Vol. 32 No. 3 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. April 2015

But CNN airing wins raves ABC, NBC join ban of Reagan’s FFRF ad

A 30-second TV spot recorded by Ron Reagan for the Freedom From Religion Foundation has now been banned by the three major networks: ABC, NBC and CBS. However, FFRF has run the ad on Coming soon CNN in late March and early April to This is a depiction of a billboard that will be going up in Madison, Wis., in mid-April. See page 5 to read about FFRF’s TV great success, welcoming hundreds of ads against Wisconsin’s ballooning use of taxpayer funding of private schools, which are almost all religious schools. new members and hearing from thou- sands of interested viewers. The ad says: Hi, I’m Ron Reagan, an unabashed ning the ad, CNN viewers gave it rave a long time!” (Gainesville, Fla.); “I atheist, and I’m alarmed by the intrusion reviews: thought I was the only atheist in Amer- of religion into our secular government. “Where have you been all my life?” ica!” (E.Z., Elmhurst, N.Y.); “Brilliant!” That’s why I’m asking you to support the (Andrew, Johns Creek, Ga.); “That (Ron, Nevada). Freedom From Religion Foundation, the is literally the best commercial I’ve “The censorship of this ad and of nation’s largest and most effective associa- ever seen!” (J.T., Akron, Ohio); “This Ron Reagan’s ‘unabashed views’ by tion of atheists and agnostics, working to is the best thing that has happened so many major networks really shows keep state and church separate, just like our to atheism since Richard Dawkins!” the heavy hand of religion upon this Founding Fathers intended. Please support (Jane, New York City); “That’s an ex- country and its power to suppress free- the Freedom From Religion Foundation. tremely superior and wonderful ad. thought and even the mildest criticism Ron Reagan, lifelong atheist, not afraid of Wow!” (C.D., Vancouver, B.C.); “Best of religion,” said FFRF Co-President burning in hell. ad I’ve ever seen.” (J.S., Fallbrook, Dan Barker. Calif.); “I’m excited about what you FFRF encourages freethinkers to do!” (Mike, Cleveland, Tenn.); “I’m speak up on social media with the ‘Where have you a 95-year-old lifelong atheist. That’s #NotAfraidofBurninginHell hashtag. Ron Reagan will keynote FFRF’s October convention. See back page. been all my life?’

FFRF is also airing the spot on Inside This Issue day-after rebroadcasts of “The Daily Show” through the spring. Anita Weier The ad debuted on May 22, 2014, on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert makes Report” and “The Daily Show.” FFRF history next tried to place the spot on CBS’ page 3 “60 Minutes.” Last fall, after months of delays, CBS rejected that placement and banned the ad from any national CBS show. Recently, ABC and NBC also rejected it. Dan Barker NBC first offered to accept it if “not vs. afraid of burning in hell” was deleted, Rick Warren then even decided against that. page 5 “We’d never agree to censor Ron’s punch line,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “Imagine these na- tional networks being so afraid of a lit- tle irreverence.” FFRF also ran the ad in select metro- 14-year-old politan cities on the finale of “Cosmos” sits down for last year after Fox refused to air it na- his rights tionally, citing a policy against “advoca- Erwin Chemerinsky (left), founding dean of the University of California-Irvine cy” ads. Even major metropolitan CBS School of Law, accepts FFRF’s Champion of the First Amendment honor from page 11 stations have refused it. Co-President Dan Barker at the October convention in Los Angeles. Read his Although the networks may be pan- acceptance speech on pages 12 and 13. (photo by Ingrid Laas) Page 2 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015

Meet an ‘Out’ Outdoors member

To an emotional, hormonal, bright, questioning teen, so much of the bible made no sense, was contradictory and seemed like fairy tales. I witnessed a great deal of hypocrisy in the church. Luckily, we had a liberal, open-mind- ed associate minister at the time, Bill Charland. When I told Bill I felt I couldn’t write the last assignment (a personal credo), he said I could write what I didn’t be- lieve. After that, I was probably more of an agnostic than an atheist for a few years, but since nothing intervened to “prove” the existence of a god or gods, I realized I was clearly an atheist. Where I’m headed: Bozeman, in late April or early May. Arizona sum- mers do me in. I love having three or four seasons in Montana and returning to Arizona for the mild winters. Person in history I admire: Since [the guidelines don’t let me] pick my Neysa’s Park Service friend Mary Wil- father, Ed Dickey, I will go with two: son took this photo outside Bozeman, Charley Scribner, my high school bi- Mont., near Hyalite Canyon. ology teacher, and Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion. Charley was Ways I promote freethought: Mostly a longtime summer (“seasonal”) natu- with my words and actions, having long ralist in Glacier National Park. It’s hard ago come out of any closet I might have to say, but I suspect (at least subliminal- been in regarding my atheist status. I ly) he influenced my choice of college write letters to newspaper editors and majors and my life’s career. Dawkins? other entities reminding them of the Read the book. And Charles Darwin need to follow the U.S. Constitution fits well with my other two choices, and to be open and accepting of all don’t you think? people, regardless of religion or lack A quotation I like: “It is good to tell thereof. Every year I send out a winter one’s heart.” (Native American prov- solstice poem summarizing my year. erb on a refrigerator magnet I bought I wish you’d have asked me: What in an airport.) national park areas I worked in. They Neysa Dickey with Wilson at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. The These are a few of my favorite were (current names) Great Sand sanctuary includes a Bunny House. things: The northern Rocky Moun- Dunes, Colorado; Timpanogos Cave, tains, waterfalls, New Zealand, writing, Utah; Theodore Roosevelt National Name: Neysa Marie Dickey. National Park Service. acting, singing, hiking, Boo, wolves, Park, North Dakota; Rocky Mountain Where I live: As of 2014, Green Occupation: Retired supervisory owls, open-minded humans, laugh- regional office, Denver; Dinosaur Valley, Ariz., roughly from Novem- park ranger (Interpretation) for the ter, languages, accents, limericks, Up- National Monument, Utah-Colora- ber-April; Bozeman, Mont., May-Octo- NPS. Now I’m “occupied” with volun- Words, playing UpWords with BFF Su- do (where I met my husband); Pacif- ber. (I bought a condo last summer up teering at an elementary school (Read- san, family and friends. ic Northwest regional office, Seattle there.) ing Seed program) once a week, theat- These are not: Mixing of church and (now merged with the San Francisco Where and when I was born: Neen- rical productions, community chorus, state (surprise!); poor grammar and office); Grant-Kohrs Ranch National ah, Wis., (then headquarters for Kim- reading, walking, hiking, traveling, spelling, especially in letters filled with Historic Site, Montana (a lesser-known berly-Clark), Oct. 26, 1949; raised in weekly game night with “the gals,” typographical or other errors from treasure); Yellowstone National Park, Appleton, Wis. book club and other fun things. supposed professionals (education Wyoming-Montana-Idaho (we lived in Family: In Appleton, a brother, Pete; Military service: None, but my administrators, bankers, etc.); rotten the park at Canyon). niece, Dawn; great-nephew, Dominic; brother was a conscientious objector and/or aggressive drivers; people who You also could have asked how did former sister-in-law (love her as a sis- back in the Vietnam days and finished mispronounce my first name (rhymes you get your name? My parents were ter), Emma. My husband, Skip Baese, his two years of service in Illinois chil- with Lisa) after they’ve been told the looking in a book of baby names when died in 2010, so my only immediate dren’s homes. His action had such correct pronunciation several times. my mother was pregnant with me. (living with me) family is my 13-year- an influence on me, that, had I been My doubts about religion started: Neysa is the Slavic form of her name old cat, Boo. I’ve had her since she drafted, I would’ve done the same. See above. Somewhere along the line, Agnes. We weren’t Slavic, but my par- was 8. She’s known variously as Boo, How I got where I am today: This I came across a copy of Freethought ents liked the name, so she was Agnes Boo-kitty, Boo-Boo, Ba-Boo-shka, Kit- could take a while — as I understand Today. I thought the atheist equiva- Marie and I am Neysa Marie. Also at ten-ca-Boo-dle, Bam-Boo-zler and the it, it began billions of years ago. More lent of “I’d died and gone to heaven.” the time, there was an illustrator for Boo-Meister. seriously, it’s too big a question, but it Here were like-thinkers, mentors, role McCall’s and other magazines, Neysa Education: From the above, appar- might be easier if I limit my answer to models, activists, folks who understood McMein, who was a member of the ently not enough! B.A. in 1974 from how I got where I am in my atheistic my struggle. I felt as though I could Algonquin Round Table, and Mother Adams State College (now University) thinking. breathe. That’s not when my doubts liked the name from her, too. Ironical- in Alamosa, Colo., in biology and envi- That began in the First Congrega- started, but when they solidified. ly perhaps, she died about five months ronmental science, one of the first two tional Church (before it merged and Before I die: I’d like to feel joy and before I was born. graduates with that double major; end- became the United Church of Christ) contentment with my everyday life and less training during 30 years with the in Appleton, in confirmation class. feel hope for the planet.

Freethought Today A Note to Members published by Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. Your address label shows the ex- Notify Us of [email protected] • FFRF.org piration date of your membership in Your Address P.O. Box 750 • Madison WI 53701 FFRF, which includes your subscrip- Change Promptly! (608)256-8900 • FAX (608)204-0422 tion to Freethought Today and “Private Line.” If it says April 2015 or earlier Email: [email protected] Editor: Bill Dunn, [email protected] please renew! Your prompt re­newal Don’t miss a single issue! If Production Editor: Jake Swenson ($40-single mem­ber­ship; $50-house- you move, notify us directly and Executive Editor: Annie Laurie Gaylor hold; $100 gung-ho; $25-student) promptly. The Post Office does Contributors: saves us time and postage,­ and is not forward third-class mail. Philip Appleman, Dan Barker, Erwin Chemrinsky, Amy LaValle Hansmann, tax-deductible. Free­­­thought Today is FFRF cannot be responsible for Chris Johnson, Ewan McCartney, Wendy Thomas Russell, Lauryn Seering, published 10 times a year, with com- replacing back issues if we have Andrew Seidel, Maddy Ziegler, bined issues in Jan/Feb and June/ not been notified prior to your April 2015 July. Send membership or renewal to move. Back issues, while they last, may be ordered for $2 each. The only freethought newspaper in the United States FFRF, Box 750, Madison WI 53701. ffrf.org/donate April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 3

Hip, hip hurray for Madison council, Anita Weier Making history: ‘Nonreligion’ now protected class

The city council in Madison, Wis., adopted on March 31 what’s believed to be the nation’s first city ordinance making “nonreligion” a protected class. The historic action extends the same protections to nonreligion as it does to religion. Madison’s equal opportunity ordi- nance now bans discrimination based on “sex, race, religion or nonreligion, color, national origin or ancestry, citi- zenship status, age, handicap/disabil- ity, marital status, source of income, arrest record or conviction record, less than honorable discharge, physical ap- pearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic identity, political be- liefs, familial status, student, domestic partner, or receipt of rental assistance.” The ordinance change, which ini- Madison Alder Anita Weier (photo by tially met a rocky reception, was pro- Andrew Seidel) posed by outgoing Alder Anita Weier. Testimony of FFRF Staff Attorneys they they think.” Patrick Elliott and Andrew Seidel ap- Elliott and Seidel testified with peared to convince a subcommittee to concrete examples of discrimination. A screen capture of WISC-TV’s story shows Annie Laurie Gaylor addressing the recommend approval to the council. Elliott noted ethnic festivals in Wis- Madison Common Council. Eventually, 14 members of the 20-mem- consin give free entry to church-goers ber council agreed to sponsor it, and it (successfully contested by FFRF) and atheist groups from forming and filter referred to surveys and polls routinely passed by voice vote without dissent. told how a plaintiff in one of FFRF’s out atheist and freethought websites,” showing that atheists and nonbelievers The Wall Street Journal reported it lawsuits lost her job when her atheism he said. are the most distrusted. April 2 with the headline “In Madison, became known. “Having worked to Seidel told the council: “If any Gaylor noted that secularists usually nonbelievers have religious rights too.” protect the civil rights of nonreligious group in this country needs protection, are on the defensive when going be- FFRF Co-President Annie Lau- persons, I can tell you that discrimina- it’s the one that is least liked and most fore local governmental bodies, such rie Gaylor hailed the proposal for its tion against atheists is widespread and distrusted. When it comes to voting for as protesting prayer. symbolic signficance. However, it also an ongoing concern. It permeates into an otherwise qualified candidate, athe- Back in the 1970s, a very different carries penalties of $100 to $500, and employment, public schools and even ists rank below Jewish, Mormon, LGBT kind of public servant, Anita Bryant, means the city’s Equal Opportuni- in discounts offered by places of public and Muslims. We fall 14 percentage went before a government board in ties Commission can investigate com- accommodation,” Elliott testified. points below a gay or lesbian candi- Dade County, Fla., seeking not to ex- plaints of discrimination by nonbeliev- Seidel noted that nonbelievers have date, simply because of our irreligion.” tend rights and protections, as Anita ers, Weier pointed out. been rejected as volunteers at soup Chris Calvey, former director of Weier is doing, but to take them away, Weier, who describes herself as “not kitchens and that several state constitu- Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics at Gaylor noted. religious,” told the Wall Street Jour- tions forbid atheists to hold public of- the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Bryant’s ordinance unfortunate- nal: “Since religion is protected in our fice. “We see discounts to religious peo- noted that even though AHA is one ly led to a national movement to take equal opportunities ordinance, in all ple, which effectively charge atheists a of the most successful secular campus away rights from gays. It’s my hope that its variations, I thought that nonreli- higher price for the same goods. Here groups in the country, many of its stu- the adoption of this historic ordinance gion should be, too. I just think there is in Madison, one store gave out free gal- dent leaders are afraid to list their vol- will seed other such ordinances to pro- a general stigma about it. I don’t think lons of milk to Christians, while forcing unteer work on their résumés. tect rights — nonreligious rights — people should be afraid to say what atheists to pay full price. Schools block FFRF Lifetime Member T. Kozlovsky around the country.” FFRF’s display stolen from Wis. Capitol A Freedom From Religion Foun- dation “In Reason We Trust” sign was stolen March 28 from the first-floor Include FFRF Capitol rotunda in Madison, Wis. The sign features Thomas Jefferson with his In Your Estate thought-provoking quote, “Question with boldness even the existence of a Planning god. . .” FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover and Arrange a bequest in your will or Legal Intern Ryan Jayne (pictured) trust, or make the Freedom From filed the permit application March 9. Religion Found ation the benefi - The sign was put up in the Capitol to ciary of an insurance policy, bank counter Easter religious displays. account, or IRA. It’s easy to do. After contacting authorities, FFRF For related information was given access to the security foot- (or to request a bequest age. On Saturday, March 28, at 1:13 brochure), please phone p.m., three suspects were recorded Annie Laurie Gaylor at removing the 20x30-inch sign and the (608) 256-8900. easel it was propped on. FFRF The suspects are two males and a FFRF staff members Sam Grover and Ryan Jayne with the sign. P.O. Box 750 female, all Caucasian. Footage showed (photo by Andew Seidel) Madison WI 53701 a male struggling to remove the tape holding the sign to the easel. The oth- er suspects left via the West Washing- with a fine up to $10,000 or imprison- er suspects joined shortly after and ton exit. ment for up to 9 months. FFRF is of- Freedom Depends posed for multiple “selfies” on a cell- The stolen easel was a rental from fering a $1,000 reward for information phone camera. One male left through the Capitol Police Department. leading to the arrest and conviction of on Freethinkers the Wisconsin Avenue exit and the oth- The theft is a Class A misdemeanor, the perpetrator(s). Page 4 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015 Heads Up A Poetry Column by Philip Appleman

NOBODY DIES IN THE SPRING

Nobody dies in the spring on the Upper West Side: nobody dies. On the Upper West Side we’re holding hands with strangers on the Number 5 bus, and we’re singing the sweet graffiti on the subway, and kids are skipping patterns through Overheard the bright haze of incinerators, and beagles and poodles are making a happy I’m not president, You know what? The [anti-abortion] ruin of the sidewalks, but I do a magic activists need to get their lives together. show. Teller and When they become sin free, then you and hot-dog men are racing I are atheists and call me back. their pushcarts down Riverside Drive, our audiences are Callie Chatman, a certified medical and Con Ed is tearing up Broadway mostly believers technician and Baptist pastor’s wife and they don’t who works one day a week at Repro- from Times Square to the Bronx, care what we don’t ductive Health Services, where abor- and the world is a morning miracle believe because tions are performed in Montgomery, we’re the ones Ala. of sirens and horns and jackhammers they want to see do Christian Post, 3-2-15 and Baskin-Robbins’ 31 kinds of litter a magic show. If Americans can take and sausages at Zabar’s floating honesty in their magicians, we should While the number give them a chance to accept honesty of visible minori- overhead like blimps—oh, in their president. ty atheists is still it is no place for dying, not Penn Jillette, op-ed, “Have Faith, We’ll small, we are here Have an Atheist President” and we’re here to on the Upper West Side, in springtime. New York Times, 3-27-15 stay. We will con- tinue to grow, in There will be a time No matter how many Christians live both the black and here, we are not a Christian nation. secular communities. We can lead the for the smell of burning leaves at Barnard, For the sake of people of all faiths and charge for this change. The more we for milkweed winging silky over Grant’s Tomb, of no faith, we should hope we never make our presence known, the better become one. our chances of working together to for apples falling to grass in Needle Park; Op-ed by Peter Manseau, author of turn around the disparities we face, but not in all this fresh new golden One Nation Under Gods: A New American and bolster the recognition we so smog: now there is something History rightly deserve. Fox News, 3-6-15 Mandisa Thomas, president and found- breaking loose in people’s chests, er of Black Nonbelievers Inc., op-ed something that makes butchers and bus boys I retweeted this CNN, 3-27-15 awful thing, this and our neighborhood narcs and muggers religious thing Our editorial board’s solution to the go whistling in the streets—now — “If you eutha- brouhaha over the Hindu prayer last there is something with goat feet out there, not nize someone in week in the Senate chambers of the terrible agony, it’s Idaho Legislature? Simple. Stop hav- waiting for the walk light, piping deprived them of ing public prayers at a body that makes life into West End window-boxes, the privilege of the laws for everyone — they’re inappro- grace of God to suffer” — and I just priate. pollinating weeds around think what a twisted, evil thought pro- Newspaper’s Facebook post referring condemned residential hotels, cess that is. To impose your beliefs on to an editorial commenting on how and prancing along at the head another human being in terrible pain Sens. Steve Vick, Sheryl Nuxoll and and suffering and agony and trauma, Lori Den Hartog “behaved like petu- of every elbowing crowd on the West Side, and you’re telling them that it’s cow- lant children” when they walked out on singing: ardly not to live through that hopeless- Rajan Zed’s prayer ness and fear and pain. It disgusts me. Idaho Press-Tribune, 3-11-15 follow me—it’s spring— Atheist entertainer Ricky Gervais, in- and nobody dies. terview New York Daily News, 3-29-15 © Philip Appleman. From the book New and Selected Poems, 1956–1996

Philip Appleman is a Dis­tinguished Professor­ Emeri­tus at In­dia­na Univer­ ­si­ty. His published volumes of poetry in­clude Perfidious Prov- erbs and Other Poems: A Satirical Look at the Bible (2012), Dar- win’s Ark (new 2009 edition) and Karma, Dharma, Pudding & Pie (2009). His nonfiction work in­cludes the widely used Norton Critical Edition, Darwin, and the Nor­ton Critical Edition of Malthus’ Essay on Pop­ulation. His poetry and fiction have won many awards, including a fellowship in poetry from the Na­tional En­dow­ment for the Arts, the Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Humanist Arts Award from the American Humanist Association and the Friend of Darwin Award from the National Center for Science Education. His work has ap­peared in Harper’s­ Magazine, The Nation, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Partisan Review, Poetry, and The Yale Review.

He and his playwright wife, Marjorie Appleman, are both “After-life” Members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Phil’s books: ffrf.org/shop. UK-based NewsThump’s stated aim is “to mock absolutely everyone, eventually.” April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 5

Jessica and Sean Scaff are discerning readers (and Staff Attorney Andrew Dan Barker signs a copy at a pre-release book signing in FFRF’s new Charlie Seidel’s sister and brother-in-law). (photo by Andrew Seidel) Brooks Auditorium in March. (photo by Jake Swenson)

Barker finds purpose where pastor Rick fails Atheist book for ‘inspirational’ aisle?

