcgee we will not let you put “your mark” on it. You want women freethinkers of your concept of the You aethists are too much: Just read a bit on a fight- BRING IT ON. YOU WILL LOSE. May GOD have the 19th & 20th centuries bible as “a good book.” a news website that you’re protesting a student led mercy on you. As a Christian- I will be praying for any- ( 51 photographs ). Illustrated. prayer group at a football game....Well, you godless one group or persons who are against Christianity. — sinners can moan and groan all you want. GOD will Lisa Fisher —Published by FFRF. 696 pages / HB —Published by FFRF. 264 pages / HB WIN. Although I’m a religious person, I never force Violated: I’m writing to inform you that your or- my views on anyone. It’s a FREE country--get that? ganization has violated thousands of students, par- Buy it from FFRF online Buy it from FFRF online FREE, meaning religious activities CAN be in courts, ents and faculty’s religious rights as you attempted government, schools, etc. YOU have the free right to to step in and tell our children what they can and ffrf.org/shop ffrf.org/shop NOT ACCEPT what’s offered. I know you hell bound cannot do before a football game, here in Opelika, worthless bags of human waste don’t believe in GOD. Alabama. WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT WHATSO- Fine, don’t believe in Him. But ONE DAY you will... EVER! Take your demonic ways and keep them in whether you like it or not, YOU WILL. Then it will be Wisconsin please. If you’re truly that pissed off with NOTHING FAILS LIKE PRAYER too late and GOD will be LAUGHING AT you. Proverbs the world, please just end yourself. You are what’s 1:26 says ‘I will LAUGH at your calamity.’ — Andy En- wrong with this world today! Why is that so hard to gland see? I guess when you’re blinded by the devil and ev- CONTEST 2020 Demons: By burning in hell! Your well on your erything he stands for it’s easy to forget you at one way — Shelly Story point had a soul — Jim Schultz Our goal is to see secular citizens flood government meetings with secular invocations that demonstrate why government prayers are unnecessary, ineff ective, embarrassing, exclusionary, divisive or just plain silly. The individual who gives the best secular invocation will be invited to open FFRF’s annual convention in 2020, receiving an expenses- paid trip to San Antonio, Nov. 13-15, 2020, along with a plaque and an honorarium of $500. Deadline: August 1, 2020.

MORE INFO AT:

ffrf.org/nothing-fails-like-prayer Make your own nontheistic cyber billboard at FFRF.org/unabashed and you might win an “Unabashed Atheist” tee, like Monk (above) did. Page 22 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019 BLACK COLLAR CRIME

