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Vo1. 32 No. 1 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. January-February 2015

Bola Olaniyan was the first official visitor to FFRF’s Newly expanded Freethought Hall “reborn” Freethought Hall addition. Bola, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student, signed the first Thanks to the generosity of members, FFRF staff moved into expanded offices in downtown line of the guest book in early January. At left is Charlotte Madison, Wisconsin, in January. See pages 12–13 for more building photos. (Photo by John Hart. Stein, receptionist and assistant, who says Bola is her best Reprinted with permission of the Wisconsin State Journal.) friend. (Katie Daniel photo) FFRF eyes suit over Georgia school prayer abuses “One of Georgia’s most charming daily prayer: “God is great. Let us parents withdrew Jamie. Home school- public schools 53 years after the first cities” is how Swainsboro (pop. 7.600), thank you for our food. Thank you for ing Jamie has substantially burdened Supreme Court decision against school which is between Atlanta, Augusta our daily prayer. Thank you. Amen.” Jane Doe, who has three younger chil- prayer shows how important FFRF’s le- and Macon, bills itself. But its school The parents contacted Principal dren to supervise at home. gal work is.” district, Emanual County Schools, ap- Valorie Watkins in August 2014 to ob- Pressure on Jesse escalated in De- pears to have a most uncharming hab- ject to the prayers. Rather than stop- cember. Jesse’s science teacher encour- it: inflicting daily prayer upon its cap- ping them, the teachers told the Doe aged Jesse to “make a good decision” tive audience of children. children to leave their classrooms and regarding prayer in the classroom. Inside This Issue “Jamie Doe,” a kindergartner at sit in the hallway while the rest of the Jesse’s physical education teacher like- Swainsboro Primary School (motto: class prayed. Jesse reported that the wise encouraged Jesse to begin pray- “Where Cubs Become Tigers!”) was teacher “used her mean voice” when ing. The teacher even held Jesse back Donald C. singled out by the teacher after Jamie’s instructing Jesse to wait in the hall. The from recess to talk about Bright’s views Johanson’s parents, “Jane and John Doe,” com- teacher also unnecessarily singled Jesse of God, explaining that God loves Jesse dissent from plained about daily classroom prayer. out by telling the class that Jesse can’t and made the world. The teacher in- religion The Does pulled Jamie out of school recite the Pledge of Allegiance since dicated to Jesse that Jesse’s mother by the end of the year. it contains the words “under God,” al- was a bad person for not believing in Jamie’s first-grade sibling, “Jesse though the parents had not discussed God. Around this time Jesse gave in Doe,” was also subjected all semester the pledge with the teacher. and started participating in classroom Page 8 long to pressure to pray. Jesse’s teacher When the Does renewed their objec- prayers. said outright that Jesse’s mother was a tions a few days later, the principal said “It should not be necessary for FFRF bad person for not believing in God. other parents who didn’t want their to sue over such an obvious violation The parents are FFRF members who children to participate in prayer had of specific Supreme Court decisions contacted FFRF for legal support short- been “OK” with the “solution” of leav- barring devotions from our public ly after the 2014-15 school year started. ing the room. The Does explained that schools,” noted Dan Barker, FFRF co- Letters from FFRF and complaints by was unacceptable, but daily prayers president. “No child in our secular the parents have not ended the viola- continued. school system or their parents should tions. A lawsuit, as this goes to press, is Jamie’s teacher next announced to be subjected to prayer or stigmatized being prepared for federal court. the entire class that Jamie wasn’t al- when their parents speak up to defend The Establishment Clause violations lowed to pray to God, which resulted the Establishment Clause. But unfortu- were daily. Before lunch, Jamie’s teach- in Jamie being teased. nately, it appears a lawsuit will be the er, Cel Thompson, asked students to FFRF objected strongly in an Aug. only way to protect the freedom of con- bow their heads, fold their hands and 20 complaint letter, pointing to more science of these young children.” pray, while leading the class in a “call than 65 years of Supreme Court prec- “If anyone needs a picture drawn on and response” prayer: “God our Father, edent against religious devotions and how destructive religion is in our pub- we give thanks, for our many blessings. proselytizing in public schools. Despite lic schools, this situation is a perfect Amen.” a promising reply from the district’s at- example,” added Annie Laurie Gaylor, See more FFRF billboards In Jesse’s first-grade class, teacher torney, the school continued to orga- co-president. “The fact that such abu- in action. Page 24 Kaytrene Bright led students in this nize Christian prayers. Eventually, the sive practices are continuing in our Page 2 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015 In Memoriam

nian. “And they turned Lonsdale into in the early 1980s. “They put together Freethought Hall wing to be a determined champion of limiting the a plan that relied on the ingenuity of flow of big money into political cam- Oregon and an education system that named for Lonsdale paigns.” supported that kind of innovation,” “If you want democracy, work for Frederick wrote. “In fact, they were at campaign finance reform,” Lonsdale least a decade ahead of their goals for said in a 2003 column in The Orego- the Silicon Forest.” nian. Survivors include his daughter, Kar- State Rep. Lew Frederick, D-Port- en, and his son, Harold Jr. land, credited Lonsdale for playing a FFRF is so grateful that this distin- major role in creating Oregon’s “ro- guished entrepreneur, activist and phi- bust high-tech industry” while chairing lanthropist rated FFRF and freethought Gov. Vic Atiyeh’s Science Committee high on his scale of causes.

Saying goodbye to Bob

resentative) of FFRF for many years, and coordinator of FFRF’s Atheist- Freethought Library for the Blind, devoting many hours of volunteer work reading books and issues of Freethought Today. When the Internet came along, Bob took to it with a nonreligious passion, sending regular emails on religious Harry Lonsdale as a candidate for U.S. Senate. (Photo: Benjamin Brink/The and freethought topics to a large list Oregonian) of subscribers. “I will miss those daily nuggets in my inbox,” says FFRF co- Harold K. Lonsdale out by a pharmaceutical firm in 1985. president Dan Barker. “He was a risk taker and entrepreneur. He was born June 17, 1932, in Neen- 1932–2014 He left a secure career in Silicon Val- ah, Wis., the only son of Swedish immi- ley and came up to Bend and started grants. He lived in the area all his life. Harry Lonsdale, 82, a prominent a four-man research company, at risk, His obituary said his only biological Oregon scientist, politician and phi- in 1975,” said colleague Rod Ray, a for- family are cousins living in Sweden. He lanthropist, died of heart failure Nov. mer Bend Research CEO. earned a B.A. in history with minors in 11, 2014, at John F. Kennedy Memo- Lonsdale ran unsuccessfully three Robert Nordlander political science, Spanish and French rial Hospital in Indio, Calif. He was an times as a Democrat for the U.S. Sen- 1932–2014 at the University of Minnesota and FFRF Lifetime Member who had given ate “[H]is candidacies had a big im- taught English, Spanish, history and $100,000 to FFRF’s building fund. pact on Oregon politics in the 1990s,” French at various schools. He also ran A wing of the new Freethought Hall reported Jeff Mapes of The Orego- The Appleton Post-Crescent, a Wis- as a Democrat for the state Assembly addition is being named the “No Hell consin daily newspaper, called Robert and on the Socialist-Labor Party ticket Below Us” Harry Lonsdale Wing. Nordlander, who died at 82 on Dec. for the U.S. Senate and lieutenant gov- “We were so very sorry to learn of 11, 2014, “likely the most prolific letter ernor. Harry’s death and had been in corre- writer in Post-Crescent history.” In fact, In a “Getting Acquainted” piece spondence to obtain his portrait for wrote Larry Gallup in a reminiscence published in Freethought Today in the wall and feature him in our ‘Meet about Nordlander, the paper inaugu- March 1984, Bob, a Korean War vet- a Member’ section in Freethought To- rated a “one letter per month” policy eran, noted he served “four inglorious day,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF in Bob’s honor. years in the United States Air Force,” co-president. “We were so impressed “With us, Nordlander’s most fre- where he wrote a history of the USAF with Harry’s achievements, reported quent topic was his atheism, which put flight Test School still in print. Bob was in numerous articles about his life ap- him at odds with many of his readers,” a great debunker of myths, including pearing in many West Coast dailies.” Gallup added. the myth that there are “no atheists in Lonsdale was born in Westfield, “We first got acquainted with Bob foxholes.” N.J., the son of a Sicilian immigrant Nordlander as a result of his freethink- He wrote that his first memory of re- mother and a Welsh father, earned a ing letters to the editor to The Capi- ligion was going to church and seeing bachelor’s degree in chemistry from tal Times in Madison in the 1970s,” “a very angry man in the pulpit who re- Rutgers University and a Ph.D. from recalls Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co- ally scared the hell out of me.” Penn State University. He served in the president. “Bob was one of our earliest A memorial to celebrate his life was U.S. Air Force and was married three members, joining FFRF before we went held Jan. 17 at the Unitarian Universal- times and had two children with his national in 1978, and was a regular at ist Fellowship in Appleton. first wife, Connie Kerr Lonsdale. our earlier conventions held mainly in “He’ll be missed by us at FFRF, and His company Bend Research, co- Wisconsin.” his strong network of friends and orga- founded with Richard Baker, special- He was a board member (state rep- nizations,” said Gaylor. ized in membranes and was bought Harry Lonsdale

Freethought Today A Note to Notify Us of published by Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. Members [email protected] • FFRF.org Your Address Your address label shows the expira- P.O. Box 750 • Madison WI 53701 tion date of your membership in FFRF, (608)256-8900 • FAX (608)204-0422 Change Promptly! which includes your subscription to Editor: Bill Dunn, [email protected] Email: [email protected] Freethought Today and “Private Line.” If Don’t miss a single issue! If you it says February 2015 or earlier please Production Editor: Dan Barker move, notify us directly and renew! Your prompt re­newal ($40-sin- Executive Editor: Annie Laurie Gaylor promptly. The Post Office does gle mem­ber­ship; $50-household; $100 not forward third-class mail. gung-ho; $25-student) saves us time Contributors: FFRF cannot be responsible for re- and postage,­ and is tax-deductible. Philip Appleman, Robin Buckallew, George Gold, James Haught, Buzzy placing back issues if we have not Free­­­thought Today is published 10 times been notified prior to your move. a year, with combined issues in Jan/Feb Jackson, Donald Johanson, Andrew Seidel, Matthew Stark Back issues, while they last, may and June/July. Send membership or re- January-February 2015 be ordered for $2 each. newal to FFRF, Box 750, Madison WI The only freethought newspaper in the United States 53701. ffrf.org/donate January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 3 FFRF, ACLU sue over Indiana courthouse crèche

A large Christian nativity scene on Staff Attorneys Rebecca Markert and sonal display of the nativity violated the the Franklin County Courthouse lawn Sam Grover are co-counsel. rights of non-Christians remains a live in Brookville, Ind., was removed the The Thomas More Society of Chi- issue in the case. day after Christmas instead of stay- cago, a Catholic group, is representing Litigation will continue on that is- ing up through at least mid-January, Franklin County, which agreed to re- sue in order to establish that the coun- as has typically been the case for the move the nativity promptly in an agree- ty violated the rights of its citizens and past 50 years. The early removal came ment overseen by U.S. District Court to better restrict what sort of involve- pursuant to a federal lawsuit filed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. ment the county can have in endorsing the Freedom From Religion Founda- In response to the suit, the county displays in the future. tion and the American Civil Liberties adopted on Jan. 12 its first codified Moving forward will also allow FFRF Union of Indiana in late December. policy for erecting courthouse displays. to uncover just how much preferential The county had also added a dis- The policy specifies that “a permit for treatment the county has given to the claimer to the crèche for what appears use of the courthouse grounds will be display and to depose Commissioner scenes at the seat of county govern- to be the first time. made on a nondiscriminatory basis Tom Wilson, who ranted to a reporter ment. The ACLU of Indiana, which is and will not be based on the religious last year: “If we don’t start standing “We are not a Christian nation, Indi- representing FFRF and its courageous or political content” of a display. up for our rights, we’re going to lose ana is not a Christian state, and Frank- local plaintiffs, Steve Kristoff and Re- Peter Breen, Thomas More Society them. The atheists and the liberals are lin County is not a Christian county,“ nana Gross, sued the county Dec. 16, special counsel, said, “With the enact- taking over our country. They are the said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie four years after FFRF first complained ment of this ordinance, the allegations ones demonstrating and doing every- Gaylor. “Government needs to stay on behalf of local residents about the of the lawsuit brought by the ACLU thing, and we’re the ones sitting back neutral and should not be turning annual violation. The life-sized nativity and Freedom from Religion Founda- and doing nothing.” Christians into insiders and the rest of scene was once even erected at the foot tion are moot.” Wilson added, “Pretty soon, one us into outsiders.” of a flagpole, attempting to tie religion To that, FFRF had this to say: “Hold morning we’re going to wake up and The discovery phase of the suit is to patriotism. FFRF kept complaining, on just a minute, for Pete’s sake.” our freedoms are going to be gone. under way and should be completed with the county moving the religious Getting the county to adopt an of- We’ll have a socialist government or a by early April. scene even closer to the courthouse ficial policy on displays is a victory, but dictator telling us what to do.” The case, No. 1:14-cv-02047-TWP- entrance in 2011. it’s not the only victory that FFRF hopes Ever since FFRF’s first complaint in DML, is in U.S. District Court for the Plaintiffs are represented by ACLU to achieve through its litigation. FFRF’s 2010, locals have rallied by the nativity Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Senior Staff Attorney Gavin Rose. FFRF claim that the county’s continued, sea- to support keeping Christian worship Division. At FFRF’s 2015 convention: Hewett to receive ‘Atheist in Foxhole’ honor Steven Hewett, an FFRF Lifetime Member, will receive the 2015 “Atheist in Foxhole” Award at FFRF’s national annual convention in Madison, Wis., the weekend of Oct. 9-11 at Monona Terrace Convention Center. In January, the city council in King, N.C., settled Steven Hewett vs. City of King in Hewett’s favor, agreeing to stop flying a Christian flag and to remove a cross from a kneeling soldier statue at a veterans memorial. Hewett is a former police officer and Afghanistan war veteran with a Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star. He returned home from the service to find a Christian flag flying at the King Veterans Memorial. The city in December agreed to re- peal a policy under which a flag flown on one of several poles was selected for each week of the year by lottery. The policy, inaugurated after Hewett’s first Steven Hewett at the memorial in King, N.C., where the city complaint, let people choose a preap- agreed to remove the Christian flag at left and the kneeling soldier proved flag representing their religion sculpture. of choice or to fly no flag at all. After the suit was filed on Hewett’s behalf by Americans United by Separa- Early-bird registration lake view; $199 deluxe doubles; $219 Nolen Drive (several miles away, close tion of Church and State, a sculpture king deluxe. Phone 1-866-403-8838 or to the Madison Beltline.) at $139 (king of a kneeling soldier with a cross was The convention formally opens Fri- 414-935-5941 (local number is 608-255- and double/double), especially conve- added. day, Oct. 9, with an after-dinner pro- 5100) and please be sure to mention nient for those who are driving. Phone Hewett, under a gag order earlier, is gram, but preconvention tours of the “Freedom From Religion Foundation.” 1-888-267-7077. Future issues will up- now free to talk about the controversy, “reborn” Freethought Hall/addition The cut-off is Sept. 7 while rooms date the schedule and speakers and which made him the focus of intense in downtown Madison will take place last. The Hilton has also created a se- include the registration form. attack. North Carolina Lifetime Mem- Friday, followed by afternoon legal cure and private reservation website Plan ahead not to be disappointed! ber Scott Burdick produced the docu- workshops and appetizers at Monona personalized for FFRF. Find link at: ffrf. mentary “In God We Trust?” about the Terrace Convention Center, 1 John org/outreach/convention/. Listen to an interview with Steven state/church battle. (It can be viewed Nolen Drive. The program continues Additional rooms are being held at Hewett on Freethought Radio (scroll to Jan. for free online.) all day Saturday, followed by the Sun- the Sheraton Madison Hotel, 706 John 24, 2015 show at ffrf.org/news/radio/). Locals rallied on behalf of the Chris- day membership and state representa- tian symbols, waving a multitude of tives’ meetings, adjourning by noon. Christian flags and cheering speakers Hotel accommodations adjoin the Recruit a Member: Sample Copies for $2 who “encouraged” non-Christians to convention center at the Hilton Madi- Send $2 with the name and address of each person you wish to receive a sample move elsewhere. Hewett found himself son Monona Terrace, 9 E. Wilson St. copy of Freethought Today to: battling the “Christian nation” myth as Convention room rate is $169 (king FFRF, P.O. Box 750, Madison WI 53701 much as the state/church violations. and double/double), plus tax; $189 (Please specify whether the individual is a freethinker.) He’s had to take security precautions. king corner room and king/doubles Page 4 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015 Heads Up A Poetry Column by Philip Appleman Fleas “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” — Isaiah 45:7 I think that I shall never see a poem as ugly as a fl ea, a fl ea whose hungry mouth is pressed against a buttock or a breast, a fl ea that spreads disease all day and lifts its little claws to prey: poems are made by you and me, but only God can make a fl ea.