It seems certain that not-so-rever- first book by an atheist aimed at the “in- lived, and are living, immensely mean- elusive “meaning of life” with the very end (or revered) Rick Warren is no spirational/motivational” bookshelves. ingful lives as they work to solve prob- real “meaning in life.” intellectual match for ex-reverend Dan “We atheists are truly IN-spired,” Dan lems and meet the challenges that con- Life Driven Purpose flips so many re- Barker. says, “while believers are OUT-spired. front us in the real world. ligious precepts on their heads. You Christian pastor Warren’s best-sell- They desperately seek their marching The rest of the book returns to can see the real world much better, er, Purpose Driven Life, starts with a sin- orders from somewhere outside them- Dan’s familiar writing style. Chapter 2, Dan says, by looking through the right gle-sentence paragraph: “It’s not about selves — a king, commander, lord or “Mere Morality,” replaces C.S. Lewis’ end of the telescope. “A supernatural you.” God planned your life, he claims, slave master — while we nonbelievers Mere Christianity with a superior, natu- additive pollutes what is pure and pre- before you were born. “You don’t get find and create purpose and meaning ralistic moral philosophy. Chapter 3, cious in our species. We atheists simply to choose your purpose.” within ourselves.” “Religious Color Blindness,” creatively refuse to be cheated of the good life.” Former minister Barker, now FFRF Inner-directed purpose is the only probes the polarized mind of a funda- Richard Dawkins, who helped with co-president, turns Warren’s sad true purpose, Dan writes. “Asking, ‘If mentalist believer. (You’ll have to read editing, calls Life Driven Purpose “a love- worldview right-side up in his new there is no God, what is the purpose of it to discover how Annie Laurie Gay- ly book!” book, Life Driven Purpose: How an Atheist life?’ is like asking, ‘If there is no mas- lor’s misplaced hat sheds light on re- Finds Meaning (April 2015, Pitchstone). ter, whose slave will I be?’ ” ligious belief.) Chapter 4, “Much Ado Ordering from FFRF benefits the Founda- “It is about you,” his book starts. “When Chapter 1, “The Good News,” softly About,” is Dan’s thoughtful answer to tion because Dan is contributing his royal- it comes to purpose, it is about you and mimics the “inspirational” style of “psy- the question “Can something come ties. You can order the book for $20 postpaid no one else.” cho-faith” authors like Rick Warren from nothing?” by U.S. mail from FFRF Shop, P.O. Box Life Driven Purpose, with an eloquent and Joel Osteen, but comes to a nov- Summing it all up, the final chapter 750, Madison, WI 53701, or online at ffrf. foreword by philosopher Daniel C. el conclusion: The truly good news is “Life Is Life” circles back to “meaning” org/shop, where prices vary slightly due to Dennett (author of Breaking the Spell that there is no purpose of life. There by recounting personal stories from custom shipping. (Please indicate if you’d and an honorary FFRF director) is the is purpose in life. Nonbelievers have Dan’s family. Thus does it replace the like it autographed.) FFRF to air TV ads against Wis. voucher expansion FFRF has produced two 30-second 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. news broadcasts TV ads to air in Madison, Eau Claire-La for two weeks on WISC-TV, the Madi- Crosse and a few other Wisconsin mar- son-area CBS affiliate. FFRF also sched- kets, raising the alarm on Wisconsin uled them locally during CBS “Sunday Gov. Scott Walker’s unprecedented bid Morning” and a few other news pro- to expand vouchers to send children to grams for two weeks. religious schools at public expense. The ad takes viewers to ffrf.org/ “We have a sense of urgency to in- stopvouchers to encourage them to con- form the public about the disastrous tact legislators using information from consequences, if Walker’s voucher the Web page. expansion is adopted,” said FFRF FFRF notes that Walker’s recently Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We expanded statewide voucher system must end Wisconsin’s failed voucher has resulted in a system where 100% of experiment, not expand it.” the state-funded schools are Christian, The first spot explains: “Our pub- and 73% of students attend Catholic lic schools are under attack by Gover- schools. nor Walker. He wants to take money from our public schools and use it to A screen capture of FFRF’s anti-voucher commercial. support someone else’s religion. Your tax dollars shouldn’t fund religious- The second ad (quoting a Wiscon- would soon be destroyed. Let it once What Is a Freethinker? ly segregated schools. Nearly half of sin Supreme Court decision) says: enter our common schools, they would free-think-er n. A person who our state’s students would be eligible “There is no such source and cause of be destroyed.” It concludes, “Stop Gov- forms opinions about religion on for vouchers under Walker’s scheme. strife, quarrel, fights, malignant oppo- ernor Walker’s disastrous proposal to the basis of reason, independently of Vouchers are bad for children and bad sition, persecution, and war, and all expand vouchers for religiously segre- tradition, authority, or for education. Help us stop Walker’s evil in the state, as religion. Let it once gated schools.” established belief. brazen attack on our public schools.” enter our civil affairs, our government The ads started airing April 6 on the Page 6 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015 FFRF legal staff secures variety of victories

FFRF complaint stops plained in a March 9 letter. An admin- istrator responded March 16 that the teachers’ prayer district would “immediately cease shar- Two Prattville Primary School ing this video with our students.” teachers in Prattville, Ala., will no lon- ger lead students in Christian prayer FFRF ends prayer at during the school day. FFRF received a report that one teacher led at least six Ohio athletics classes in prayer while students were in The St. Clairsville High School the hallway on the way to lunch. spring sports banquet in St. Clairsville, Staff Attorney Sam Grover sent Ohio, did not include prayer, unlike the Autauga County School System a its fall banquet, thanks to a Jan. 5 com- complaint letter Nov. 24. The school plaint letter from Staff Attorney Sam board’s attorney responded Feb. 27 Grover. He sent the letter after learn- that FFRF’s concerns had been “specif- ing that the St. Clairsville-Richland City ically addressed with the two teachers School Board president reportedly led mentioned” and did not anticipate a a sectarian invocation and benediction continued problem. at the fall banquet. FFRF’s complainant reported ‘Rogue speaker’ out in March 18 that the spring banquet had no prayer or mention of religion. Nebraska Elkhorn Valley View Middle School, Church signs off L.A. Elkhorn, Neb., will ensure that future school assemblies are free from in- school fence appropriate religious content. Staff Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent Attorney Patrick Elliott sent a letter a March 6 letter objecting to letting a of complaint March 2 about a Dec. 8, church permanently post signs on the 2014, assembly about drug and alcohol fence of University High School in Los awareness at which Pastor Servando Angeles. Vintage Church had been Perales invoked God and Jesus many permitted to keep signs up around the times. FFRF Legal Fellow Kat Paige with Staff Attorneys Patrick Elliott (right) and clock for at least two years. FFRF’s complainant summarized Andrew Seidel on March 14 at Freethought Festival 4 organized by the Universi- FFRF’s complainant reported March the message her child received as, “If ty of Wisconsin-Madison Atheists, Humanists & Agnostics student group. Elliott 20 that the signs had been taken down. you don’t find God, then you’ll be a and Seidel presented a one-hour workshop titled “Get Off Your Butt and Help drug dealer and a criminal.” Protect the Wall of Separation.” Christian WyldLife not Superintendent Steve Baker re- sponded the same day, agreeing that oxymoron the assembly had been inappropriate, K-Life Ministries no morning announcements over the A Chicago Public Schools teacher claiming that it “went astray as the re- intercom. The district originally dou- who regularly promoted weekly reli- sult of a rogue speaker.” Perales will longer welcome bled down after getting Staff Attorney gious club meetings to students during not be invited back, Baker said. Sheridan County School District #2, Sam Grover’s complaint letter March instructional time will no longer be al- Sheridan, Wyo., will not let represen- 5. White Oak ISD Superintendent Mi- lowed to do so. A Greeley Elementary Good news: Gideons tatives from K-Life Ministries, a Chris- chael Gilbert wrote in a statement that School teacher promoted meetings of tian youth organization, visit students he was fully aware of the practice and, WyldLife, a Christian club that meets get left behind during the school day. The group, “we have not (in my opinion) violated in the school’s gym after the school day Jefferson County School District based in Branson, Mo., is known na- anyone’s rights and/or subjected any- ends. WyldLife is sponsored by Young in Madras, Ore., will no longer allow tionally for insinuating its members one to undue stress. Bible studies and Life, an organization dedicated to “in- the Good News Club to park a trailer into students’ space at lunch tables to scriptures are allowed in schools.” Gil- troducing adolescents to Jesus Christ at Warm Springs K-8 Academy. Staff discuss personal religious beliefs. bert’s recommended response to FFRF and helping them grow in their faith.” Attorney Andrew Seidel wrote to the Superintendent Craig Dougherty was, “I’m sorry you feel that way. I will The teacher also regularly invited district Feb. 16 after learning that the responded March 9 to Staff Attorney be praying for you and your staff daily.” students to bible study with his wife school board allowed the club to pro- Andrew Seidel’s Nov. 12 complaint Gilbert reconsidered later, howev- and other adults. mote religion during school hours on letter: “You can be assured that K-Life er, according to a March 15 article in “A public school may not sponsor school property. The Child Evangelism representatives will not be allowed into the Longview News-Journal. It quoted or provide preferential treatment to a Fellowship states that club is to “evan- the public schools during lunch to Gilbert saying that Noll’s “thought for Christian club,” said FFRF Staff Attor- gelize boys and girls with the Gospel of proselytize, talk to students or pass out the day” would remain a part of morn- ney Sam Grover in a complaint letter. Lord Jesus Christ.” literature.” ing announcements but added: “It will The district responded that it advised An attorney for the district answered consist of material intended to encour- the teacher he could not promote the March 3, forwarding a letter the dis- Letter remedies Okla. age students to consider positive choic- club or bible study during the school trict sent to the club to inform it that es in their daily life and plans for the day. In addition, FFRF received word allowing the trailer on school property religious violations future. The thought for the day will on March 25 that all staff had been was unconstitutional. Chandler Public School District in come from a variety of sources and will issued guidelines regarding religious • • • Chandler, Okla., has resolved several not include chapter and verse from clubs. After FFRF received a report that constitutional violations after getting a Scripture.” Gideons International distributed bi- Jan. 30 complaint letter from Staff At- bles to students at Holly Hill Elementa- torney Andrew Seidel, who wrote to ob- ‘You’re a sinner’ video ry School, Enterprise, Ala., Staff Attor- ject to reports about school-organized ney Andrew Seidel wrote a March 18 prayers at football practices and other plug pulled complaint letter. athletic events, as well as a teacher giv- Palm Beach County School District “It is unconstitutional for public ing religious explanations for scientific in Florida has stopped making stu- school districts to permit the Gide- matters and proclaiming the teacher dents watch a motivational speech by on Society to distribute bibles as part “did not believe in science.” Crosses Christian evangelist Nick Vujicic. Boca of the public school day. Courts have and other religious items were also be- Raton Middle School had required uniformly held that the distribution ing displayed in classrooms. all students to watch one of Vujicic’s of bibles to students at public schools Superintendent Wayland Kimble re- speeches. He also spoke at several oth- during instructional time is prohibit- sponded March 9, saying the issues had er schools in the district. ed,” said Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel all been resolved and that he did not Vujicic’s organization, Life With- in a March 18 letter to the district. foresee them resurfacing. out Limbs, encourages visitors to its Enterprise City Schools Superinten- website to “become a Christian” and dent Camille Wright responded the Bible verses by “understand and accept that you are next day, saying she had notified all a sinner.” The district reportedly also One of a kind? principals not to allow Gideons to dis- principal silenced showed videos of his presentations to Bill Lundell, Texas Life Member, tribute bibles on school grounds. Principal Dan Noll, White Oak preschool and elementary students writes, “After seeing this in a book- [Texas] High School, has stopped his and had plans for future events. store, a Facebook friend sent me this practice of reciting bible verses during Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel com- picture. Unique find!” April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 7

FFRF, ACLU file second suit against Indiana county

The Freedom From Religion Foun- FFRF maintains that the county’s down the displays of other citizens.” The county currently limits appli- dation filed a second lawsuit March 24 practice of putting up a nativity scene “That welcome message apparently cants to Franklin County citizens. FFRF against Franklin County, Ind., after the every year prior to passage of the ordi- doesn’t apply to atheists,” noted An- contends this requirement violates its county denied its application for a sea- nance was illegal and is still pursuing nie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. First Amendment rights and is asking sonal display about the Bill of Rights its original federal lawsuit. “When FFRF applied to place a charm- the court to enter an injunction allow- on the courthouse lawn in Brookville. The Thomas More Society, a conser- ing display celebrating the Dec. 15 ing the displays. In FFRF’s ongoing FFRF is represented by the American vative Catholic legal group, has stepped ‘nativity’ of the Bill of Rights, we were lawsuit over placement of the nativity Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and its in to represent the county. Jocelyn rejected. The county cannot create a scene, local members, who are offend- Senior Staff Attorney Gavin M. Rose. Floyd, associate counsel, claimed in a public forum only for Christianity or ed by the yearly governmental Chris- FFRF previously sued over an annu- press release, “A public forum, such as majority views.” tian display, are named as plaintiffs. al nativity display prominently placed the Franklin County Courthouse lawn, Similarly, when the Satanic Temple The case is filed in U.S. District in front of the courthouse. The county is open to speech from all citizens on applied to place “an artistic three-di- Court for the Southern District of In- subsequently passed an ordinance de- any topic, religious speech included. mensional sculpture” mounted on a diana, Indianapolis Division, and is claring the courthouse lawn a public If people disagree with a message be- wooden platform, its application was assigned to Judge Sarah Evans Barker. forum, where, it claimed, any citizen ing proclaimed in a public forum, the denied. FFRF, with the Satanic Temple The ongoing nativity suit is before U.S. could put up a display with the right proper response is to apply and put up as co-plaintiff, is asking the court to al- District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. paperwork. their own display as well, not try to shut low the displays. Theocrat group awards FFRF ‘blue ribbon’

By Andrew L. Seidel 420 mentions, it references our website tian law firm does upholding the sep- FFRF Staff Attorney 185 times. Thanks for all the hits! Our aration of state and church amount to friends at the American Civil Liberties hostility. They need to feel persecuted, Union come in second with 260 men- even if they aren’t. tions. And because Christians are (for The Liberty Institute, a Tex- The survey came on the heels of now) the majority in this country, as-based theocratic legal group found- an institute release listing its top “five vastly overrepresented in government ed in 1972 as the Free Market Foun- foes”: FFRF, Americans United, Amer- and used to exercising their privilege dation. released its annual “Survey ican Atheists, the American Humanist without being challenged, the institute of Hostility to Religion in America.” Association and the ACLU. Then the scraped together this glorified Internet Ironically titled “Undeniable,” it’s full American Family Association — the search. It’s clear that they envy FFRF’s of misinformation, twisted facts and er- $30 million hate group — released its effectiveness. roneous conclusions. “Bigotry Map” and rudely left our hard- If you look at their website, they My friend Rob Boston at Americans working friends at the Center For In- claim to have won 90% of their cases United helped debunk several of the quiry off the map. The map had to be against secular groups. However, Lib- stories that the institute has used pre- puffed up to scare AFA’s donors, so the erty Institute has gone up against FFRF viously, but I don’t want to focus on group included FFRF and AU chapters precisely once in court. That was the the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of and even college atheist groups. case of the Jesus portrait in the pub- factual errors in their ponderous 400- You have to hand it to them, they re- lic school in Jackson, Ohio. FFRF and page cut-and-paste job. Instead, I’ll just ally know how to name things. “Liberty” the ACLU won, and the school district, point out that its fearmongering shows Institute, “Undeniable” and the Survey which unfortunately made the mistake what and who scares them. Liberty of “Hostility to Religion” in America. of listening to religious demagogues, Institute is terrified of, and perhaps a They simply choose the word that best ended up paying nearly $100,000 in bit obsessed with, FFRF and the great represents the opposite of their intent. legal fees. work we do. Big Brother and the Ministry of Love So, at least against FFRF, they’ve lost What we imagine our award will look The timorous survey mentions FFRF would have been so proud. Only in the 100% of their cases. But why let facts like. We’re sure it’s in the mail! 420 times in 393 pages. On top of those warped mind of an evangelical Chris- get in the way of mythology? Texas coach strikes out on state/church separation

FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover Oak and Mt. Vernon problems,” and sent a letter of complaint April 2 to the chastised the local complainant for Pittsburg [Texas] Independent School “hid[ing] behind the camera and not District after learning that Pittsburg show[ing] her face.” She concluded High School head baseball coach Tom- her email with a bible quote: “Fret not my Stewart reportedly conducts bible thyself because of evildoers, neither be study with players after practice each thou envious against the workers of in- Wednesday and punishes those who iquity. For they shall soon be cut down don’t attend with 20 minutes of run- like the grass, and wither as the green ning. herb.” FFRF’s complainant reported that According to Co-President Dan Stewart shows religious videos, includ- Barker, “FFRF is pleased to report it ing the movie “God’s Not Dead,” and has experienced no withering as of to- that practice uniforms have “With day and is prepared to alert the police GOD all things are possible” printed should anyone attempt to ‘cut down’ on them. its ‘workers of iniquity.’ ” Before FFRF had even written the Barker added, “It shows the extent district, word of the complainant’s ob- of the problem that the superinten- jections were reported by local media. dent, instead of taking corrective mea- Superintendent Judy Pollan sent a mes- sures against the coach, compounds sage of support for Stewart to staffers, the violation by misusing her public au- writing, “We are blessed to have a man thority to espouse her personal beliefs. Recruit a Member—Sample Copies for $2 who feels called to work with our boys This public school district’s promotion as they make the transition into man- of religion turns Christians into ‘insid- Send $2 with the name and address of each person you wish to hood. I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY ers’ and the rest of us into ‘outsiders,’ receive a sample copy of Freethought Today to: RATHER BE REPORTED FOR DO- and that is unacceptable.” FFRF, P.O. Box 750, Madison WI 53701 ING SOMETHING GOOD RATHER Pittsburg’s native sons include U.S. THAN DOING SOMETHING BAD.” Rep. Louie Gohmert and Carroll Shel- Freedom depends upon freethinkers Pollan warned that FFRF “is the by, auto designer and racing driver. (Please specify whether the individual is a freethinker.) same [group] that caused White Page 8 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015 Four reasons I’m glad I came out as an atheist