and Joshua Home Moving. Authorities removed 8 the money for a beach house, travel and dining inappropriately touched and kissed her. Source: Compiled by Bill Dunn boys ages 10 to 17 from the home. with adult men with whom he had sexual relation- Tulsa World, 8-12-19 The Wigginses earlier operated Blessed Hope ships, the Chester County District Attorney’s Of- Emanuel Rodriguez, 44, Council Bluffs, IA: Boys Academy in Robertsdale, AL, where boys fice announced. 2 counts of 3rd-degree sexual assault of a child. Arrested / Charged alleged to ABC “20/20” in 2017 that they were According to the indictment, McLoone depos- Rodriguez, pastor at Calvary Assembly of God Yunior Beltres, 54, Miami, FL: 2 counts of subjected to solitary confinement, withholding ited the money into the “St. Joseph Activity Ac- Church and leader of the Christian rock group sexual battery on a minor. Beltres, pastor at Minis- of food and various gay conversion therapy tac- count” he opened at TD Bank. Source: pennlive. 70xForgiven, is accused of assaults on girls last terio Evangelistico Columnas de Fuego [Columns tics. After the school was ordered closed with no com, 8-21-19 May and in 2016. He allegedly groped them under of Fire] and a citizen of the Dominican Republic, charges filed, the couple set up a similar opera- Bret A. Welty, 48, Boise, ID: Sexual abuse of blankets at his home. One girl was 11. is accused of molesting girls ages 9 and 10 at tion in rural Missouri. a minor under 16 years of age. Welty is pastor at 70xForgiven’s latest album is titled “Reckless his home in May and June and forcing them to Blessed Hope operated without oversight be- Hard Rock Revival Church, which he runs out of Love.” Source: KETV/NY Daily News, 8-11-19 watch each other’s assaults. Source: Miami Her- cause of a loophole in state law, since changed, his home. He’s charged with molesting a 15-year- Todd Spain Jr., 26, Pelham, NH: 2nd-degree ald, 9-14-19 that exempted schools operating as a church old girl who was staying with him and his wife on assault and 2 misdemeanor counts of domestic Ke Nguyen, aka Thich Hanh Hieu, Bauxite, ministry from state inspection. Source: al.com/ a weekend visit in August to get counseling for on- violence/simple assault. Spain, student ministry AK: 2nd-degree battery. Nguyen, president of Bat KXAN, 8-27-19 going anxiety issues. leader at Crossroads Church, is accused of at- Nha [Buddhist] Temple, is accused of physical Joseph Rizzuti, 55, Worcester, MA: Disorder- He was affiliated earlier with Calvary Chap- tacking his wife on a July 6 hike after admitting abuse of a 9-year-old boy for whom he is legal ly conduct, disturbing the peace, interfering with el Church and Common Ground Riders Church. he was having an extramarital affair. His father is guardian. The boy came to school with marks on a police officer, assault and battery with adan- Source: CBS 2, 8-20-19 Crossroads’ lead pastor. his body. gerous weapon, assault and battery on a police Shannon Coutouzis, 29, Houston: Indecen- An affidavit stated he hit Molly Spain in the Nguyen came to the temple from Vietnam in officer and resisting arrest. Rizzuti, an evangelist cy with a child/sexual contact. The allegations back of the head with a rock while they were on a 2006. Source: KARK, 9-9-19 preaching at Cornerstone Bible Baptist Church, al- stem from an incident on Nov. 13, 2018, with a mountain ledge but she was able to flee. She told Paul D. Burdick, 48, Hillsboro, OR: 15 counts legedly accosted police investigating a child cus- 15-year-old Richmond boy when Coutouzis was police she continues to fear for her life. Source: of 3rd-degree sexual abuse. At least 20 alleged tody dispute at the storefront church. youth pastor and administrative assistant at The Eagle-Tribune, 8-9-19 victims have been identified as being involved His son, Joseph Rizzuti, 30, and Karissa Crossing Church of the Nazarene. Source: Hous- Fazlur Rahman, 45, Narayanganj, Bangla- in incidents from 2012-18. Burdick taught driver Rizzuti, 29, were charged with interfering with a ton Chronicle, 8-20-19 desh: Rape. Rahman, imam at Baitul Hafez Jame education at Portland Community College and police officer and resisting arrest for allegedly in- Geoff Drew, 51, Cincinnati: 9 counts of rape Masjid, is accused of raping an 8-year-old girl was bishop of the Hillsboro ward of the Church of terfering during the elder Rizzuti’s arrest. Source: stemming from alleged incidents with an altar boy in the mosque in August. Her father told police Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He’s been re- Worcester Telegram, 8-25-19 in 1988-91 when Drew was a music minister at St. he’d taken her there several times to be treated moved from both positions. Brian E. Couch, 55, Yorktown, IN: Sexual Jude’s Catholic School in Bridgetown, OH. He was for recurrent nightmares. Five members of the He’s accused of groping high school girls misconduct with a minor and 10 counts of child ordained as a priest in 2004 and was removed in mosque’s management committee were charged during driving lessons and making them do jump- molesting. Couch, pastor at Yorktown Church of July as pastor at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish. as accomplices. ing jacks while he recorded them on his cellphone. the Nazarene until resigning in May, told police His accuser, now 41, told investigators the At least 4 more imams were arrested for as- Source: KGW, 9-5-19 he needed to talk to them about “inappropriate- rapes occurred in Drew’s office after school saulting children sexually in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Robert L. Brennan, 81, Perryville, MD: 4 ly touching” a juvenile over the course of sever- hours. The announcement of his suspension in Chandpur and Brahmanbaria between May and counts of making false statements to federal au- al years, court documents said. The victim told July drew ire from parishioners who hadn’t been July. Source: Dhaka Tribune, 8-7-19 thorities. Brennan, defrocked in 2017 as a Cath- authorities the escalating sexual abuse began at told about complaints about Drew in 2013 and olic priest, is accused of lying to the FBI in April about age 6 and continued “almost daily.” 2015 when he was at St. Maximilian Kolbe Par- Pleaded / Convicted about knowing accuser Sean McIlmail, his altar His wife, Londa R. Couch, 54, faces charges ish in Liberty Township. Source: Cincinnati En- Jonathan Chang, 63, Cupertino, CA: Guilty boy brother and their parents during his 9 years at of neglect of a dependent and failure to report. quirer, 8-19-19 by jury of 4 federal counts of wire fraud and 3 a Philadelphia parish. She allegedly became aware of the abuse in No- Paxton Singer, 24, Aurora, IL: Disorderly counts of money laundering. Chang, an elder at Brennan was indicted on sexual assault vember 2018. Source: Fox 59, 8-24-19 conduct and misdemeanor sexual exploitation of Home of Christ 4 Christian Church in Saratoga, charges in 2013 but the case was dropped when Brian Stanley, 57, a child. Singer, youth was accused of funneling $6 million of dona- McIlmail, 26, died of an accidental drug over- Coloma, MI: Felony pastor at Harvest Bible tions and loans from a church member into his dose before trial. Pursuing a novel legal strate- false imprisonment. Chapel, “knowingly en- own accounts. gy, he was charged with a fresh crime instead of “Stanley is accused of The girl’s mother ticed a person under 17 A jury was unable to reach a verdict on relat- with abusing McIlmail from 1998-2001. Source: secreting away a teen- years of age to remove told her to keep quiet or ed charges against his wife, Grace Chang, 60. AP, 9-5-19 age boy and holding their clothing for the pur- “ Source: Mercury News, 9-11-19 Benjamin “Gus” Harter, 80, Cumming, GA: him against his will in be ‘treated like damaged pose of sexual arousal Amy M. Krohmer, 43, Roanoke, VA: Pleaded Child molestation. Harter, pastor of Ebenezer the janitor’s room of St. or gratification of the de- goods’ by the Chaldean no contest to embezzlement. Krohmer, a