I think that no one ever made Overheard a poem as powerful as AIDS, or plagues that may in summer kill For the past week, Charlie, an atheist $3,750 half the bishops in Brazil newspaper, has achieved more mira- Jerusalem Post, 1-15-15 cles than all the saints and prophets and share the good Lord’s Final Answer combined. The one we are most proud [T]his Christmas season we’re ask- with clots and cholera and cancer— of is that you have in your hands the ing YOU to nominate the Number 1 newspaper that we always made. “Scrooge” that deserves “recognition” for God concocted pox to mock us, Charlie Hebdo’s editors, announcing a for seeking to stamp out religious ex- staph and syph and streptococcus: run of 3 million copies a week after 12 pression across America. So please people died in a terrorist attack at its choose the Number 1 “Scrooge” with poems are made by bards or hacks, Parisian magazine offi ce your vote below! but only God makes cardiacs. The Associated Press, 1-14-15 Liberty Institute’s 2014 Scrooge Awards announcement, which includes They shouted “We have avenged the FFRF as a nominee for contesting Tex- I think that I shall never smell Prophet Muhammad.” Some useful as cheerleaders’ football banners with a poem as pungent as a hell, idiot will claim it had bible verses nothing to do with libertyinstitute.org, 12-22-14 where grinning devils turn the screws religion. on saintly Sikhs and upright Jews, Evolutionary biolo- I still believe that Islam often stands in giving them the holy scorcher, gist Richard Dawkins, opposition to human rights and wom- on the deadly attack en’s rights. I believe that the Quran re- timeless, transcendental torture: at Charlie Hebdo in lays that Muhammad demanded death poems can make you want to yell, Paris for nonbelievers. Many Muslims may Twitter, 1-7-15 disagree with my view, or interpret Is- but only God can give you hell. lam in a more moderate way, but I can- Apologists for religion blame funda- not accept this religion myself. That is © 1991 by Philip Appleman. Based on “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer mentalism for these despicable acts. what my conscience tells me. From the book Let There Be Light Really? Well the one thing fundamen- Waleed Al Husseini, who was beaten Available as a song on FFRF’s ‘Beware of Dogma’ CD tal to fundamentalism is belief in a god. by guards while serving 10 months in Former Catholic seminarian Alex a Palestinian prison for blasphemy and Philip Appleman is a Distinguished Pro fessor Emeri tus at Mooney, column headlined “Religion now lives in France In dia na Uni ver si ty. His published volumes of poetry in clude belongs to Dark Ages: Atheist says The Daily Beast, 12-8-14 Perfi dious Proverbs and Other Poems: A Satirical Look at the terror attacks reinforce his belief all Bible (2012), Darwin’s Ark (new 2009 edition) and Karma, faiths are nonsense” Crazy things you can’t easily put out Dharma, Pudding & Pie (2009). His nonfi ction work in- Scottish Daily Record, 1-10-15 of your mind, like “I’m going to chop cludes the widely used Norton Critical Edition, Darwin, your head off and put it on a stick and and the Nor ton Critical Edition of Malthus’ Essay on Pop- I may not agree with you, but I will de- carry it around the town square.” ulation. His poetry and fi ction have won many awards, fend to your death my divine right to Jackie Carter, pastor at First Metropoli- including a fellowship in poetry from the National En dow ment for the Arts, kill you. tan Community Church, Wichita, Kan., the Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Humanist Arts Perversion of a Voltaire quote attrib- on threats she’s received for perform- Award from the American Humanist Association and the Friend of Darwin uted to a terrorist with a smoking gun ing same-sex marriages Award from the National Center for Science Education. His work has ap- in a cartoon drawn by Steve Benson KSN-TV, 12-14-14 peared in Harper’s Magazine, The Nation, The New Republic, The New York about the Charlie Hebdo massacre Times, The Paris Review, Partisan Review, Poetry, and The Yale Review. Arizona Republic, 1-8-15 I believe that the local church is the an- He and his playwright wife, Marjorie Appleman, are both “After-Life” Members swer to the world and not the laws and of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Phil’s books: ffrf.org/shop. We must also recognize and loudly politics and all those things. proclaim that the quest for any and Sean Edwards, Birmingham, Ala., who YOUR WEEKLY ANTIDOTE TO THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT all “Islamic State(s)” has no place in will keep his job as a police lieutenant modern times. Theocracy, particularly after founding Empowerment Word Islamism, is a proven failure. Church, where he will serve as pastor TUNE IN TO Excerpt from a full-page ad by the WBRC-TV, 12-8-14 FREETHOUGHT RA- Gatestone Institute, a conservative think tank, signed by 22 Muslims Those of us with a secular worldview DIO The New York Times, 1-11-15 are coming together online, talking, in produced by the some countries meeting in secret. The Freedom From Religion The signs were designed to restrict nonreligious are raising their heads Foundation Hosted by Dan Barker and women from using public spaces sim- above the parapet. Annie Laurie Gaylor ply because they were women . . . and Bob Church, International Humanist Broadcasts and streams Saturdays at 11 a.m. Central, Progressive Talk The Mic constitute a severe injury to the rights and Ethical Union communications 92.1 FM, Madison, Wis., and over several other stations. of women to equality and respect. director, on the Netherlands-based iTunes or podcasts archived at: ffrf.org/news/radio Ruling by the magistrate court in Beit group’s 2014 “Freedom of Thought Shemesh, Israel, ordering removal of Report” which shows seculars increas- Slightly irreverent views, ultra-Orthodox signs warning women ingly viewed as threats to the estab- news, music & interviews to dress modestly and not loiter in cer- lished order tain areas and awarding each plaintiff Religion News Service, 12-17-14 Page 5 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

“Nothing Fails Like Prayer” submission Council secular ‘prayer’ invokes love, laughter

George Gold treat each other with respect. should recognize the proven potential “Over the past two years,” says When we need to find wisdom, let’s within ourselves and in each other to George Gold, “we have been petition- look to the documents of government, overcome the many challenges that we ing the mayor of Chico, Calif., to be in- the Constitution of the United States, will face in this coming year. cluded in the invocation rotation. On the Bill of Rights, and yes, the First Our commonalities unite us, and Aug. 26, we received the official invo- Amendment, which in one sentence I hope we and you can recognize our cation schedule for 2015, and we have provides for the separation between humanity as we get ready for the chal- been invited to deliver an invocation church and state. We might even con- lenges of this new year. on three occasions throughout the sult our city charter for direction. We, the secular community, want to year. Our invocations will be secular.” Let us open our hearts to the inher- participate in our communities with a ent dignity and worth of each person life full of inspiration, imagination and Chico City Council in our community. I hope we can ap- beauty. Each of us wants to live an hon- preciate and realize our differences of orable and ethical life. We hope each Chico, Calif., Jan. 6, 2015 race and religion, and or lack of reli- of you feels the same. gion. Some people say, I’m just a child of Good evening Mr. Mayor, members In the end we are all human beings. the ’60s, just look at my long hair [lifts of the city council: When we bleed, we bleed one of the hat], oh, gone; my big black beard, I’m George Gold, coordinator of four basic blood groups. Regardless oh, gone, but I suppose that it might the Butte County Coalition of Reason, of race, regardless of where we live, be true. Nevertheless, my mantra has and I’m president of the Atheists of regardless of our political affiliations, always been make love not war. Today, Butte County. George Gold whether we are rich or poor, and yes, I guess if nothing else, I still believe — Rather than bowing our heads and whether we are religious or decidedly in that. closing our eyes in deference, we want not religious, for in every single one of Thank you and Happy New Year. to encourage you to open your eyes and that by applying this science and us, the color of our blood is the same. FFRF member George Gold, born and wide to face the reality that confronts reason with the strength found in sym- In the face of adversity, we need not raised in Sydney, Australia, is a computer us. We should do so without losing pathy and compassion, we can over- look above for answers, but instead we systems engineer. sight of our ideals and what we might come any hurdle we encounter. achieve. It is incumbent upon this council to When this body comes together to make the best decisions for the entire govern, you do so with the consent of community. In this regard, I ask that Nothing fails like prayer! the citizens of Chico, a diverse com- you use wisdom, common sense and munity with many different views and empathy in your deliberations. opinions. This eclectic community, ac- In your work here, take into account The U.S. Supreme Court unwisely ernment prayers are unnecessary, in- cording to the Pew Research Center, the implications your decisions will “blessed” sectarian prayers at local gov- effective, embarrassing, exclusionary, includes 20% of the population living have now and in the future. Be remind- ernment meeting in its Town of Greece divisive or just plain silly. secular lives. In the city of Chico, that ed of the joyous laughter of children v. Galloway decision. If the Supreme The “best” secular invocation will means for the first time ever, I’m here playing in the comfort of the shade of Court won’t uphold our godless and be invited to open FFRF’s annual con- representing over 17,000 secular Chico our trees. You are planting seeds for entirely secular Constitution — adopt- vention, receiving an all-expenses-paid citizens with this invocation. the benefit of future generations. ed at a prayerless constitutional con- trip (this year at the Monona Terrace Humanists, nonbelievers, agnostics When there are problems, when vention — it’s up to us. Convention Center, Madison, Wiscon- and atheists by their very nature be- there is debate, let us be accountable It’s up to you! sin, October 9–11, 2015), a plaque and lieve that we have the power to solve for our own actions. Let’s not point We’d like to see secular citizens an honorarium of $500. all problems within ourselves, amongst to the shortcomings of others. Let us flood government meetings with secu- Learn more at: ourselves, through science and reason, behave morally and judiciously. Let’s lar invocations that illustrate why gov- ffrf.org/outreach/nothing-fails-like-prayer Atheist: I’ll see your 10 and raise you one commandment The Inspirational Atheist: Wise Words on of life.” — Plato with your life is to tackle the [expletive the Wonder and Meaning of Life is Boul- “You can resolve to live your life deleted] sh*t out of love.” — Cheryl der, Colo., author Buzzy Jackson’s new with integrity. Let your credo be this: Strayed, American author of the best-seller book. Jackson, an atheist with a Ph.D. Let the lie come into the world, let it Wild in history, also works as a researcher even triumph. But not through me.” ­— “Try to be nice to people, avoid eat- at the Center of the American West at Russian novelist and historian Alexsandr ing fat, read a good book every now CU-Boulder. Solzhenitsyn and then, get some walking in, and She includes a thoughtful insert in “You cannot save people, you can try and live together in peace and har- the book (which she originally want- only love them.” — author Anaïs Nin mony with people of all creeds and na- ed to title Chicken Soup for the Soulless) “To make others less happy is a tions.” — Monty Python’s “The Meaning called “The 11 Commandments for crime. To make ourselves unhappy is of Life” Atheists.” They are: where all crime starts. We must try to “There are far too many command- “Do not destroy what you cannot contribute joy to the world.” — film ments and you really only need one: create.” — Hungarian-American physicist critic Roger Ebert Do not hurt anybody.” — Carl Reiner, Buzzy Jackson and inventor Leo Szilard “The best thing you can possibly do actor, director, movie producer “Do unto others 25 percent better than you expect them to do unto you. The 25 percent is for error.” — Ameri- I did not die. I did not go to Heaven. dette’s Catholic Church in Nunthorpe, ers who molested them in the 1960s can biochemist Linus Pauling Alex Malarkey, 16, author with his fa- UK, estimating that fewer than 25% of and 1970s abc.net.au, 12-21-14 “Be hard on your beliefs. Take them ther of The Boy Who Came Back From parishes now offer Christmas midnight out onto the verandah and beat them Heaven, open letter to Christian book- Mass Ecumenical News, 12-22-14 As wars go, this one is pretty wimpy. with a cricket bat.” — Australian come- stores, which resulted in Tyndale There are no bullets or bombs, or even dian Tim Minchin House pulling the best-seller from In an annual index of the reputations loud voices. The atheists’ weapons are “Try to leave the world a better place shelves of 40 of Australia’s largest charities, the good deeds that demonstrate that they than when we entered it.” — Michio The Washington Post, 1-15-15 Salvation Army fell from 10th last year have Christmas spirit, without the re- Kaku, City College of New York theoretical to 27th this year. ligious component. This season, they physics professor Last time we had it, we ended up with News story attributing the decline to participated in a walk against hun- “A man’s duty is to find out where a drunk trying to get the doors off the allegations that boys were dragged ger, made presents for the poor and the truth is, or if he cannot, at least to church. So we’ve made the decision from their beds and raped in Salvation packed food for the hungry. take the best possible human doctrine not to have Mass when people are Army facilities in New South Wales and News story headlined “Minnesota and the hardest to disprove, and to pouring out of the pubs sloshed. Queensland and that children at a Syd- atheists observe Christmas their way” ride on this like a raft over the waters David Hogan, pastor at St. Berna- ney home were “rented out” to strang- St. Paul Pioneer Press, 12-22-14 January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 6 FFRF legal team compiles variety of successes