This column was first published March 19 1. It turns out I really enjoy shatter- myself. I find that the more open I am at AlterNet and is reprinted with the au- ing people’s assumptions. I don’t fit about myself, the better I feel about thor’s permission. the media’s stereotype of a non-believ- the people around me. er — who does, right? — so it’s nice to 3. I’m setting a great example for By Wendy Thomas Russell be able to spread the “good word” that my child. Not believing in God is noth- atheists, agnostics and other “nones” ing to be ashamed of, but being open are just as likely as the next guy to be about our disbelief does — I believe — engaging people, good parents and require a bit of finesse. We ought not Coming out of any proverbi- involved community members. I par- just blurt it out in anger. We ought not al closet can be hard. For those of us ticularly enjoy slipping my atheism invoke it as a weapon. We ought not who have hidden part of our identities into conversation with religious people talk about it excessively just because Wendy Thomas Russell from people we know and love, finally who already know and like me; it forces we “can.” I don’t want my child to ever revealing that thing can be daunting. them to confront any stereotypes they feel ashamed to share her beliefs with trum, or want to know. Fear and anxiety, no matter how un- might have. Always a good thing. others, whatever those beliefs turn out That’s OK. grounded, have a way of clutching our 2. I like religious people more now. to be, but I also want to be a good role There are lots of reasons to come hearts. When I was closeted, it was way too model for how to go about it without out as a nonbeliever. There are lots When I decided four years ago easy to sit back and become preemp- being a dick. of reasons not to come out. All of us to write a book aimed at secular par- tively resentful. I sometimes felt a little 4. I’m opening the door for others. must weigh myriad factors before mak- ents, I knew that it would require that pissed that others were “free” to share You wouldn’t believe how many people ing that call for ourselves, not the least I disclose my atheism to my friends their views while I had to keep mine in our day-to-day lives consider them- of which is our proximity to the “bible and family. My own parents were com- to myself. I assumed, as many do, that selves nonreligious, and the look of belt.” But if you’re on the fence, and fortably secular themselves, which no people’s reactions would be negative if refreshment on their faces when you face no heart-crushing consequences doubt made the task a whole lot easier. I were to inject my views into these con- open the conversation can be priceless. to doing so, I urge you to open that But I had plenty of other loved ones versations. But once I was out — and It’s like the floodgates open. There’s door a crack. You might be delighted who felt strongly about their faith and because I only brought up my atheism this whole, rather fascinating aspect of by what you find there. would surely be offended or uncom- in truly neutral ways, not as a point of your life, and theirs, that can be tapped fortable with my stance — not to men- conflict — the reactions from religious for great conversation. By being open Wendy Thomas Russell has spent most of tion worried about my daughter’s eter- people have been overwhelmingly pos- myself first, I’m showing others that it’s her career in Southern California, writing nal soul. So I definitely felt that sense itive. okay to make the first move. In fact, it and editing for newspapers, magazines and of coming out of a closet. Some quietly disapprove, sure. But, can make friendships, and maybe life, other online and print publications. Her I took a few days to send a bunch in my experience, religious people even better. new book is Relax, It’s Just God: How and of e-mails and make a few phone calls. have been, outwardly, very lovely about Not believing in God is not like be- Why to Talk to Kids About Religion When And while no one disowned me in the my lack of belief. (As lovely, inciden- ing gay, lesbian or transgender. Shar- You’re Not Religious. Her “Natural Wonder- process, the revelation did hurt some tally, as I am about their belief.) They ing your “religious affiliation” with ers” blog (“Raising curious, compassionate people I love, at least a little. And that don’t insult me or shy away from me. others is not required to live a normal, kids in a secular family”) is at patheos.com/ made it hard. They don’t avoid the subject (well, healthy, happy life. Unless you choose blogs/naturalwonderers/. Her website is at But now, four years later, I can can- some do, and that’s okay!) or make to be an activist (or a secular-parenting wendythomasrussell.com/. She lives in Long didly say that, for me personally, being snide comments. They don’t try to author), you probably don’t adopt be- Beach with her husband and daughter. “out” has been one of the most surpris- change me. And with every positive ex- haviors that make you stand out as sec- ingly gratifying choices I’ve ever made. perience I have, I am more open and ular. You might not even know where Here’s why. less judgmental of “religious people” your friends fall on the religious spec-

beings, and want what’s best for every- one. We have evolved as a species to care about each other. It’s the only way An atheist view of we can survive. If we didn’t have that sense of built in empathy, we would have become extinct long ago. I think it’s far nobler a pursuit to the golden rule really wrestle together with questions of ethics than to evade our responsi- bility and just parrot edicts that were written down thousands of years ago. This op-ed was originally published March with empathy and can understand how It’s too easy to not have to really think 12 in the Brainerd, Minn., Dispatch and is that action would hurt someone else. about the consequences of our actions reprinted with the author’s permission. Why don’t I go around driving my car when we can just point to a book and at 100 miles per hour when I feel like say “but God said so.” By Amy LaValle Hansmann it? Because I’m aware of the danger In no other realm of understanding that puts not only myself in, but my fel- is faith seen as a good way of knowing low humans as well should I happen to anything about the universe. We don’t crash. understand math because we take it on I recently read a guest opinion Amy LaValle Hansmann faith. So why should we stop wonder- piece that seemed to make the case for ing at the many mysteries the universe religion as a necessary tool for moral I have had no still has for us to find answers to? behavior. someone else with one? It’s not a ter- Leaving it to faith is giving up, and As an atheist, I often hear that there trouble raising ribly difficult concept to understand, deciding that we don’t need to seek can be no morality without the abso- even for children. In fact, when I look any further understanding of our lives. lutes of the Bible (or any other holy children without around at the world today, I see a di- In my opinion, that stance does not book). However, I’ve found that moral- rect correlation between the people get us any further as a species. It only ity can be quite easily boiled down to the mandates of committing the worst atrocities against leaves us standing still; unable to prog- one simple piece of guidance, which is humanity, and religion. ress and make life better for everyone. commonly referred to as “the golden any religion. I get together regularly with a group rule.” of atheists, agnostics, and “freethink- Amy LaValle Hansmann founded the While the phrase “do unto others ers” as some people prefer to call Brainerd Area Atheists & Freethinkers four as you would have them do unto you” I have had no trouble raising chil- themselves, and they are some of the years ago “to help connect all the freethink- can be found in some form in the Bi- dren without the mandates of any reli- kindest, most generous people I’ve ers in my small town who are feeling isolat- ble, I’m confident that we as a species gion. They are simply taught to use the ever had the privilege of knowing. And ed because of their lack of belief.” In her blog could have figured this one out on our empathy and compassion they were the interesting thing is, they aren’t “Liberal House on the Prairie,” she describes own. It’s really quite simple. Why, as an born with to treat other people with “good” because they are trying to earn herself as a progressive mom living in the atheist, don’t I run around murdering respect and kindness. If they wouldn’t their way to heaven, or win favor with a “real America” and adds, “I do have a job, people? Because I have no desire to do like someone hitting them with a stick, deity. They are good because they gen- but it’s not an interesting one (smiley face). so, and even if I did, I am equipped then why would they go around hitting uinely care about their fellow human April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 9 Stop the hate; overturn RFRA laws everywhere

By Annie Laurie Gaylor 1993 federal law, the Religious Free- We will work diligently to assure stu- for business, women, LGBT rights and FFRF Co-president dom Restoration Act, that brought us dent-athletes competing in, and visi- true religious liberty. the Supreme Court’s infamous Hobby tors attending, next week’s Men’s Final It’s heartening to see the public con- Lobby ruling last year, setting women’s Four In Indianapolis are not impacted cern over passage of the Indiana Reli- contraceptive rights back half a centu- negatively by this bill.” gious Freedom Restoration Act. But When my mother-in-law Pat ry. In that ruling, the right-wing, male, Organizations such as the Gen Con we also need to channel that concern Barker’s eyes were opened to religion Catholic bloc on our Supreme Court gaming convention and the $4 billion against the 20 other state RFRAs and after a lifetime of devout fundamental- ruled that corporations have “religious software company Salesforce threat- the granddaddy that inspired them at ist belief, she poignantly told my hus- rights” that can be “offended” if em- ened to move operations out of Indi- the federal level. band, Dan: “I’m so glad I don’t have to ployees don’t follow their boss’s reli- ana. FFRF with several children’s advo- hate anymore.” gion, and that supersede the rights of Every hour, it seemed, another city cacy groups submitted the only amicus “You don’t have to hate anymore” women. or state joined the boycott, including brief in the Hobby Lobby case (written could be the slogan of the movement Clearly, it’s time for Congress to the mayors of Seattle, San Francisco, for us by Marci Hamilton) asking the known by the hashtag #boycottindiana. overturn the federal RFRA, which has Portland and the governors of Con- Supreme Court to overturn the federal No one should hate in the name of seeded RFRAs in almost half of our necticut and Washington. Celebrities RFRA. religion. But certainly no one should states. If it’s not in your state yet, watch such as George Takei and Audra Mc- It’s time to repeal it. Let’s have no be allowed to legally discriminate in out — it’s coming soon. Donald have decried the law. hate in my state — or in these United the name of their god. Bigotry is not Thanks to corporations that are Tim Cook, the head of Apple, noted States. divine. No state should pass a law, like more caring than Hobby Lobby, Indi- “something very dangerous [is] hap- Indiana did in early April, which grants ana has become the focus of national pening in states across the country. . Editor’s note: After the firestorm of contro- religious citizens and corporations li- consciousness raising and conster- . . America’s business community rec- versy, Gov. Mike Pence (who once described cense to break laws they feel go against nation. The NCAA released a state- ognized a long time ago that discrimi- himself as “a Christian, a conservative and their religion, such as anti-discrimina- ment: “We are especially concerned nation, in all its forms, is bad for busi- a Republican in that order”) signed a quick- tion laws protecting gays. about how this legislation could affect ness.” ly revised bill that critics said still falls short Indiana passed a state version of the our student-athletes and employees. FFRF knows that these laws are bad of providing equal protection to all.

ADVERTISEMENT FFRF asks governors NO HATE to repeal state RFRAs IN FFRF is calling on the governors of a letter April 1. Connecticut and Virginia to take the McAuliffe invited Indiana business- lead in repealing their states’ versions es to come to Virginia, where, ironi- of the Religious Freedom Restoration cally, there is also a RFRA law in place. ANY STATE Act. While thanking Connecticut Gov. “The executive order you signed to Dannel Malloy and Virginia Gov. Ter- protect state employees from discrim- OR IN THESE ry McAuliffe for speaking out against ination is an excellent start. But it does Indiana’s RFRA law, FFRF points out not protect all citizens. The fact is, your UNITED STATES that their states also have objectionable state has had a law nearly identical to RFRA laws on the books. Indiana’s in place for eight years,” No one should hate in the name of religion. Bigotry is hardly holy. Malloy banned state-funded travel wrote FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Lau- to Indiana, saying, “We cannot sit idly rie Gaylor and Dan Barker in their let- Certainly no one should be allowed to legally discriminate in the name by and do nothing while laws are enact- ter to McAuliffe. of their god. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) grants ed that will turn back the clock.” Con- “The Religious Freedom Resto- necticut’s RFRA law is even broader ration Act is now used not as a shield, religionists an uncivil right — the liberty to break laws, including than Indiana’s in that it bans any “bur- but as a sword by the religious major- civil rights protections, they claim offend their religious faith. den” of a person’s exercise of religion ity and corporations to discriminate without a compelling governmental against minority groups,” charges The problem isn’t just in Indiana and the 20 other states that interest, instead of requiring the bur- FFRF. den to be “substantial.” FFRF sent him have adopted RFRAs. The problem is the federal RFRA, passed by Congress in 1993, on which the state laws are based. The federal RFRA brought us the Supreme Court’s infamous Hobby Lobby ruling last year, setting women’s contraceptive rights back half a century. Now corporations have “religious rights” under RFRA that supersede citizens’ rights. The best protection for religious freedom is a government free from religion, as the First Amendment requires. There will be more uncivil rulings like this until RFRA is repealed. Restore true religious liberty. Ask the President and Congress to REPEAL RFRA #RepealRFRA

ABOVE: In response to Michigan’s proposed Religious Freedom Restoration Phone or email FFRF for more information Act Bill — legislation widely criticized for legalizing discrimination in the name of “religious freedom” — the Satanic Temple of Detroit started a petition 1-800-335-4021 | FFRF.ORG/repealRFRA urging the state Senate to add an amendment requiring businesses to post any discrimination policy in a location clearly visible to patrons and employees. Join our 501(c)(3) educational association of atheists and agnostics working to ban marriage between church and state. RIGHT: This quarter-page ad (shown here at 95% scale) appeared in the front section of the New York Times on Easter Sunday, April 5. It was designed by FFRF’s new graphic designer Jake Swenson. Page 10 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015

FFRF slams 5 more schools with basketball chaplains

FFRF sent letters March 25 to five Thompson as its “character coach.” “Public school athletic teams cannot more public universities that inap- Both are associated with Nations of appoint or employ a chaplain, seek out propriately employ religious leaders Coaches. a spiritual leader for the team, or agree for their basketball teams. The letters The University of Virginia employs to have a volunteer team chaplain be- follow a March 24 letter and records Brad Soucie as director of player devel- cause public schools may not advance request to Wichita State University in opment. Soucie and Assistant Coach or promote religion,” Staff Attorney Kansas. WSU informed FFRF that it Ritchie McKay have been together Andrew Seidel told the schools. was investigating the chaplaincy. since their time at Liberty University, FFRF Co-President Dan Barker not- Louisville coach Rick Pitino has al- an evangelical Christian school found- ed that giving these chaplains secular legedly appointed his friend, Fr. Ed ed by Jerry Falwell. Soucie recently titles compounds the violation by blur- Bradley, as “unofficial chaplain.” He spoke at a church about the “signifi- ring the line between a legitimate po- reportedly travels with the team, sits cance of men finding their identity in sition and an abuse of that position to with coaches on the bench and leads Jesus instead of success, work, or any “[help] basketball players learn how to the team in prayer before games, at other source.” (It was announced April love God,” as Dickie put it. halftime, after games and while the 1 that McKay was returning to Liberty One in three Americans under the team travels. and bible verses abound on its website. to be head coach.) age of 30 identifies as nonreligious, Many university chaplains, includ- “Nations of Coaches exists to impact Kansas University also has a chap- FFRF pointed out, making it very likely ing WSU’s Steve Dickie, are associated coaches and all whom they influence lain, Wayne Simien. Simien quit the these chaplains are imposing their reli- with Nations of Coaches, a religious for the glory of God,” says the group’s NBA to pursue a “passion . . . for Chris- gion on students who are not religious group that provides “character coach- application. tian ministry and youth athletics,” and and just want to play basketball. es” and chaplains to basketball pro- The University of Maryland em- has said his goal is “to impact the lives FFRF also requested financial re- grams. The group’s website shows a ploys Pastor Donnell Jones as a chap- through sports and with the message of cords and policies relating to religion graphic with a whistle with a cross on it, lain. Oklahoma University lists Scott Jesus Christ.” in athletics from all of the colleges. FFRF objects to evangelist’s speech at Mich. school FFRF sent a letter of complaint vantage of the students’ captivity to re- and records request March 30 to cruit them to come to a Christian event Iron Mountain Public Schools in Iron later that night,” wrote Senior Staff At- Mountain, Mich., after the school dis- torney Rebecca Markert. trict allowed speaker Bob Lenz to use Lenz brags on Facebook about the a presentation during school hours to percent of students who returned for recruit students to attend a later reli- the religious program and the number gious event at a church. who “received Jesus” after a March 9 Lenz is part of Life Promotions, presentation in public schools in Gi- which is based in Appleton, Wis. He rard, Kan. employs a common evangelical meth- A promotional video for Life Pro- od to recruit public school students to motions claims that America’s youth religious programming, giving a sup- are experiencing a “spiritual poverty,” posedly secular presentation during lamenting that less than 18% of youth the school day where he passes out fli- attend church regularly. The video ers advertising pizza, prize drawings or also takes a tone-deaf attitude toward other incentives to attend a religious poverty, asking viewers, “Did you know event later that evening. many of America’s youth are among At an auditorium event during the the poorest in the world?” with a school day March 2, Lenz gave a talk graphic of a person holding out a bowl. touted as “a positive message of hope The hungry person is then “painted” and encouragement,” accompanied over, as the narrator announces, “Not by an illusionist. Lenz says he has been a physical poverty, a spiritual poverty!” speaking to public schools for over 30 “This is very callous, given that 16 years. million U.S. children live below the ac- “Students are a vulnerable and tual poverty line,” noted FFRF Co-Pres- captive audience, and Iron Mountain ident Dan Barker. High School allowed Lenz to take ad- It’s paying to complain in Michigan The Michigan Association of Civil “as of this point, all clergy will have school property during school hours, national-Western Michigan to comply Rights Activists (MACRA), co-founded been permanently banned from Fre- including during lunch and recess pe- with state law. by FFRF Life Members Holly Huber mont Public Schools and that no orga- riods,” said Kahle. “Release time is not In a related case MACRA is involved and Mitch Kahle, successfully com- nized religious activities will again take an opportunity for teachers or adminis- in, the Grand Haven Tribune reported plained in March on behalf of parents place on school property while school trators to circumvent long-established that a group called Citizens of Grand concerned about religious intrusion in is in session, if organized and run by laws prohibiting organized religion in Haven filed suit April 1 against the city public schools. adults.” He said in a second email to public schools.” in Ottawa County Circuit Court to con- Kahle wrote a letter to the princi- Kahle, “I wanted to let you know as Cross Creek Principal Joe Nieu- test a city council ordinance in January pal of Daisy Brook Upper Elementary well that Fremont Public Schools nei- wkoop told mlive.com that the adults that resulted in removal of a Christian about allowing bible classes. Kahle said ther encourages nor discourages par- were not school employees, but stressed cross from public property on Dewey Fremont Public Schools Superinten- ticipation in any religious program. that “student religious groups or gath- Hill. The suit claims the council’s re- dent Ken Haggart told him the dis- By saying ‘clergy are banned’ we are erings led by adults will not be allowed moval of the area as a public forum trict did transport children to a nearby referring to the offering or conducting to hold meetings during school and/or gives the appearance the city “is hostile church for bible study during the pre- of religious instruction classes. In the instructional hours. However, students to the cross as religious speech.” vious school year but switched this year event of school tragedies, or needed may organize prayer groups, religious Although Mayor Geri McCaleb vot- to holding monthly bible study in the counseling, or for clergy who have chil- clubs and gatherings before or after ed against the ordinance change, she school gym at lunchtime to save mon- dren attending FPS, or other use of the school to the same extent that students said public entities dealing with groups ey. About a third of the school’s 150 facilities, they are of course welcome to are permitted to organize other non- like MACRA have to be aware of what children attended the class. visit our schools.” curricular student activities groups.” they do with taxpayer dollars. Haggart told WZZM that the school MACRA also complained about two MACRA complained in February Councilman John Hierholzer, who has returned to its original arrange- adults unlawfully leading students in about Hudsonville Public Schools let- voted for the change, said the city has ment in which students are driven Christian prayer at Cross Creek Char- ting students attend bible club in a already spent $12,000 on the issue off-campus to churches. Haggart told ter School in Byron Center. “Clergy recreational vehicle in the parking without going to court. Kahle that the school district won’t and adults are forbidden from partici- lot during lunch hour. The district re- provide transportation. pating in any voluntary, student-initiat- sponded that it stopped the practice Haggart clarified his statement that ed religious activity that takes place on and told Bible Club Ministries Inter- April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 11 Seattle student sits for pledge, calls out bigots

Ewan is the recipient of a new FFRF student She said it was disrespectful not to activist award, which includes a $1,000 participate. I did a bunch of research cash scholarship. The generous donor, who and wrote her a letter explaining why prefers anonymity, writes: “In the 21st cen- it is every student’s right to decide for tury, with so much scientific advancement, him/herself if they want to participate I hope all humans are able to reason and in the pledge. think critically. We don’t need an invis- The principal was uncooperative ible ‘super being’ to tie up our freedom of and condescending to me, so my mom thought.” and I contacted FFRF. Attorney An- drew Seidel helped me a lot and we By Ewan McCartney got the situation resolved (with a letter from the school district’s lawyer saying that I am correct and the principal is wrong — yay!). I cannot thank Mr. Se- My name is Ewan McCartney. idel enough for his help. I’m in the eighth grade. I attend public When I am not arguing about my school in Seattle. I am an atheist and I right to free speech in school, I am also have autism. active in local politics, mostly with re- I would like to thank the Freedom gard to education and human rights. from Religion Foundation for helping I testify every chance I can get in the me. I have sat out the Pledge of Alle- state legislature (and complain to any giance since the fourth grade. I have elected official I can convince to listen several issues with it. Among my issues: to me) about better funding for pub- I think the “under God” part violates lic education and closing the achieve- the separation of church and state, and ment gap in our schools. I don’t like saying “liberty and justice I have also volunteered extensively for all” when we still oppress so many on various “freedom to marry” cam- groups of people in our country. paigns. I am an ordained minister The principal at my school caught with the Universal Life Church and Ewan McCartney, 14, loves museums and history. Here he is at me sitting out the pledge and was ada- am available for all your gay wedding the Louvre last summer with a black basalt stele inscribed with the mant that everyone should participate. needs! Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, dating to about 1750 BCE. ‘Devil’ breathes life into Ingersoll’s words “Speak of the Devil,” a two-act com- perienced by Ingersoll as he spread edy drama about “The Great Agnostic” his freethought philosophy through Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-99), was pre- oratory and voluminous written works. sented in February at Theatre NOW Its director is Robert Kalfin, founder of New York in New York City. New York’s Tony Award-­winning Chel- The actors’ impassioned perfor- sea Theater Center. mances had the audience listening The play is moving toward full pro- intently, laughing and applauding. duction in the near future, with the The dramatic reading, the first in the goal of reaching as many new audi- company’s 2015 Raw Reading Series, ences as possible. The creative team is was made possible through the spon- reaching out to individuals and groups sorship of the Freedom From Reli- for donations to make this possible. gion Foundation and the Yip Harburg Theatre NOW New York is a non- Foundation. profit that facilitates the creation and Robert Ingersoll with his daughters “Speak of the Devil” was written in development of new works and the Eva and Maud. the early 1970s by the late Richard F. “reimagining” of previously produced Stockton, an Ingersoll scholar, and re- works through productions, readings, vised in 2011 by Marsha Lee Sheiness. workshops and work-in-progress pre- ductible and can be made at ffrf.org/ His widow, Irene Stockton, is an FFRF sentations. get-involved/donate/. Email speakofthedev- Life Member. The play brings to life Contributions to help spread In- [email protected] with questions and the conflicts, joys and difficulties ex- Richard Stockton gersoll’s crucial message are tax de- comments.