secre- Primitive Baptist Church in Sandy Springs since Margaret’s Church in fendant or the child,” an Catholic community. tary at West End United Methodist Church, was 2014, is accused of molesting a girl under age 16 2013,” stated a news affidavit said. accused of embezzling nearly $200,000 from in his home on multiple occasions from 2012-15. release from state At- It’s alleged that be- the church, which only has about 65 members. Harter spent 30 years with Bethany Primitive torney General Dana tween October 2016 She was an employee from 2009 until Septem- Baptist Church in Suwanee until 2000, when he Nessel’s office. and August 2017, he ber 2018, when discrepancies were discovered. moved with his wife to the Philippines. There he Pastor Stanley then allegedly immobilized asked a 16-year-old boy for nude photos, inquired Source: Roanoke Times, 9-10-19 led 2 churches, founded an orphanage and adopt- the boy by wrapping him tightly in plastic wrap about the teen’s sexual habits and suggested they Melissa Sistar, 42, Ft. Mohave, AZ: Plead- ed 19 children before returning to the U.S. in 2008. and covering his mouth and eyes with masking spend the weekend together. Three more male ed guilty to criminal impersonation, reduced The Harters have 5 biological children. Source: tape for over an hour before letting him go. Ac- teens from the church have alleged Singer be- from the original forgery charge. Sister, treasur- WXIA, 9-4-19 cording to Nessel’s office, “this type of conduct is haved inappropriately with them. Source: News- er at Valley Christian Church in Bullhead City, Francis Trauger, 74, Brooklyn, NY: Indecent a sexually motivated crime.” week, 8-18-19 “falsely completed” a check for $230.50 from assault and corruption of minors. Trauger, a de- The incident was reported to the Diocese Maurice Lyn, 44, Coral Springs, FL: Lewd and the church and deposited it into her account, frocked priest, is charged with molesting 2 altar of Kalamazoo in 2013 and Stanley was put on lascivious molestation and lewd and lascivious said prosecutor Amanda Claerhout. Source: boys when he was pastor at St. Michael the Arch- leave but was reinstated after law enforcement conduct. Lyn, pastor at Deerfield Beach Church Daily News, 9-5-19 angel Catholic in Tullytown, PA, from 1993-2003. didn’t file criminal charges. Since then the dio- of God of Prophecy, is accused of molesting a Hurmiz Ishak, 66, Sterling Heights, MI: Guilty Trauger was transferred between parishes cese has learned of additional allegations involv- 15-year-old from from the church. by jury of criminal sexual conduct. Ishak, a sub- multiple times after abuse allegations in the 1980s ing Stanley and reported them. Source: mlive. An affidavit said Lyn picked the boy up at his deacon and sacristan at St. Joseph Chaldean and ’90s but couldn’t be charged since the stat- com, 8-22-19 home to buy school supplies and after learning Catholic Church in Troy, was convicted of assault- ute of limitations had expired on the earlier cases. Austin Greenway, 19, Odenville, AL: Counts later that no one was home, pinned him against ing a 14-year-old boy at the church in 2017. Source: nj.com 9-3 of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 and a counter and kissed and fondled him. Source: Jurors heard from 2 other alleged victims, a Joseph “Jack” Baker, 57, Waterford, MI: school employee engaged in a sex act with a WPLG, 8-14-19 teen girl and an adult woman, who testified Ishak 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct/sexual pen- student younger than 19. St. Clair County Sher- Justin White, 34, Hugo, OK: 2nd-degree acted inappropriately with them at the church. etration with a person under 13. Baker, pastor iff Billy Murray said his office was contacted by rape and lewd molestation. White, youth pastor The adult was a teen at the time and was alleged- at St. Perpetua Catholic Parish, is the 6th priest the Margaret Police Department about alleged at Clayton Avenue Baptist Church and former ly told by her mother to keep quiet so she wouldn’t charged as part of a state probe of abuse in the incidents at North Valley Church Early Learning baseball coach at Smithville Public Schools, be ostracized and “treated like damaged goods” Catholic Church. Center, an after-school program where Green- is accused of incidents involving 2 female stu- by the Chaldean community. Source: Oakland Baker is accused of assaulting a 2nd-grade way worked as a teacher for 2 years. Source: dents. During the 2013-14 school year, “he al- Press, 8-30-19 boy in 2004 in a storage room at St. Mary Catholic Anniston Star, 8-21-19 legedly had sexual intercourse with a female Kenneth E. Hogue, 66, Butte, MT: Pleaded Church in Wayne. Afterward, “I went back [to cate- Joseph McLoone, 58, Downington, PA: 18 student several times at his residence located guilty to wire fraud for embezzling $288,757 from chism class] and tried to hide, hide inside myself,” counts related to the alleged theft of $98,405 from on school property,” an affidavit said. United Pentecostal Church, where he was pastor Baker’s accuser, now 23, told a reporter, adding 2011-17 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where At the time he was youth pastor at Spiro Bap- from 1982-2018. The money was stolen from June that when he got home he saw blood in his under- he was pastor. Msgr. McLoone is accused of using tist Church, where an underage girl alleged he 2012 to July 2016. Source: KECI, 8-29-19 pants so he threw them away. Source: Oakland Ronnie Gorton, 41, Atoka, TN: Guilty by jury Press, 8-29-19 of 24 counts of exploitation of a minor, contributing Sherman S. Smith, 73, Monterey, CA: 7 to the delinquency of a minor, furnishing alcohol to counts of wire fraud involving over $2 million minors, sexual battery by an authority figure, stat- and connected to his time as executive pastor of utory rape and continual abuse of a child. Gorton Sonrise Church of Clovis. “Smith collected cash, was accused of assaults on a teen boy while he checks, and rolled-over retirement accounts to was a youth pastor at Awakening Church. The boy fund the church’s project, but he did not disclose testified the sexual touching started the day he to investors that he used the money for personal moved into the Gorton home in 2016. expenses, to operate a publishing business, and Prosecutor Walt Freeland called the upstairs to invest in foreign ventures,” said U.S. Attorney bedroom in the house Gorton shared with his now McGregor Scott in a statement. ex-wife a “chamber of horrors” and said Gorton Fraud is alleged between February 2015 was a “ravenous wolf in sheep’s clothing. As the and July 2016. Smith, who also wrote Chris- shepherd of a flock, he didn’t pray for the flock, he tian-themed, financial self-help books, was sen- preyed on the flock.” Two more trials are pending. tenced to 37 months in prison in 2004 after plead- Source: WMC 5, 8-28-19 ing guilty to securities fraud. Source: Fresno Bee/ Charles N. Pelkey, 50, Avon, MN: Pleaded Religion News Blog, 8-29-19 guilty to 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct on the Gary D. Wiggins, 49, and Meghann S. Wig- day his jury trial was scheduled to start. Pelkey, gins, 34, Baldwin County, AL: Trafficking of per- former pastor at Avon Community Church, was sons charges, which accuse the married couple charged with having sex with a woman who had of knowingly trafficking 4 underage boys “through gone to him for counseling in 2017-18. Minnesota force, fraud or coercion” and making them “en- bars sexual relationships between clergy and con- gage in forced labor or services” between gregants; consent is not a defense. May-July 2018. Pelkey resigned as pastor in July 2018 and The married couple ran the Joshua Home, a no longer serves as volunteer chaplain for the religious boarding school for troubled boys near Avon Police Department. Source: St. Cloud Bertram, TX, as well as Joshua Home Lawn Care Times, 8-27-19 November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 23