Proselytizing in letter from Senior Staff Attorney Re- remain neutral toward religion.” Grover sent the school district a letter becca Markert. The girls cross-country Training and Development Admin- Nov. 25: “While it is laudable for Green Georgia, Minn., ended team’s coach had reportedly invited a istrator Adele Cook responded Dec. Forest High to organize an assembly Elementary school faculty in the student to deliver a prayer at an end-of- 3 to say that the units using the video to honor veterans, it is unconstitu- Whitfield County School District, Dal- season banquet. would immediately discontinue doing tional to allow any ton, Ga., have been instructed not to “Prayer occurring as part of a regu- so, and “all agency training units will religious message or proselytize students. FFRF received a larly scheduled annual event spon- be directed not to use the video in the prayer to be part of report from a parent whose Antioch sored or even co-sponsored by the future.” a school-sponsored Elementary kindergartner was told school certainly leads ‘an objective ob- event.” that Christmas was “Jesus’ birthday” server, acquainted with the [prayer to] A school district and that “Jesus is the reason for the perceive it as a state endorsement,’” Choir cancels gig at attorney respond- season.” wrote Markert, quoting a Supreme Catholic shrine ed Dec. 10, saying A project in the child’s class in- Court case. Aberdeen High School in Washing- the school had as- volved making a nativity scene from Superintendent Wade Lucas re- ton state pulled out of the Festival of sured him none of its staff would lead construction paper while the teacher sponded Nov. 25 that the coach’s prayer Lights at The Grotto in Portland, Ore. a prayer at a student assembly in the read the story of the nativity. When the solicitation was unconstitutional. He The Grotto is a Catholic shrine dedi- future. parent complained to the school, the said he would “take steps to monitor cated to the Virgin Mary. The public solution offered was to remove the stu- and ensure that appropriate distance school choir was scheduled to perform dent “whenever anything religious was is maintained by our coaches.” in the church. The FFRF not answer to brought up” and to ask the parent what venue charges an coach’s prayers she would to do with the child “when entrance fee, which Anniston [Ala.] High School’s foot- they do activities for Easter.” City says brochure cross it pockets. ball coach will no longer organize and Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent was careless Staff Attorney An- lead team prayers. After reading a local a complaint letter to Superintendent After getting an FFRF complaint let- drew Seidel sent a news report that Coach Eddie Bullock Judy Gilreath on Dec. 23. Gilreath re- ter, the city of Rice, Minn., will not in- letter Nov. 24 to Su- asked for a student “prayer leader,” sponded Jan. 5, saying that she met clude religious symbols on newsletters. perintendent Thom- Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel wrote Su- with the Antioch principal and “made The city’s Spring 2014 newsletter as Opstad about the perintendent Darren Douthitt on Oct. her aware of the complaint and the included a cross image next to the no- inappropriateness 31. legal restrictions concerning teaching tice that city offices would be closed of such participation. “We have informed our coaching of religion in a public school.” She in- Memorial Day. “Including a Christian Opstad responded Dec. 2 that he staff that they cannot initiate a prayer structed the principal to speak with the cross with the announcement of the had looked into the matter and decid- by the embers of our athletic teams. It teacher who did the nativity project to Memorial Day closing excludes any ed the choir would not be attending is also our plan to remind all faculty “make sure she understands she is not non-Christian or the festival. and staff of all our schools that they to celebrate religious holidays with her non-believing veter- cannot initiate nor [sic] participate students.” ans. It perpetuates in student prayer,” an attorney for the • • • the myth that there Athletic league says no school district responded Nov. 17. Minnesota School District 197 (West are no ‘atheists in to prayer St. Paul, Mendota Heights and Eagan) foxholes’ and that The Marin County [Calif.] Athletic took swift action after being alerted by the only veterans League, which includes public and Oklahoma school art Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott to a con- worth memorializ- private schools, will no longer allow a will be secular stitutionally prob- ing are Christians,” Catholic school to impose prayers on Teachers in Chandler [Okla.] Public lematic situation. wrote Senior Staff public school attendees. Staff Attorney Schools will not create religious proj- Representatives Attorney Rebecca Markert. Andrew Seidel wrote a letter Feb. 25, ects with their students in the future. from two evangeli- An attorney for the city wrote back 2014, to the Tamalpais Union High Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a let- cal Christian organi- on Dec. 2, saying that the city would be School District, which participates in ter to the district in 2013 after learn- zations, Young Life careful about using religious symbols the league. Justin-Siena Catholic High ing of an auction at which two items and Wyldlife, were in the future. School, another league participant, were religious art projects created by seeking to further regularly had a priest offer a prayer be- students: a poster with a bible quote, increase their access fore home games. “Blessed are the pure in heart,” and a to middle school FFRF letters clip League Commissioner Susie Wood- poster that read, “Wash your hands & students. angels’ wings all responded Dec. 3 to say that the say your prayers cause Jesus and germs A job description for a Young Life Gulf Coast Charter Academy South Catholic school was now prohibited are everywhere.” staff associate claimed they had been in Naples, Fla., removed a religious from engaging in organized prayer at After several follow-up letters, ­Seidel “blessed with open arms from a new song from its repertoire after Staff At- events. received an email Nov. 20 from the administration” and were looking for a torney Andrew Seidel sent a complaint new superintendent, who said he did staffer to “build a foundation and sig- letter Nov. 24. not anticipate the recurrence of the nificant ministry” in the schools. Kindergartners reportedly learned a Calif. board votes to constitutional violation. “It is inappropriate for public song about a child getting lost in the skip prayers schools to offer Young Life representa- woods and being saved by an angel af- The Paso Robles [Calif.] School tives unique access to a student audi- ter kneeling and praying. The chorus Board decided not to start including No more graduations ence before the school day on school was something to the effect of “I believe prayer at meetings. After learning the in church property,” wrote Elliott. “While it is in angels sent down from heaven.” board was considering it, Staff Attorney Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel wrote laudable that volunteers are willing to “The music described above has a Andrew Seidel wrote Board President the Los Gatos [Calif.] Union School assist the school with monitoring stu- devotional message and thus would be Katy Griffin, noting that the school District last June about R.J. Fisher Mid- dents in the morning, any volunteers appropriate in a church setting but not context is different from the context dle School’s graduation ceremony at must not be identified as being affili- in a public school,” Seidel wrote. of other government prayers, such as Calvary Church. ated with a religious organization and An attorney for the school respond- at city council meetings. Superintendent Diana Abbati re- may not mention or promote their re- ed Dec. 1: “Thank you for your con- “Students and parents have the sponded Nov. 20, writing that the dis- ligious group activities.” cern. This matter is being addressed right, and often have reason, to go trict would be moving 2015 graduation The sperintendent responded and the song will be removed from all before or participate in school board ceremonies to “a venue not affiliated promptly, saying she met with the classes. We are also reviewing the bal- meetings and deliberations. Fully 70 with a religious entity.” groups’ leader and told him they could ance of the curriculum to ensure fur- years of firm Supreme Court prec- not have a presence in the schools. “I ther compliance.” edent bars religious indoctrination ‘Finding Jesus’ in school no was clear that under no circumstances • • • and rituals from public schools for the may there be any recruitment of stu- The Arizona Department of Eco- express purpose of protection of the more dents to Young Life or Wyldlife, nor nomic Security has discontinued use of rights of conscience of impressionable The new administration of Worth any discussion of religion or activities a religious training video. A mandatory schoolchildren,” wrote Seidel. County Schools in Sylvester, Ga., say sponsored by Young Life or Wyldlife meeting for certain employees includ- FFRF’s complainant emailed Dec. there’ll be no repeat of a religious as- with our students.” ed a video featuring a comedian who 10 to report that the board voted Dec. sembly condoned by previous admin- talked about dying and meeting God. 9 not to pray before meetings. istrators. Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel Coach warned about Agency employees were described as wrote Superintendent Barbara Thom- “angels with big white wings.” The vid- Complaint stops prayer as on Jan. 30, 2013, after receiving a soliciting prayer eo included a prayer. complaint that an assembly included Olentangy High School, Lewis Cen- Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote the at assembly the principal prompting a student to ter, Ohio, stopped letting staff solicit department Nov. 17 about the illegality A teacher at Green Forest [Ark.] lead a prayer followed by a speech by prayers at school-sponsored events af- of the video: “As a government entity, High School led a prayer at a Veter- a pastor who talked to students about ter getting a Nov. 20 FFRF complaint DES has a constitutional obligation to ans Day ceremony. Staff Attorney Sam “finding Jesus Christ.” January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 7

After unproductive correspondence trict lawyer responded Dec. 18, saying with Thomas, who stated that “it was he “[did] not disagree” with FFRF’s ac- the consensus of the Board [of Educa- count of what happened at the lunch. tion] that no one’s rights would be in- “It is now acknowledged that prayer fringed” by religious assemblies, a new offered by staff members of a public superintendent, Kay Smith Mathews, school entity may not be appreciated eventually responded Nov. 20. She stat- by all students and parents, and it is ed she could not confirm that the as- not anticipated that this will occur in sembly had occurred, but said she was the future.” “most concerned about this incident” and had discussed it with the district’s principals and gave them guidelines Pole prayer limited in about religion in public schools. Alabama Staff and church groups will not be permitted to lead religious events at FFRF stands up for Athens Elementary School in Athens, Nevada students Ala. In 2013, a church group was per- The Washoe County School District mitted to lead a “See You At The Pole” in Nevada distributed a memorandum gathering, a Christian prayer event, at reminding principals that students the school. The school’s athletic coach must not be compelled to stand for the reportedly led students in prayer. Pledge of Allegiance. Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent After a student was ordered to stand Superintendent Trey Holladay a letter Dog, not dogma for the pledge and to leave class after Oct. 9, 2013, noting that public school It took about two months for a deputy to notice what was either a misprint or refusing, Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel employees “must refrain from actively a great practical joke on a $500 rug in the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in sent a letter Oct. 22, 2013, reminding participating in religious activities Largo, Fla. Department spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda told The Associated the district that numerous courts have while acting within their governmental Press that the “In Dog We Trust” was a manufacturer’s error which another consistently ruled “that students have a role to avoid any perception of govern- rug in the office from the same company didn’t contain. The rug later sold for constitutional right not to be forced to ment endorsement of religion.” $9,650 in an online auction in which 83 people bid. Proceeds went to Canine participate in the Pledge of Allegiance An attorney for the district respond- Estates, a Palm Harbor animal shelter. or to be compelled to stand for its reci- ed in December, informing FFRF that tation.” no similar violations had occurred The school district’s attorney re- since FFRF’s letter. The DNR responded Dec. 22 that an inclusive secular alternative cannot sponded Nov. 24 that he had sent a the charter agreement had expired be found.” district-wide memo about students’ and would not be renewed. Superintendent Craig Allen finally right to decline participation without Maryland DNR ends responded in November, saying that harassment. Boy Scout ties the district would “ensure that there The Maryland Department of Natu- Gideons banned from are a variety of songs from various ori- ral Resources has ended a partnership Michigan school gins to promote inclusion rather than No more staff-led with the Boy Scouts of America, which Zeeland [Mich.] Public Schools will alienation of non-Christian children.” prayer at school discriminates against atheists and ag- not allow Gideons to distribute bibles The district also decided to refer to the Staff at the Haskins Learning Cen- nostics, as well as LGBT adults. on school grounds in the future. After concert as a holiday program instead ter in the Pratt [Kan.] Unified School The DNR previously had an annual an Oct. 17 distribution, a parent in- of a Christmas program. District will no longer lead students in charter agreement with the Baltimore formed FFRF that a teacher reportedly prayer. FFRF received a report that be- Boy Scouts in which the DNR agreed told students she would like each one fore a school-wide Thanksgiving lunch, to conduct a scouting program in ac- to take a bible home. Ohio schools end bible the principal asked everyone to bow cordance with the Boy Scouts’ policies. “There is no excuse or justification handouts their heads while a teacher delivered “The DNR cannot continue to sponsor for this practice. It is unnecessary, of- Mad River Local School District and a prayer. this discriminatory program,” wrote fensive and illegal,” wrote Staff Attor- Miamisburg City Schools in Ohio are After Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott in a letter ney Sam Grover. no longer hosting bible distributions. sent a complaint letter, a school dis- Sept. 24. Assistant Superintendent Jon Voss Both districts had hosted a group responded Dec. 22, saying that the dis- called “Shoes 4 the Shoeless” that held trict would make it clear to all building events to fit children with new shoes, administrators that “third parties with- then directed them to a table where out a connection to the school — like they were given bibles. Gideons — are not allowed on school The group described itself as “a property to distribute information to faith-based nonprofit” that “include[s] our students.” a Christian New Testament in every Voss also said the district would con- box of shoes [they] deliver.” tact the Gideons directly to let them Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert know about the ban. wrote to both districts, noting that bible distribution as part of the public school day is unconstitutional. Fire department deletes After FFRF followed up, both dis- bible verse tricts’ superintendents responded Jan. The Reidville [S.C.] Fire Depart- 15. “We no longer hold these events in ment removed a bible verse from its any of our buildings,” said Mad River website after receiving an Oct. 17 letter Superintendent Chad Wyen. During from Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel. a subsequent visit from the group to FFRF had also objected to the de- Miamisburg City Schools, “no Bibles or partment’s employment of a chaplain. New Testaments were distributed with The department removed a photo of the shoes and socks,” said Superinten- the chaplain from the website’s “Mem- dent David Vail. bers” section, while claiming the chap- —Compiled by Maddy Zieler lain had “not been associated with our department for quite some time, thanks for your concern.” Include FFRF In Your Estate Planning Michigan district cuts Arrange a bequest in your will or trust, or make the Freedom From religious music Religion Found­ation the benefi- Breitung Township Schools, Kings- ciary of an insurance policy, bank ford, Mich., is diversifying its music account, or IRA. It’s easy to do. selections. A parent reported to FFRF For related information (or to re- that the district’s 2013 Christmas con- quest a bequest brochure), please cert included many religious songs phone Annie Laurie Gaylor at such as “Silent Night,” “Joyful, Joyful” (608) 256-8900. and the “Hallelujah Chorus.” FFRF • P.O. Box 750 Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor in a letter Dec. 19, 2013, wrote that Madison WI 53701 “No religious song gives any education- Freedom Depends on al benefit to public students for which This ad appeared in the February 2015 Scientific American magazine. Freethinkers Page 8 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

FFRF national convention speech, Los Angeles, Oct. 24, 2014 Crowd loves Lucy scientific sleuth Johanson