Four moments that made Ingersoll Richard Stockton (1932-97) on the four moments in Robert Green Ingersoll’s life that shaped him, the first being the death of his father John, who was a Congregationalist minister: “Despite their opposing religious views, the old revivalist on his deathbed asked Bob to read to him from the black book clutched to his chest. Bob relented, took the book, and was surprised to discover that it wasn’t the Bible. It was Plato describing the noble death of the pagan Socrates: a moving gesture of reconciliation between father and son in parting. The second event was Bob’s painful realization that his outspoken agnosticism not only invalidated his own political career but ended his brother Ebon’s career in Congress, as well. Third was the exquisite anguish of seeing his supportive wife Eva and his young daughters made to suffer for his right to speak his own mind. And fourth was the dramatic tension of having to walk out alone on public stages, in a glaring spotlight, time after time with death threats jammed in his tuxedo pocket informing him that some armed bigot in that night’s audience would see to it that he didn’t leave the stage alive.” Joseph Discher plays Robert Ingersoll and Amanda Jones plays his wife, Eva Parker Ingersoll, who outlived him by 24 years. Photo Courtesy of Theatre NOW New York Page 12 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015

FFRF convention award speech, Los Angeles, October 2014 Legal titan Chemerinsky champions First Amendment

country. He has written more than 200 that comes from an opinion by Justice articles in top law reviews. Potter Stewart, ‘I can’t define obsceni- His influence is very important to ty, but I know it when I see it.’ ” the Foundation’s approaches to en- But by the late 1980s, thanks espe- forcing the First Amendment through cially to the appointment to the Su- judicial strategy. Basically, in this area, preme Court of Antonin Scalia and Professor Chemerinsky is a titan. Anthony Kennedy, a new theory devel- oped, one that leaves very little of the By Erwin Chemerinsky separation of church and state with the Establishment Clause. These jus- tices called their theory “accommoda- tionism.” They said what government Thank you for the incredibly kind needs to do is accommodate religion. introduction. I wish my mother were The majority of justices believe in here to listen to it. Thank you for this it. Under this view, the government amazing Champion of the First Amend- violates the Establishment Clause only ment award. I hardly feel deserving of if it literally establishes a church or co- it, but I promise I will do all I can in the erces religious participation. Nothing years ahead to try to live up to it. else will ever violate the Establishment Erwin Chemerinsky The thesis of my remarks is a simple Clause. They believe that the framers one: Now more than ever, we need the of the Constitution meant to allow reli- Erwin Chemerinsky gave this speech, edited Freedom From Religion Foundation. gion to be a part of government. They for print, at FFRF’s October 2014 conven- In 1947 in Everson v. Board of Education, believe that the government should be tion in Los Angeles. He is the founding the Supreme Court held that the Es- able to give unlimited aid directly to dean of the University of California-Irvine tablishment Clause of the First Amend- religious institutions, so long as they Erwin Chemerinsky, who grew up in a School of Law and Raymond Pryke Profes- ment applies to state and local govern- don’t discriminate among religious in- working-class family in Chicago, was sor of First Amendment Law. He previous- ments. All nine justices believed that stitutions. inspired to become a lawyer by civil ly taught law at Duke University and the the Establishment Clause was meant to rights activists of the 1950s and ’60s. University of Southern California. He’s the create a wall that separates church and (Ingrid Laas photo) author of eight books, including The Con- state. Now for the first time since 1947, servative Assault on the Constitution and a majority of the court rejects that no- In every case to erty. For them, both the nativity and his latest, The Case Against the Supreme tion. We have a Supreme Court that is the menorah are constitutional. Court. Last year, The National Jurist mag- hostile toward freedom from religion. come before the That left two justices, O’Connor and azine added him to its list of “most influen- First, I want to sketch the different Blackmun, who took the middle en- tial people in legal education” in the U.S. views of the Establishment Clause. Roberts court, now dorsement approach. They said a na- Second, I want to explain what every- tivity scene all by itself on government Richard Bolton, longtime FFRF mem- one here believes why FFRF is correct, with its nine-year property is impermissible symbolic ber and outside ligitation counsel: that there must be strict separation of endorsement of religion. But they said I am very honored to introduce church and state. Third, I want to talk history, the court it was OK to have a nativity scene as a Erwin Chemerinsky, the awardee for about the current court and the belief has ruled against religious symbol, so long as there are Champion of the First Amendment. of the majority of the justices, and how symbols of other religious and secular There are numerous reasons, both they reject this separation. Finally, I’ll the separation of symbols. They said a menorah is a Jew- independent and cumulative, for Pro- talk about what this means for the fore- ish religious symbol, was accompanied fessor Chemerinsky to be given this seeable future, and why it means the church and state. by a Christmas tree and a proclamation award. In particular, he was the intel- activism and involvement of all of us of tolerance in the holiday season, so it lectual architect of the challenge we more important than ever. was permissible. made to the housing allowance and Over the years since Everson, three So then what you had was six votes the parsonage allowance. major theories have developed. One I Theories in practice that the menorah was OK and five Several years ago there was a case have already alluded to: strict separa- votes that the nativity scene was OK pending in the 9th Circuit involving tion. It takes its inspiration from the To show you the differences among and thus the result. But it all came Rick Warren and the housing allow- words not of a liberal law professor, but these three theories, I’ll use a couple down to those three theories. ance. The issue of the constitutionality from Thomas Jefferson: “There should of Supreme Court cases I’m sure are of that benefit to ministers of the gos- be a wall that separates church and familiar to you. One was a 1989 case Van Orden v. Perry pel was not directly raised by any of the state, a wall that is high and impregna- called Allegheny County v. American Civ- I am going to give another example, parties, but the 9th Circuit asked Pro- ble.” il Liberties Union. It involved two dis- Van Orden v. Perry, a case that I argued fessor Chemerinsky to weigh in with a This is not about hostility to reli- plays in the Pittsburgh area. One was in the Supreme Court in 2005. It in- “friend of the court” or amicus brief. gion. Rather it says that we want our in a county building where there was volves a 6-foot-high, 3-foot-wide Ten He prepared that brief and has subse- government to be secular, and that a large stairway display case. And in it, Commandments monument that sits quently written on it in very influential the place for religion is in the home, in December, was put a nativity scene. directly at the corner of the Texas State law review articles. churches, synagogues, mosques, in the The other case involved a Pitts- Capitol and the Texas Supreme Court. The 9th Circuit ended up not de- private realm. burgh city building. In front of it, in It is clear to me that this violates the ciding the issue because of some po- I would say that until the 1980s, December, was placed a menorah, a Establishment Clause. It is in big let- litical and procedural issues that ba- virtually every Supreme Court justice nativity scene, a Christmas tree, and a ters, “I am the Lord thy God” on top. It sically rendered the case moot, but would endorse the idea that there proclamation about the importance of has the Protestant, specifically the Lu- subsequently the Foundation has must be a wall separating church and tolerance in the holiday season. The theran, version of the Ten Command- challenged the constitutionality of the state. In the 1980s, Justice Sandra Day Supreme Court said that the meno- ments. It is right at the seat of Texas housing allowance. O’Connor developed what I would call rah was constitutional but the nativity state government. His influence is not just in the a second theory with regard to the Es- scene was unconstitutional. How did But I knew going into the oral argu- classroom or in the area of academe. tablishment Clause, what she referred they come to that conclusion? It goes ment that there was no chance I was He frequently argues cases before the to as a “neutrality theory.” back to the three theories. going to get four justices [to agree with nation’s highest courts, including the She said that the Establishment Three of the justices then on the me]. I knew that Chief Justice Rehn- U.S. Supreme Court. He argued in Clause means that government has to court believed in strict separation. quist and Justices Scalia, Kennedy and particular, I recall, the Van Orden case be neutral toward religion and nonre- They would have said that both the Thomas take the accommodationist in the Supreme Court against the Ten ligion, neutral among religions. nativity and the menorah are uncon- approach. In fact, at oral arguments, Commandments monument at the Of course the problem with this is stitutional. They would have said, as I Justice Kennedy said to me with real Texas Capitol. He writes a weekly col- that symbols are always in the mind of believe, religious symbols don’t belong hostility in his voice, “If your client umn for the Orange County Register, the beholder. One commentator aptly on government property. Four of the doesn’t like the Ten Commandments monthly columns for the ABA Journal said, “Justice O’Connor’s approach to judges took the accommodationist ap- monument, why doesn’t he just look and the Daily Journal and frequent the Establishment Clause is, ‘I know it proach. They said there is no limit on the other way?” op-ed pieces in newspapers across the when I see it,’ a much ridiculed phrase religious symbols on government prop- Of course a constitutional violation April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 13 isn’t excused by ignoring it. Besides the world, we can see so well how com- ing that the federal government giving held that this was constitutional. that, there would be no stopping point. bining separation of church and state up ownership of the parcel of land I do not think we can excuse the A city could put a large cross atop city is disastrous.” Don’t we want to learn was good enough. Scalia and Thomas Obama administration here. In Arizo- hall and say, “If you don’t like it, look from that? Why would we want to re- wrote a second opinion that is truly na School Tuition Organization v. Winn, the other way.” peat that mistake in this country? chilling. They said they don’t believe the Obama administration filed a brief But I was also confident that I would that anyone ever would have standing in support of the tax credits. In Town get three votes going in, Justices Ste- The current court to sue to challenge a religious symbol of Greece, the Obama administration vens, Souter and Ginsburg. They con- That leaves the third part of my re- on government property. They said no filed a brief saying prayers should be sistently took the strict separation ap- marks, the current Supreme Court. As one is hurt by a religious symbol on allowed. It is inexcusable that the proach. So I felt that the case was going I mentioned, when I argued Van Orden government property. Obama administration filed the same to turn on Justices O’Connor and Brey- v. Perry in 2005, there were four justices That means it doesn’t matter where kind of brief we have seen from the er, who took that middle endorsement who believed in the accommodationist the government puts a religious sym- Bush administration or from the Rea- approach. I confess to you that it was approach to the Establishment Clause: bol, it doesn’t matter what the religious gan administration. really going to depend on Justice San- Rehnquist, Scalia, Kennedy and Thom- symbol would be, they would never al- Justice Kennedy wrote an opinion dra Day O’Connor. as. Today, as you know, there are five low anyone to sue to challenge it. Four with Justice Roberts and Justice Alito My brief was a shameless attempt to justices who believe in that approach: justices dissented. saying there is a long history of legisla- pander to Justice O’Connor. If I could Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas and tive prayer in our country. It does not have, I would have put her picture Alito. In every case to come before the Other cases matter if it is sectarian or nonsectarian. on the front of my brief. Sadly, I got Roberts court, now with its nine-year The second related case with the He said it is permissible unless, and I Justice O’Connor’s vote but lost Jus- history, the court has ruled against the Roberts court was Arizona School Tuition am not sure what this means, there is a tice Breyer’s vote. Breyer said that this separation of church and state. Organization v. Winn, involving the law pattern of prayer over time that prose- monument was not an endorsement There is the [California] case of that gives individuals a tax credit for lytizes or denigrates religion. of religion. It’s hard to imagine how Salazar v. Bono. It involves a cross in a contributing to a school tuition orga- Didn’t the town have a pattern of a 6-foot-high, 3-foot-wide Ten Com- federal park in the Mojave Desert. A nization. The 9th Circuit declared this prayer over time that proselytized? Jus- mandments monument exactly at the challenge is brought arguing that this unconstitutional and pointed out that tice Thomas wrote a concurring opin- corner of the Texas State Capitol and violates the separation of church and virtually every dollar given was to ben- ion in which he said that state and lo- Supreme Court was not an endorse- state. The federal district court de- efit evangelical Christian and Catho- cal governments never can violate the ment of religion, but once more you clared it unconstitutional. The 9th Cir- lic schools, the effect of which was to Establishment Clause. He said that he see the importance of these theories. cuit Court of Appeals declared it un- advance religion. The Supreme Court believes the Establishment Clause was The second thing that I wanted to constitutional. The 9th Circuit pointed reversed 5-4. just meant to limit what the federal say is what everyone in this room be- out that the cross is a quintessential The plurality opinion said there government can do. He is the only jus- lieves. It is what FFRF is all about: That religious symbol, and only of Christian was standing to challenge government tice since 1948 who takes the position there should be separation of church faiths expenditure that aids religion but not that the Establishment Clause does not and state. The reasons have been artic- standing to challenge tax credits. Jus- limit what a state or local government ulated from the very first days of Amer- tice Kagan ridiculed this in her dis- can do. This also is chilling. If a state ican history. When the government be- sent: “Does that then mean that the wanted to declare an official religion comes aligned with religion, inevitably We are going government can give tax credits just and compel participation, it would not people feel coerced to participate. to have to for people who buy religious symbols violate the Constitution for Clarence When John Ashcroft was attorney or religious books? Surely that can’t be Thomas. general, there were reports that he was increasingly right.” Then in an opinion joined by Jus- regularly holding prayer sessions in The first of the Roberts court’s de- tice Scalia, Thomas said that the gov- his office. The Justice Department was litigate in state cisions about religion was Hein v. Free- ernment violates the Establishment quick to say that nobody was required dom From Religion Foundation (2007), Clause only if it coerces religious par- to participate, but of course any lawyer court under state which said that taxpayers lack standing ticipation. For them, nothing else who wanted to advance knew it was bet- to challenge the Bush administration’s would ever violate the Establishment ter to be there. constitutions. funding of faith-based programs. Clause. Justice Kagan wrote an elo- The most recent case from the Rob- quent dissent. Greece v. Galloway erts court with regard to the Establish- All of these four cases, all decided I’ll talk about the Supreme Court Congress then passed a law that gave ment Clause was just this past spring. 5-4, have rejected the separation of and Town of Greece v. Galloway that held ownership of the small parcel of land I’ve already spoken of Town of Greece church and state. There are five jus- that town board prayers did not violate where the cross is located to a Veter- v. Galloway. Greece has about 100,000 tices on the current court who take the the Establishment Clause. The average ans of Foreign Wars group. The district people and is outside of Rochester, accommodationist approach. attendance at board meetings was be- court said the transfer is a sham. The N.Y. In 1999, it adopted the practice of tween five and 10 people. Those who 9th Circuit said it’s a sham. Anybody every month inviting a Christian cler- What’s ahead? came were often people who wanted going through the park would still see gy member to deliver a prayer before Let me conclude by talking about zoning variances or conditional use the cross, and still see it as a symbolic town board meetings. From 1999 to what this is likely to mean for the fu- permits. How likely was it that they endorsement of religion. 2007, only Christian clergy members ture. I think this is a court that will al- would not want to participate in the It came before the Supreme Court, were invited to deliver the prayer. low much more religious involvement prayers when they had to go before the and there is a very telling exchange at The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Ap- in government proceedings. We see board to ask for something that is re- the oral argument between Justice Scal- peals ruled that violated the Establish- that already with Town of Greece v. Gallo- ally important to their lives and their ia and Peter Eliasberg, the ACLU attor- ment Clause. It should have been a re- way. The day the decision came down, businesses? ney. Justice Scalia said, “Isn’t the cross ally easy case under the Establishment I got a call from an attorney who rep- James Madison also expressed why a universal symbol of the war dead? To Clause. Under any of the theories I resents school boards all over the coun- the separation of church and state is which Eliasberg said, “I’ve been to a lot mentioned to you, this should be un- try. He said as soon as the decision was so important. He said, and this is his of Jewish cemeteries and I have never constitutional. The town was coercing announced, he got calls from clients word, that it is immoral to tax some to seen a cross on a headstone.” religious participation. The town was asking if they could recite Christian support the religion of others. That is But the court by 5-4 reversed the 9th aligning itself with Christianity. But the prayers at their school board meetings. why the government should not be us- Circuit and sent the case back, indicat- Supreme Court by 5-4 reversed and I think we are going to see prayers ing tax dollars to support religion. And at school board meetings, park com- of course that is what FFRF has been mission meetings, police commission arguing about and litigating about meetings, utility commission meetings since its inception. and city council meetings in so many I also believe that while Justice parts of the country. And isn’t that the O’Connor very well articulated the very essence of an impermissible estab- underlying rationale of separation of lishment of religion? church and state, she didn’t always vote In light of five justices who take this that way. She said, “No one should be position, it is why I say that all of our made to feel like an outsider or an in- activism is more important than ever. sider relative to his or her own govern- We are going to have to fight this out at ment on the basis of religion.” This is the political level. We are going to have what Justice Kagan so eloquently said to increasingly litigate in state court in her dissent in Town of Greece: “We are under state constitutions. We are go- an incredibly diverse society. There are ing to have to fight hard to make sure people with religious beliefs, and those that the next justices on the Supreme who don’t believe in religion.” Court believe in separation of church When the town begins every meet- and state. ing for almost 10 years with a prayer It is why my theme for the afternoon by a Christian clergy member, those of is, now more than ever, we need the different religions inevitably are made Freedom From Religion Foundation. to feel like outsiders relative to their Thank you and thank you for this won- own government. Justice O’Connor, derful award. in an opinion in a case that I argued, Erwin Chemerinsky with FFRF staff members at the October national conven- Purchase The Case Against the Supreme said, “When we look at the history of tion in Los Angeles. (photo by Chris Johnson) Court at ffrf.org/shop. Page 14 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015