Sentenced The home was sold to David H. McKinley, the son of Republican U.S. Rep. David B. McKinley. Arthur Perrault, 81, a Catholic priest who fled Source: CNA/News-Register, 9-14-19 from New Mexico to Morocco, was sentenced to The Catholic Diocese of Rochester, NY, has 30 years in prison after a jury convicted him of filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in U.S. Bank- abusive sexual contact with a minor under 12 and ruptcy Court. “Litigation cost and settlements or 6 counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Perrault jury awards will exceed our resources and the most recently was pastor at an Albuquerque par- diocese will be unable to litigate or settle these ish and a chaplain at Kirtland Air Force Base. claims,” said Bishop Salvatore Matano. Charges stemmed from abuse of an altar boy Court papers listed 275 creditors, including an at the base and at Santa Fe National Cemetery. entry that reads “various sex abuse claimants.” Both are within federal jurisdiction not subject to The diocese is listed as a defendant in 59 legal the state statute of limitations. Source: AP, 9-13-19 claims filed under the Child Victims Act. The win- Menachem M. “Mendy” Weiss, 48, Los An- dow for new claims closes in August 2020. geles: 6 years in prison. Rabbi Weiss pleaded The filing estimates assets of between $50 guilty to aggravated sexual assault in New Jersey million and $100 million and liabilities of between for molesting a boy between the ages of 13 and $100 million and $500 million. Source: Democrat 16 in 1999 when he ran the home-based Pascack & Chronicle, 9-13-19 Valley Outreach Chabad Center. When arrested in 2018, he was director of the Israel Center at Milk- Legal Developments en Community Schools, a Jewish day school in Los Angeles. Source: Daily Voice, 9-11-19 Lawrence Ventline, Port Austin, MI, an inac- Samir el Rifai, Helsingborg, Sweden: 250-euro tive Catholic priest accused of child sexual assault, fine ($275) for engaging in hate speech. At a July had his counselor’s license revoked for at least 3 2017 protest in Helsingborg against Israel for can- years by the Michigan Board of Counseling, which celing prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem after also fined him $5,000. Ventline was restricted from 2 Israeli police officers were killed there, el Rifai public ministry within the Archdiocese of Detroit in called Jews “the progeny of monkeys and pigs.” ry School of Dallas is suing the school and the The suit says Gerdes belonged to the reli- 2016 because of the allegation, detailed in May El Rifai claimed at trial he was referring to the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, alleging he was sex- gious order of Spiritans (Congregation of the when Attorney General Dana Nessel announced state of Israel, not its inhabitants, an argument the ually abused as a student by a priest and former Holy Spirit), but according to the order’s U.S. charges against 5 other Catholic priests. court discounted. Source: JTA, 9-5-19 school president who is on the diocese’s “credibly province, no priest with that or a similar name The statute of limitations prevented the de- David R. Holmes, 82, Oskaloosa, IA: 8 years accused” list. Mike Pedevilla, now 54, accused ever belonged to the order. Joseph C. Girdis, a partment from prosecuting Ventline criminally, in prison for having sex with a 14-year-old boy Patrick Koch, the priest, of molestation and the Diocese of Pittsburgh priest, served as chaplain Nessel said. An administrative complaint accus- he met on the gay dating app Grindr in 2017. diocese of covering it up. at Holy Family Institute in the 1970s, according es him of raping an 11-year-old boy who was a Holmes, who retired as pastor at Central Unit- Koch died in 2006 at age 78 but never faced to newspaper archives. He died in 2003. Source: student at a school associated with Ventline’s ed Methodist Church, met the boy in a hospital criminal charges. Source: Morning News, 8-27-19 Post-Gazette, 8-20-19 parish in 1989-90. parking garage, where they engaged in oral sex. The Catholic Diocese of Albany, NY, Bishop The Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha and Ventline maintained an active educationally Source: Queerty, 9-3-19 Emeritus Howard Hubbard and Francis P. Melfe the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Je- limited professional counseling license starting Aryeh Goodman, 37, E. Brunswick, NJ: 18 were sued in August by 5 siblings who allege sus are defendants in a $10 million suit filed by in 1999. As recently as September 2018, he pre- months in prison after pleading guilty to interstate Melfe, who was a priest from 1954 until resign- Kathleen Chafin, who alleges she was forced in sented himself as a board certified professional travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise. Good- ing in 1979, secretly lived with their mother while 1968 to give her son born out of wedlock up for counselor without clarifying limitations on his li- man, who with his wife ran Chabad of East Bruns- he was pastor of the Church of the Immaculate adoption. Thomas Halley, a now-deceased Jesuit cense, the complaint said. Source: Detroit News, wick and a Hebrew school out of their home, ad- Conception in Schenectady. Melfe died Sept. 20 priest, is accused of manipulating her and remov- 9-6-19 mitted he answered an ad and met a 17-year-old at age 91 after the suit was filed and was buried in ing her son from the hospital. George Pell, 78, former Vatican treasurer girl at a motel for sex in 2018. Our Lady of Angels Cemetery. Nebraska courts dismissed the case due to and cardinal, will remain in prison after an Aus- The girl was being pimped out by a couple The older siblings — Sandra Sculli, Joann the statute of limitations but Chafin, who lives in tralian court rejected his appeal of his 6-year who allegedly forced her to have sex with over Steve, John Steve and Seattle, refiled it in feder- sentence for sexually assaulting 2 choirboys 30 men. Goodman was already a registered sex Robert Steve — allege al court. She was finally aged 13 in the mid-1990s. A panel of 3 senior offender for a 2013 Pennsylvania conviction. they endured repeated reunited with her son judges rejected the appeal’s 13 claims and ruled Source: nj.com, 8-28-19 sexual abuse by Melfe, One woman alleged in 2015 and they have it was possible for the jury to have found Pell Thomas P. Ganley, 64, Phillipsburg, NJ: 4 that he made them com- Michael Rozell asked since kept in touch. Over guilty beyond reasonable doubt based on evi- years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual as- plicit in the alleged theft “ 1½ million women were dence presented at the 5-week trial last Decem- sault. The victim, now 42, claimed Ganley assault- of funds from the church her if she ‘ever let a dog told during that period to ber. Source: CNN, 8-20-19 ed her at least 12 times starting when she was a and that he gave them lick [her] down there.’ give up their children for freshman in high school in 1990 and he was pas- sips of martinis and beer similar reasons, result- Allegations tor at St. Cecilia Catholic Parish in Woodbridge. and alcohol-soaked ol- ing in it being termed the Ganley was the first defendant to be charged ives while molesting “Baby Scoop Era.” The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and plead guilty in a case filed by the Clergy them. It’s also alleged he fathered the youngest Chafin can’t forget the day Halley sat with her MO, released a list of 24 priests credibly accused Abuse Task Force formed by Attorney General child, David Melfe, born in 1972. Source: Daily and her parents to tell them she was pregnant. “I of sexual abuse of a minor. Of the 24, 19 were Gurbir Grewal in 2018. Source: nj.com, 8-26-19 Gazette, 8-26-19 have his words etched in my brain. He made me diocesan priests, 3 were under the jurisdiction of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hudson Falls, sound like a slut, like a streetwalker, like the worst other dioceses and 2 served in the diocese but Civil Lawsuits Filed NY, and the Diocese of Albany are defendants person in the world.” Source: Washington Post, belonged to religious orders. Thirteen of the 19 in a suit filed by “John Doe,” who alleges he was 8-20-19 are deceased, 2 have been permanently removed Westchester Day School, Mamaroneck, molested from about 1982-1985, starting when he New York City rabbis Joel Kolko and Joel from ministry and 4 have been laicized. NY, and Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, was 10, by St. Mary’s associate pastor Richard Falk are named in a suit filed by a Florida man Bishop James Johnston Jr. said the list, which Bronx, NY, are defendants in suits filed by 7 men A. Severson. who alleges he was molested as a student in covers the period