This speech was given on October 24, 2014, standing the deep roots of human- birth or Noah’s ark — how’d you at FFRF’s 37th annual convention at the ity, and the very simple fact that like the job of cleaning the poop Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. we now know it is based on an “out up on that? — or original sin. of Africa” experience, is vital to The thing that alarmed me DAN BARKER: knowing who we are. most about Noah’s ark was that if For a long time, FFRF has been of- For so many years, beginning this creator and Noah were such fering the “Emperor Has No Clothes” in 1856 with the discovery of the wonderful people, why did they award to prominent people who tell it Neanderthal skull in Germany, all leave the dinosaurs behind? like it is about religion. It comes from these white European males got I began to realize that believing the Hans Christian Andersen story together and figured out that Eu- in a creator being — someone I about the naked emperor who pre- rope was the finishing school for couldn’t see, someone who’s keep- tended he was wearing clothes, and humanity. Well, that’s all, as we say, ing track of me, someone I’d be the young boy who was unafraid to say, ancient history. afraid of — was really not my cup “He’s got nothing on!” A guiding principle for me of tea. I was much more of a free- Today we’re very honored to pres- throughout my career has not nec- thinker, as we say, and as I went ent this award to an internationally essarily been discovery-driven, to through high school, I had a very known paleoanthropologist. He’s find a specimen, although I did, adequate education at a public worked in Ethiopia, Yemen, Saudi Ara- on the 24th of November, 40 years high school, which we should all bia, Egypt and Jordan. For the past 40 ago. Somebody asked me, “What’s bring back. years, he’s conducted field and labora- the big difference between you I lived in Berkeley for years, and tory research. You might know Donald and Lucy?” I said, “Well, when I my favorite bumper sticker said, C. Johanson as the discoverer of the look at Lucy, she doesn’t look a day “If you think education’s expen- fossil Lucy. older.” sive, try ignorance.” During my Lucy, the first discovered member of As I was saying, it wasn’t neces- education, I began to really under- Australopithecus afarensis, thought to be sarily that I was hoping to make Donald C. Johanson with FFRF’s “Emperor Has stand that if I were to believe in a distant ancestor of modern humans, this colossal discovery of a crea- No Clothes” award. (photo by Ingrid Laas) this mythical creator — you know was dated to 3.2 million years ago. Five ture that has become pretty much we only had one choice, right, years ago, I had what was very close to, an icon in terms of paleontology or pa- since the downsizing? If you lived in or maybe parallels a religious experi- leoanthropology, but it was to under- Greece, we’d have a whole bunch of ence, when I was in Times Square at stand our place in nature. The book Dinosaurs ‘left behind’ gods we could have prayed to, but now, the Discovery Center where Lucy is on that launched my intrigue about where Someone said, “What was the most with cutbacks and so on, we’re down display. I was the only one in the room, we’ve come from was a book entitled surprising thing about discovering to one — that I would have to unfortu- looking at what I thought was my great- Man’s Place in Nature by Thomas Henry Lucy?” I said, “Well, nobody even knew nately totally reject my objectivity and great-great-great-grandma. I got goose Huxley, who was a tea-drinking buddy she was missing.” logic and leap into total fantasy. I just bumps. of Charles Darwin. I’ve also been asked to comment on couldn’t see the benefit of that. Donald is now the founding direc- They often sat and noodled on the why I’m an atheist. I’ve always been an tor of the Institute of Human Origins, question of human evolution. I can see atheist. I didn’t have to be converted A grand theory an evolution think tank at Arizona them in Darwin’s garden in Kent while to atheism. I went to church when I State University. We’ve been inviting they discussed how they were going was about 12 years old. I remember As we all know, if someone in the him for many years to our convention to bring this shocker to the Victorian it distinctly in Hartford, Conn. Some church doesn’t know, they say, “There- to speak, but it always coincided with world of Great Britain, that we actually friends, who were Scandinavians, too, fore, God,” and I say “I don’t know, some expedition he was going on. We descended from the apes. Darwin, as convinced me. They said, “You should let’s find out.” Science is such a reward- have limited copies of his beautiful you well know, was very reluctant to do ing, creative and charming way of look- book called Lucy’s Legacy: The Quest for that because he didn’t want to upset ing at the universe. So why do people Human Origins. the household, as his wife Emma was so resist evolution, the grand unifying He’s an ardent freethinker and non- very religious. Why did Noah theory of biology? believer. We’re excited to be featuring And he only said that light would Think about this. Bring it up at the Donald in an upcoming FFRF educa- be thrown on the origin of man, un- leave the dinosaurs next astrophysics talk you go to when tional ad in Scientific American. til 1871 in his Descent of Man, when he they explain the origins of the cosmos [Presenting award]: Thank you for articulated a number of scenarios for behind? and string theory and particles that telling it like it is, and saying that the that. I read Man’s Place in Nature and go faster than the speed of light so emperor has no clothes. realized the importance of this subject, that they’re younger when they extin- for which paleoanthropology wasn’t come to the Svedish Lutheran Church guish than when they were born. You really a moniker until the late ’50s or here on Sunday to see vat they are talk- go home and think that it was all very By Donald C. Johanson so. I realized that we have a remarkable ing about.” logical and someone goes, “What was record preserved in Earth’s geological So I got up unusually early, disturb- the talk about?” You say, “Well, I just, I strata that connects us with the past, ing my mother, who said, “Ver are you don’t know exactly.” They’re trying to with each other, and I think very im- going?” I said, “I’m going to church.” figure out the grand unifying theory Thank you so much! Wow, we’re portantly, connects us with the natural She said, “Vat are you doing that fer?” of the universe, right? It’s a pretty big really here. What a wonderful intro- world. Anyway, I went to church and came question. duction. I was sitting over there think- We know, every single one of us home, and then she said, “Deed they Yet a retiring Englishman who went ing, “Who’s he talking about?” You in this room, who the creator was — ask you fer money?” I said, “Yeah, they off on a five-year boat cruise once fig- know, often I go to a sold-out crowd Mother Nature. I will have much more did.” ured out the grand unifying theory of and they all think that Don Johnson to say about that as we get into this dis- And she said, this little uneducated biology. The robustness of the “theory” [the actor] is coming to speak. They cussion. housekeeper from Sweden who im- of evolution is that: The same tenets don’t read very well. migrated when she was 16, that Darwin suggested and proffered I was thinking that I deciding the New World in the middle 1800s are still the core haven’t read the fine print was where everything was ideas of biology. If Darwin were sitting on what it means to agree happening, “The first thing in the back of the room and I men- with and accept this [award], they’ll do is control you, tioned DNA, he wouldn’t have a clue. so I thought I would bring it then they will instill fear in He didn’t know things were inherited. up at the beginning and ask you, and then they will take He observed and interpreted and un- that if I have a born again ex- your money.” derstood how important that elusive perience, do I magically see So at about 11 or 12, I thing natural selection is, and how clothes on this sculpture? went to see my mentor, who powerfully explanatory it is. This has been a very im- was a German anthropolo- I suspect most people just don’t portant part of my life, the gist (big surprise) whom think. I don’t want to be too anti-cler- study of who we are and I’d met one day, and he ical or anti-church; I respect people’s where we come from. It has gave me a short course in beliefs and I don’t try to destroy them. immense implications, phil- comparative religions, how I understand that if you were born in osophical and otherwise, every society has, does and X culture, you believe in X god, and everything from medicine to will have some sort of cre- if you were in Z culture, you believe in how we look at and treat one Donald C. Johanson autographing books for appreciative ation myth. Of course lots Z god, and so on. Before I knew about another. convention-goers at the Biltmore Hotel. (photo by Ingrid of them were much more FFRF, I used to say that we have free- I truly believe in under- Laas) intriguing than a virgin dom of religion, but not freedom from January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 9 religion in America. person or some kind of deviant. It I’m talking about tonight is to reawak- Darwin, if he were alive today, would kills you very simply because you don’t en a “reverence” for the natural world probably be very happy with this poster have a resistance to Ebola. Those who and our place in it. [We have a duty] [“In Reason We Trust”]. I want you to live through Ebola who had no medi- to respect the creativity of the true cre- support science and reason. So take cal care probably have a resistance to ator, Mother Nature, to protect her, God’s name off our money we all wor- Ebola. I’ve never heard anybody say, to take seriously our responsibilities ship and replace it with “In Science We like with sickle cell anemia and malar- as the most creative, but also the most Trust.” I don’t think we’ll do that, but ia, let’s go find out why those people destructive species that’s ever lived on we do need to get God’s name off our didn’t die from Ebola. Earth. money. There’s no question. From my perspective, I think that a The future is in our hands, and it is The anti-science aspect of religion scientific strategy, especially a biologi- time that we stop turning our back on is what bothers me most intensely. It’s cal one, with a full understanding of the natural world and start listening to personified in this cartoon: “Welcome natural selection, gene recombination, her and working with her. to church, you won’t be needing that mutation, etc., and a more aggressive The Creation Museum [in Peters- [your brain] in here.” Just take this approach to Ebola, would have gone burg, Ky.] is one of our favorite places. brilliant organ out that has evolved much further than we have come thus Where else can you witness the science over 6 million years of natural selec- far. But the West, which has the abil- of cavemen cavorting with their favor- tion, that happens to put us at the pin- ity to do that, was fiddling away while ite pet dinosaur, Skippy, 5,000 years nacle of intelligent life on the planet, Ebola was burning its path through selection, which we all grow up learn- ago? in the solar system, and maybe even in western Africa, decimating people and ing, is the survival of the fittest. I was Is this a time warp and we’re back the universe, to be so bold. setting its sights on places like Europe taught by my mentor at age 13 that it’s in the Dark Ages or something? This and North America. really the elimination of the unfit. If is lying, cheating, deceiving, warping In whose image? Human beings care. That’s one of you think about it, that’s a better way and perverting people’s knowledge. To the marvelous exciting things about us. to look at it. make what? Money. How much money I think we have been given the That’s also why I love dogs. They care, The problem with natural selection does the Creation Museum make at wrong name by the Swede, Linnaeus, too, but we care because of our family is you can’t weigh it, you can’t see it, the same time it destroys young peo- who called us Homo sapiens, meaning values, because of our moral compass, you can’t buy it from Edmond’s Sci- ples’ opportunities to look at the world “wise man.” You read the same news- because we are human beings and be- entific, it doesn’t come in the color through an open mind. That’s what paper stories I do — people shooting cause we are alive. We so often forget upsets me probably more than any- people on high school campuses, etc., what that means. thing else about the museum. etc., going after people with axes in Richard Dawkins, my distinguished ‘We know who Of course I thought I’d show you the New York. We are wise men? We are friend, says essentially, “We are the great breakthroughs in science, from still a work in progress, a long way from lucky ones because we’re going to die.” the creator was — Marie Curie to the great accelerators where we should call ourselves human. Why are we going to die? Because we and how much has been accomplished A more appropriate name would be were born. If there were two genes’ Mother Nature.’ in religion. Well, part of my mission in Homo egocentricus. Whom do you think difference, you would not be you. You life has been to educate people about about most of the time? Come on ad- would be someone else. the fossil evidence for human evolu- mit it, even as an atheist, it’s yourself. We need to cherish that, and we tion. We think about ourselves. We think have to understand that this is an excit- blue or in G flat major. It is that fact A born-again, Francis Collins, asked about our parents, grandparents, ing opportunity to be alive and not sit — one cannot see it, we can only see me to give the single most important children, grandchildren, maybe five around and worry about some omnip- the results of it — that makes people so talk that I’ve given in years, on Dar- generations of time. But the Earth is otent being keeping score to decide reluctant. They have to see a guiding win’s 200th birthday, at the National billions of years old; life is 3.5 billion whether we’re going to end up in eter- hand or a guiding force that they can Institutes of Health. He’s deeply reli- years old on this planet. We believe nal ecstasy or unending damnation. As imagine or pray to. gious and is the head of the National that we’re the pinnacle of evolution, I say, how could he have time to keep Institutes of Health. What was most that everything was designed to make score on each one of us? He’s so damn Bad rap for atheists interesting about that morning when I white European males. busy helping people sink 6-foot putts was given 20 minutes to talk about 6 bil- There’s something very impersonal in Arizona and get extra points in foot- Atheists, and I guess there are a few lion years of evolution — I spoke very to most people about natural selection. ball games. He doesn’t have time to in this room, get a pretty bad rap, very quickly — was the tea time. Collins, It isn’t touchy-feely like a god that cre- keep track of us. often. Religious people accuse us of whom I knew and had debated, and I ates us in his image. Who’d he look lacking morals, having no family val- had a huge interchange where he said, like? You? You? You? We created him in ues. Well, unless I’m reading the wrong “Well, there are just some things that our image, obviously, not in his image. newspapers, I don’t recall any atheists science can’t explain.” I said, “Yes, then You often see, and sometimes even We now have over out there beheading people, stoning it’s not science.” television documentaries go at this women or burning people at the stake. Yet he in his liberated world invited from the wrong perspective, that Dar- 400 specimens We’re accused of not being spiri- me to give one of the keynote speech- win is dead. No argument with that. He tual. Look at that earthrise over the es. But the most important part of that is dead, I agree. Evolution is just a the- of Lucy’s species, moon. Does that move you, does that exposure was the tea, when a couple ory. Right, you know what? Isaac New- Australopithecus touch you? Does that excite you? Walk- of real scientists with white coats and ton is dead, too. But gravity ain’t going ing home where I live most of the nametags and all that came over. They away, even if his ideas were called the afarensis. time now, in San Francisco, feeling said, “We just wanted to tell you how “theory” of gravity. the heavy fog caress my face at night, much we enjoyed your talk. We had I regularly lecture at colleges, uni- watching nesting birds and chicks born no idea there was this much evidence versities and museums. It’s always in- The problem is that people’s prayers in a window box, these are moments of for human origins. Because all we do teresting to say, “Raise your hand if you don’t get answered. Why? Well, here great inspiration and great spirituality. is peer through these electron micro- believe in evolution.” And you know, it was in The New Yorker [cartoon]: Our world is filled with endless mo- scopes at microscopic things; we don’t there’s a certain percentage that do. I “God finds all the prayers of mankind ments of inspiration, real inspiration, look at the big picture. Thank you for say, “It may all surprise you that I don’t in his spam folder.” We now have an available to each and every human be- coming here and helping us under- believe in evolution” — there’s this big explanation. ing endowed with a conscious brain stand who we are, where we come from sigh of relief — “any more than I be- One of the things about natural created by evolution. We need not rely and why we should be so grateful to be lieve in gravity.” It doesn’t take on creation myths for inspira- human.” belief; this is a fact. If you let tion. That was unbelievable satisfaction. something go, it’s going to fall Atheists are accused of not to the ground. You don’t have playing fair since we don’t Finding Lucy to believe in gravity, it is a fact. teach creationism in science In biology, going back to class. Well, if you’re going to This is the first shot [slide projec- Darwin, I think it was Dobzhan- teach creationism, why don’t tion] of Hadar, Ethiopia, that I saw in sky, the great geneticist, who we teach astrology with astron- 1972. It was a spiritual moment for me, said that “In biology, noth- omy? In medical school we’d looking out on these vast badlands, ing makes sense except in the have to teach witchcraft along heavily dissected, eroding, layer after light of evolution.” Evolution with medicine, and alchemy layer, rich in fossils. I was still at gradu- is a fact, it’s not good, it’s not with chemistry. Where’s it go- ate school at the University of Chicago bad, it has no moral compass. ing to end? and this to me was — we shouldn’t use Just like gravity, it doesn’t care OK, you American Airlines that word “epiphany” — but it certainly if your grandmother’s favorite pilots, today we’re going to dis- was for me. Dresden china falls to the floor cuss the flat Earth. You get on Tonight I was asked to say a few in the middle of an earthquake a plane in L.A., you’re hoping words about it, and it will only be a few (which we could have any min- to see the Metropolitan Op- words. You see me in the background, ute here). era in New York, and the pilot much thinner than I am today. My Evolution doesn’t care if believes in a flat Earth? You’ll graduate student, in the foreground, tens of thousands of people never get there. is doing all the work. I was walking die of Ebola. Ebola doesn’t Donald C. Johanson, with his Emperor Award, signing Our main duty in getting to back to my Land Rover, glanced over kill you because you’re a bad a copy of his book Lucy’s Legacy. (Photo by Ingrid Laas) one of the core issues of what Continued on next page Page 10 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

Continued from previous page A child goes in, sees this dren, grandchildren and my right shoulder and saw a piece of and is impressed by it. many generations beyond arm bone from an elbow, that little The child doesn’t know that. fragment of bone which allows you to one way or another. We need to stop be- flex and extend your arm, was the first My grandchild, Bren- ing Homo egocentricus and piece of Lucy that I recognized. dan, went to the Califor- start to become a more I knew that because of all the stud- nia Academy of Sciences deeply contemplative ies in graduate school, anatomy, oste- — he’s 3 years old — with species that makes deci- ology, the study of bones and all that. his father. His father says, sions intelligently, not And we were rewarded with this 3.2 “Let’s take a picture next out of fear or self-interest million-year-old skeleton that picked to Lucy, the thing your and not because of how up the popular moniker of Lucy, af- grandfather found.” He much money we’re going ter “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” refused to get his pic- to make. Make decisions which came from the Beatles tape that ture taken until I came that will help us regain was playing that evening. and stood next to it. He the balance between our- This woman on the expedition said, knows that Lucy walked Donald C. Johanson with his new Emperor award, between selves and our creator, “If you think it’s a female, Don, we upright, doesn’t bother FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. (Photo Mother Nature. should call her Lucy.” I said, “Excuse him. It doesn’t bother by Ingrid Laas.) It’s time, really, that me, I’m a Ph.D. We don’t give cute lit- him that she’s very old. as we look back on 4 mil- tle names to our fossils.” He thought it was so neat that she everything just because it disappears lion years of evolution, 3 million with Well, you know what happens when came from apes. into oceans. Stop overfishing species Lucy. She is a link, not the missing link the genie is out of the lamp. The It’s terribly important that we don’t that you hope will forever be present but one that reminds us of our link to next morning: “Are we going back to shut these minds down so early. The and available to you. When was the the natural world. the Lucy site? Do you think we’ll find longer you have a mind that is shut last time you saw orange roughy on a Lucy didn’t know where she was go- more of Lucy’s skeleton? How old do down the more time there is to develop menu? Twenty years ago, and now it’s ing; we don’t know where we’re going. you think Lucy is?” She became an in- and reinforce bigotry. gone. She didn’t know that her descendants dividual and now she is iconic. Some Make some real sacrifices, sacrifices would end up as Homo sapiens, but it’s people think she’s the dinosaur in Chi- Make real sacrifices to Mother Nature, who will, unlike the an interesting perspective to know that cago, Sue [a T. rex discovered in 1990 false gods to whom we have made sac- in South Dakota]. rifices, reward you. I guarantee that. Lucy is really the poster child for pa- Clean up the oceans, and you will live My grandson leoanthropology and human origins. ‘The anti-science a healthier life. You will reduce the When you read about new fossil finds, carcinogenic toxins that pollute our thought it was ‘so they’re either younger than Lucy, older aspect of religion fish and poison us. Clean up our air, than Lucy, more complete than Lucy, reduce carbon emissions and make a neat’ that Lucy not as primitive as Lucy, or whatever. is what bothers me sacrifice. Buy a car that doesn’t go as So this was a remarkable discovery for fast, that doesn’t look as jazzy. Find came from apes. me. It launched an incredible 20-year most intensely.’ alternate sources of power and build series of expeditions. We now have more efficient cars. over 400 specimens of Lucy’s species, We will be rewarded with what? we are united by our past, that we have Australopithecus afarensis. Here [in a cartoon] he’s saying, Healthy clean air with reduced pul- this commonality of beginning, that It also stimulated scientists, mostly “Look, it’s not personal, it’s religious.” monary disease, and we’ll all breathe we undoubtedly will have a common young scientists, as it always is — the There have been so many sacrifices a sigh of relief. I could go on and on future, and I think a common destiny silverbacks like myself are more reluc- in religion — burning at the stake, about this, but I think you all get the globally. tant to change — to develop new meth- beheading people, stoning people to gist. We live in a beautiful world. The most important thing from odologies and ways of understanding, death or ripping their hearts out and Here [photograph] I was at Bryce here on forth is to stop acting as if examining and studying these speci- eating a live pumping heart (if you’re Canyon not long ago. It is stunning to there’s some place else for us to move mens. She did play a very important an Aztec) — what’s that left us with? A be out with nature. We’re the fortunate to. We are destined to be on, as my late role beginning in 1974. bunch of dead bodies. ones, as I said. Each and every human friend Carl Sagan said, “this pale blue And if you go to the Creation Mu- It didn’t do much to stop the volca- being is, because we were born. It’s dot.” Let’s take those responsibilities seum, there she is. She’s a four-legged, nic eruption, the drought never end- our primary duty on this planet to be seriously. quadrupedal knuckle-walker. This is ed, it didn’t dispel the locust invasion, the guardians of its future for our chil- Thank you very much. because of Dr. Ham. I don’t know what did it? No, it did nothing. Yet you’re he got his doctorate in, may have been going to be surprised that tonight I’m one of those things you get at Sears going to propose that all of us begin to [Dr. of literature, Liberty University]. make some real sacrifices. There ain’t no way that Lucy was What might those sacrifices be? FFRF welcomes 34 walking on her knuckles and forelegs. Clean up the oceans. Quit throwing Lifetime Members! The Freedom From Religion Foun- Stafford, Prentice Steffen, Robert Tri- FFRF’s expansion in the news dation is delighted to welcome its new- pler, John F Tripp, Jeffrey Vowles and est Lifetime Members. Two requested Ian Whatley. that their names be kept anonymous. Twenty states are represented: Cali- They are: Dr. Jaen Andrews, Adam fornia, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Bernstein, Janet and Steve Borchers, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mary- The Jan. 29 Michael Cantwell, Lindy Dangelmayer land, Maine, Michigan, North Caro- Isthmus (gift from Susie York), David Driscoll, lina, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Ephraim Fithian, Philip Frankel, Fran- South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vir- cover. cine Goldstein, Mike Greiner, Rob ginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Haworth, Kay Heggestad, M.D., Keith Lifetime Memberships are offered Kelly, Thomas Kluzak, Ron Lee, Rob- to individuals who join or renew FFRF ert MacArthur, Daniel and Helene at a $1,000 level of support, are deduct- Mathisson, Clifford Melick, Ph.D, Jim ible for the very generous donors, go FFRF’s four-story building and gen- with membership generosity, made the Meznek (gift from Julie Stindt), John into rainy-day reserves and ensure nev- eral expansion has been the topic of capital campaign possible. Miller, Dr. Boyd Myers, Richard Read, er another renewal notice. two local profiles in its hometown of The article pictured Dan Barker, R. Neil Rotter, Beverly Schnabel, Kyra Thank you all! Madison, Wis. FFRF co-president, touring the “Above FFRF’s growth made the Jan. 3 front Us Only Sky” Kenneth Proulx Cupola, page of the Wisconsin State Journal in a the Charlie Brooks Auditorium with its Freedom From Religion Foundation story by Doug Erickson, “Busy time for Steinway concert grand, contributed P.O. Box 750 • Madison WI 53701 • (608) 256-8900 • ffrf.org Madison nonprofit,” which featured by Diane Uhl, and balconies. Read the sneak preview photos of the building’s story at http://bit.ly/1At2iup. interior. Doug quoted Co-President Isthmus, Madison’s news weekly, ran What is the Freedom From Religion Foundation? Annie Laurie Gaylor saying of FFRF’s a Jan. 29 cover story, “Freedom From prominent downtown location, two Religion Foundation: The nation’s Founded in 1978 as a national organization of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics), blocks from the Capitol: “We like to be largest group of freethinkers strives the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., works to keep state and church in the thick of things.” She added: We to improve the image of atheists,” separate and to educate the public about the views of nontheists. see more growth, more productivity.” by Steven Potter. The in-depth story The Foundation’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Please include your name and The story mentioned principal touches on FFRF’s lawsuits, activist and physical mailing address with all e-mail correspondence. founder Anne Nicol Gaylor, 88, and freethought point of view. Foundation members wishing to receive online news releases, “action alerts” and her fiscal conservatism, which made Read the Isthmus story at “Freethought of the Day” should contact [email protected]. possible the reserves that, combined http://bit.ly/1zNT2mt. January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 11 Legal staff busy shoring up state-church wall