Overheard

After four centuries of fighting a los- The Town Council’s chambers re- ing battle to protect religious America mained silent Monday night as Mayor from “outsiders,” maybe it is time to Steve Angle asked if there was a motion acknowledge that delivering prayers to adopt a resolution to open council in state legislatures is a secular act and meetings with prayer. With no motion not a matter of faith. forthcoming, the council effectively Op-ed, Lloyd Omdahl, former North declined to establish a prayer policy, Dakota Democratic lieutenant gover- leaving meetings to continue as they nor, “Has legislative prayer become a have for at least two decades, without charade?” an opening prayer. Grand Forks Herald, 3-12-15 Start of a news story about a govern- ment meeting in Rocky Mount, Va. So, as of right now, if you are an Or- Franklin News-Post, 3-11-15 thodox Jew in search of a Loony Lion pleasure ring or a vibrator shaped like That we are somehow a threat. Atheists the Statue of Liberty, Rabbi Alexander are associated with other labels such is your go-to guy. as satanists, communists, fascists, and Story on Natan Alexander, an Austra- in my part of the world, Democrats. lian-born rabbi who operates bebetter- We’re the bogeyman that will trample 2gether.com in Israel for nudity-averse their rights, steal their children and TP online clients their front yards. The Times of Israel, 3-11-15 “Stan Bennett,” an ordained minister still serving a church despite his non- Jeff Brinckman “did time” in Catholic grade school. (photo by Andrew Seidel) I am an ordained pastor and value the belief, answering the question “What power of prayer, faith and spirituality. I do you think is the biggest misconcep- do not support those things being tout- tion about atheism?” Meet a member ed in the public government sphere. CNN, 3-28-15 That was an incredibly inappropriate way to begin and end the meeting. I am the one in the second row be- Name: Jeff Brinckman. opened my mind and made me wonder Rev. Ellen Huffman, Columbus, Ohio, tween the Rabbi with the hat and the Where I live: Madison, Wis. whether any of it was true. The church letter to the editor objecting to prayer Franciscan Sister. Where and when I was born: Mil- had let the genie out of the bottle. at a community meeting at East High Larry Gember, pastor of St. James waukee in 1953. I was baptized shortly My clearest memory of prayer was with the police chief, who has sched- Lutheran Church in Greenfield, Ind., afterward, to protect me from the erro- in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis uled four more such public forums emailing that he was proud to be in the neous belief that I’d go straight to hell when my mother had me kneel before Columbus Dispatch, 3-13-15 photo with Gov. Mike Pence signing a if I died outside the church. Although a crucifix so we could pray for peace. “religious freedom” bill my father converted to Catholicism Although the Russians turned their But with an average Sunday atten- Indianapolis Star, 3-28-15 as a condition of marriage in 1941, I ships around at our blockade, I didn’t dance of about 70, West Hill is prosper- had no choice. I became a Catholic the attribute it to prayer. I thought the cri- ing, relatively speaking, while churches Forbidden by their faith to kindle a fire old-fashioned way: I inherited it. sis was solved by two humans, Khrush- throughout the Western world shrink or manually adjust an electric switch on Family: Married once, I have two chev and Kennedy. When JFK was as- and wither. All they had to do, it turns the Sabbath, hundreds of thousands of adult children. sassinated in 1963, I wondered why a out, was get rid of God. Orthodox Jews in the U.S. and Israel Education: University of Wiscon- good god permitted it. I was already a News story on West Hill United Church keep electric or fire-fueled hot plates sin-Eau Claire, BBA.; Hamline Univer- doubting Thomas. in Ontario, Canada, “Atheist minister running throughout the 25-hour peri- sity, JD; Utrecht University in the Neth- With regards to morals, the church praises the glory of good at Scarbor- od. erlands, LLM, international law. wasn’t all bad. As a member of our ough church” News story about a Brooklyn, N.Y., I “did my time” at a Catholic grade all-white suburban basketball team, I Toronto Star, 3-16-15 fire caused by a malfunctioning hot school in Menomonee Falls. Back was driven into Milwaukee to play the plate that killed seven Sassoon sib- then, no tax dollars went to parochi- all-black Cherry Street School. I met I consider myself an intelligent guy lings: Eliane, 16, David, 12, Rivkah, 11, al schools and no right-wingers like blacks for the first time and it was a who has gone far. I’m vice president of Yehoshua, 10, Moshe, 8, Sara, 6, and Gov. Scott Walker were giving welfare good experience. The priests and nuns a multinational corporation responsi- Yaakov, 5 money to religious charter schools. My who risked violence to push integra- ble for 130 countries. Nevertheless, I Religion News Service, 3-23-15 parents kept government out of reli- tion deserve credit. can’t forgive myself for how I let that gion by financially supporting both the By the 1967 “Summer of Love,” the man torture me for eight years. Madison, Wisconsin, has become the public school district and my parochial supernatural part of the church had Chilean journalist Juan Carlos Cruz, first city in the nation to make it illegal school. lost me. Questioning was in; the pope on his sexual abuse by Fernando to discriminate against atheists. Said The election of John Kennedy in and his entourage were out. While in Karadima, a convicted pedophile Cath- atheists, “This is the law we’ve been not 1960, the first Catholic president, was high school, I still had to go to church olic priest praying for.” big news at my school. Since Catho- on Sundays, but I usually skipped out. IPS News, 3-20-15 NBC’s Seth Meyers, opening monologue lics were a minority, the nuns taught Military service: After anti-war activ- “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” 4-2-15 us Article VI of the Constitution: “No ists bombed the Army-Math Research I’ve never seen anything like this. It was religious test shall ever be required as Center in Sterling Hall at UW-Madison sad to see the church I pray at every If I had to bet, we’d have a gay pres- a qualification to any office or public in 1970, where my brother was majoring day reduced to a battlefield between ident before we had an atheist pres- trust under the United States.” in math, my parents sent me to UW-Eau those who supported the prelate and ident. I think Americans really want In religion classes, I had to memo- Claire. Once Nixon eliminated under- those who didn’t. — obviously not all Americans — but rize all sorts of unsubstantiated beliefs. graduate military deferments, I was clas- Attendee requesting anonymity at the folks want a degree of piety and devo- Although the nuns were not stereo- sified 1-A but drew #185 in the lottery first Mass celebrated in Chile by new- tion from their leaders. And you know, typical demons, I nonetheless feared and was not called. As the war wound ly installed Diocese of Osorno Bishop if they’re Catholic, if they’re Mormon, them, and particularly the school prin- down, I asked how a good god could Juan Barros Madrid, where the Mass Jewish, Protestant, whatever, I don’t cipal. Fear was a psychological weapon. allow 54,000 Americans and 2 million was cut short due to people shouting think that’s as important as just seeing I was to fear God and the chance of Vietnamese to die for no reason. “pedophile” and “get out” for Bar- some kind of faith. spending an eternity in hell. Five college classes helped me move ros’ alleged complicity in covering up Newsweek’s Matthew Cooper discuss- Although the 1960s are known for from agnosticism to atheism: Western abuse by Fr. Fernando Karadima ing the role of religion in politics Vietnam and civil rights, there was also Civilization, Philosophy 101, Philos- Crux, 3-21-15 “Weekends with Alex Witt,” MSNBC, 4-2-15 a revolution over religion inside and ophy of Religion, Constitutional Law outside the church. While the Supreme and English Legal History. The cruelest thing Fr. Dallat did was [S]hortly after the famed journalist Court courageously found prayer in Person in history I admire: Thomas leave me two weeks after my mother and atheist social critic Christopher public schools unconstitutional, liberal Jefferson, for his views on religion. died. He told me that he had heard Hitchens died in 2011, Noah wrote Catholics prevailed at the Second Vat- Before I die: I just wish Jennifer a voice from God telling him that he that atheists “worship him” and there- ican Council in Rome (1962-65) and, Aniston would finally answer one of my could not continue the relationship fore, “#WeAllNeedAGod.” He also almost overnight, everything changed. calls. I’m getting really exhausted from with me. claimed that “Without God, atheists My doubts about religion started: A leaving all those messages. “Linda,” 49, a businesswoman from wouldn’t exist” and asked why “atheists nun walked into class one day no lon- Northern Ireland who alleges a Cath- don’t spend as much [time] question- ger fully covered in black. Suddenly, Editor’s note: Better update your bucket list, olic priest slept with her three or four ing satan’s existence.” the Mass was in English instead of Lat- Jeff. Recent news reports say Jen, 46, and times a week from September 2012 Ronald Dixon, op-ed on South African in, guitar music replaced pipe organs fiancé Justin Theroux, 43, have finalized until April 2014, during which time she writer/entertainer Trevor Noah, Com- and meat could be eaten on Fridays. their prenup that puts her net worth at $112 became pregnant and miscarried at edy Central’s replacement for host Jon What was infallible truth just yesterday million and his at $19 million. five weeks Stewart had changed radically. The revolution Belfast Telegraph, 3-23-15 Minnesota Daily, 4-6-15 April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 15

Council to face the future with full rec- Secular Invocations ognition of their responsibilities to all the citizens of Lenoir City. I urge you In Memoriam to maintain our trust that you will rec- David G. Marcus, City on topics that are important to us. Our ognize and serve equally the growing Ethel-Mae Haave Council, El Paso, Texas, political views range from liberal to diversity of your constituents with fa- conservative and some of us are a bit voritism toward none. 1916–2015 Dec. 2, 2014 of both. Consider the words of Pericles, the Ethel-Mae Haave, 98, Muncie, Ind., But we all agree and know that per- great leader of Athens, the cradle of died peacefully at home March 1, sonal beliefs, regardless of how strong- democracy, who said, “What you leave 2015. She was born in Winona, Minn., ly we hold them, are ours alone. behind is not what is engraved in stone in 1916 to Carl and Anna (Schossow) Yet, as we gather here together, we monuments, but what is woven into Haave. In 1937 she graduated from the are linked by our common humanity, the lives of others.” College of St. Teresa in Winona and our shared heritage and our mutual Thank you. began a lifelong career in academia desire to do what is best for the citizens with an emphasis on English literature. of El Paso. Aleta Ledendecker, FFRF Life Member and In 1948 she accomplished a feat un- Our city has a long history of saying Rationalists of East Tennessee secretary, common for women of her generation no to hate and bigotry, and as we move writes: “The invocation was front-page news and earned a Ph.D. in English from forward, we remember the difficult de- in the Knoxville News Sentinel and Loudon Yale University, publishing “Herman cisions of our former leaders. Let us County News-Herald. My next scheduled in- Melville’s Pierre: A Critical Study.” continue to build on their legacy. vocation will be at another heavily religious Haave continued her career at the Uni- city commission (in a county where they re- versity of Rochester and at East Caroli- David Marcus is president and co-founder cently put plaques of ‘In God We Trust’ over na College before being appointed as- of Join Us for Justice, the El Paso chapter of the courthouse entrances). I’m gearing up sistant professor of English at Ball State Americans United for Separation of Church for that encounter.” University in 1956, retiring there as a and State, and is managing partner of Her husband Carl took issue with the full professor in 1986. David Marcus Marcus, Fairall, Bristol + Co., a certified council letting two pastors give prayers af- Haave was an excellent tennis play- public accounting firm. Join Us for Justice ter Aleta’s secular invocation. “I was dis- er and continued to play into her early We come together today in a spirit works “to educate the public about the dan- appointed. I thought that they would come 90s. She died as she lived, on her own of cooperation and compromise, re- gers of faith-based legislation and the conse- in and be respectful and not try to be pushy terms. Survivors include a niece, Eliz- spect and courtesy, calling upon the quences of breaching the line between church with people but obviously [they] were push- abeth Dougherty (Gerald) of Gettys- rules of civility to guide us. and state, and to serve as a contact for those ing back.” burg, Pa., and many, many friends. As we look around this chamber, we who seek information and expertise regard- “It’s wonderful that Ethel-Mae left a are reminded that in our differences ing separation issues.” $10,000 bequest to FFRF,” said Co-Pres- lie our strengths. ident Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We offer We are black, white, Hispanic, Asian Aleta Ledendecker, City sincerest condolences and are so grate- and Native American. We are Catholic, Council, Lenoir City, Tenn. ful that she valued FFRF’s work to that Protestant, Baptist, Jew, Muslim, Hin- degree. Her support will help ensure du, Buddhist, Humanist, Wiccan, Pa- March 23, 2015 our work continues into the future.” gan, Atheist, Agnostic and unaffiliated. Good evening, council of Lenoir Some of us live our lives in the cer- City. As I solemnize these proceedings, tainty of our faith; others of us are still I want to acknowledge the service of looking for answers, or have found the council members and share appre- them in our common human struggles. ciation for their willingness to be a part FFRF expels We are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual of the governmental process. We owe a and transgender, with and without dis- debt of gratitude to those who take on abilities, young and old and everything the burden of service. ‘Bible Man’ in between. Now, let us not bow our heads, but We don’t all think the same way. hold them high with eyes open. Aleta Ledendecker from Tenn. Many of us hold very differing views I urge the members of the City school Nothing Fails Like Prayer Contest An evangelist known as “Bible Man” will no longer be permitted to lead re- The U.S. Supreme Court unwisely It’s up to you! be invited to open FFRF’s annual con- ligious classes at Coalmont Elementary “blessed” sectarian prayers at local gov- We’d like to see secular citizens vention, receiving an all-expenses-paid School in Altamont, Tenn., after FFRF ernment meeting in its Town of Greece flood government meetings with secu- trip (this year at the Monona Terrace lodged a complaint with the Grundy v. Galloway decision. If the Supreme lar invocations that illustrate why gov- Convention Center, Madison, Wiscon- County Department of Education. Court won’t uphold our godless and ernment prayers are unnecessary, in- sin, October 9–11, 2015), a plaque and The school district for decades had entirely secular Constitution — adopt- effective, embarrassing, exclusionary, an honorarium of $500. allowed Horace Turner to lead month- ed at a prayerless constitutional con- divisive or just plain silly. Learn more at: ly assemblies during school hours. His vention — it’s up to us. The “best” secular invocation will ffrf.org/outreach/nothing-fails-like-prayer assemblies have included “baby Jesus” displays, sermons proclaiming that “Jesus died on the cross for our sins,” FFRF thanks 2 ‘After-Lifers,’ 28 ‘Lifers’ bible readings, discussions about the meaning of bible stories and distribu- The Freedom From Religion Foun- ester, Randy Pelton, Jed Rose, Yve Sol- his or her gift to live on) are $5,000. tions of religious literature. dation is delighted to welcome two brekken, Joe Stellbrink, April Sullivan, Lifetime and After-Life Memberships “Allowing anyone access to public new After-Life Members, Vincent A. Gary Thomson and Michael Wear. ensure never another renewal notice, school students to proselytize, and in- Andrews and Luc Hardy, and 28 new States represented are Arizona, are deductible for income-tax purpos- cluding the events in the school’s cal- Lifetime Members, who are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, es to the generous donor and go into a endar, is illegal District endorsement Dr. William Adams III, James Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, rainy-day reserve account. of the speaker’s religious message, in Alstrom, Anthony Apfelbeck, Karen Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Thank you, Michael, Gary, April, this case a Christian message,” wrote Barron, Stanley Beattie, Ted Berlstein, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania Joe, Yve, Jed, Randy, Larry, Ed, Paul, Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert Catherine Brown, JS Butler, Don Cal- and Washington. Karen, Norman, Michael, Lewis, Lynn, in a March 2 letter, noting that FFRF lender, Christopher Coll, Morrell Dan- Lifetime Memberships are offered Peter, John, Morrell, Christopher, won a lawsuit against another Tennes- iels, John Dunn, Peter Gretz, Lynn at $1,000 for donations designated as Don, JS, Catherine, Ted, Stanley, Kar- see school that let an outside religious Harke, Lewis Infeld, Michael Jacob- new membership or renewal. After-Life en, Anthony, James, William, Luc and group provide religious instruction to son, Norman Jamieson, Karen Jarussi, Memberships (suggested by a “Lifer” Vincent! students. Paul Krueger, Larry Mitchell, Ed Och- as the next tier for a donor who wants The fact that parents may have been allowed to excuse their children from ‘Anthropohorseism’ the programs did not make a differ- One website accompanied this graphic ence, explained Markert. “When chil- with: “Seems these days it’s a bad thing dren opt out, their absence is obvious, to say the word God or speak about God and the ostracism they suffer is precise- anymore. Well, it’s not! Let people know ly what the courts have sought to pre- that God still exists in your heart and soul vent.” — and you are proud to show it!” (Editor’s FFRF recently received word that note: Personification is the act of ascrib- the district had ended Turner’s uncon- ing human characteristics to animals or stitutional programs. objects to create imagery, while anthro- pomorphism aims to make an animal or object behave or appear human-like.) Page 16 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015

In the News

7th Circuit denies tic has evolved from a decade or two ago, says Barna. The study Milwaukee archdiocese lists five demographic shifts: A three-judge panel of the 7th Cir- 1. They are younger. Twenty years ago, cuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago 18% of skeptics were under 30. That ruled March 9 that so-called religious has nearly doubled to 34%. The per- freedom protections don’t shelter $55 centage who are 65 or older has been million transferred to the Catholic cut in half to 7%. Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s cemetery 2. They are more educated. The trust fund. Attorneys for clergy sexual percentage of college graduates has The 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on March 15 upheld a federal district abuse victims accused New York Cardi- gone from one-third to one-half. judge’s ruling that barred a JesusTattoo.org ad from the jumbotron at a high nal Timothy Dolan of creating the fund 3. More of them are women. In 1993, school football field in Lubbock, Texas. Little Pencil Ministries LLC sued the when he was archbishop of Milwaukee 16% of atheists and agnostics were school district for not allowing its “modern-day parable” in January 2014. to hide money from their clients. women. By 2013 it was 43%. (Men’s “[W]e have once again reviewed in careful detail the thorough and cogent opin- The archdiocese transferred $55 numbers have steadily increased also ion of the district court and find no reversible error,” the opinion said. million in 2008 to the fund after Dolan but not as rapidly.) indicated in a letter to the Vatican that 4. They are more racially diverse. the money would be safe from legal “While whites represented 80% of ABC News reported March 19 that vulnerable sailors to be counseled by claims. After its 2011 bankruptcy filing, skeptics 20 years ago, that figure had civil liberties groups are objecting to Modder is “a recipe for tragedy.” Mod- sexual abuse victims sought to void the dropped to 74% by 2013. This is largely de Blasio’s plan to expand public pre- der has served 19 years and could lose transfer. The archdiocese argued that a reflection of the increasing Hispanic kindergarten for all 4-year-olds this fall his retirement benefits if a board of the transfer was protected by the Re- and Asian adults among the skeptic co- because it allows religious instruction inquiry separates him before he com- ligious Freedom and Restoration Act hort. Asian Americans, the least-Chris- and prayers during midday breaks. pletes 20 years. and the First Amendment. U.S. District tian ethnic demographic in the U.S., “It’s kind of like waving a red flag in Judge Rudolph Randa had ruled that especially tend to embrace skepticism.” front of a bull,” said Barry Lynn, exec- Male Afghan mob RFRA and the Free Exercise Clause 5. They are more dispersed region- utive director of Americans United for protected the money from unsecured ally. The Northeast and West were “iso- Separation of Church and State. “This murders woman creditors. (Creditors sought his recusal lated hotbeds” of skepticism 20 years seems to be asking for a lawsuit.” A mob of male attackers stoned, after learning Randa has family mem- ago. “They still remain the areas where Some pre-K classes are in public beat and kicked 27-year-old Farkhun- bers buried at cemeteries owned by the skeptics are more likely to live, but the schools but many are run by religious da Zahra Naderi before tossing her off archdiocese, reported WisBar News.) skeptic population is now broadly dis- groups and other community-based or- a bridge, setting her body on fire and The appeals court said RFRA did persed across all regions.” ganizations under contract to the city. throwing it in the river March 19 in Ka- not apply because the creditors com- The study concludes: “In many ways, Donna Lieberman, New York Civ- bul, Afghanistan. Her parents said the mittee is not a “governmental actor,” skeptics resemble the rest of America il Liberties Union executive director, killing was instigated by a mullah an- and RFRA only protects government more than they once did. And their called the break “an end run around gered by Farkhunda’s accusations that actions that substantially burden reli- numbers are growing more quickly the separation of church and state.” he was distributing false tawiz, which gion. It didn’t address the recusal issue. than anyone expected 20 years ago.” “We have urged the city to audit pro- are pieces of paper containing verses The Associated Press reported that grams that are sponsored by a religious of the Quran sometimes worn as amu- the archdiocese’s proposed reorga- Judge: Church sign suit group to ensure that the prohibition lets to ward off evil. nization plan would give 128 victims against turning these into religious TOLOnews reported that “in order about $4 million total and that about can proceed programs is honored,” she said. to save his job and life,” the mullah re- 450 other claimants would get nothing. U.S. District Judge James Munley FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and portedly began shouting accusations ruled March 19 that a suit against the Annie Laurie Gaylor wrote de Blasio a that Farkhunda had burned the Qu- School removes church borough of Shickshinny, Pa., could go letter on March 31 objecting to his in- ran. forward. Francene Tearpock-Martini tent to allow worship in public schools, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Hajj and ad from program sued in 2012 over placement of a sign and also sent an action alert to its 1200 Religious Affairs said it had found no The Pine-Richland School District, for a local church on the border of her New York State members asking them evidence that she burned the Quran. Gibsonia, Pa., removed an ad spon- property, which is at the intersection to object as well. They cited U.S. Court Thirteen police officials were suspend- sored by St. Richard Catholic Church of two rights-of-way, reported the Wil- of Appeals Judge Pierre N. Leval, who ed after the attack and 13 people were from the program for the student pro- kes-Barre Citizens’ Voice. noted the city is free to conclude “that arrested. duction of the play “Pippin.” The borough council approved the it runs a substantial risk of incurring a “That was, for us, one of the most “We were given the unfortunate sign and a borough employee installed violation of the Establishment Clause troubling aspects of this case, that the choice to either remove any reference it in 2008. When it fell down, it was re- by hosting and subsidizing the conduct police did not intervene adequately to God and/or Jesus Christ, or to pull installed in concrete. of religious worship services.” and properly to save her when there the ad from the playbill and have the In protest, Tearpock-Martini placed FFRF noted, “One of the most com- was an opportunity to do so,” said Patri- costs refunded,” the parish said in a her own sign, “This Church Sign Vio- mon complaints FFRF receives from cia Grossman of Human Rights Watch. March 10 statement to WPXI. An un- lates My Rights As A Taxpayer & Proper- members of the public is about church Farkhunda was buried amid a huge identified school official told a report- ty Owner. Residential Neighborhoods worship being held in public schools. public outcry three days later, with her er the district is trying to “use our best Are Not Zoned For Advertisement This discomfort is historic. Thomas Jef- coffin carried by women defying the judgment while following school poli- Signs!” She was told to remove it. ferson argued passionately in his land- tradition of men-only pallbearers and cies.” Munley will rule later whether the mark Virginia Statute for Religious funerals. Many in the crowd, including An advertising policy states the dis- church sign violates the Establishment Freedom (1786) that no citizen ‘shall men, wore masks of Farkhunda’s bat- trict can’t accept ads that promote “a Clause. be compelled to frequent or support tered and bloodied face. religious or political organization or any religious worship, place, or minis- The following day, members of the cause.” State/church issues in try whatsoever.’ “ Solidarity Party and other activists The ad congratulated cast and crew, planted a pine tree on the riverbank included “parish news” and urged NYC schools Chaplain’s counseling where Farkhunda’s body was set on readers to “Find your ‘Corner of the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio fire. Sky’ at St. Richard Parish.” plans to revamp city rules that bar reli- ‘recipe for tragedy’ gious worship in public schools, a move Military Times reported March 11 Judge OKs ‘Jew Hatred’ New study details announced after the U.S. Supreme that Navy Lt. Cmdr. Wesley Modder, Court on March 30 denied the Bronx a Pentecostal chaplain, was given a bus ads ‘typical skeptic’ Household of Faith’s appeal to over- “detachment for cause” letter on Feb. U.S. District Judge Mitchell Gold- In a new study titled “Churchless,” turn the ban, the New York Daily News 17 after his superiors concluded he’s berg ordered the Southeastern Penn- the Barna Group defines skeptics as reported. The church has been using “intolerant” and “unable to function sylvania Transportation Authority on those who either don’t believe God ex- Public School 12 in the Bronx for ser- in the diverse and pluralistic environ- March 12 to accept bus ads with a 1941 ists or aren’t sure. “Skeptics represent vices. It’s the third time the court has ment” of his assignment at the Nucle- photo of Adolf Hitler with a Palestin- one-quarter of all unchurched adults. sided with the city against the church. ar Power Training Command in South ian leader and the tagline “Jew Hatred: Nearly one-third of skeptics have nev- “The administration remains com- Carolina. It’s in the Quran.” Philadelphia’s tran- er attended a Christian church service mitted to ensuring that religious orga- The letter said Modder “told a fe- sit system had turned down the ad for in their lives. That’s nearly double the nizations are able to use space in city male that she was ‘shaming herself in violating “minimal civility standards.” proportion of ‘virgin unchurched’ schools on the same terms provided the eyes of god’ for having premarital Goldberg, a George W. Bush ap- who are not skeptics,” says the report to other groups,” said mayoral spokes- sex, told another student that homo- pointee, ruled the policy was not clear- released March 25. man Wiley Norvell. “While we review sexuality was wrong and that ‘the penis ly defined. “It is clear that the anti-dis- Barna is “a visionary research and and revise the rules, groups currently was meant for the vagina and not for paragement standard promulgated by resource company” in Ventura, Calif., permitted to use schools for worship the anus,’ and suggested to a student SEPTA was a principled attempt to lim- “focused on the intersection of faith will continue to be able to worship on that he, Modder, had the ability to it hurtful, disparaging advertisements. and culture.” school premises under [Department of ‘save’ gay people.” While certainly laudable, such aspira- The profile of a typical skep- Education] guidelines.” Commanders felt that allowing tions do not, unfortunately, cure First April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 17