from 1956 to the present, has who allege the Orthodox schools negligently em- The suit, one of over 500 filed in New York since Brooklyn between 1978-80. Baruch Sandhaus been shared with the Missouri attorney gener- ployed serial pedophile Stanley Rosenfeld, who Aug. 14 under the Child Victims Act, alleges there claims the rabbis intentionally touched his genitals al. Most of the priests had multiple allegations. taught at both schools at different times from 1969 are more victims than the plaintiff, whose mother while he was a student at Yeshiva Torah Temimah. Source: Kansas City Star, 9-6-19 through the 1980s. worked at the church. Severson died at age 71 in Falk, 74, now serves as principal of Hebrew Potter’s Field Ministry, an evangelical The suits were filed under the recently enact- 2007. The suit asserts he manipulated the plain- studies at Toras Zev in Lakewood, NJ. “It is dev- Christian ranch near Whitefish, MT, was abrupt- ed Child Victims Act that significantly lengthened tiff to make him feel like he had done something astating for me to hear that Falk is still working ly shut down in August by the Calvary Chapel the statute of limitations for bringing civil cases wrong, then told him he forgave him and had him at a yeshiva,” said Sandhaus, a Miami busi- Association, its California-based sponsor. It was against abusers and employers. Rosenfeld was recite a Hail Mary. Source: Times Union, 8-26-19 nessman. “This man should not be around kids.” operated by Michael Rozell and his wife Pame- convicted of molesting a 12-year-old bar mitzvah A Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in San Source: NY Post, 8-16-19 la. The state Attorney General’s Office is inves- student while serving as a cantor in Rhode Island Dimas, CA, and several of the church’s governing tigating. Tax records show the Rozells made $5 after leaving New York. bodies are being sued in Los Angeles by Kevin Civil Lawsuits Settled million in 2016 alone. Allegations from several students surfaced Ramirez, who alleges he was molested in 1999- Dawn Marie Grice, who came to the ranch in early last year, including numerous complaints 2001 starting when he was 6 years old by Hum- Muslim cleric Zia Ul-Haq Sheikh, 50, was or- 2000 at age 20 from an abusive home, is among a from the Ramaz School in Manhattan, which has berto Ramirez, a church elder who is not related dered by a Texas judge to pay $2.55 million to a dozen former staffers to detail alleged wrongdoing admitted it failed to act after receiving reports in to Kevin Ramirez. woman who says he groomed her for sex after by the Rozells, which they say included emotional the early 1970s. Source: forward.com, 9-5-19 Humberto Ramirez allegedly told the plain- counseling her at her family’s request for sever- abuse, sexual harassment and forced labor. The William T. White, the Catholic Archdiocese of tiff he “would not be accepted into paradise if he al years when she was in her teens. Sheikh was Rozells have a multimillion-dollar business empire New York and the Church of the Resurrection in did not allow the molestations to occur.” Kevin hired in 2005 as head imam of the Islamic Center and operated the MudMan hamburger chain until Rye are being sued by “W.F.” of Connecticut. He Ramirez said Humberto used his position to mo- of Irving, where he remained until his forced res- the current controversy erupted. alleges White molested him multiple times in 1972- lest multiple boys in Defendant Congregation. ignation in 2017. It was there that he met plaintiff Grice, who was Michael Rozell’s personal as- 73 when he was 11 and 12. White has also been The church did nothing after his parents reported “Jane Doe” in 2010 when she was 13. sistant for 11 years, said his abuse sometimes accused of molesting children while he was an ad- the abuse to other church elders in 2001, Kevin When Doe was 18, Sheikh allegedly offered turned sexual. “He would just repeat whatever you ministrator at Archbishop Stepinac High School in Ramirez said. Source: CBS-LA, 8-22-19 himself as a potential spouse even though he said and make a masturbating gesture with his White Plains and at Holy Cross in Manhattan. Yeshiva University High School for Boys, already had 2 wives. He then started “grooming hands near his crotch.” Several other former min- White, now 86, was defrocked in 2002 while Yeshiva University High School for Girls and Jane to become more sexualized and to ultimately istry members said they were periodically asked working in Florida and is believed to still live in W. Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary engage in illicit sexual acts with him” at a motel by Rozell if they had “struggled with sexual sin.” Palm Beach. Source: Journal News, 8-30-19 are defendants in multiple New York suits filed by in 2016, the complaint stated. Source: Religion One woman, who joined Potter’s Field in 2017, The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is being sued 38 former students who allege molestation by 3 News Service, 8-15-19 said he once asked her if she “ever let a dog lick by Wayne Bortle under the Child Victims Act. He rabbis and other school officials from 1955-86. [her] down there.” alleges he was abused at age 15 by Robert P. “Our clients have patiently waited for years Finances Pam Rozell is a former Miss Georgia who Conlin in 1980 when Conlin served at St. Mary’s to get through the courthouse door to obtain the has recorded 10 Christian albums. Source: Daily Church in Pavilion. justice they so rightly deserve,” lawyer Kevin Mul- Michael J. Bransfield, 76, who resigned in Beast, 9-3-19 “The one image that always stands out in my hearn said in a statement. September 2018 as bishop of the Catholic Dio- The Catholic Diocese of Burlington knew at head is trying to get out of that house and I could At least 47 alleged victims have also filed suit cese of Wheeling-Charleston, W.VA, spent nearly least 40 Vermont priests were accused of sexu- just see this bolt lock,” Bortle said, referring to a against the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn since $1 million on private jets and over $660,000 on ally abusing children over the past 70 years but rectory door. Conlin died at age 66 in 1997. Bor- the Child Victims Act took effect. One plaintiff, now airfare and hotels during his 13 years as bishop. did nothing to alert the public or police, according tle wants Conlin’s name removed from the parish 74, alleges Sylvester Marsh of St. Matthias Cath- A newspaper investigation published Sept. 12 re- to a lay-led church committee. The committee, hall. Source: WIVB, 8-29-19 olic Church in the early 1950s molested him when ported that during his last year as bishop, Brans- given unprecedented access to files previously The Catholic Diocese of Scranton, PA, for- he was 7. Another alleges 1973 abuse by Rob- field took at least 19 trips in a chartered luxury jet. seen by only church leaders and lawyers, issued mer Bishop James Timlin and current Bishop Jo- ert Mistretta, a baseball coach at Nazareth High He’s also been accused of sexually harassing an online report that named the accused clergy seph Bambera are defendants in a suit brought School. Source: NY Post, 8-22-19 adult males. In July he was prohibited from liv- and acknowledged the diocese covered up claims by 4 men, ranging in age from 45 to 57, who allege The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and Holy ing in the diocese and ordered to make unspec- in order to prevent lawsuits and scandal. sexual abuse in the 1970s and ’80s by Michael Family Institute are being sued by a Pittsburgh ified “personal amends for some of the harm he “While most of these allegations took place at Pulicare, a priest who died in 1999. man alleging he was subjected to the “torture” of caused.” The amends are to be determined by his least a generation ago, the numbers are still stag- The plaintiffs declined to enroll in a diocesan sexual abuse by 2 priests as a boy living at the successor, Bishop Mark Brennan. gering,” Bishop Christopher Coyne said. “These victim compensation program, calling it inade- Emsworth children’s home in the 1970s. Proceeds from the $1.2 million sale in August shameful, sinful and criminal acts have been our quate and a way for the diocese to avoid public The alleged perpetrators are identified as Lar- of Bransfield’s home will be used to provide pro- ‘family secret’ for generations.” Source: vtdigger. airing of its dirty laundry. Source: AP, 8-28-19 ry Smith, a retired diocesan priest, and “Father fessional counseling, psychological and spiritual org, 8-22-19 A graduate of the Jesuit College Preparato- Gerdes.” Smith denies the allegations. support for victims of sexual abuse, Brennan said. Email: [email protected] Page 24 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