FFRF legal staff sent a wide variety of com- plaint letters in December, including the following. (See sidebar for Christmas and crèche complaints.)

Contact: Cherry Creek School District, Colo. Violation: Teachers at Pine Ridge Elementary School hung two religious displays for Veterans Day: a “God Bless You” bulletin board and the poem/ hymn “Lord, Guard and Guide.” Contact: Palm Beach County Commis- sion, Fla. Violation: Commissioners take FFRF sent a complaint letter to Spiro turns saying prayers at meetings, typi- Public Schools, Ala. At Spiro Elementary’s cally asking citizens present to rise for kindergarten holiday concert, students sang two the invocation. An FFRF complaint letter went out about this nativity scene at the religious songs and two children held up heart- Contact: Texas A&M University, Fayette County Courthouse, La Grange, Texas. shaped posters reading “Baby” and “Jesus.” College Station Violation: The college broadcasts prayers over the intercom at every Contact: Vallejo City USD, Calif. group, circulates in school lunchrooms Violation: Pinecrest High School Corps of Cadets meal. Violation: Superintendent Ramona to proselytize and advertise K-Life. held a soccer team awards banquet Contact: Wicomico County Public Bishop appeared in her official capac- Contact: Joshua ISD, Texas that began with a prayer for all stu- Schools, Md. ity in a promotional video for a Chris- Violation: A cross hung on the wall dents and attendees. Violation: Northwestern Elemen- tian dominionist group. of the ninth-grade campus building. Contact: Wakulla County Commission, tary School described Mardela Springs Contact: Clairton City School District, Contact: Newton County Fla. Wesleyan Church as its “official Faith- Pa. Commissioners, Ga. Violation: The commission was con- Based Partner.” Students report- Violation: Football coaches at Violation: The commission ap- sidering a proposal to add “In God We edly know the church’s pastor as the Clairton High School engage in post- proved a religious display that includ- Trust” to its chambers. “school pastor,” and the church started game prayers. ed the Ten Commandments. an evening kids’ program at the school Contact: La Porte ISD, Texas Contact: City of Barberton, Ohio through which “many children have Violation: La Porte Junior High was Violation: The city’s offices close on been introduced to the Gospel and scheduled to hold a choir concert in a Good Friday. FFRF 2014 legal have given their hearts to Jesus.” church. Contact: Bartow County Schools, Ga. Contact: Akron Public Schools, Ohio Contact: Mobile County Public School Violation: Euharlee Elementary letters top 1,000 Violation: A teacher at Buchtel District, Ala. School showed students a Christian Community Learning Center started Violation: A Semmes Elementary film. Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Mark- and runs a religious club at the school. School teacher’s Thanksgiving study Contact: Cleburne County Public ert noted that FFRF staff attorneys sent Contact: San Juan USD, Calif. guide included overly religious de- Schools, Ala. 1,053 official complaint letters in 2014. Violation: A Spanish teacher showed scriptions of the holiday. Violation: An eighth-grade teacher The letters resulted in 219 legal victo- a religious movie whose plot revolved Contact: Marshall County Schools, Ky. assigned her students two religious ries to date, with more to follow. around many aspects of Catholicism. Violation: Benton Elementary books. Texas topped the list of states that Contact: Oxford City Schools, Ala.; School gave parents an ad for a reli- Contact: Okaloosa County School got the most letters, followed by Cartersville City Schools, Ga.; Craven gious program with school forms. District, Fla. Florida, California, Ohio, Georgia, County Schools, N.C. Contact: Frontier Central School Violation: Ruckel Middle School Alabama, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Violation: The districts hosted bible District, N.Y. held a choir concert in a church sanc- Pennsylvania and Oklahoma rounding distributions. Violation: Big Tree Elementary tuary. The pastor addressed the audi- on the top 10. Contact: Seminole County Schools, School’s principal regularly discusses ence and introduced the program. Top 10 issue areas were schools, mis- Fla. religion at school-sponsored events. Contact: Pratt USD 382, Kan. cellaneous, nativity/holiday displays, Violation: Students at Lawton Chil- Past statements reportedly included, Violation: Staff at the Haskins Learn- legislative prayer, chaplains, religion in es Middle School were presented with “We need more prayers in our school,” ing Center distributed gifts to students the workplace (tie with prayer break- four cards to choose from to send cards and, “I run Big Tree as a Christian with tags quoting the John 3:16 bible fasts), church bulletin discounts, Good to soldiers. One included a bible verse school.” verse. (See photo at left) Friday closings and religion in the mili- and another depicted a nativity scene. Contact: Pennsauken Public Schools, Contact: Moore County Schools, N.C. tary. Contact: Laurens County Schools, Ga. N.J. Violation: Schools in the district reg- Violation: Pennsauken High School ularly organize prayers before athletic featured religious content, including events. prayers, hymns and a religious speaker FFRF salvos in ‘War on Christmas’ Contact: Brownwood Police at its senior awards ceremony. December and January complaint letters went to: Department, Texas Contact: Sheridan County School Violation: The department employs District #2, Wyo. Contact: Wis. Dept. of Revenue, Madison a police chaplain. Violation: K-Life, a Christian youth Violation: The department put up a display featuring a cross, stars of Bethlehem, and religious messages, many emphasizing the word “JESUS” in large, bold font. Contact: Douglasville, Ga.; Saltillo, Miss.; Rolling Hills, Calif.; Bandera Pratt fail County, Texas; Fayette County, Texas; Poplar Grove, Ill.; Trenton, Mich.; Staff Attorney Grundy County, Ill.; North Ogden, Utah; Rainbow City, Ala.; Roane County, Andrew Seidel W.Va.; Elkhorn, Wis.; Brodhead, Wis., Walworth County, Wis., Glencoe City, has been after the Ala.; Higginsville, Mo.; and New Orleans. Haskins Learning Violation: These cities hosted nativity scenes on public property or en- Center, a publicly dorsed live nativity displays. (See photo above) funded school in Contact: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, Texas Pratt, Kan., to keep Violation: Cross Timbers Middle School partnered with Grace Christmas church separate from Cottage, an overtly Christian organization, to run a holiday gift program. school. A day after Contact: Montgomery, La. receiving assurances Violation: The town hosted a Christmas celebration which was advertised that staff would be on the town’s Facebook page under a large banner of a nativity scene that told it wasn’t kosher said “The Town of Montgomery is PROUD to keep CHRIST in our Christ- for the principal to mas celebrations.” introduce a teacher Contact: Copperas Cove ISD, Texas to lead a prayer at Violation: Two Halstead Elementary teachers taught students the story of Thanksgiving time Jesus’ birth and explained that Christmas celebrates his birthday. (see item above), a local complainant reported another violation had occurred. Contact: Mooresville Graded School District, N.C. Attached to each student gift from the school was a bible verse (John 3:16). Violation: A teacher at Park View Elementary School taught students the Seidel wrote another complaint Dec. 23 to an attorney for the state school Christian nativity story and made them draw part of the nativity. Another board association in Topeka. teacher polled students about whether they were Christians. Page 12 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015 FFRF moves into expanded Freethought Hall, Madison, Wis.

The growing staff of the Freedom From Religion Foundation gather in front Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, Bookkeeper Katie Daniel, Law School Extern of the brand-new entrance to Freethought Hall, FFRF’s expanded offi ce in Jarvis Idowu, Attorney Liz Cavell, Communication Coordinator Lauryn Seering, downtown Madison, Wis. Staff moved into the fi ve-story addition adjoining the Freethought Today Editor Bill Dunn, Law School Extern Ryan Jayne, Legal original two-story building in January. The addition, which quadruples space, Fellow Katherine Paige, Legal Assistant Calli Miller, Editorial Assistant Dayna includes the fourth-fl oor Charlie Brooks Auditorium and the “No Hell Below Long, Director of Operations Lisa Strand, Legal Publicist Maddy Ziegler, Us” Harry Lonsdale lower level wing. Offi ce/Membership Manager Jackie Douglas, Receptionist/Assistant Charlotte Pictured are Attorneys Andrew Seidel and Sam Grover, Co-Presidents Annie Stein and Attorney Patrick Elliott.

Photography by Andrew Seidel

Another view of the Anne Nicol Gaylor Administrative staff overlook Charlotte Stein and the Anne Nicol Gaylor Lobby, which has a 14-foot ceiling. Lobby and security-locked front entrance. From left are Katie Daniel, Lauryn Seering, Dayna Long, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Lisa Strand and Jackie Douglas. Walls await a portrait of FFRF’s founder, plus recognition plaques and tiles.

Calli Miller joined the staff in January as the legal department’s fi rst legal Bookkeeper Katie Daniel, busy with year-end work in her new offi ce. assistant, deferring her own foray into law school for a year to help out. January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 13

FFRF Co-President Dan Barker by the spiral staircase in the “Above Us Only Sky” Kenneth Proulx Cupola, which can be accessed from the auditorium. Its staircase leads to the Joel B. Landon & Wanda Y. Beers Freethought Library (see photo below).

Before and after: A “before” photo of Staff Attorneys Patrick Elliott, Sam Grover, Rebecca Markert, Liz Cavell and Andrew Seidel on the open-air Don’t be fooled by this angle. The new library, with beautiful woodwork, concrete structure last year. After, joining the attorneys at the conference table built-in shelving and lighting, will be very spacious after the boxes of books in the same spot in the Diane Uhl Legal Wing (standing from left): Legal Fellow are unpacked and shelved. It’s 900 square feet atop the original 1855 two-story Katherine Paige, Legal Publicist Maddy Ziegler, Legal Assistant Calli Miller and Freethought Hall, which is currently undergoing renovation in phase II of the Extern Ryan Jayne. Ryan is working for credit in his final semester through project. Lewis and Clark Law School.

Left: Charlotte Stein, Lauryn Seering and Chelsea Culver assemble one of the Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor, already at home in her very own office 28 shelving units in the basement. (Photo by Dan Barker) (previously shared) in the Brian Bolton Executive Wing. Not pictured: the lower level, named for the late benefactor Harry Lonsdale; the third-floor Harold Erickson Public Relations Wing; the Steven Uhl “Friendly Atheist” Studio and the Rose Zerwick Memorial Garden and Courtyard, to be planted in the spring.

Legal Extern Jarvis Idowu’s work station is such an improvement from his previous improvised one. Jarvis is a third-year law Legal Extern Ryan Jayne performing Beethoven on the gorgeous Diane Uhl An artistic shot of Dan Barker at student working for credit from the University Steinway concert grand in the Charlie Brooks Auditorium on the top floor the open Steinway. of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. (pretty curtains to be installed). (Photo by Dan Barker) Page 14 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

