FFRF Sues, Protests Gov. Perry's Prayer Rally
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Complimentary Copy Join FFRF Now! Vol. 28 No. 6 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. August 2011 Photo: Photo: FFRF sues, protests Sullivan Press/Pat Associated Gov. Perry’s prayer rally The Freedom From Reli- FFRF Co-President Annie at the stadium all day with the gion Foundation fought Texas Laurie Gaylor, who attended message, “Beware Prayer by Gov. Rick Perry’s unconstitu- the hearing in Houston, com- Pious Politicians — Get Off tional sponsorship of a Chris- mented: “Nobody would have Your Knees and Get to Work!” tian evangelical prayer rally trouble seeing the injury if It also commissioned an aerial both in court and in person at a governor aligned himself banner (see photo at top), say- Perry’s Aug. 6 prayer rally at with a radical Muslim group ing: “GOV – KEEP STATE/ Reliant Stadium in Houston. and used his office to call all CHURCH SEPARATE. FFRF. FFRF, a state/church watch- citizens to a daylong prayer to ORG.” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor flew to Houston from dog with more than 16,600 Allah rally. This event is no dif- Co-Presidents Dan Barker Wisconsin to give Texas Gov. Rick Perry hell on Aug. 6 for members nationwide, filed ferent.” and Gaylor, along with FFRF mixing state and church. Rodney Hinds (right), Texas FFRF suit July 13 on behalf of its Perry’s actions as governor legal intern Taylor Myers, flew member and co-founder of Freethought Oasis, drove from his 700 Texas members. Making gave official recognition to a from Madison, Wis., to join home in Amarillo to take a stand for secular government. Turn the lawsuit possible were lo- devotional event, endorsed other FFRF’ers and protesters to Page 12 for more photos of the protest. cal plaintiffs Kay Staley, Scott religion, had no secular ratio- at the event, picketing all day Weitzenhoffer, Wilfred Lyon, nale and encouraged citizens in 107-degree heat index. gion are political insiders, and eotape featuring Perry as gov- Stacie Gonzalez and Kristin to pray and non-Christians to The rally’s website called nonbelievers are political out- ernor greeted visitors to The Ames. convert to Christianity. Perry the “initiator” of the siders.” Response website, in which FFRF’s federal lawsuit land- Foiled in court, FFRF re- prayer and fasting event. The FFRF asked for an order to he invited the nation to join ed in the courtroom of Judge sponded by protesting at the governor’s staff admitted in an restrain Perry from continu- him on Aug. 6 to turn to Jesus Gray Miller, a recent conser- event. Every billboard compa- affidavit that much of Perry’s ing to serve as the face of “The and ask for God’s forgiveness. vative Bush appointee. On ny in the area refused to lease support for the event was in Response: A Call to Prayer His invitation invited “fellow July 28, Miller dismissed the a billboard to FFRF for a mes- his official capacity as gover- for a Nation in Crisis.” Both Americans” to join him and lawsuit and request for a re- sage critical of Perry’s involve- nor. The suit alleged Perry’s an official letter of invitation other “praying people,” in straining order, ruling that the ment. So FFRF negotiated for actions sent an impermissible signed “Rick Perry, Governor “asking God’s forgiveness, wis- plaintiffs lacked standing. a mobile billboard to circulate “message that believers in reli- of Texas,” and an official vid- Continued on back page In Columbus, the tax man cometh An Ohio pastor’s insistence in Columbus has backfired. fice’s summary of the property that an FFRF billboard be Shortly after Columbus athe- that lists $0 in annual taxes on moved off church property ist Dylan Galos’ “Coming Out the property and its classifica- of the Closet” billboard stating tion as ‘exempt,’ “ FFRF Co- “I can be good without God” President Annie Laurie Gaylor went up in late June, Rev. Way- noted in the letter. Inside This mon Malone Jr. of Christ Ca- “Additionally, we have pro- thedral Church said it had to vided a copy of Christ Cathe- Issue go, and it was moved to a new dral Church’s application location. for exemption that was com- High After researching property pleted by Mr. Malone in 1997. school and tax records, FFRF sent When asked how the property essays a letter July 7 to ask Franklin was being used, Mr. Malone County Auditor Clarence Min- said, ‘for a church.’ On the Page 8 go to look into the situation. form, Mr. Malone also stated Had Christ Cathedral ever that the property was not be- Lake paid taxes on the commercial ing leased or rented to anyone Hypatia portion of the property as re- else, was not used to produce 4th quired by law? Did the church any income other than dona- misrepresent the intended use tions, and that no one else was Page 13 of the property when applying using the property other than for a tax exemption in 1997? the applicant.” Sharing Christ Cathedral is located Mingo responded July 20 the crank at 3350 Allegheny Ave. The that his staff would look into mail billboard was located behind it. A few days later, FFRF Staff the church, facing Stelzer Attorney Patrick Elliott got a Dylan Galos gives a thumbs up before a church complaint Page 17 Road. moved his billboard. a business then complained, so Dylan’s “We have enclosed your of- Continued on page 3 billboard was moved twice in Columbus. Page 2 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin August 2011 Photo: Dan Barker Mockingbird.” These three Meet a Legal Intern words sum me up: Sarcastic, intense, allit- Name: Arash Sajed Khosrowshahi. I also like to call myself “The Memo Guy,” erative. go by “Ash” since it’s easier for people as I’ve been doing a lot of research on Things I to pronounce. what federal and state courts have said like: I like pro- Where and when I was born: San about chaplain programs, religious gressive metal Jose, Calif., Feb. 10, 1987. In a manger, radio broadcasts on public airwaves, music, and with three wise men present. Fragrant church tax exemptions, roadside cross- I’m getting punch was served. Just kidding. es and regulations that schools have to into post-rock. Family: The only other person in follow if they charge religious groups I like reading, my immediate family who’s an atheist rent to use school facilities. though I don’t is my younger brother Kia, who just What I like best about it: Everyone have much turned 18. He’s also the only one in my here is incredibly friendly and open time for it like family who’d want to be mentioned in to suggestions on how we can improve I used to. I also a heathen newspaper such as this one. each other’s work. I also like being able watch a lot of Education: I graduated in 2005 to think about critical legal issues and political phi- from Center High School in Antelope, to see what rationales (or sometimes losophy and Calif. I graduated with dual degrees in “irrationales”) judges have used for current events philosophy and mathematics from the why we have the laws on religion that videos on You- University of California-Davis in 2009. we do. Tube, when I’ll be a second-year law student at Establishment and Free Exercise I’m not troll- Boalt Hall at UC-Berkeley. Clause jurisprudence is very murky ing my friends My religious upbringing was: My and all over the place, which is both on Facebook mom came from a big Irish Catholic good and bad. It’s good because it lets or creating In- family in the Midwest. My dad came you test different ways you think cases ternet memes. from Shiite Iran and was raised with can and should go, and makes the state I’m a big that religious tradition. They taught of the law richer as a result. But it’s bad fan of cynical me general things about God and Je- because oftentimes a judge can basi- trial and because he was a general bad- c o m e d i a n s . sus and Muhammad, and I got a good cally rule how he or she wants the case ass attorney, Clarence Darrow. In terms My favorites are George Carlin, Doug dose of being exposed to churches, the to go and find the appropriate legal of what I think a lawyer should strive Stanhope and Louis CK. The greatest bible, mosques and the Quran. theory to get there. to be, I always think of Gregory Peck’s movie of all time is “The Big Lebowski.” They wanted to expose me to these Something funny that’s happened at portrayal of Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Things I smite: Idiots. different views so that I would later work: One day, Annie Laurie was show- choose for myself what religion I want- ing us the different lighting options ed to practice. I have a feeling though we could use in the library where we that they each secretly hoped I would work, and after a serious and fruitful FFRF welcomes 23 new pick their faith. They’re pretty uncom- democratic exchange between myself fortable with me being an atheist. My and the other interns over the course mom thinks I’m still going through a of five intense minutes, we chose a phase. semi-ominous, soft-toned “fluorescent Lifetime Members How I came to work as an FFRF le- lights off, incandescent bulbs on” op- gal intern: I was active at UC-Davis in tion.