Former churches with better missions

FFRF Member Roger France drinks a beer from Owners of a former LGBT nightclub in Washington, D.C., announced plans Local Relic brewery while perusing the menu to open a new gay club in the former St. Phillips Baptist Church on North from Immerse Cuisine, both housed in the former Capitol Street, about a half mile north of the U.S. Capitol. The owners plan Carter Payne Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. to operate it as a nightclub “offering entertainment, DJ, and dancing with The church was built in the late 1800s. snack offerings” along with a sidewalk café.

While in Louisville, FFRF’s Director of Strategic Response Andrew L. Seidel visited the Holy Grale, a former church that is now a bar/restaurant with the slogan, “We worship beer.” Instead of “happy hour,” the bar hosts a “holy hour” with drink and food specials. Its website says: “Once a small Unitarian church built in 1905, Holy Grale is now the intimate setting for congregating over esoteric, worldly beers right in the heart of the Original Highlands in Louisville, Ky.”

Dianne Post sent us this image of a former German Presbyterian church near Muscoda, Wis. The church, which is on the State and National Historic Registry, was built in the 1890s. “It was unique since most Germans were Lutheran, but there was no Lutheran Synod nearby that would accept them, so they became Presbyterian,” Dianne writes. “It ended services in 2002 when the dwindling rural Dr. Roga Hudson of Colorado informed us of this former congregation could no longer sustain it. After a church in Rocky Ford, Colo., that now houses a gourmet bruising eight-year legal battle, the people won and Linda Allewalt sent us information on the former restaurant, Christine’s. The building was built in 1910 as it’s now a community center, meeting place, tourist Calvary Lutheran Church in Louisville that now St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, where all services draw, and has hosted family reunions, weddings houses the Noche Mexican BBQ. Built in the 1920s, were held in German until 1960. It closed in 1972. After and has an annual fall festival. Descendants of the the space has sat partially vacant since 2015. High- that, it had been an antique store, funeral home and original donors and builders, pastors and members end apartments were built inside the back section private “getaway” until 2004, when Mike and Christine remain involved in the 501(c)(3) organization and its of the church in 2018. Laurent turned it into the restaurant. community work.”

Charles Jones sent us this photo and description: The Public House in Springfield, Ore., is now the summer meeting place for the Eugene Atheist Pub Social Meetup. From the website: “The build- The Hotel Colonial, where FFRF Co-President Dan Barker stayed in ing at 418 A Street is the former home of First Christian Church before being purchased in 2011 by Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, is a former convent. NEDCO and turned into Sprout, a local food incubator. As that endeavor came to an end, Public House was created so the building could continue to be a gathering space for the community —­ yet If you see or know of any former churches that now serve a refashioned with an updated personality. Public House is now a hub of food pods, a beer hall, an secular purpose, please send us a photo (preferably with you in outdoor bar, and a whiskey bar — continuing to be a family-friendly place to gather.” it!) and a brief description. Send it to [email protected]. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 1

View Chris Line photos: ffrf.us/chrisphotos Photo by Chris Line

FFRF Co-President Dan Barker interacts with Bradley Bienz of Illinios while playing the piano to open day two of the FFRF’s 42nd annual gathering at the Monona Terrace and Convention Center in Madison, Wis. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

FFRF’s Mark Dann “prays” with Mrs. Betty Bowers Buzz Kemper takes a photo of Damien AtHope of Indiana and The smiles of Pam and Steve Solomon of (Deven Green) after the conclusion of Bowers’ FFRF’s Andrew L. Seidel in front of a sign that AtHope made. Missouri show their enjoyment. comedy routine on Oct. 18. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas

The view outside the convention Author and convention honoree Professor Anthony FFRF members’ eyes are glued to the stage during Rachel Laser’s center at night shows the Wisconsin Pinn has a chat with a guest. talk on Oct. 18. From right are Aleta Ledendecker, Dustin Daniels, State Capitol lit up. George Iddon and Julie Iddon. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

FFRF Legal Intern Eleanor Pressler, right, looks through a pile of Cartoonist Steve Benson draws a caricature of Larry Tanner of Connecticut and Sara Dynan of T-shirts to see if there is one the right size for Paulette Ennis of Americans United President Rachel Laser in the Florida enjoy a coffee break between programs. Illinois. lobby of the convention hall. Page 2 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

View speeches: ffrf.org/convention 2019 awards Photos by Ingrid Laas Photo by Chris Line

“When you are in a minority religion, you are “At all levels of government, we need to recognize acutely aware of the critical importance of the the separation of church and state,” said U.S. separation of church and state, and Unitarian Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis. Pocan earned the Universalists are definitely a minority religion,” Champion of the First Amendment award, which “We want to put government on a secular and rational basis and said “Forward” Award honoree Nancy Northup, was presented to him by FFRF Co-President Dan that’s why we got our First Amendment,” said U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, left, president of the Center for Reproductive Barker, whom he invited to give an invocation D-Md., holding his Clarence Darrow Award while giving an acceptance Rights and a Unitarian. FFRF Co-President before the House, resulting in a court battle. speech via video on Oct. 18. The award, including a bronze statuette, Annie Laurie Gaylor presented the award, a Pocan vowed to carry on that fight. recognizes civil libertarians, those who promote science and statuette designed by sculptor Zenos Frudakis evolution and/or freethought, as Darrow advocated. to recognize those moving society forward.

“Liberal Redneck” comedian Cheryl Kolbe was presented with the “I realized that there was a need to be “Trying to get into politics has been a Trae Crowder checks out Nothing Fails Like Prayer award by filled [for black atheists], and just like huge hurdle for atheists everywhere,” said his Emperor Has No Clothes Freethought Today Editor PJ Slinger. The nothing fails like prayer, nothing fails like Hemant Mehta. “If you ask people under award after performing a award is for a freethinkers who gives a just sitting back and waiting for something 30 if they would vote for someone who comedy routine to close out the secular invocation at a public meeting to be done by somebody else,” said is an atheist, it is now over 70 percent.” convention on Oct. 19. in lieu of a religious prayer. She was Freethought Heroine Mandisa Thomas, Mehta won FFRF’s “Nothing Fails Like also recognized for making nontheism a president of Black Nonbelievers. Standing Prayer” and is shown with FFRF Director protected class in Portland. with her is Gean Taylor of Georgia. of Strategic Response Andrew L. Seidel.