Meet a Nebraska member

Name: Robin Buckallew. have meaning in his life if there were Where I live: Hastings, Neb. no God: “Do something meaningful.” Where and when I was born: Alam- These are a few of my favorite eda, Calif., 1960. things: My husband, sunsets, cats, read- Family: My husband, Fritz, a retired ing, photography, theater. Any activity librarian who shares my love of good that managed to combine all of these books, art movies and theater; my son, into one would be my idea of “heaven.” Chris, 32, who now lives in Alameda These are not: People who go on and works with computers; my Irish about my “god-given gift.” People who setter, Murph, who never demands say there is a reason for everything. to be the center of attention and has People who can’t figure out whether to managed to prevent the postman from use to, too or two. Porch missionaries breaking into the house and killing us. who insist on asking me how I explain Education: I have bachelor’s de- everything around us and argue when grees in political science and biology, I answer evolution and organic chemis- an M.S. in biology, a Ph.D. in environ- try. Athletes who point to the sky every mental science and a master of fine time they score. arts in playwriting. My doubts about religion started: Occupation: I teach environmental When I was 10 and my grandmother science and other science courses to gave me my first “grown-up” bible. I college students. actually read it, and the stories didn’t Military service: None, but I did vol- quite match what was in my bible sto- unteer with Service to Military Families ries for children book. Then, when I at the Oklahoma City Red Cross for went to high school, I began to doubt three years. even more when I learned mythology. How I got where I am today: It was a So many gods, most of whom no one combination of genetics and environ- believes in anymore, caused me to “Rather hokey but fun,” says Robin Buckallew (between Eve and Adam) of the ment, and my family can take substan- wonder about “my” god. I wrote a letter late S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kan. tial blame (or credit) for both! I was to the ancient Greeks to explain what raised in a fundamentalist Christian we believed, and realized it sounded as family but created havoc by starting to weird as what they believed. is really good and who is evil. Catholic Church. This is actually a tril- ask questions when I was 10. I stopped Still, I didn’t use the word “atheist” The last one, Alpha & Omega, is ogy, but the last two aren’t out yet. I am praying, but continued asking ques- to describe myself until I was 45. I called about the adventures of a police de- also working on a book of freethought tions. Instead of going to heaven, I de- myself a deist for a while, then used tective who encounters a very old short stories called The Wandering Athe- cided to go to college. agnostic. Once I started calling myself man claiming to be Paul of Tarsus. ist that is still in the editing process. Where I’m headed: I hope I’m head- Paul leads him on a battle against the ed for Broadway (as a playwright, not an actor), but I’d be content with the ‘Instead of going small stage. Then, when it’s all over, I Separación de iglesia y estado plan to be fertilizer. That seems to me to heaven, the most fitting end for someone who has spent years studying plants. I decided to go Person in history I admire: Robert to college.’ Ingersoll — not only a great thinker but a great orator and an all-round good guy. Charles Darwin, who was willing to set aside what he thought atheist, people always said, “Surely you was true and accept what the evidence mean agnostic,” which only made me showed. I wish we could all do that. more likely to use atheist, because I will Lorraine Hansberry, who managed to no longer let other people define for get to Broadway in spite of being fe- me what I believe. male, black and a nonbeliever. Before I die: I would like to com- A quotation I like: “I did not see why plete my women of the bible play se- the schoolmaster should be taxed to ries and manage to put on a festival support the priest, and not the priest of them. I would like to take a tour of the schoolmaster.” — Henry David Europe. I would like to discover and Thoreau. name a previously unknown species of I also like Carl Sagan’s answer to plant. a young man worried how he would Ways I promote freethought: I am the faculty adviser for the secular stu- dent club at our college, and I have brought in speakers. I have a local athe- ist meet-up that currently has about Secular Humanists of Puerto Rico crèche is cultural and historical and 32 members. I wear my freethought applied in early December to have doesn’t endorse Christianity. “We T-shirts around locally and on trips its solstice message displayed in are outraged that a judge would to Lincoln and have had conversa- courthouses on the island along with first stall a response to a good-faith tions with people about freethought the nativity scenes that have been request by secular citizens for equal as a result. I write freethought novels. placed in many regional and appellate time,” Rivera said. “We want to seek I am currently working on starting a court buildings for years. a legal remedy and action to fight this freethought play festival, and as soon FFRF Life Member Victor Rivera- blatantly unfair and discriminatory as I find a venue, I have some theater Jimenez, M.D. (behind banner, blue practice by a government office that professionals who are willing to help shirt and tie), writes: “As Christmas is supposed to treat all its citizens me. Day approached, and having received fairly, regardless of whether they are I wish you’d have asked me: What no definite response from the believers or unbelievers.” freethought books have I written? I administrative judge, our group took have written several books that are to the streets Dec. 23 and called a Overheard freethought fiction. Four are currently press conference at the courthouse in print. The first I wrote was calledThe in San Juan. We were not allowed to It may be true that the pressure on a Diary of Mrs. Noah. It is a new take on go into the lobby (although other Conservative politician particularly of what is obviously a myth. The second protesters in the past have been keeping quiet about not being reli- is called Transformation. It takes place allowed to). We were told to remain gious is very similar to the pressure that in a world where the church has taken at street level, where we displayed our there has been about keeping quiet over, banned the birth control pill and secular message, a short version of the about being gay. women working, and just in general Freedom from Religion Foundation’s Tory Member of Parliament James Ar- made a nuisance of themselves. Yester- solstice message.” buthnot, coming out as an atheist dur- day & Tomorrow is about a woman who The judge, in a letter dated Dec. ing a House of Commons debate on al- Robin with her former roommate’s meets a man claiming to be the devil, 31 and postmarked Jan. 7, denied lowing prayers at council meetings dove, which she nursed back to health. which leads to a rethinking about who the secular display, claiming the The Independent, 1-16-15 January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 15 States’ godly preambles are relics of another time

By James A. Haught cure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty. Oregon 1857 (Bill of Rights, Art. I. Sec. 2): All men shall be secure in the Natural right to worship Almighty God Did you know that nearly all 50 according to the dictates of their con- states have religious preambles affixed sciences. to their state constitutions, in brazen Pennsylvania 1776: We, the people violation of the First Amendment’s de- of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty cree that government cannot dictate God for the blessings of civil and reli- supernatural faith? gious liberty, and humbly invoking His Some of these holy declarations guidance. date back to the 1700s. They’re little- Rhode Island 1842: We the People noticed, because hardly anyone reads of the State of Rhode Island, grateful state constitutions. Yet they exist as of- to Almighty God for the civil and re- ficial government proclamations. ligious liberty which He hath so long Four states (New Hampshire, Or- permitted us to enjoy, and looking to egon, Tennessee and Virginia) don’t Him for a blessing. use preambles but include “worship South Carolina 1778: We, the people maxims” within their constitutions. of the State of South Carolina, grateful Jim Haught on the day he turned 80 in 2012. Court challenges to them could fail, to God for our liberties, do ordain and because judges often pretend that gov- establish this Constitution. ernmental religious declarations aren’t Creator according to the dictates of the State of Michigan, grateful to Al- South Dakota 1889: We, the people actually religious. For example, after their consciences. mighty God for the blessings of free- of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty members of Congress pandering to re- Florida 1845: We, the people of the dom. God for our civil and religious liber- ligious believers branded “In God We State of Florida, grateful to Almighty Minnesota 1857: We, the people of ties, establish this. Trust” on money and inserted “under God for our constitutional liberty. the State of Minnesota, grateful to God Tennessee 1796 (Art. XI): That all God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, fed- Georgia 1777: We, the people of for our civil and religious liberty, and men have a natural and indefeasible eral courts shrugged off these church- Georgia, relying upon the protection desiring to perpetuate its blessings. right to worship Almighty God accord- state breaches, saying they’re merely and guidance of Almighty God, do or- Mississippi 1890: We, the people of ing to the dictates of their conscience. “ceremonial deism” with no “signifi- dain. Mississippi in convention assembled, Texas 1845: We the People of the cant religious content.” Hawaii 1959: We, the people of Ha- grateful to Almighty God, and invok- Republic of Texas, acknowledging, In May, the Supreme Court said it waii, grateful for Divine Guidance, es- ing His blessing on our work. with gratitude, the grace and benefi- was OK for the town of Greece, N.Y., tablish this Constitution. Missouri 1845: We, the people of cence of God. to open council meetings with prayers Idaho 1889: We, the people of the Missouri, with profound reverence for Utah 1896: Grateful to Almighty exalting “the saving sacrifice of Christ State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, God for life and liberty, we establish on the cross.” Five conservative justices God for our freedom, to secure its and grateful for His goodness. this Constitution. ruled that such invocations are merely blessings. Montana 1889: We, the people of Vermont 1777: Whereas all govern- “ceremonial.” (Perhaps, privately, they Illinois 1870: We, the people of the Montana, grateful to Almighty God for ment ought to enable the individuals understand that public prayers are State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty the blessings of liberty. who compose it to enjoy their natural meaningless lip service that nobody God for the civil, political and religious Nebraska 1875: We, the people, rights, and other blessings which the believes.) liberty which He hath so long permit- grateful to Almighty God for our free- Author of Existence has bestowed on Any intelligent person can see that ted us to enjoy and looking to Him for dom. man. official government decrees of super- a blessing on our endeavors. Nevada 1864: We, the people of the Virginia 1776 (Bill of Rights): Re- natural belief are gross constitutional Indiana 1851: We, the People of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty ligion, or the Duty which we owe our violations. Court rulings to the con- State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom. Creator, can be directed only by Rea- trary are absurd, almost comical. God for the free exercise of the right to New Hampshire 1792 (Part I. Art. I. son, and that it is the mutual duty of If anyone wants to tackle the holy choose our form of government. Sec. V): Every individual has a natural all to practice Christian Forbearance, preambles and worship clauses in the Iowa 1857: We, the People of the and unalienable right to worship God Love and Charity towards each other. 50 states, I wish them god(less)speed. State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme according to the dictates of his own Washington 1889: We the People of Here’s an alphabetical list of the rel- Being for the blessings hitherto en- conscience. the State of Washington, grateful to the evant clauses: joyed, and feeling our dependence on New Jersey 1844: We, the people of Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our Alabama 1901: We the people of the Him for a continuation of these bless- the State of New Jersey, grateful to Al- liberties, do ordain this Constitution. State of Alabama, invoking the favor ings. mighty God for civil and religious lib- West Virginia 1872: Since through and guidance of Almighty God, do or- Kansas 1859: We, the people of Kan- erty which He hath so long permitted Divine Providence we enjoy the bless- dain and establish the following Con- sas, grateful to Almighty God for our us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a ings of civil, political and religious lib- stitution. civil and religious privileges. blessing on our endeavors. erty, we, the people of West Virginia, Alaska 1956: We, the people of Alas- Kentucky 1891: We, the people of New Mexico 1911: We, the People reaffirm our faith in and constant reli- ka, grateful to God and to those who the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grate- of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty ance upon God. founded our nation and pioneered ful to Almighty God for the civil, politi- God for the blessings of liberty. Wisconsin 1848: We, the people of this great land. cal and religious liberties. New York 1846: We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God Arizona 1911: We, the people of the Louisiana 1921: We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Al- for our freedom, domestic tranquility. State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty the State of Louisiana, grateful to Al- mighty God for our freedom, in order Wyoming 1890: We, the people of God for our liberties, do ordain this mighty God for the civil, political and to secure its blessings. the State of Wyoming, grateful to God Constitution. religious liberties we enjoy. North Carolina 1868: We, the people for our civil, political, and religious lib- Arkansas 1874: We, the people of Maine 1820: We, the People of of the State of North Carolina, grateful erties. the State of Arkansas, grateful to Al- Maine, acknowledging with grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler mighty God for the privilege of choos- hearts the goodness of the Sovereign of Nations, for our civil, political, and James A. Haught, longtime editor of the ing our own form of government. Ruler of the Universe, and imploring religious liberties, and acknowledging Charleston Gazette in West Virginia, is the California 1879: We, the People of His aid and direction. our dependence upon Him for the author of the 2010 book, Fading Faith: The the State of California, grateful to Al- Maryland 1776: We, the people of continuance of those. Rise of the Secular Age. mighty God for our freedom. the state of Maryland, grateful to Al- North Dakota 1889: We, the people Colorado 1876: We, the people of mighty God or our civil and religious of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty Colorado, with profound reverence liberty. God for the blessings of civil and reli- What Is a Freethinker? for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. Massachusetts 1780: We, the people gious liberty, do ordain. Connecticut 1818: The People of of Massachusetts, acknowledging with Ohio 1852: We, the people of the free-think-er n. A person who Connecticut, acknowledging with grat- grateful hearts the goodness of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God forms opinions about religion on itude the good Providence of God in Great Legislator of the Universe, in the for our freedom, to secure its blessings the basis of reason, permitting them to enjoy. course of His Providence, an opportu- and promote our common welfare, do independently of Delaware 1897: Through Divine nity and devoutly imploring His direc- establish this Constitution. tradition, authority, or Goodness all men have, by nature, the tion. Oklahoma 1907: Invoking the guid- established belief. rights of worshipping and serving their Michigan 1908: We, the people of ance of Almighty God, in order to se- Page 16 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

Meet a civil libertarian member

Name: Matthew Stark. Students’ Extracurricular Activity, re- nesota, and one of the main founders When and where I was born: New porting to the dean of students and of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union, York City, Jan. 27, 1930. I lived in New president. We developed programs to and Earl Larson, now a federal district York until I went to school at Ohio Uni- involve students in extra curriculum, judge, also involved in the original versity in Athens, Ohio. including for extra credit. Then I set founding of the MCLU. Where I live: My wife, Terri, and I up the Office of the Coordinator of These are a few of my favorite have two homes, one in Minneapolis Human Relations Programs. Martin things: I love to fish, walk in the woods and the other in Fort Myers, Fla. We’re Luther King Jr. and I developed a pro- and around the lakes in the Twin Cit- snowbirds. gram where students at University of ies. I’ve done a lot of fishing in Canada Education: Two degrees at Ohio Minnesota were trained by me and oth- and Minnesota. I love to sit with my University: English and B.S. in educa- ers to go down South to Montgomery, friends in a tented area outside, enjoy- tion, 1951. I earned a master’s in edu- Selma, etc., live there and work with ing the lake and sunset, talking and cational psychology in 1959 from the black and white people positively con- drinking cold beer. University of Minnesota at Minneapo- cerned about race relations. I met Dr. These are things I smite: Teachers lis and a Ph.D. in educational admin- King through the ACLU and was his at public schools who impose their reli- istration and counseling, Western Re- legal liaison. gious views on their students. The most serve University, 1963. When I retired from the universi- serious problem we’re facing in this Occupation: In my first post-gradu- ty, I became the first paid director of world is overpopulation — the Earth Matt Stark ate job, I recruited, trained and super- the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union cannot sustain the millions upon mil- vised advisers to students in dorms, as (1973–87), after having serving as vol- lions of people living on it. well as to the fraternities and sororities unteer president. I did what executive A quotation I like: Coined myself: mental agreement, such as FFRF, and I at the University of Minnesota. I imme- directors do: I dealt with the media, Civil liberties are essential if we’re go- think what you guys are doing is abso- diately changed the “house mother” schools and colleges, etc. I was either ing to have a democracy. lutely wonderful. title, with their agreement, to “house the plaintiff or recruited plaintiffs for My doubts about religion started: I helped take cases to keep religion directors.” Labeling them “house litigation and recruited lawyers to do When I was a kid. My family was primar- out of government as director of the mothers” was insulting. I developed volunteer work for the MCLU. ily Unitarian. I was astonished by what Minnesota Civil Liberties Union. I’m programs where they could take any Person in history I admire: Donald I read and saw about religion and how proud of being grand marshal in the course they wanted for free. G. Patterson, head of the psychology people I liked were treated because of Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival in 2008 I stayed at the U of M as adviser to department at the University of Min- their diverse religious views, or their and to have received a variety of lo- sexuality. It always bothered me. cal, educational, humanist and atheist There’s a book written by Dick awards. ‘Reformed’ Catholic tells off pope Hewetson [a longtime FFRF state rep- I was always extremely interested in resentative] about the MCLU and my separation of church and state. When role in it: History of the Gay Movement in I was in public school, they had the Minnesota and the Role of the Minnesota kids praying, so I blew the whistle as a Civil Liberties Union. student. Later in my life, when I came Ways I promote freethought: I have across FFRF, of course, I was absolutely and will continue to support public ed- delighted. I worked with Anne Nicol ucation and my belief that all students Gaylor and even sent FFRF a check to ought to go to public schools. I support help put up a portrait of her in the new organizations with which I have funda- lobby!

Ken Proulx and Annie Laurie Gaylor (photo by Dan Barker)

Wisconsin FFRF member Ken Proulx, in a one-room schoolhouse in the Mid- who is 90, notes, “The pope was saying west, where the teacher paid him 50¢ a it’s wrong to kill in the name of God. week in 1935 to be “janitor” and keep Why, the Catholic Church got where the woodstove fed and cleaned. it is by killing people, with a history “The worst years of my life” were as black as the ace of spades. In Spain spent in parochial school in the third alone, 25,000 people were killed dur- and fourth grades. Ken called it “an in- ing the Inquisition.” justice” and still remembers the sharp Ken counts among “the best years sting of the nun’s pointer on pupils’ of my life” his public school education hands.