Amendment violations,” Goldberg wrote. Bible bill advances in Tennessee Tennessee legislation sponsored by Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, to make the bible the official state book was approved on a 2-1 vote April 1 by the General Assembly’s State Govern- ment Subcommittee. Rep. Bill Sanderson, subcommittee chairman, said a formal legal opinion has been requested from Attorney General Herbert Slatery. The Associat- ed Press reported that Sanderson said the measure is constitutionally suspect, according to Slatery. The Tennessee Constitution says “no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship.” The Tennessean quoted Senate Ma- jority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collier- ville, expressing concerns March 31 at a committee meeting. “We’re being asked to make the bible, any bible, any version of it, an object, like the state reptile. Like the raccoon, the sala- mander, the nut, the fish. I think it’s demeaning. I think it reduces the holy bible from scripture to a politically cor- rect history book.” Happy in nonbelief FFRF asked its Tennessee member- Members of FFRF’s Metropolitan Chicago chapter, from left, are Tom Cara, Bob Elmore, Rich Pope, Frank Anderson, ship to oppose this unconstitutional Melinda Dunker and Drew Bekius. They gathered near one of more than a dozen billboards placed recently in measure. Chicagoland. (photo by Bob Elmore) Another atheist hacked to death Atheist activist Washiqur Rahman, 27, was murdered March 30 in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Two sus- pects, both students at Islamic schools, were captured and three meat cleavers were recovered, police official Biplob Kumar Sarker said A third suspect es- caped. Prominent atheist blogger and sci- ence writer Avijit Roy was also hacked to death in Dhaka on Feb. 26, 11 days after atheist activist Ahmed Rajeeb Haider was murdered near his home in Dhaka. Asif Mohiuddin, a secular blogger, survived after being stabbed by militants in Dhaka in January 2014. Agency backs Colo. bakery owner KMGH-TV reported April 2 that the Colorado Civil Rights Division ruled that Azucar Bakery owner Marjorie Silva in Denver didn’t discriminate against William Jack by refusing to make cakes with anti-gay messages in March 2014. Jack, of Castle Rock, requested two cakes shaped like bibles. He wanted one to depict two groomsmen holding hands in front of a cross with a red “X” over them, with the bible verses “God hates sin. Psalm 45:7” and “Homosexu- ality is a detestable sin. Leviticus 18:2.” On the other he wanted the same im- age with the words “God loves sinners” and “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.” Silva, who is Catholic and has six Christian employees, told Jack that she would make him the bible-shaped cakes but wouldn’t decorate them with anti-gay bible verses and images. She offered to provide him with icing and a pastry bag so he could decorate the cakes himself. “If he wants to hate peo- FFRF display returns to Daley Plaza for Easter ple, he can hate them [but] not here The FFRF Metropolitan Chicago Chapter erected this 8-foot banner in Daley Plaza on April 4. This was the banner’s first in my bakery.” “resurrection,” after debuting last year to counter a 10-foot-tall painting of Jesus plus a 14-foot cross erected annually by “The evidence demonstrates that the Catholic Thomas More Society, It’s invariably accompanied by a round-the-clock prayer vigil. [Silva] would deny such requests to John Adams appears on the back, with the famed Treaty of Tripoli signed under his administration quoted, declaring the any customer, regardless of creed,” the United States is “not founded on the Christian religion.” Chapter volunteers from left: Mike Weeda, Rick Schuch, Joel decision said. Frazin, Bob Hunter, Steve Foulkes, Allen Cosnow and Tony Maguire (not pictured, chapter director Tom Cara, who took the photo). The banner set-up was fashioned by FFRF Staff Attorneys Patrick Elliott, Andrew Seidel and Sam Grover. Page 18 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015 Black Collar Crime Blotter in 2006-07 and claimed he only touched the vic- Compiled by Bill Dunn tim’s genitals outside his pajamas once. Before the trial started, he pleaded guilty to 1 count each of possession of sexually explicit Arrested / Charged materials and violation of privacy, admitting he had explicit photos of prepubescent children on Patrick Kervin, 58, Sydney: Indecent as- his computer and that he secretly photographed sault. Kervin, a Marist priest and pastor of St. a woman taking a shower in his bathroom. Patrick’s Catholic Church, is accused of mo- Metropoulos testified that altar servers of- lesting a 15-year-old boy in 1988 at Holy Spirit ten spent the night at his home and he often College in Bellambi in 1988. Source: Illawarra slept with the boys, but said when he told police Mercury, 3-25-15 that he had “a predilection toward children,” he Larry Jones, 65, McAlester, OK: Felo- was talking about girls, not boys. Source: Daily ny possessing obscene or indecent writings. News, 3-17-15 Jones, former pastor at Missionary Baptist Angelo T. Ervin, 51, Kankakee, IL: Guilty Church, allegedly wrote a letter describing his by jury of rape. Ervin, former head of deacons fantasy of having sex with 3 children as young at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, was as 6 who attended his church. accused of impregnating an 18-year-old woman He was arrested after his wife found the let- with an IQ of 59 and the mental capacity of a ter on a computer printer in their home. Jones’ 5-year-old. Their daughter was born in 2011. lawyers claim the statute violates the First Ervin, who claimed the sex was consensu- Amendment. Source: News-Capital, 3-22-15 al, was also a family friend and their landlord. Ronald D. Joling, 71, and Dorothea J. “The victim is a child who has a child,” prosecu- Joling, 72, Coquille, OR: Knowingly filing false tor Carol Costello said in her closing statement. liens. The Jolings, who are married and co-pas- Source: Daily Journal, 3-14-15 tors of an unidentified church, are accused of Clint Landry, 58, Fairbanks, AK: Pleaded filing retaliatory liens against officials involved guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a in the couple’s 2014 conviction for hiding more minor. Landry, who was suspended last May as than $2 million from the IRS over 19 years. pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, was The Jolings, who call themselves “sovereign arrested for wiring cash to the Philippines to ob- citizens,” claimed officials owed them more than tain child pornography after a custodian saw a $100 million. Source: The Oregonian, 3-21-15 salacious image of a girl on his computer. David Hayman, 37, Oradell, NJ: 2 counts Landry communicated with at least 7 email of sexual assault and 5 counts of child endan- accounts in 2013 “for the purpose of viewing germent. Hayman, who led a high school youth live video of a minor engaged in sexually ex- group until last May at Cornerstone Christian plicit conduct,” a plea agreement said. Source: Church, allegedly exchanged explicit videos Alaska Dispatch, 3-12-15 and text messages with 5 girls in the group and “engaged in inappropriate sexual activity” with at least 2 of them. Source: nj.com, 3-20-15 Sentenced Tim Biggers, 44, Dayton, OH: Suspicion Michael L. Miles, 33, Canton, OH: 3 years’ of possessing criminal tools. Biggers, pastor of probation, 200 hours of community service New Vision Church of God, was among several and no employment with fiscal responsibilities. men arrested in a prostitution sting. He alleged- Miles pleaded guilty to grand theft for stealing ly answered an online ad for sex, said police Patricia Feenan’s 2012 book alleges Fr. James Fletcher “groomed the whole family” to gain $15,000 from Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where Sgt. Chris Fischer. access to her son. he was pastor. “In conjunction with March Madness [NCAA After sentencing, he invited supporters to basketball], there are a lot of out-of-towners that pastor at God of the Second Chance Minis- He’d resigned from the church in October but worship with him at All Saints Temple. Asked come in, so we addressed street prostitution try Church and a Washington police officer, is had known the girl for about 4 years through her about his case, Miles said, “I’m thankful that as well as Internet prostitution,” Fischer said. charged with molesting a female minor starting church attendance. God wins and not people.” Source: Canton Re- Source: WHIO, 3-20-15 in December. The girl, now 16, attended the According to investigators, Kendrick sent pository, 3-25-15 Luis V. Camacho, 29, Merizo, Guam: church. pictures of his penis to the girl and she sent na- Wojciech Gil, 33, a defrocked Polish Cath- Custodial interference with a minor. Camacho, Another female church member, now 18, ked images of herself to him. Both say the sex olic priest found guilty of abusing 8 minor males pastor of 2 Catholic parishes, was found parked later came forward with similar allegations. was consensual. Source: WTSP, 3-10-15 in the Dominican Republic and Poland between with a 17-year-old girl at a beach, said A.J. Ba- Source: Washington Post, 3-17-15 Shawn E. Shaffer, 54, Corona, CA: Multi- 2000 and 2013, was sentenced in Poland to lajadia, police public information officer. He’s the Andrew Hamblin, 23, White Oak, TN: Ag- ple counts of sexual molestation on a juvenile 7 years in prison and restitution of $41,735. nephew of Bishop Emeritus Tomas Camacho. gravated assault and 6 counts of felony reck- under 16 years of age. Several men have al- He was also charged with possession of child In letters to authorities, Deacon Steve Marti- less endangerment. Hamblin, pastor of Taber- leged he molested them as minors. pornography and illegal possession of a gun. nez alleged Camacho “drove the minor child to nacle Church of God, is charged with firing a Corona police said it’s been reported that Source: Reuters, 3-25-15 Subway and then to a remote beach in Agat and gun out the window at a friend of his estranged Shaffer was conducting youth bible studies in William Kokesch, 68, Pointe-Claire, Can- had sexual contact with her,” including oral sex. wife while she and their 4 children were nearby. his home and that he frequents local skateboard ada: 2 years less 1 day in prison, barred from Martinez alleged in a letter that Camacho Hamblin gained notoriety after appearing on the parks. Source: Inland News, 3-10-15 public areas where children are likely to gather was influenced by Fr. Edivaldo Oliveira, who reality TV show “Snake Salvation” while han- Shaun O. Harrison Sr., 55, Roxbury, MA: and forbidden to use a computer after pleading once warned girls that boys will treat them like dling poisonous snakes. Assault with intent to murder, assault and battery guilty to producing and distributing child por- oranges, “sucking the sweet juice from them “It’s a shame,” Hamblin said while entering and unlawful possession of a firearm. Harrison, nography. Kokesch, a deacon at St. Edmund of and when they are all dried up, the boys will court. “[The media] ought to be reporting some former associate minister at Charles Street Afri- Canterbury Parish and communications director spit them out.” Source: Pacific News Center, real news instead of this garbage.” Source: can Methodist Episcopal Church and the dean for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bish- 3-19-15 WBIR, 3-15-16 of academy at English High School, allegedly ops, had almost 100,000 photos of nude chil- Jesús H. Sahagún, Burgos, Spain: Gen- Diane Reiners, 53, Brooklyn, NY: Criminal shot a 17-year-old student “execution style” in dren as young as 5 and 2,000 videos. Source: der violence, causing injury and mistreatment. possession of a controlled substance, DWI and the back of the head. The boy, who was being Canadian Press, 3-25-15 Sahagún, a Catholic priest who is official exor- reckless driving. Reiners, an assistant priest at mentored at school by Harrison, survived, and Daniel Curran, 64, Newcastle, N.Ireland: 3 cist in Valladolid, is accused of performing 13 Cathedral of St. John the Divine, an Episcopal was reportedly involved in selling drugs for him. years in prison suspended after pleading guilty exorcisms on a girl starting in 2012 after she parish, had been driving through the Holland Prosecutor David Bradley said in court that to gross indecency and indecent assault on a became anexoric. She was tied up and had cru- Tunnel erratically and was in possession of an Harrison “had told the victim that they were go- child. It was the 5th conviction for Curran, a cifixes positioned over her head, according to El open bottle of Absolut vodka and 31 Tramadol ing to a house to get marijuana and meet up Catholic priest already sentenced to 13 years, País. The girl later attempted suicide. pills prescribed to another person, the arrest re- with some girls for the victim.” Source: Christian 8 months in prison. In July, Pope Francis sanctioned exorcisms, port said. Source: Jersey Journal, 3-14-15 Post, 3-9-15 Curran admitted to offenses in 1990–93 at with the Vatican hailing them as “a form of char- Helmi M. Agha, aka Imam Abu Farah, Kis- Kareem A. Mitchell, 42, Sacramento, CA: a family cottage when the victim was between ity.” Source: thelocal.es, 3-18-15 simmee, FL: 12 counts of lewd and lascivious Sexual assault, sodomy and oral copulation. 7 and 10. He took altar boys, including the vic- Philip Wilson, 64, Adelaide, Australia: molestation. Agha, executive director of the Os- Mitchell, choir director at New Testament Baptist tim, to the cottage and plied them with alcohol. Concealing child sexual abuse. Wilson, the ceola County American Muslim Youth Leader- Church, is alleged to have initiated a sexual re- Source: Belfast Telegraph, 3-24-15 archbishop of Adelaide, is the most senior Cath- ship Council, is accused of sexually touching a lationship with a male minor that started in 2005 Stanislaus Hogan, 70, Adelaide, Austra- olic official in the world to be thus charged. He’s 15-year-old girl in his office. and ended in 2008. Another alleged victim later lia: 30 months in prison with parole eligibility accused of covering up sexual abuse in the Di- In 2013, Agha threatened to sue a hospi- came forward. Source: Sacramento Bee, 3-5-15 in 10 months. Hogan, a Jesuit Catholic priest, ocese of Maitland-Newcastle in 1976 by pedo- tal for not letting him volunteer as a chaplain. had more 1,500 books, magazines and videos phile priest James Patrick Fletcher, who died in Why are we not allowed to offer spiritual care Pleaded / Convicted of young boys in his private quarters at St. Igna- prison in 2006. to American-Muslim patients?” Farah asked. tius’ College in 2013. Victim Daniel Feenan’s mother Patricia Source: Orlando Sentinel, 3-12-15 Thomas Wilson, 63, Watertown, NY: Hogan told the court he used books and vid- Feenan said Fletcher “groomed the whole fam- Kerry E. Leeper, Lancaster, PA: Driving Pleaded guilty to 1st-degree sexual abuse. Wil- eos to help understand pedophiles and himself. ily” by portraying himself as a benevolent priest under the influence of alcohol. Leeper, pastor of son, senior pastor of Smithville Baptist Church, Judge Peter Brebner told him that porn pro- who could be trusted. Source: The Advertiser, First United Methodist Church, and the South- is accused of having sexual contact behind the duction exploits children, even though Hogan’s 3-17-15 west District of United Methodist Churches former Lake Ontario Playhouse in 2008 with a conduct toward students was said to be impec- Clovis J. Vilchez-Parra, 34, Palatine, IL: have agreed he should take a 2-month “renewal 9-year-old girl who was a family friend. Source: cable. Source: abc.net.au, 3-20-15 Production of child pornography and felony leave,” said Rev. Bumkoo Chung, district super- WWNY, 3-24-15 John D. Maguire, 71, Sydney: 21 to 36 possession of child pornography. Vilchez-Parra, intendent. Source: Lancaster Online, 3-12-15 Adam Metropoulos, 52, Bangor, ME: months in prison for 6 indecent assault convic- a native of Peru, is associate pastor at Mision Michael Parsons, 44, Kevil, KY: 2 counts of Found guilty by superior court judge of 4 counts tions of a student in the 1980s. Maguire, a Marist San Juan Diego Catholic Church in Arlington 3rd-degree rape and 22 counts of electronic so- of sexual abuse of a minor. Metropoulos, former Catholic brother, was charged with molesting a Heights. Investigators allegedly traced Internet licitation of a minor for sex. Parsons, youth pas- pastor of St. George Greek Orthodox Church, boy, starting when he was 11. The victim testi- images to a computer at his home, which is tor at Milburn Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian testified he never molested an altar boy, now 23, fied he once awoke in his dorm to find Maguire owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Source: Church, is accused of assaulting a 16-year-old performing oral sex on him. Maguire still denies Chicago Tribune, 3-17-15 girl who was in his youth group. Source: WPSD, the allegations. Source: AAP, 3-20-15 Franklin Paul, 35, Kongarapalayam, In- 3-11-15 Jeffrey D. Williams, 48, Corinth, TX: 5 dia: Murder. Paul, pastor of an unidentified Phillip Kendrick II, 30, Lakeland, FL: ‘The trail of destruction years’ deferred probation and $1,000 fine af- church, is charged with the poisoning death of Transmitting material harmful to a minor, use ter pleading guilty to causing injury to a child. a 26-year-old man who was allegedly having an of a 2-way communications device to commit caused by Thomas W. Williams, pastor at the Church of Corinth (“a affair with Paul’s wife, who had filed for divorce. felony and 3 counts of lewd battery. Kend- missional Christian community”), was originally Source: Press Trust of India, 3-17-15 rick, former youth minister at Mt. Tabor Baptist Shea is staggering.’ indicted on a charge of solicitation of a minor Darrell Best, 45, Upper Marlboro, MD: Church, allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl — Connecticut Bishop Michael Cote for attempting to “request, command or attempt 1st-degree sex abuse of a minor. Best, senior 3 times between last November and January. to induce an individual younger than 17 years April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 19