“There are ways in which theism is a “We need to keep conveying that nontheists and nonreligious people “An award titled with the world ‘courage’ becomes parasite. It infects and it influences,” are just as moral and as principled as religious people!, said Rachel complimentary to our work,” said Avanish Patil, left, said Anthony Pinn, who won FFRF’s Laser, president of Americans United. “The Constitution is on our side. who won the Avijit Roy Courage Award. “In the course Emperor Has No Clothes Award. The The demographics are changing. We are smart, we are strategic and we of our civilization, we have lost many freethinkers.” award is reserved for public figures are committed.” Laser was presented with the Henry Zumach Freedom He was introduced by Amit Pal, FFRF’s director of who take on the fabled role of the From Religious Fundamentalism Award, which comes with a plaque and communications. The award goes to an individual little child in the Hans Christian a check for $10,000, funded entirely by Henry Zumach, who presented or group working toward the spread of rational and Andersen fairy tale and “tell it like it it, along with FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. The award money logical discourse, and recognizes creative and heroic is” about religion. went to Americans United. individuals who have persisted, despite hurdles, in their work to promote science, logic and humanist ideas. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 3

View speeches: ffrf.org/convention 2019 speakers Photo by Chris Line Photo by Chris Line

“They say America is going awry because of secularism,” said Jeremiah Camara. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Camara’s most “Monarchy and religion: I’m not big on either of those two things,” said author Sarah Vowell to FFRF Co-President recent movie is “Holy Hierarchy: The Religious Dan Barker during their conversation on Oct. 18. “Religion was almost our undoing at the beginning. As we know, that Roots of American Racism,” which was screened continues to be a sticking point.” during the convention. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of “Those who are most protective of religion are America, and to the republic for which it stands, one Laurence Moore, who co-authored Godless Citizens those who profit the most from it,” said Jacob nation, under Canada, above Mexico, indivisible, with in a Godly Republic with Isaac Kramnick, is professor McGee, who was the second-place winner of liberty and justice for all,” quipped Isaac Kramnick, a emeritus at Cornell, where he was professor of FFRF’s essay contest for high school students. historian and professor of government at Cornell. American studies. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

“No one in a cult ever thinks that “Patriotism has no religion,” said “Trump and the American fundamentalists they are in a cult,” said Amber Andrew L. Seidel. “America invented the “I have to take responsibility for my have cut a deal,” said Jeff Sharlet. Scorah. Scorah is the author of separation of state and church. It’s time for mistakes,” said Aline Pham. “I must “The deal was power, strength, total Leaving the Witness, which tells of us to reclaim that heritage and bury the lie have drive, not dogma.” Pham was commitment.” Sharlet spoke about her journey away from Jehovah’s that America is a Christian nation.” Seidel the first-place winner of FFRF’s essay his book The Family and the Netflix Witnesses and how she handled the is FFRF’s director of strategic response contest for high school students. documentary series of the same name. death of her young child after she and author of The Founding Myth. stopped believing in God.

state representatives Photo by Ingrid Laas

FFRF’s State Representatives gathered at the Monona Terrace Convention Center on Madison, Wis., during the convention for their annual meeting. Front row (from left): Randy Pelton, Ohio; Dianne Cooper, Iowa; Bonnie Stormo, S.D.; Gary Stormo, S.D.; Sheri Bender, Ind.; Stef Moritz, Wis.; Claudette StPierre, Colo.; Dan Barker, Wis.; Annie Laurie Gaylor, Wis.; Dianne Centa, Ohio, Julie Iddon, Wash.; Douglas Marshall, Mich.; Mike Cermak Jr., Pa.; Todd Peissig, Wis.; Steve Solomon, Mo.; and Mikel Hensley, Ky. Back row: Sue Kocher, N.C.; Steve Trunk, Calif.; Jack Egger, Ga.; Lance Bredvold, Mont.; Steve Salemson, Wis.; Robin Buckallew, Neb.; Linda Josheff, Wis.; Charles Bender, Ind.; Sue Schuetz, Wis.; Tom Cara, Ill.; Philip Lentz, Ariz.; Paul Novak, Iowa; Ken Eck, Minn.; Sheridan Chapin, N.Y.; George Iddon, Wash.; Cheryl Kolbe, Ore.; Aleta Ledendecker, Tenn.; Judy Saint, Calif.; Nick Sheridan, Md.; Kevin Gough, Conn.; Ed Hensley, Ky.; Marc-Andre Lachance, Ontario; Stephen Hirtle, Pa.; and Tom Waddell, Maine. Page 4 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

staff Photos by Ingrid Laas Photo by Chris Line Photo by Chris Line

FFRF Communications Manager Lauryn The FFRF legal staff includes, from left, Patrick Elliott, Eleanor Pressler, Dante FFRF IT Director James Phetteplace Seering works the social media during Harootunian, Brendan Johnson, Madeline Ziegler, Whitney Steffen, Rebecca handled much of the audio-visual the convention. Markert, Sam Grover, Ryan Jayne, Chris Line, Andrew L. Seidel and Mark Dann. details of the convention.

FFRF Office Manager Jackie Douglas, Freethought Today FFRF Board Chair Stephen Hirtle stands with FFRF Editor PJ Slinger and Bookkeeper Eleanor McEntee help Director of Governmental Affairs Mark Dann and FFRF check people in at the registration table. Programs Manager Kristina Daleiden at one of the merchandise tables.