‘No God But Funny’ contest open

Calling all writers, producers and Producer’s contest: Submit a com- funny freethinkers! The “No God But pleted webisode for the internet, plus Funny” contest is looking for laughs. outlines for 11 more episodes. “Contribute to the downfall of civi- The contest deadline is May 1, 2015. lization by writing a sitcom and/or Entry fee is $40. For more information, producing a webisode that features a go to nogodbutfunny.com/. likeable atheist,” for a chance to win If you’d like to enter, click here to $15,000 (for a sitcom) or $25,000 (for view contest rules and guidelines. Or a produced webisode). follow along by liking the Facebook The contest, which is sponsored by page “No God But Funny Contest.” the Center for Inquiry and the Free- FFRF would like to thank Life Mem- dom From Religion Foundation, seeks ber Pamela Koslyn for her generous to promote a positive view of atheism. donation of $6,000 that makes this Hosanna in the highest In this new golden age of television, it’s contest (her creative brainchild!) pos- The Daily Herald reported that police in Wausau, Wis., executing a search high time a lovable atheist character sible. warrant Nov. 17, encountered this prayer above a bed in a residence where they took center stage. Pamela notes that on Feb. 3 there arrested two people, a 34-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman. Police, who There are two ways to win: were 207 Facebook “likes,” 200-plus said they confiscated drug paraphernalia and about 50 grams of marijuana, Writer’s contest: Submit a written Twitter followers and, best of all, over posted this photo on Facebook and this comment: “Lt. Matt Barnes, who teleplay for a half-hour TV sitcom pi- 50 entrant registrations. supervises our [Community Service Officers] unit, quoted the lyrics from a lot, plus outlines for 11 more episodes. Garth Brooks song ‘Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers.’ ” January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 17

Recent FFRF Action non’s Grace Baptist Church on Jan. 18 believe there is no cosmic ‘purpose of $385,000 in fees and damages last year to announce the creation of the Office life,’ ” added Co-President Dan Barker. to students who won a legal challenge Alerts of Faith-Based Community Develop- FFRF continues to monitor the situa- that let them wear “I Heart Boobies” FRFF urged members to get in- ment Services. The office’s first effort tion.” breast cancer awareness bracelets. volved with state/church issues in their will be a $50 million grant program. areas by contacting local officials to put • Ohio recently unveiled plans for forth the secular viewpoint: Community Connectors, a program Boards say no to GAO notes drop in IRS • The Clark County Board of Coun- that provides funds for local networks meeting prayer charity exams ty Councilors in Vancouver, Wash., is of volunteers and organizations to considering a proposal to post “In God mentor students in disadvantaged Concord [Calif.] City Council meet- A Dec. 17 U.S. Government Ac- We Trust” in the county’s main public schools. Superintendent of Public In- ings will stay prayerless after the coun- countability Office press release said hearing room. “A lot of times we drift struction Dr. Richard A. Ross, whose cil’s two-person Policy Development that Internal Revenue Service budget away from it,” said Councilor Tom department is charged with adminis- Committee on Jan. 12 declined to for- cutbacks have led to a steady decline Mielke, who suggested the display. tering the program, added an unnec- ward a council member’s proposal to in the number of charitable organiza- • Mayor Lupe Ramos Watson of essary requirement: any organization start meetings with prayers. The coun- tions audited. In 2011 the examination Indio, Calif., decided to end the In- that wants to participate must partner cil had stopped praying about 40 years rate was 0.81% compared to 0.71% in dio City Council’s practice of opening with “a faith-based organization.” ago. 2013. Examination rates in 2013 for meetings with a prayer. “We need to re- Feeling the pressure from FFRF and Councilwoman Laura Hoffmeis- individual taxpayers and corporations spect all beliefs and absence of beliefs,” others, the state “clarified” its require- ter and Mayor Tim Grayson agreed were 1% and 1.4%, respectively. (1.4 she said, reported in The Desert Sun. ment to include “organizations whose prayer is divisive, reported the Contra percent). Councilman Mike Wilson has strenu- mission is based on the belief that ev- Costa Times. Hoffmeister recalled that The Exempt Organizations division ously opposed the change. FFRF urged ery child’s life has a purpose.” when the council allowed prayer in the of the IRS is responsible for making members to thank the mayor for a cou- “The change doesn’t clarify any- 1970s, the proceedings often devolved sure religious institutions comply with rageous stand. thing, it just makes the program’s re- into a “three-ring circus.” the law. FFRF sued the IRS for failure • Two Mississippi state representa- quirements more confusing,” noted Hoffmeister added, “I think it’s a to enforce the law against church poli- tives, Tom Miles and Michael Evans, FFRF Legal Fellow Katherine Paige. slippery slope. There are just too many ticking. Last August, U.S. District Judge are proposing to make the bible the “The principle that our lives have a issues about who might or might not Lynn Adelman granted a joint motion state book. Miles said that since Missis- purpose is distinctly religious, and ‘val- be allowed or might be offended.” for dismissal but said FFRF could re- sippi has a state bird, a state flower and ues’ is usually code for Christian Right Concord resident Roylen Stack told new the lawsuit if the IRS reverts to its even a state toy, it should have a state values.” the council she opposed prayer. “Are previous inaction. book, reported The Clarion-Ledger. “This is just as absurd as it would be we going to allow Druids to come in • New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to require all faith-based organizations and speak? There are a whole bunch stopped by a Sunday service at Mt. Ver- to partner with atheistic groups that of things that people believe in.” Greece elects atheist • • • prime minister The Easton [Pa.] Area School Board voted 5-4 on Jan. 13 against starting Alexis Tsipras took his oath of office to- It pays to complain meetings with prayer, reported the day in Athens. He said he promised to Express-Times. Solicitor John Freund uphold the Constitution and look out An Ohio complainant writes to recount how it paid to complain about a said 3rd Circuit appeals decisions are for the welfare of Greeks. Tsipras is an religious display encountered Dec. 4 at the Louis Stokes Veterans Hospital clear: Prayer will open the district up atheist, so he refused a religious oath in Cleveland: to legal challenges. — the custom in this Greek Orthodox “I am a veteran from 1968. While walking toward the gift shop called the “My issue comes back to the legal is- country. He’s the first prime minister Patriot Mart, I was saddened by a display outside the mart. Tables were set sue,” said board member Robert Feh- to do so. up selling the usual veterans T-shirts and hats, but there was also a table set nel. “The last thing we need is more News story, “Greece’s Left-Wing Prime up selling Christian hats and license plate holders. The hats carried such controversy.” Minister Takes Charge” messages as “God’s Army,” “Jesus Is My The district was ordered to pay National Public Radio, 1-26-15 Boss” and 10 other pronouncements that Christianity and veterans were one and the same. No other religion was represented. To me it was a blatant act against the Constitution. I kept wondering how the Veterans Administra- tion could be so unaware that this was against the law.” After emailing FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover on how to proceed, the FFRF thanks its kind complainant called a VA patient representative. Assurances were given that the vendor was operating against policy. A follow-up email: “I returned on 1/29 . . . and was happy to see all religious articles were building fund donors. gone. Vendor was selling only military connected clothes and trinkets. The patient rep. had done her job and I was glad I was able to keep religious endorsement off public space. My next mission will be to oppose the nativity scene being displayed on my local town’s public square. This listing reports donations for Eric Michel, Georgia, $40 FFRF’s Building Expansion Fund re- Wendy and Alexander Corby, Cali- ceived from Dec. 11, 2014, to Feb. 2, fornia, $25 2015. It’s not cumulative except for the Alice M Kachman, Michigan, $20 total. Anonymous, Virginia, $20 William Fagan, Texas, $5,000 Subtotal: $26,745 Karen Owens, Georgia, $5,000 New Cumulative Total: $2,029,894.12 Mr. Paul D Singleton, Kentucky, $5,000 (For those keeping track at home: Anonymous, California, $2,500 Due to unfulfilled donations, the new Bernard Barwick, Wisconsin, $1,000 cumulative total is less than the most Colorado Springs Chapter of FFRF, recently published cumulative total Colorado, $1,000 plus the current listed donations.) Robert Hanner, Texas, $1,000 UPDATE: Joyce Arthur, British Co- Mary Naff, California, $1,000 lumbia, recently granted permission to Anonymous, Wisconsin, $1,000 publish her $50 donation from August Anonymous, Illinois, $1,000 2013. Anonymous, Arizona, $1,000 See pages 12–13 for photos of the Anonymous, Wisconsin, $500 addition. FFRF is embarking on Phase Anonymous, Indiana, $500 II of the project (renovating the origi- Gary Knapp, New Jersey, $200 nal 1855 building to which its new ad- Anonymous, New Jersey, $100 dition is attached). Anonymous, Kentucky, $100 Donations received before Dec. 11 Anonymous, Oregon, $100 were listed in prior issues. Freethought Anonymous, Wisconsin, $100 today will list subsequent donations in Robert Surufka, Illinois, $100 future issues. Donors are not identified Anthony Uva, New Jersey, $100 by name (hence all the “Anonymous” Joyce Arthur, British Columbia, $50 listings) without express permission. David Coulson, California, $50 If you made a donation that does Roy and Karen Firestone, Oregon, not appear to be reflected in this list Reason’s greetings $50 or in prior issues, please contact us so Kenneth Gillespie, New York, $50 we can check our records and publish Standing up for reason in December at the Bulloch County Courthouse, Paul and Peg Heffron, Minnesota, your gift. Contact Katie Daniel, donor Statesboro, Ga., near a nativity scene “Presented by Local Churches Celebrating $50 relations manager, (608)256-8900 9-5 the Savior’s Birthday” were (front, left) Patsy Thompson Buccy, Dayna Anonymous, Massachusetts, $50 CDT weekdays or email [email protected]. Goldstein, Don Armel, (back) Lee Davis, Daniel Hunter and Paul Zeigler. Anonymous, California, $40 Thank you! January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 18

Black Collar Crime Blotter

counts of using a child in a display of age 16, alleged he was targeted be- Compiled by Bill Dunn sexually explicit conduct. Worley, se- cause he’s gay. He told police that nior pastor at Powell Valley Church, is in January 2013 he was threatened Arrested / Charged accused of molesting a boy and a girl with confinement for 2 days, slapped, under the ages of 14 and 12 in 2002- strangled and verbally assaulted to Michael W. Hill, 52, Chanute, KS: Sexual 04. free him of “homosexual demons.” battery of a child under 18 but over 12. Hill, pas- On the day he was booked into jail, The church was once the subject tor of Chanute Seventh-day Adventist Church, Worley tweeted, “Stormy weather has of an “Inside Edition” report on its was arrested on a Florida warrant charging him arrived. About to find out two-things: “blasting” techniques, in which a per- with molesting a minor in Jacksonville more than who our real friends are and how our son is encircled and subjected to high- 20 years ago. The statue of limitations doesn’t God glorifies himself. #Psalm35 #Glo- pitched shrilling sounds, screams and apply due to the age of the alleged victim. rytoGod.” prayers, sometimes for hours. The arrest report said Hill apparently con- He was also an officer with the Til- Fenner told media it took several tacted the alleged victim to arrange a meeting lamook Police Department before his tries to get officials to take his allega- in Daytona Beach. Authorities monitored and badge was revoked in 2007 for a vari- tions seriously and let him file a formal recorded the meeting, which Hill’s wife also ety of alleged violations, according to complaint. Source: QNotes, 12-10-14 attended, and arrested Hill afterward. Source: police review board minutes, including Jude D. Ramdial, 33, New York WJXT, 1-16-15 telling a dispatcher that he could “ser- City: Sexual assault of a child. Ram- Christopher D. Ross, 43, Mt. Juliet, TN: 10 vice her” in a way no man ever had. dial, former youth minister at Victory counts of statutory rape by an authority figure. He’s married with 4 children. Source: Temple Church of God in Channel- Ross, youth pastor at a Lebanon church the au- KOMO, 1-6-15 view, TX, is accused of assaulting thorities wouldn’t name, is accused by a minor Danny R. Wooten, 51, Pomona, a 15-year-old girl in his youth group of inappropriate advances in 2010 that allegedly CA: Multiple counts of embezzlement, in 2005 who baby-sat for him and 2 progressed into sexual contact in 2012. conflict of interest and misappropria- other group members. The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office is investi- tion of public funds. Wooten, pastor Ramdial moved to New York in gating whether there are more potential victims. at New Covenant Church, is accused 2008 to help establish several Hope- Source: The Tennessean, 1-15-15 with 2 others of embezzling $6.4 mil- NYC churches, police said. Court James F. Rapp, 74, an ex-Catholic priest lion from the city of Pasadena Public documents said his ministerial cre- in Jackson, MI, now imprisoned in Oklahoma: Works Dept., where he also worked. dentials were revoked in June after 3 counts of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct The Southern California Evange- a church trial board found him guilty and 10 counts of 2nd-degree criminal sexual listic Jurisdiction has also begun an of lewd acts and adultery. Source: conduct for alleged crimes in 1980-86 while audit to determine if any funds are KPRC, 12-10-14 he was a teacher, maintenance supervisor and missing, an official said. Wooten has Stephen Amesse, 56, Ottawa: wrestling coach at Lumen Christi High School. been stripped of all pastoral authority. 2 counts each of sexual assault and Two men reported the alleged sexual abuse Source: Star-News, 1-5-14 sexual interference under the age of to the county sheriff in 2013. Source: mlive.com, Alessandro De Rossi, 46, Rome: 16. Amesse, pastor at St. Patrick’s 1-13-15 Aggravated sexual abuse. De Rossi, Bring a ‘safe’ word Catholic Parish, is charged with mo- Heather E. Cook, 58, Baltimore: Vehicular now a Catholic parish priest in Rome, Sheila Miguel, Florida, shares this marquee outside a Miami lesting a 14-year-old boy in 2008. manslaughter, driving under the influence and is accused of multiple sexual offenses Catholic church. Police said the investigation was using a text messaging device while driving. against teen minors while he was a launched in February after the al- Cook, bishop suffragan and the 2nd-highest- priest in Salta, Argentina. leged incident was reported. Source: ranking official of the Episcopal Church of Mary- One alleged victim, who said he 14 in 2007 and continuing till 2014. Ottawa Citizen, 12-4-14 land, is charged in the death of cyclist Thomas met De Rossi at age 14 at a party the priest He also worked at Open Arms Behavioral Daniel Curran, 64, Newcastle, N. Ireland: 4 Palermo, 41, and then fleeing the scene before organized, told police De Rossi also molested Health in Lawton (motto: “Putting the pieces counts of gross indecency and indecent assault. returning about 30 minutes later. other children. Source: Buenos Aires Herald, back together”). Source: Altus Times, 12-16-14 Curran, a former Catholic priest, is accused of Cook struck “Palermo from the rear,” said 1-3-15 Gaylard Williams, 59, Seymour, IN: Battery. molesting a boy between 1990-95. prosecutor Marilyn Mosby, “which caused Pal- Ignacio Villafan, 49, Tulare, CA: 2 counts of Williams, pastor at Praise Cathedral Church of He already has 3 convictions for assaulting ermo to strike the hood and windshield” of her grand theft. Villafan is charged with embezzling God, is accused of making unwanted sexual ad- at least 13 boys over a 17-year period. Source: Subaru. A statement said Cook’s blood alcohol at least $150,000 from 2005-09 from St. Rita’s vances to a 27-year-old man parked at Cypress Belfast Telegraph, 11-14-14 level was O.22, well above the legal limit of 0.08. Catholic Church, where he was pastor until be- Lake. In 2010, a police officer found Cook driving ing removed in 2012. Source: Visalia Times- The man alleged to police that when he Pleaded / Convicted on a flat tire in the middle of the night with vomit Delta, 12-31-14 rolled down the vehicle window, Williams on her blouse. She pleaded guilty in 2012 to Andrew L. Jackson, 28, Hot Springs, AR: grabbed at his crotch and asked for oral sex. Martin “Mordechai” Wolmark, 56, Mon- DUI and received “probation before judgment” 3 counts of rape. Jackson, youth pastor at Vic- Williams was tracked through his license plate sey, NY: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to travel in and a $300 fine with charges of possession tory Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, is number. Source: WLKY, 12-16-14 interstate commerce to commit extortion. Wol- of marijuana and drug paraphernalia dropped. charged with having intercourse 3 times with a Jeromie Clark, 34, and Jennifer Clark, 38, mark, an Orthodox rabbi, was part of a group Source: Washington Post, 1-11-15 13-year-old girl at his home in 2014. Calgary, Alberta: Criminal negligence causing of 8 who used cattle prods and other devices to Paul Melnichuk, 80, Toronto: 5 counts of The arrest report states police viewed “inap- death and failure to provide the necessaries convince men to give their wives a “get,” a docu- sexual assault. Melnichuk, founder and senior propriate text messages” on the girl’s cellphone of life. The couple are charged in the Novem- ment a woman must obtain from her husband to pastor of a megachurch called the Prayer Pal- from Jackson, who denies the accusations. ber 2013 death of their son John, who died at get a divorce under Jewish law. So far, 6 have ace, is accused by a mother in her 40s and her Source: Arkansas Online, 12-24-14 14 months of a staph infection complicated by pleaded guilty. Wolmark faces 5 years in prison. daughter in her 20s of molestation on church Dylan Ritterman, 27, Hillsboro, OR: 12 sex malnutrition. The Clarks are Seventh-day Ad- Source: Journal News, 1-15-15 property in 2014. Both are parishioners. abuse counts involving minors. “Brother” Ritter- ventists. Authorities allege they tried to hide the John W. McKenzie, 51, Bahama Village, A 2007 newspaper series focused on the man was a youth leader who was also involved baby’s failing health. Two older siblings were FL: McKenzie, former pastor of St. James Mis- considerable wealth Melnichuk and his twin with the Spanish ministry at Bethel United Pen- removed from the home. sionary Church, was scheduled to plead guilty sons, both associate pastors, have built while tecostal Church. Assaults on a teen boy alleg- Sgt. Doug Andrus said John received no to 2nd-degree felony larceny for alleged theft of heading a congregation that’s mostly poor and edly took place in the church basement in 2009- professional medical attention until being taken about $45,000 from the church. He was arrest- black. According to the investigation, the church 10. Another boy has also made accusations. to a hospital the day before he died. Source: ed in 2013 after a board of trustees member ex- took in $3 million in donations in 2005 while Source: KPTV, 12-23-14 CTV News, 12-13-14 pressed concern McKenzie was “emptying the spending only $9,443 on charity. Derek Hutter, 37, Sachse, TX: Attempted Solomon Bandiho, 49, Mesa, AZ: Suspi- church bank account by taking pay advances Police believe more assault victims could production of child pornography and receipt of cion of child prostitution. Bandiho, a Tanzania far in excess of what he is entitled,” an arrest come forward. Source: Toronto Star, 1-9-15 child pornography. Hutter, youth minister at S. native who’s parochial administrator at Holy affidavit said. Source: Keys News, 1-13-15 Thomas W. Wilson, 63, Smithville, NY: 1st- Garland Baptist Church, was previously charged Cross Catholic Church, and 4 others were ar- Joshua Swain, 34, Carbondale, IL: Pleaded degree sexual abuse and endangering the wel- with continuous sexual abuse of a child, rested in a sting called “Buyer Beware.” guilty to theft, aggravated identity theft and loan fare of a child. Wilson, senior pastor at Smith- possession of child pornography and online Detectives posed as 16-year-old girls on a fraud for incidents between 2011-13 while he ville Baptist Church, is accused of molesting a solicitation of a minor. website known for trading in prostitution. When was senior pastor at The View Church. 9-year-old girl in 2008 behind the Lake Ontario The teen girl’s parents told police Hutter the men came to a motel, they were arrested. Swain admitted using a parishioner’s identity Playhouse in Sackets Harbor. asked her for sexually explicit photos, which Source: Arizona Republic, 12-13-14 to obtain at least $10,000 and submitting false Investigators believe similar incidents oc- she sent him on her phone. The girl told police Bernard O. McGarty, 89, La Crosse, WI: documents from the church board to get a bank curred “several times at several other locations” they had sex about 2 dozen times in 2014, start- Disorderly conduct. McGarty, a monsignor who loan. Source: WSIL, 1-9-15 in the same period and said more charges could ing when she was 13. Source: Morning News, has served Catholic parishes in the Diocese of be forthcoming. Source: Daily Times, 1-6-15 12-22-14 La Crosse for more than 5 decades, was cited Jose Palimattom, 48, W. Palm Beach, FL: Venije Singkoh, 70, Daly City, CA: Child by Wausau police after a salon massage thera- Sentenced Distributing obscene material to a minor. Pali- molestation. Singkoh, pastor at Indonesian pist alleged he exposed himself to her. mattom, a priest of the Franciscan Province Pentecostal Foursquare Church, is accused of The police report said the woman was mas- Pawel K. (full name withheld), 44, Wroclaw, of St. Thomas the Apostle in India who started “tongue kissing” a 9-year-old girl on multiple oc- saging his leg when he lifted the towel from Poland: 7 years in prison. The Catholic priest, serving in December at Holy Name of Jesus casions in 2014 after placing her on his lap. his groin and told her to rub oil on his genitals. who denied wrongdoing, was arrested in 2012 Parish, is accused of showing a 14-year-old Prosecutor Steve Wagstaffe said the girl told She told police that after she said no and left in a hotel with a teen boy. male parishioner about 40 images of nude pre- her parents, who then confronted the pastor at the room, McGarty yelled an obscenity at her. Judge Maciej Skorniak said guilt was not in teen boys on his phone. a meeting with other church members. Source: He told police he was in Wausau for a funeral. doubt due to the testimony of so many other al- The police report said he wanted the boy’s Bay City News, 12-18-14 Source: WKBT, 12-12-14 leged victims and images on the priest’s com- help to delete the images. In a taped statement, Terry Reed, 54, Terrytown, LA: Indecent be- Jose S. Landaverde, 47, Chicago: Mis- puter. Skorniak called him a “seductive, provoc- Palimattom allegedly admitted viewing child havior with a juvenile and sexual battery. Reed, demeanor battery. Landaverde, a native of El ative and dangerous type.” porn privately as a “curiosity” and said he knew director of Vessels of Christ Ministry (operated Salvador and pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Pawel K. was already given a 1-year sus- the victim was 14 but considered him an adult. from his home), is accused of sleeping naked Anglican Mission, was arrested about 3 a.m. pended sentence in 2010 for possessing child Source: WPBF, 1-5-15 with a 15-year-old boy he’d taken in. The teen at his home, where a 34-year-old woman told pornography. Source: AP, 1-14-15 Richard Yeamans, 52, Spotsylvania, VA: alleged to police he was forced to shower with police he had attacked her, knocked her down Janet Combs, 77, Cincinnati: 5 years’ pro- Taking indecent liberties with a minor and 2 Reed and wash him. and kicked her after a night of drinking. Source: bation after pleading no contest to receiving sto- counts of aggravated sexual battery of a minor. Reed pleaded guilty in 1997 to indecent be- Chicago Tribune, 12-11-14 len property. Combs, former pastor of Ark by the Yeamans, who was involved with a Baptist con- havior with a juvenile boy who was living with Five members of Word of Faith Fellowship, River Church, had 10 other counts dropped in gregation called Fairview at River Club, is ac- him and received a 5-year suspended sentence Spindale, NC, were indicted on kidnapping and exchange for her plea in the $2.1 million securi- cused of molesting 2 boys, aged 11 and 12. The and probation, court records show. Source: assault charges stemming from allegations by ties fraud case she was involved in with others, church denied on its website the media reports Times-Picayune, 12-16-14 a gay church member. Charged were Justin B. including elected officials. that said he was a youth pastor, claiming he was Tommy Lynn Bailey, 56, Altus, OK: Child Covington, Brooke M. Covington, Robert L. The church earlier agreed to pay $250,000 only a volunteer. Source: WUSA, 1-5-15 sexual abuse. Bailey, pastor at Elm and Hudson Walker Jr., Adam C. Bartley and Sarah Cov- restitution to 12 investors/victims. Source: James D. Worley, 42, Gresham, OR: At- Church of Christ, is charged with sexual abuse ington Anderson. WCPO, 1-14-15 tempted sodomy, 2 counts of rape, 20 counts of a female foster child, starting when she was Matthew Fenner, 21, a church member since Willard L. Jones, 63, Tulsa, OK: 37 months of sexual abuse, 11 counts of sodomy and 3 Page 19 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