of age to expose her genitals” in 2013. Source: 1990s. Sutton, who died in 2004, would take ing claims of sex abuse at the Shiva School of Record-Chronicle, 3-13-15 him into the school chapel, Doe alleges, and Meditation and Yoga. Russell Kruckman, aka Josh Wheeless, 29, Cary, NC: 45 days in grope him while he was praying. Mr. Haynes said she Swami Shankarananda, 73, resigned as direc- jail suspended and 12 months’ probation after Eventually, Sutton raped him with sex toys tor but remained as spiritual head of the ashram pleading guilty to contributing to the delinquen- from a black bag, the suit alleges. Doe, who would be absolved of after it was revealed he’d had sexual relation- cy of a minor. Wheeless, minister of youth and lives in Washington state, said he heard a cam- ships with up to 40 women there. outreach at Landmark Freewill Baptist Church, era clicking on some occasions. Other times, those sins by perform- A sign at the ashram read, “Surrender is do- exchanged nude photos with a 16-year-old girl. Sutton stuffed a towel in his mouth to stifle his ing it when you don’t want to,” an alleged victim Source: WRAL, 3-11-15 cries, Doe claims. Source: Dallas Observer, ing oral sex on him.’ said. Source: The Age, 3-16-15 Duane E. Youngblood, 48, Wilkinsburg, 3-8-15 —Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rotella Restoration Youth Academy, Prichard, PA: 16 to 48 months in prison and 3 years’ AL, described as a private Christian boot camp probation after pleading guilty to 3rd-degree Civil Lawsuits Settled for troubled teens, was closed by Mobile police corruption of minors for molesting 2 teen boys for sanitary violations after serving a search The Catholic Diocese of Norwich, CT, set- he was counseling between 2009–11 as pastor Catholic Parish, where he was pastor. Source: warrant during an investigation of physical tled a suit for $1.1 million with a woman who at Higher Call World Outreach Ministries Inc. Sacramento Bee, 3-20-15 abuse allegations. All 36 teens were removed. alleged she was sexually assaulted at least 60 Source: triblive.com, 3-11-15 A Philadelphia jury was again unable to Camp founder William Knott was arrested times by Fr. Thomas Shea. “Jane Doe No. 2” reach a verdict in a trial of Andrew McCormick, on an unrelated domestic violence warrant. alleged Shea, a family friend, started molesting Civil Lawsuits Filed 58, a Catholic priest accused of molesting a Pastor John Young was arrested on a traffic her when she was 3 and continued until she 10-year-old altar boy in 1997. The mistrial came warrant. Source: WPLG, 3-13-15 Catherine Bergin is suing Nicholas Assi and was 16. He died in 2006 at age 85. 1 day shy of a year since the previous hung jury. The head of the Office of the Children’s Ad- the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, al- Shea has been accused of molestation by at McCormick wished court staff a happy vocate in Jamaica said youth are being sexually leging sexual harassment, sexual battery and least 15 girls, including by a woman who tried Easter as he signed a subpoena to appear at abused by clergy members. “We have received intentional infliction of emotional distress. She to kill herself 3 times by age 23. The suit also a hearing April 10, the date by which the state reports in relation to deacons, elders and prayer alleges Assi, assistant pastor at American Mar- alleges Bishop Daniel Reilly moved Shea from must decide whether to try him again. Source: warriors,” said Diahann Gordon Harrison. tyrs Church in Manhattan Beach, put his arms parish to parish in the wake of complaints. philly.com, 3-12-15 “Children are being robbed, raped and around her last April in the sacristy while she A memo in Shea’s file written by current A Missouri judge ordered the St. Louis murdered,” Gordon Harrison alleged. “They was volunteering and whispered, “Hi, darling,” Bishop Michael Cote says “the trail of destruc- Catholic Archdiocese to turn over records on are being abused in homes, in communities, then caressed her lower abdomen and “put his tion caused by Thomas W. Shea is staggering.” sex abuse allegations for 2 decades as part of in schools, in the church, and so it is common nose in plaintiff’s neck and took deep breaths.” Source: Hartford Courant, 3-23-15 a civil suit filed by parents of a man who killed knowledge that children are victims.” Source: Assi engaged in similar inappropriate behav- himself in 2009. The suit alleges Fr. Bryan Jamaica Gleaner, 3-10-15 ior with her in December 2013 and March 2014, Finances Kuchar molested their son between 1999 and The University of Arizona in Tucson is in- alleges Bergin, who is married. 2002. The Vatican defrocked him in 2006 after vestigating Faith Christian Church, which has An investigator for the church said “bound- The Catholic Diocese of Oslo, Norway, he was convicted for molesting a 14-year-old operated on campus for 25 years and is being ary violations” occurred but denied allegations is alleged to have fraudulently registered thou- boy. Source: AP, 3-11-15 described as a cult by at least 20 former mem- of sexual assault. Assi was removed from sands of people as members between 2010–14 U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel re- bers and staffers. American Martyrs in May. An oversight board to obtain about $6 million in state subsidies. versed a lower court’s decision to allow bail for “Their stories include reports of hitting in- recommended he “be reinstated to priestly func- Predominantly Protestant Norway subsidiz- Mark Haynes, 55, Westtown, PA, a Catholic fants with cardboard tubes to encourage sub- tions and reassigned to another parish,” the suit es organized religions. Authorities allege the di- priest charged with trading child pornography mission, financial coercion, alienation from par- states. Source: CNS, 3-25-15 ocese went through phone books to find people and enticing 25 teen girls to send him explicit ents, public shaming of members and shunning A lawsuit alleges the Catholic Archdiocese with foreign-sounding names and added them photos of themselves. Haynes used the alias of those who leave the church or question its of Los Angeles moved abusive Vincentian to church rolls, often without their knowledge, “Katie Caponetti” online. leaders,” a newspaper report said. priest Carlos R. Rodriguez to a different par- which doubled membership to 140,000 from Prosecutors told the judge that 3 accusers Neither Faith Christian’s founder and head ish after he spent time at a treatment facility for 2010–14. Source: AFP, 3-19-15 have surfaced since Haynes’ arrest in October. pastor Stephen Hall, 62, nor executive pastor molesting a boy, 16. The suit details allegations One alleged in court filings that Haynes assault- Ian Laks, 50, responded to repeated requests from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Rodriguez Legal Developments ed her as a teen in the 1990s during confession. for comment. Source: Daily Star, 3-6-15 was convicted of molesting 2 other boys in 2004 When she confessed to oral sex with her boy- after being defrocked in 1998. He lives in Hun- A New Jersey federal district court rejected friend, “Mr. Haynes said she would be absolved Removed / Resigned tington Park now. claims by several rabbis and Orthodox Jews of those sins by performing oral sex on him,” The suit alleges he was placed back into charged with kidnapping and conspiracy for us- Pope Francis accepted the resignation of said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rotella. ministry in Santa Paula to work with Span- ing coercive tactics to force husbands to give Cardinal Keith O’Brien as head of the Catholic She said prosecutors have also learned ish-speaking families after treatment in Mary- their wives divorce documents called “gets.” Church in Scotland over allegations of sexual about Haynes’ alleged plans to meet a girl at land. Court documents say he then molested The court ruled that the Religious Freedom misconduct. Walt Disney World for sex. Source: The Inquirer, boys who attended Our Lady of Guadalupe Restoration Act had no bearing on the cases. O’Brien will keep his title but be barred from 3-6-15 Catholic Church. Source: AP, 3-23-15 Source: Religion Clause, 3-22-15 all clerical activities. A suit filed in S. Carolina names former Melvin Randall, 44, Williamsburg, VA: O’Brien resigned as archbishop of St. An- Catholic priest Wayland Y. Brown and the Di- Charges of taking indecent liberties with a child Allegations drews and Edinburgh in 2013 amid allega- and contributing to the delinquency of a minor ocese of Savannah, GA, as defendants. The Jeff Buchheit, Waterloo, IA, and his lawyer tions of sexual impropriety made by 4 priests. were dropped by a grand jury, which indict- plaintiff alleges he was molested as a student held a press conference to allege sexual abuse O’Brien, an outspoken opponent of gay rights, ed Randall for aggravated sexual battery. The at St. James Catholic School in Savannah in by Fr. Leo Riley when Buchheit was a 4th- was named “bigot of the year” in 2012 by the criminal complaint said deputies investigating a 1987–88 and at various S. Carolina locations. grade altar boy in 1985 at Resurrection Catholic gay rights group Stonewall. possible burglary found Randall, former youth Brown was sentenced to prison in 2003 for Church in Dubuque. Riley first assaulted him The first allegation against him dates to pastor at Faith Alive Outreach Ministries, in a abusing 2 boys in the 1970s and removed from before school in the church, Buchheit told re- 1980. The complainant was a 20-year-old sem- car with a 7-year-old girl who was putting her the priesthood in 2004. porters. inarian at St. Andrew’s College, where O’Brien clothes on in the back seat. Records show church officials were aware “I’ve been actively working myself up to this was his “spiritual director.” Source: The Guard- The arrest report said the girl told police of concerns about Brown as early as 1969, with point of understanding how to deal with the ian, 3-20-15 that Randall took her clothes off and hugged some diocesan staff objecting to his ordination shame and how to deal with the fear, so I could Richard Rodgers, 79, was removed by the and kissed her and that they got together every in 1977. Source: AP, 3-23-15 step forward,” he said. Diocese of Motherwell as pastor of St. Mary’s other Saturday to sell doughnuts for the church. Mohammad Qatanani, Paterson, NJ, Is- The Diocese of Venice, FL, which put Riley Catholic Parish in Cleland, Scotland, during a Source: WTKR, 3-20-15 lamic Center of Passaic County president, is on paid leave during the investigation, said he police probe of historic sex abuse allegations. Prosecutors successfully appealed the 2013 being sued by 4 former board members who al- “strenuously denies” the allegation. The Archdi- Source: Motherwell Times, 3-18-16 sentence of Joe Seephis Hardie, 70, former lege he misappropriated $88,000 from the cen- ocese of Dubuque paid $5.2 million in 2013 to Four senior staff at the Yeshivah Center, pastor at New Mount Zion Missionary Bap- ter to pay his legal bills, health insurance and settle 26 abuse claims. an Orthodox school in Melbourne, resigned af- tist Church in Lakeland, FL. A state appeals tuition for his children. “The sad simple truth is, the overwhelming ter victims of sex abuse called for resignations. court panel ordered the circuit judge to issue a The federal government is trying to deport majority of adults who were abused as kids Chaim New, Yirmi Loebenstein, Sue Suss- stricter sentence for Hardie’s conviction for em- the imam due to his alleged ties to the Palestin- can’t report these crimes until decades later,” kind and Don Wolf resigned from the school’s bezzling $115,000 from the church. He was sen- ian political group Hamas. Source: The Record, said David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of committee of management. tenced to 90 days in jail, 90 days of weekend 3-20-15 those Abused by Priests, adding that the inves- The Chabad community has been embroiled work release, 2 years of house arrest, 18 years A Shelton, CT, man alleges in a lawsuit he tigation shouldn’t be confined to Iowa. Source: in a cover-up scandal since victim Manny Waks of probation and monthly restitution of $500. was repeatedly molested as an altar boy at St. KCRG/Fox 4, 3-24-15 came forward in 2011. Three Orthodox men The state appealed the “downward depar- Patrick Catholic Parish in the late 1970s and “M.I.,” 34, Dubai, UAR: M.I., a Bangladeshi have been convicted: former security guard ture” of the sentence, which was below mini- early 1980s by Fr. Walter Coleman. At least 5 imam with a chef’s visa, allegedly groped an David Cyprys, former teacher David Kramer mum sentencing standards. Source: Lakeland others have sued over alleged abuse by Cole- 8-year-old boy’s genitals during Quran study and Daniel Hayman, former school director in Ledger, 3-20-15 man, who retired in 1995 and lives in Pompano class, the alleged victim’s father, a Pakistani, Sydney. Source: Haaretz, 3-14-15 Hector Coria-Gonzalez, 46, Davis, CA: Beach, FL. told the Dubai Criminal Court. Pope Francis removed Curtis Wehmey- Taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Records ordered to be made public by a fed- The father told the court he’d asked the er, 50, St. Paul, MN, from the priesthood. He Customs Enforcement officials to face formal eral court 5 years ago showed the diocese had imam to come to their home 3 days a week for pleaded guilty to molesting 2 boys and is serv- deportation proceedings. Coria-Gonzalez, a been receiving complaints about Coleman since Quran instruction for the boy and his 5-year-old ing a 5-year prison term. He’s also charged with Mexico native, pleaded guilty in 2014 to stat- 1976. Source: CT Post, 3-18-15 brother. Source: Emirates 24/7, 3-17-15 molesting a teen boy who was unconscious. No utory rape for engaging in sexual acts with Three women who allege they were molest- Police in Mt. Eliza, Australia, are investigat- plea has been entered in that case. Source: AP, ed by Carpinteria Community Church youth a 16-year-old girl who belonged to St. James 3-11-15 minister Louis Bristol are suing Bristol, the Yuan Zhiming, founder of China Soul for church and the Presbytery of Santa Barbara, Christ Foundation, Rohnert Park, CA, resigned CA. Bristol, 31, pleaded guilty in 2014 to sex to “retreat in the Lord and seek renewal” after crimes after admitting to preying on members of being accused of rape, a charge he denies. his worship team, sometimes at a Holiday Inn. His accuser is Chai Ling, founder of All According to the suit, the congregation re- Girls Allowed, which campaigns against Chi- acted with “at best disbelief and in some cas- na’s 1-child policy and other injustices against es outright hostility” to victims after allegations women. She alleged the pastor raped her in were made. Source: Santa Barbara Indepen- 1990. Zhiming and Ling were both involved in dent, 3-15-15 the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, A lawsuit seeking $1.5 million alleges Phil- then came to the U.S. to become born-again lip L. Shumaker, Austin, TX, former deacon Christians. at River Road Baptist Church, masturbated in Ling alleged Zhiming tried to get her to watch front of a church member suffering from stage-4 an adult video, forced her to the floor and “cov- ovarian cancer when he delivered a Thanksgiv- ered my eyes with the jackets that fell during ing meal at her home in 2013. my struggle.” The suit alleges Shumaker groped the wom- An inquiry by 18 pastors detailed 3 more al- an under her shirt and ejaculated on it. He al- leged incidents, including one with a China Soul legedly returned several more times to grope intern on a 2013 trip to Paris. Zhiming allegedly her and masturbate. He was criminally charged invited her into his hotel room to watch the Kore- twice with indecent exposure. Source: KXAN, an sex comedy “Horny Family” on his computer, 3-15-15 embraced her and asked her to sleep with him. “John Doe 117” is suing the Diocese of Ft. She refused and reported the incident. Source: Worth, TX, for $1 million for alleged sexual S. China Morning Post, 3-3-15 abuse by Fr. John H. Sutton at Notre Dame Email: [email protected] Catholic School in Wichita Falls in the early Page 20 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015

Suggestion for Indiana Happiness will be N.C. Letterbox signs in windows in rearview mirror To the majority of Indiana business Secular professionals I don’t say this to be confrontational owners who are as outraged as I am get Walmart support or mean-spirited. Rather, I do this to about discrimination against same-sex stand up for what and who I am just as couples based on religious belief, I sug- the blind-faith believers do. gest they post the following sign prom- Gerald L. Foreman inently in their store windows: “I’m Nevada sorry, but serving brain-dead, idiot pol- iticians is against my religious belief.” J. Lonczak Ron Reagan ad better Connecticut than sliced bread I saw your Ron Reagan Jr. ad on CNN and was blown out of the water. This Skip Xenu, Jesus for is the best thing that has happened to birds and the bees atheism since Richard Dawkins! Why Art Naebig writes: “A few years didn’t somebody think of this before? ago, I sent my first Easter letter to the Thank you for your courage and Reedsburg Independent, and the edi- your dedication to the atheist cause. tor called me to make sure it wasn’t a Jane Everhart prank. Since then, I have been fortu- New York nate to have many of my letters printed Adela Lohr Great news! The world’s largest pri- • • • in that newspaper.” The Independent vate employer, Walmart, has agreed to Your work is needed, oh so desper- printed the following letter in March, Today I received a wonderful birth- allow a new secular support group for ately. I hope the battle against super- as did the Wisconsin State Journal, the day present from my husband, a sub- its associates, with executive sponsor- stition and ignorance can be won. You state’s second-largest newspaper: scription to this paper. I read it word ship and permission to use its facilities are valiant! Best, best wishes. Many of the world’s religions re- for word and found much laughter for meetings and its internal network Abigail Martin quire their adherents to believe stuff and healing. Thank you so much for computers as a an internal communi- Florida that’s really hard to swallow. For ex- your efforts. I truly applaud your suc- cations platform. ample, Buddhists and Hindus believe cesses. The first meeting, held Jan. 22, was in reincarnation. Mormons believe We moved here from a progressive very well-received. Monthly meetings Atheist seventh-grader that we are all inhabited by spirits of area of Virginia and have been in cul- have been held since then. If you are finds FFRF attractive gods from other planets. Scientologists ture shock ever since. This town would a Walmart associate and would like to My name is Aurora Cerone and I am believe that the intergalactic dicta- keep FFRF attorneys busy for a long, join, search for the “Secular Profes- a seventh-grade student at Springville tor Xenu brought millions of souls to long time: religious fliers and bibles sionals Alliance at Walmart” on the in- Griffith Middle School. We are work- Earth, dumped them near volcanoes in public buildings, radio stations blar- ternal Connect community. ing on a project in English and social and dropped atom bombs on them. ing religion in stores and gas stations, Gary Berger studies called Kids Can Make a Differ- Fortunately, Christians only have signs at restaurants to “drop your name Arkansas ence. It is a year-long project in which to believe perfectly reasonable things and that of the church you attend,” be- students pick an organization to write like Heaven and Hell, Virgin Birth, ing told “God bless” every single day, a report about and volunteer for. I The Trinity and The Resurrection. On learning that my children are singing Indiana student gives picked FFRF because I am an atheist April 5, Easter Sunday, Christians will religious songs in their public school, thanks for FFRF and had heard about you on various be celebrating The Resurrection on a door-to-door Mormon “salespeople/ I would like to give you credit for podcasts. I also want to make sure that day that happens to be named after the converters” who come by regularly standing up against the majority of the church is separate from the state, pagan Goddess of fertility, Oestre. The and fliers sent home from school ad- the community that I live in. I’ve dealt especially in schools. familiar Easter flowers, eggs, bunnies vertising things like soccer camp at a with many cases in school where I felt I would appreciate it if you could and baby chicks are all symbols of the Baptist church. I called the church and uncomfortable because I had different send me information about this orga- fertility of Springtime. learned that camp includes two hours views. The majority seem to be reli- nization such as pamphlets, ideas for Why spend that day cooped up in a of soccer and five of religion. gious and share their beliefs with each getting donations or volunteer oppor- church looking at a representation of By far the worst experience: Sever- other. They seem to think everyone is tunities. a crucified God when you can take a al neighbors have had the audacity to on board with praying before games, Aurora Cerone nice hike on a trail, looking at the new, tell my children (when I’m not around posting God on the wall and teaching New York green plants and listening to birds’ of course) that they have to believe in a bible class. I believe this should not mating songs? Your kids will be a lot God and go to church. My daughter, be in school. Editor’s note: We gladly sent Aurora some happier and you won’t have to buy who is 8, has since told me that I am I also encountered a teacher last year relevant information and a freethought them new clothes to show off. If the going to hell for not saying prayers be- who brought in a Quran and showed T-shirt. Thanks for asking and for your in- weather is bad, you can always stay at fore meals. She wants to know why we students highlighted material of what terest, Aurora (also the Roman goddess of home and color eggs. don’t go to church when everyone else he believed was inaccurate. This to me the dawn). Art Naebig does. I hope to move this summer and is disrespectful, even though I am not Wisconsin to never again live in the bible belt. a follower of the Quran. Nonpracticing Jew Instead of hearing their words, I’m I thank you for fighting against In a Theocracy hearing “I have just completely lost the this system. I hope for a more neutral seeks input from others ability to think for myself.” school system than what it is now. I am a member of FFRF and a to- Science is defiance I also have to deal with prospective Name withheld tal atheist. I am 79, raised in a Jewish and Reason is treason. tenants trying to use religion to influ- Indiana household and bar-mitzvah’d. About ence me into renting to them. One 30 years ago, I started to thoroughly Self-righteousness is intensified recently texted me that she was “lost analyze all the reasons and justifica- and rationalizes genocide. in His love.” I told her go get a map. Our ‘faith in science’ tions for beliefs in a god, heaven, hell, Often I hear, “I’ll be a good tenant. sets us apart etc., and have personally determined Simple Common Sense I’m a regular church-going person.” I I found it interesting that CNN’s that there is absolutely no justification is a capital offense. respond, “Well, I don’t go to church. special about “atheists and real faith” for these totally unprovable beliefs. JB Kennedy Does that make me a bad person?” appeared to have gone out of its way However, I am still a Jew based on California There is an overabundance of to avoid mentioning the premier free- my descent, even though I do not prac- churches here. I have always wondered thinking organization in the world and tice Judaism. Because anti-Semitism is how much better it would be if those one that I am proud to be a Life Mem- expanding in the U.S., Europe, South Closet Buddhist says churches were a mix of community ber of, FFRF. America and the Middle East, I find it’s not a religion centers, gyms, art galleries, bookstores I also take this opportunity to state myself defending my heritage, the As a secular, freethinking closet or therapeutic centers of some kind. clearly and loudly that as atheists, we country of Israel, and taking personal Buddhist, I am weary of people refer- What if all the money that supported are the truest people of faith. We have offense when it occurs. Occasional- ring to Buddhism as a religion. When religion instead went to getting food rational faith, and that means faith in ly when asked my religion, I state my I mention that there is no god or re- and clean water to places where there’s what makes sense and can be proven atheism, but when I hear an anti-Semit- vealed truth or faith involved, they’re not enough or providing health care and has a basis in fact. We should not ic comment, I immediately counter-re- incredulous. or housing for our vets who are penni- allow ignorant people to hijack the spond. Siddhartha would be horrified and less and living in the street? word faith from us. My reason for this letter is to request amused (as would Jesus) to think that Expressing myself after years of con- When asked if I am a person of a general response from FFRF mem- their insights would be so abused for fusion and dismay has been helpful faith, I now proudly respond, “Yes I am. bers asking them their feelings in this political purposes. to me, and my hope is that I’m able I have faith in science and what can be matter. If possible, “Jewish” members William McClanahan in some way to assist the cause of sec- proven.” If queried further, as in, “Do should be the majority of responders. California ularism, although it seems completely you believe in God,” my response is, Jerry Oster hopeless here. “Of course not. Didn’t you understand California Adela Lohr what I just said?” North Carolina April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 21