Cartoonist for FFRF’s new “Heaven” video Kati FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan FFRF Legal Assistant Whitney Steffen and FFRF Treu with her mom, Lisa Treu, FFRF’s director of Barker emcee the convention. Store Manager Astoria Goldsby help work the first impressions. registration tables. Photo by Chris Line

FFRF Video Producer Bruce Johnson and FFRF FFRF Editorial Assistant Bailey Nachreiner-Mackesey, left, FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal Director of Operations Lisa Strand take a short and FFRF Bookkeeper Eleanor McEntee work the registration introduces Avinash Patil. break during the convention. tables at the convention. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 5

View speeches: ffrf.org/convention 2019 momentsmoments Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

John Hutchinson and Lori Bass, both of A view of Lake Monona from the Monona Terrace and Convention Center Lifetime Members Eric Lawrence and Wisconsin, relax during a break in the during the buffet dinner on Oct. 18. Board Member Todd Peissig handled the convention. selling of “Clean Money” tickets. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

Glenn Hindbaugh of Michigan next to Liz and Bob Bradley Bienz, son of Leslie Bienz of Illinois, “Both Narendra Dabholkar and Avijit Roy were killed for Srinivasan of Wisconsin. and Cosima Hensley, daugher of Mika and Ed their work, for their writings, and for their nonbelief,” said Hensley of Kentucky, play together. activist Rafida Bonya Ahmed, introducing Avinash Patil. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas

Avinash Patil performs a “miracle” at the Rahul Malhotra of New Jersey asks a question Filmmaker Jeremiah Camara holds the attention of the others at his table. beginning of his acceptance speech for during the Q&A session following Anthony the Avijit Roy Courage Award. Pinn’s speech on Oct. 19. Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

Gourmet cupcakes were served to the guests Alec Loftus, who helps with FFRF PR, gestures be- Seth Pelletier and Sitav Nabi, who won a convention travel following the performance by Mrs. Betty hind the “Not Afraid of Burning in Hell” cutout. scholarship, grab a moment with Camp Quest Director Kim Bowers on Oct. 18. Newton and Secular Student Alliance CEO Kevin Bolling, who held a workshop for convention leaders. Page 6 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

Photos by Ingrid Laas clean money Photo by Chris Line

Jacob McGee covers his eyes as he draws a name from the bin FFRF Co-President Dan Barker reads off the name of a winner as held by Astoria Goldsby to determine a winner of a “clean money” emcee Buzz Kemper announces it to the audience. bill. The term refers to money printed before 1957, which did not contain the words “In God We Trust.”

In charge of selecting the winning tickets from the clean money raffle were (from left) students Seth Pelletier, Sitav Nabi, Sidney Novak, Jacob McGee and Dustin Daniels. Special thanks to Todd Peissig and Eric Lawrence (See page 5) for handling all of Buzz Kemper shows off the grand the raffle ticket sales prize $100 bill, which was won by during the convention. Erin Louis of California.

Denom Year/Series Donor Winner

$1 1935 Series D Paul Swanson (Minn.) Michael Fullmer (Ga.) $1 1935 Series F Norman Chab (Texas) Greg Jarrell (Ore.) $1 1935 Series D John Shepherd (Ga.) Tamara Brenner (Ill.) $1 1935 Series E Nancy Harris (Wis.) David McDonald (Ohio) $1 1935 Series F Linda Palter (Mich.) Ko Rimar (Minn.) $2 1953 Series B Raymond Greenbank (Ohio) Carolyn Crites (Ohio) $2 1953 Series B Charles & Sheri Bender (Ind.) Debbie Allen (Calif.) $5 1950 Darrell Barker (Wash.) Larry Wright (Ill.) $10 1950 Series C James Snyder (Ind.) Rob Moore (Wis.) $20 1934 Michael A. Garstin (Ontario) Nancy Colgan (Colo.) $50 1950 Series D Joseph Cunningham (Ill.) Erin Louis (Calif.) $100 1934 An anonymous member (Tenn.) Erin Louis (Calif.) This year’s winners of the clean money drawing are, from left: David McDonald, Michael Fullmer, Greg Jarrell, Tamara Brenner, Ko Rimar, Erin Louis, Carolyn Crites, Larry Wright, Debbie Allen Thanks to FRFF Bookkeeper Eleanor McEntee for organizing the prize money. (acting director of the Secular Coalition for America), Rob Moore and Nancy Colgan.

Photo by Ingrid Laas executive board

FFRF’s Executive Board of Directors met the day before the convention. On the board are (from left, front row): Director Jim Zerwick, Secretary Stef Moritz, Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor, Co-President Dan Barker and Director Sue Kocher. Back row: Chair Stephen Hirtle, Treasurer Steve Salemson, Director Cheryl Kolbe, Director Mike Cermak Jr. and Director Todd Peissig. The governing board members, elected by the large advisory body of State Representatives, serve three-year terms. November 2019 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 7

comedy Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Chris Line

Deven Green performs as Mrs. Betty Bowers, America’s Best ChristianTM, giving God Comedian Trae Crowder, whose “Liberal Redneck” video series has an annual performance review. “Sadly, we are going to have to give God an exit garnered millions of views online, speaks to the FFRF crowd on Oct. interview. Look on the bright side, it’s not as if anyone will notice,” she said. “The 19 to close out the Saturday portion of the convention. only thing American Christians ignore more than Jesus is science.” Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Chris Line Photo by Ingrid Laas

Andrew Bradley took to the podium by himself to deliver a more personal take on religion. “What is the difference Performing a skit: Deven Green with Andrew Bradley, the between an atheist and an evangelical Christian? An atheist creator and writer of the material for Betty Bowers. is honest about not following Jesus,” he said. “Politics and religion have so much in common! And no, not just the lies. Trae Crowder holds his Emperor has No There is also the narcissism. And the hypocrisy! And while Clothes award from FFRF at the start of his the narcissism is fun, the really fun thing to write about is comedy show. the hypocrisy.” Photo by Ingrid Laas Photo by Ingrid Laas

Steve and Amy Bean of Minnesota laugh during Trae Crowder’s performance on Madelyn Hettinger, left, and Christine Hettinger, both of Wisconsin, enjoy the Oct. 19. Betty Bowers routine on Oct. 18. Page 8 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | November 2019

View Chris Line photos: ffrf.us/chrisphotos freethoughtmoments hall open house Photos by Chris Line

Douglas Marshall of Michigan talks with FFRF FFRF Attorney Ryan Jayne plays the Diane Uhl Steinway grand piano for Director of Governmental Affairs Mark Dann. FFRF members get checked in at the open house at Freethought Hall in guests in the Charlie Brooks Auditorium downtown Madison, Wis., prior to the start of the convention on Oct. 18. on the fourth floor of Freethought Hall.

Phil Session of Texas talks with other members during the open FFRF Associate Counsel Sam Grover, Americans United President Rachel Laser shares a laugh house reception. Alan and Ko Rimar of Minnesota get with Ron Blake of California. cornered for a photo.

Beth and Cal Huizenga of Wisconsin stand with FFRF Co-President Dan Barker signs a book for the silicone likeness of Charles Darwin in the Zenaido Quintana and Philip Lentz, both of Arizona, and Debbie Mary Summers of Missouri. Freethought Library on the third floor. Allen, acting executive director of the Secular Coalition for Ameri- ca, are all smiles prior to the start of the convention.

Orange juice, Mimosas and treats were Convention guests check out the food and treats table available for members who stopped by the in the auditorium. open house. Roman, Ashley and Joshua Johnston of California look over some of the books for sale.