Hasidic Jews pushing one’s own beliefs? I refuse to buy mulch theocracy in New York from the Boy Scouts, patronize Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A or Papa John’s Piz- While American freethinkers are za. My husband suggests that David rightly concerned about the dangers Mullins and Charlie Craig [Colorado to secularism posed by the Religious gay couple] probably paid town/state Right, here in New York there is a glar- taxes, helping fund the infrastructure ing example of a smaller group that that supports [cakeshop owner] Jack has long held secular governance and Phillips’ business. Mr. Phillips cannot the separation of church in utter con- have his cake and eat it, too. tempt, with often dire consequences Linda Hollingsworth for the general public. I am referring Virginia to the bloc-voting Hasidic communi- ties of Brooklyn and parts of upstate New York. Major religions guilty of To say they understand how to game criminal extortion the system would be an understate- Extortion is the use of force or fear, ment. Here is a partial list of their ac- or a threat of force or fear, to obtain tivities: a thing that the extortionist is not en- • The Hasidim have always been titled to. Extortion is not limited to among the worst slumlords in New property or money. Two major reli- York City, with legions of open viola- gions, Islam and Christianity, use it to tions. Landlords act through interme- obtain converts. diaries (e.g., superintendents) to emp- Christianity says to nonbelievers, So does Santa! ty apartments that could then be sold “Accept Jesus Christ as your savior, or Tana Legry, Oregon, wonders about the preacher asking for “TMI” (too much or rented at market value to bypass burn in hell for eternity.” Here is the information) here. Her sister sent the photo from Kelowna, B.C. rent control. same threat in a different venue. A rob- • A corrupt district attorney and ber points a gun at you and says, “Give ments called “jizyas” or be killed. need to be made aware of the criminal police lieutenant framed two innocent me your money or your life.” So the next time your Christian or conduct they are perpetuating. men (both “gentiles,” one white and Islam is somewhat different. The Muslim neighbor tries to convert you, James A. Worrell one black) for the murders of Hasid- Quran in Surah 9:29 gives nonbeliev- confront him or her with the fact that Oklahoma ic rabbis in two separate incidents un- ers three choices: convert, make pay- there is a threat in the offer. Religions der intense pressure from community. Both men were cleared after serving 19 and 17 years in prison, respective- ly. For years, the same D.A. ignored a burgeoning pedophilia scandal and let “rabbinical courts” unsympathetic to the victims cover up these heinous crimes. • Fire Department inspectors are told to “go easy” on violations in Ha- sidic areas and make up quotas in non-Hasidic areas. • Hasidim have taken over the school board of the town of Rama- po. They have decimated the public schools, which serve mostly minority students, firing several hundred teach- ers and cutting funding. • I have been called for jury duty in Brooklyn seven or eight times, and never once I have seen a Hasidic juror, even though there are many thousands of them in Brooklyn. Either they are il- legally exempt or fail to report, appar- ently with no consequences. Mixing with gentiles is anathema to them. I place more blame on corrupt pub- lic officials who pander to the Hasidim and treat them with impunity than I do on the Hasidim themselves. It is ve- nal and cowardly “public servants” like these who pose the greatest threat to secular democracy. Name withheld New York Constitution’s Article VI needs heeding While I think it is essential that we keep up the good fight to maintain the separation of church and state, I think we must also, as the nation heads into an election year, remind candidates for public office that Article VI of the U.S. Constitution expressly states “but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” Endorsing candidates and urging voters to cast their ballots for specific candidates also violates IRS rules for maintaining tax-exempt status. Alexander Wallace California Wedding cake recipe doesn’t include religion Isn’t the onus on the buyer to boy- cott businesses that do not concur with Page 22 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015

‘I hope someday you’ll join us’ Wisconsin FFRF members Tracie Nichols and Steve Biever were married April 1 in the new “Above Us Only Sky” Kenneth Proulx Cupola at Freethought Hall. This was the first wedding in the new building. Dan Barker, officiant and FFRF co-president, couldn’t imagine a nicer start to a life together. My body, my choice Dayna Long, FFRF editorial assistant and president of National Organization for Women-Wisconsin, with the placard she helped the Women’s Medical Fund place in the State Capitol rotunda in March to counter religious anti-abortion Sharing the Crank Mail propaganda. The placard shows the cover of FFRF President Emerita Anne Nicol Gaylor’s book, Abortion Is a Blessing (Psychological Dimensions, 1975), which details her work as an early proponent of legal abortion. The book is Ever wonder what it’s like to be part of a love- is no law. When you do separate church from out of print but can be read online at ffrf.org/publications/books/ (scroll to hate relationship? Read the crank mail, printed state looks what happens to social behavior Abortion Is a Blessing). as received, for some insights. especialy in school, childern attack teachers, teachers molesting students. Look how society How do i join? i don’t understand why yall has faulted since the seperatio of church and feel like you must tell everyone you don’t believe state started in the past fourty years. Take the in god. It’s like a straight guy telling everyone he beam out of your eye before removing the sliver is straight. Do you want a cookie? Who really in others eyes. Thank You. — Michael Waggon- knows the truth? And why do the non believers er, Gridley, Calif. look so funny? is that why you hate god? Yall I pray for your soul: Maybe you should look like aliens.. I don’t care what you believe have your argument with the Pope. Maybe you in!, no one does!. I just don’t like people that feel should watch Father Robert Barron on You- like I should know what they believe in. No one Tube. To me it seems you weren’t Catholic, the cares.!!! — American one TRUE CHURCH. We love you like brothers This message to Ron Reagan: Soon G-d and sisters so please rethink your arguments af- will let you know who HE is, very shortly !!! — ter you do your due diligence within the Catholic God, New York church. — Brandon Yost Wichita Basketball: We here at Wichita (no subject): Thanks for screwing up an- State University are not happy that you pricks other school, and making our society go future want to hurt our shocker basketball program. down the path of destruction. — Richard Lingle, We encourage you to continue to watching our Texas team play basketball, but to find a different out- P.S. God forgive them for they know not let for you to spread your atheist nuisances. — what they do. Aaron Jon Delzeit Sticking Noses: I’m not sure you know this, Ffrf: You people better be afraid of hell be- but the founders of this country came in search cause that’s where you are headed if you are a of freedom from religion. They worshiped GOD part of this program. — Abuh Kawasaki and believed JESUS died on the cross for our Ffrf: Anyone who would even think about sins, but they didn’t want to have to be a Catho- joining this program is just straight up restarted lic. Why don’t you quit sticking your nose in oth- and will burn in hell if they don’t change their er peoples business. Everybody knows a higher ways. God bless you. — Abuh Shabi power than any of us makes babies, grows veg- Your hate and bitterness: My most sincere etables and fruit, etc. — Sara Waggoner, Tyler, prayer is that one day you wake up in hell. — Texas Jesus Christ Question: I was curious if anyone would Jesus loves you! As a Christian, it hurts me kindly explain to me, a Christian, if the sun, YOUR WEEKLY ANTIDOTE TO THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT so, as I am sure it does JESUS that an orga- stars, galaxies, bears, dogs, cats, whales, trees, nization such as this is allowed to exist in this oxygen, fish, turtles, lizards, alligators, snakes, TUNE IN TO country. You know the, In GOD We Trust Coun- deer, coyotes, along w the complex bodies we try. — Carrie Hagy, Pennsylvania humans have, such as our eyes, heart, veins, FREETHOUGHT Keep your nose out of PENNSYLVANIA! reproductive system, sense of touch and smell, RADIO WHo the hell do you people think you are to tell our ability to remember things in our brain from pennsylvania to take t he cross out of the official our childhood, to having a conscience, etc, etc, seal which has been there from the beginning. If etc are all good enough reasons to suggest that produced by the Hosted by Dan Barker and you dont like a religious country go to russia or God created all these things? — Michael Cuo- Freedom From Religion Foundation Annie Laurie Gaylor iraq or iran or north korea and tell me how you mo Broadcasts and streams Saturdays at 11 a.m. Central, Progressive Talk like it there. FUCK YOU ! ! ! !! May GOd have god: I dont like seeing your commerical on The Mic 92.1 FM, Madison, Wis., and over several other stations. mercy on your doomed souls for all eternity. — t.v so I vow every time I see your commerical Charles Seng, Allentown I will email the network and I will have every- iTunes or podcasts archived at: ffrf.org/news/radio You are assholes: Leave the country! — one in my church and they will have their friends Slightly irreverent views, Tim Hill email the network where you won’t be allowed religion: It amazes me the what Hippo- to have a commercial. Leave my god alone. — news, music & interviews crates you are. You attack Christian beliefs natosha farrow based on seperation of church and state . Thier April 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 23 On the road with Dan Barker

Northern Ohio Freethought Society A large secular group had big fun at the NOFS Flying Spaghetti Monster fund- raiser dinner March 28 in Cuyahoga Falls, where FFRF Co-President Dan Barker was guest speaker and entertained with song (but not dance!). Resolved: Religion is bad for America That was the debate topic March 26 at Arizona State University-Tempe. From left are Richard Moorhead, ASU Intercollegiate Studies Institute president; debate opponent Jay Richards, an analytical philosopher from Catholic Uni- versity of America; FFRF Co-President Dan Barker; and Rachel Georgeson, regional director for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, which organized the debate along with the Regnum Society at ASU. It was sponsored by the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation. The debate was standing room only, with more than half representing freethinkers, including many FFRF members.

University of Akron, Ohio, March 27 FFRF Co-President Dan Barker (back, third from right) spoke to university Secular Student Alliance chapter members and area FFRF members about freethought and introduced his new book Life Driven Purpose: How an Atheist Finds Meaning. (Claudia Nichole photo)

Sharon Woznicki models a centerpiece made by Jane Minner.(Suzy Wernet photo)

Northern Illinois University, March 25 Dan Barker with students from the Secular Student Alliance at NIU.

FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION P.O. Box 750 • Madison WI 53701 • (608) 256-8900 • ffrf.org

What is the Freedom From Religion Foundation?

Founded in 1978 as a national organization of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics), the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., works to keep state and church separate and to educate the public about the views of nontheists. From left are Sam Salerno (NOFS organizer), Marni Huebner-Tiborsky (NOFS The Foundation’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Please include your name and physical mailing address with all e-mail correspondence. president) and Dan Barker, wearing shirts made for the event. Foundation members wishing to receive online news releases, “action alerts” and “Freethought of the Day” should contact [email protected]. Page 24 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin April 2015 In Madison, Wisconsin Oct. 9–11, 2015 Ron Reagan to headline 38th annual FFRF convention

Ron Reagan, the “unabashed athe- Hall Friday morning, which is 6 short won several prizes. ist, not afraid of burning in hell” blocks from the convention center. An Dan Barker, FFRF co-president, who kindly recorded a recent and informal open house will be held from will also speak about his newest book, much-censored TV commercial for 9–11:30 AM. Please indicate if you plan Life-Driven Purpose: How an atheist fi nds FFRF, will keynote its 38th national to attend on the registration form, to meaning, an answer to Rick Warren’s convention at Monona Terrace Com- help ensure FFRF orders enough re- Purpose-Driven Life, and will autograph Ron Reagan munity and Convention Center, 1 John freshments. books. Dan, a talented pianist and Nolen Drive, Madison, Wis., on the Enjoy rolls, juice, coffee and tea and songwriter who has recorded three FFRF staff attorneys will give a de- weekend of Oct. 9–11, 2015. socializing in the Charlie Brooks Audi- music CDs for FFRF, will also entertain tailed presentation on their major The convention center, designed torium, top fl oor, where a short video throughout the conference. accomplishments in ending state/ by Frank Lloyd Wright, is next to Lake presentation on the building and FFRF Douglas Marshall will receive a Free- church entanglements in 2015. Oth- Monona and two blocks from Wiscon- will play. Staff members will be post- thinker of the Year Award as the local er speakers and honorees will be an- sin’s impressive State Capitol and next ed throughout the building to greet, plaintiff in FFRF’s most recent federal nounced in future issues. door to the convention hotel, the Hil- answer questions and make sure you court victory, forcing the town of War- You have a chance to receive an ton. (There’s a memorial along the don’t get lost! ren, Mich., to permit him to put up a expenses-paid trip to the convention. lake near the convention center noting If you ordered a paving stone, look Reason Station to counter an ongoing If you persuade your prayerful local that singer Otis Redding and six mem- for it in the Rose Zerwick Memorial prayer booth that dominates the atri- governmental body to let you to give bers of his band died there on Dec. 10, Garden & Courtyard, or your vestibule um of his city hall. a secular invocation, you can enter 1967, when their plane plunged into tile in the entry. Major donors’ names Anita Weier will be honored as Free- FFRF’s Nothing Fails Like Prayer con- the lake’s icy waters.) will be found in the Wall of Honor and thought Heroine for introducing a his- test (see details on page 15 or at ffrf. Reserve your hotel room now to Donor Wall in the Anne Nicol Gaylor toric ordinance org/outreach/nothing-fails-like-prayer). avoid disappointment at the Hilton Lobby. Every donor will be listed in a to make “nonreli- The award includes opening a session Madison Monona Terrace Hotel, 9 E. book on the reception desk. gion” a protected of the conference with your secular Wilson St., room rate $169 single or Due to time and staff constraints, class in Madison, words and a $500 award, plaque, trans- double, by phoning toll-free 1-866-403- this will be the only time to tour during Wis. Weier, for- portation and accommodations at the 8838 or 1-608-255-5100. The group the convention. mer city editor convention. name is Freedom From Religion Foun- Speaker lineup for The Capital FFRF will honor major donors who dation and the group code is FFRF. Times, served as made possible the expansion of Free- Book online at ffrf.org/convention2015 Joining Reagan as confi rmed speak- an alderperson thought Hall at Saturday’s dinner, — go to the hotel site section, which ers are: for two terms. which will also include the annual links directly to reservations. The cut- Kevin M. Kruse, the Princeton Uni- Her “fi rst of its kind” ordinance passed drawing for “clean money” (pre-“In off is Sept. 7, or as long as rooms last. versity professor of history whose new with no dissent on March 31. God We Trust”). For those who are driving in or don’t book, One Nation Under God: How Corpo- Steven Hewett will be honored with See registration form, below left, for mind staying away from downtown, rate America Invented Christian America, is FFRF’s Atheist in Foxhole Award. The costs. there are additional rooms at the Sher- creating a lot of excitement. He recent- former police offi cer and Afghani- aton Madison Hotel, 706 John Nolen ly appeared on stan war veteran returned home with Drive, which provides a free shuttle to NPR’s “Fresh Air” a Combat Action Badge and Bronze General schedule and from the convention center every with Terry Gross, Star, only to fi nd a Christian fl ag fl ying After the Friday morning tour of Free- half hour from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sher- and has authored at the Veterans Memorial in King, N.C. thought Hall will be a 2–4 p.m. reception aton rates are $139 single/double/ or co-edited four In December, following a long court with complimentary appetizers in the triple/quad. Make your reservations other books. His battle taken on his behalf by Ameri- Grand Terrace at Monona Terrace, with at 1-800-325-3535 and let them know White Flight: Atlan- cans United, the city agreed to stop legal and other workshops. Friday din- ner is on your own. you’re with “Freedom From Religion.” ta and the Making fl ying the Christian fl ag and to remove The formal program opens at 7 p.m. You may wish to arrive Thursday in of Modern Con- a cross from a kneeling soldier statue. Friday, ending with complimentary des- order to tour the “reborn” Freethought servatism (2005), Steven is a Lifetime FFRF Member. sert and hot beverages. The conven- tion resumes Saturday with an optional Non-Prayer Breakfast buffet at 8 a.m. Return with payment to: FFRF, Attn: Convention, P.O. Box 750, Madison, WI 53701 The morning program starts at 9:30. Af- ter a two-hour lunch on your own/sight- seeing break, the program resumes at Freedom From Religion Foundation’s 2 p.m. An optional banquet dinner will be followed by evening speaker/enter- 38th Annual National Convention tainment. Annual meetings of the membership October 9–11, 2015 and the state representatives are Sun- day morning. Madison, Wisconsin Menu Make checks payable to “FFRF” Saturday’s Non-Prayer Breakfast Number registering is the Lakeshore Breakfast Buffet: or- ange juice, fresh-cut fruit, Wisconsin _____ FFRF member registration(s) @ $60 per person...... $______cheese and chive scrambled eggs, _____ Non-member spouse or companion accompanying member @ $65...... $______rosemary wedge potatoes, home-baked _____ Non-member registration(s) @ $100 ...... $______petite pastries and muffi ns, coffee, tea or milk and option of bacon. $20, includ- (Save $5 by becoming an FFRF Member. $40 Individual Membership) ing 20% service charge and tax. _____ Student registration(s) @ $10...... $______Saturday’s banquet dinner in- _____ Saturday Non-Prayer Breakfast Buffet @ $20* person ...... $______cludes a choice of Champagne Tila- (Suitable for vegan and gluten-free) pia, with champagne mushroom sauce, Yukon Gold potato wedges, lemon _____ Saturday Night Dinner @ $40* per person...... $______garnish; Vegetable Strudel (zucchini, ____Champagne Tilapia ____Cranberry Chicken ____Vegetable Strudel ____ Chef’s Vegan yellow squash, carrots & peppers in a Indicate number of orders per entree. delicate fi lo pastry atop red pepper cou- * Includes 20% gratuity & sales tax lis, served with mushroom polenta); or All meals but vegetarian are gluten-free. Total: $______Wisconsin Cranberry Chicken, bone- _____ Number planning to attend Freethought Hall Open House, Oct. 9, 9–11 a.m. less chicken breasts with dried Wiscon- sin cranberries, baked with vermouth sauce and served with garden rice pilaf. $40, including service charge and tax. Name(s) Please include names of all registrants for nametags A Chef’s Vegan Option will also be available. All offerings are gluten-free except the vegetarian strudel. Dessert is Chocolate Lush Cake, Address a fl ourless chocolate cake laced with a real punch and fi nished with Irish Crème Anglaise. City/State/ZIP Please include phone/email (in case we have a question about your registration)