in prison, 3 years’ probation, restitution of bankruptcy protection due to claims of sexual $933,507 and forfeiture of his house, a Rolex abuse. Source: AP, 11-18-14 watch and fur coat. Jones, pastor of Greater Cornerstone Baptist Church, was convicted of stealing from the church’s nonprofit community Legal Developments center for 6 years. He pleaded guilty to sub- A circuit judge denied “shock probation” scribing to a false tax return and 3 counts of wire for Louis F. Piskula, 75, Owensboro, KY, 5 fraud. Source: Tulsa World, 1-12-15 months into his 5-year prison sentence for mo- Aaron Brodeski, 45, Batavia, IL: 2 years’ lesting a boy under age 12 in the 1970s while he court supervision, $500 fine and 30 hours of was pastor at Blessed Mother Catholic Church. community service after pleading guilty to dis- Piskula retired in 2002. orderly conduct for exposing himself in a gas The term refers to a theory that some crimi- station and in a car in the store’s parking lot. nals are so shocked by their experience that Brodeski, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, they won’t commit another crime. Source: AP, was initially charged with public indecency. 1-13-15 “Msgr. Brodeski will remain unassigned from Marie Mielke, 29, Chisago County, MN, all priestly duties at this time and will work with came forward publicly to talk about her sexual diocesan officials to determine the next course abuse suit against Michael Keating, a Catho- for him,” said a statement from the Diocese of lic priest and University of St. Thomas faculty Rockford.” Source: WREX, 1-12-15 member. “Hiding something that isn’t your fault Romulo Jimenez, 69, Houston: 10 years in gets exhausting,” said Mielke, who alleges Ke- prison after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual ating, now 58, molested her from 1997 to 2000, assault. Jimenez, Centro Christiano Vida Nueva starting when she was 12. pastor, was accused of touching an 8-year-old “It almost killed me. I felt so ashamed I girl inside her underpants in his office and in a wanted to die,” Mielke said. The county attorney church bathroom in 2013. pensation to the Derry Diocesan Society, his she was 11 or 12. Roe alleges he was about 9 declined to file charges in 2006. Keating denies A witness who saw the girl with her pants attorney told the court. Source: Derry Journal, when Castellanos assaulted him. guilt. and underwear down said Jimenez told her he 12-4-14 Alston alleges church elders told her and her Documents show a 2007 clergy review was helping her go to the bathroom. Source: Sipho M. Manana, 47, Mhluzi, S. Africa: mother to tell no one, including police. Source: board advised that Keating be monitored and Houston Chronicle, 1-6-15 Life imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old boy The Oregonian, 12-1-14 restricted in ministry, but that didn’t occur, said Larry M. Clark, 62, Buena Vista, VA: 5 in 2011. Manana, pastor at Jericho Apostolic plaintiff’s attorney Jeff Anderson. Source: Pio- years in prison on each of 3 counts of indecent Church, chose and groomed his victim (the neer Press, 1-13-15 assault and 10 years on each of 2 counts of Civil Lawsuits Settled child of a single parent) carefully, said Magis- An unidentified Catholic priest, 58,London : carnal knowledge plus fines of $107,500. A jury trate Deon Minnie. “[T]here is no indication of a The priest was bound over for trial on charges convicted the former pastor of Pentecostal Out- A jury in Ft. Wayne, IN, awarded Emily Herx trace of remorse for what he has done.” he indecently assaulting a named female in reach Church of molesting a teen boy for about $1.95 million for being fired by the Diocese of Police are investigating similar allegations 1978-79 at a religious institution in South Dub- 30 months, starting when “I’m proclaiming my Fort Wayne-South Bend for undergoing in- by the boy’s younger brother. Source: Middel- lin, Ireland. Source: Irish Times, 1-12-15 innocence to the day I die,” Clark said at sen- vitro fertilization while she was a language arts burg Observer, 12-1-14 An Indiana circuit judge issued an arrest tencing. He didn’t testify at his trial. teacher at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School. Trevion L. Ethridge, 23, Newton, TX: 23 warrant for Robert M. Wilson, 52, New Castle, Prosecutor Christopher Billias said another A federal judge later reduced the award to years and 3 months in prison after pleading for failure to show up for a pretrial hearing on a alleged victim was too traumatized to pursue $543,803. guilty to producing child pornography in 2012- charge of criminal trespass. Wilson had repeat- charges. Source: Roanoke Times, 1-5-15 Herx alleged in her discrimination suit that 13 while he was youth pastor at an unidentified edly conducted worship services in a rural cem- Yitzhak Shuchat, Brooklyn, NY: 1 day in jail she was treatly differently from male employees church. Ethridge changed his plea to guilty dur- etery’s chapel despite being told to stop by the and 25 days’ community service. Shuchat, an who disagreed with Catholic doctrine when her ing his trial and admitted sending a minor porno- board of directors. Orthodox Jew and member of a Hasid commu- 2011-12 contract wasn’t renewed and she was graphic images and videos of himself and entic- He told a reporter that God instructed him nity patrol, fled to Israel in 2007 after clubbing a called “a grave and immoral sinner” by John ing the minor to send pornographic images and at least 17 times to conduct services there. He 20-year-old black man with a night stick. Kuzmich, parish priest at St. Vincent de Paul. videos in return. Source: KWTX, 12-1-14 reportedly was using a pulpit borrowed from the A “hate crime” charge was reduced to simple Priests and Bishop Kevin Rhoades testified Isaiah D. Jordan, 23, Milwaukee: 37 years Flying J Truck Stop. Source: Star Press, 1-11-15 assault because there was no claim Shuchat at trial about wanting Hertz to express remorse in prison and 11 years’ probation for attempted Frank P. Hreno, 51, Florham Park, NJ, a used racial slurs. He was jailed for 3 months about flouting the contract’s morals clause, but kidnapping and multiple convictions of sexual Catholic priest charged with threatening to kill in Israel while fighting extradition. Source: NY she never did. Rhoades also testified that pay- assault against 5 women and girls in 2012-13. another priest during a fight over who got to Post, 12-20-14 ing out money to Herx would negatively affect Jordan, youth minister at Jerusalem Missionary use a leased vehicle at a Vocationist Fathers Tadhg O’Dalaigh, 71, Dublin, Ireland: 5 diocesan operations. Source: Journal Gazette, Baptist Church, cruised streets and bus stops to retreat, was admitted into a pretrial intervention years in prison with 2 years suspended. This is 12-24-14 offer rides to females, then attacked them. program with no admission of guilt. the retired Catholic priest’s 2nd conviction for U.S. District Judge Morrison England ruled Jordan testified that the victims were all Emeka Okwuosa, 37, the other priest, ac- molesting schoolboys in the 1970s and 1980s. that Chabad of California intentionally mis- prostitutes. Source: Journal Sentinel, 11-24-14 cused Hreno of stabbing him in the arm with a He’s admitted to masturbating 10 boys, while used $272,495 in Department of Homeland Se- metal staff topped with a crucifix, which Hreno claiming the last assault was in 1984. Source: curity grants it received in 2009 and must pay denied. Okwuosa filed a complaint with police RTE News, 12-18-14 Civil Lawsuits Filed $844,985 in penalties, a portion of which will go but Hreno wasn’t charged with assault. Source: Marcia Peterson, New Orleans: 15 months to whistleblowers. Daily Record, 1-5-15 in prison and $91,000 restitution. Peterson, ex- Suzanne Greer, 20, the daughter of former The group’s director, Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Chicago-based insurer CNA has asked a ecutive director of CDC 58:12, a faith-based pastor Terry Lee Greer, has filed a wrongful Cunin, applied for the funds as part of a pro- Minnesota federal court to limit its responsibility community development group, pleaded guilty death lawsuit against her father and officials of gram to boost surveillance systems at religious to cover some clergy sex abuse claims against to stealing money from the U.S. Department of the United Methodist Church of North Ala- institutions. England ruled Chabad didn’t follow the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapo- Education and the Department of Housing and bama for the 2013 shooting death of her mother accounting guidelines and used the money for lis. The archdiocese sued about 20 insurers to Urban Development and to falsifying unemploy- by her father in Gardendale. The complaint was “regular operating expenses, including employ- clarify what their coverage liability is. ment benefit claims. initially sealed from the public. ee payroll, building repairs, mortgages and utili- CNA contends it shouldn’t have to cover Peterson admitted embezzling grant money Terry Greer, 55, is being held at a secure ty expenses.” Source: Jewish Journal, 12-16-15 claims related to events that were “not unex- “for gambling and other personal purposes,” medical facility after a judge found him not guilty Four Jewish girls seminaries in Jerusa- pected or unforeseen” and alleges it has no court documents said. Source: Baton Rouge of murder by reason of mental disease or de- lem agreed to refund tuition to 13 American record of some policies the archdiocese says Advocate, 12-18-14 fect. families who are part of a class action suit con- exist. Source: KARE, 12-30-14 Timothy Kane, 58, Detroit: 12 months in jail Suzanna Greer, her father, and the estate of nected to claims that Rabbi Elimelech Meisels, Minnesota Public Radio reported on pedo- served over 5 years during the months of June Lisa Greer are also suing Brookwood Medical the head of all 4 schools, is a serial sex abuser. phile priest Thomas Ericksen, 67, now living and December plus weekends and $131,400 in Center and a psychiatric group for malprac- The plaintiffs didn’t allege Meisels molested in the Twin Cities, who left the priesthood in restitution. A jury found Kane, pastor at St. Mo- tice in treating the pastor before the shooting. their daughters, although he’s been accused by 1988, the year after Ericksen and the Diocese ses the Black Catholic Parish, guilty of stealing On the day he fatally shot his wife and wounded other girls. of Superior, WI, settled for $3 million a lawsuit from the charitable Angel Fund. Source: Free Suzanna, Greer allegedly said, “What if we all Meisels is described in the suit as an Ameri- by filed by Paul Eck and his nephew James for Press, 12-15-14 just drive up to heaven today?” Source: al.com, can with a residence in Jerusalem. He founded alleged 1983 assaults. Criminal charges were John Balyo, 36, Caledonia, MI: 40 years 1-12-15 the first such school in 2004. Source: Haaretz, never filed. in prison for sexual exploitation of a child and Former Catholic priest James Thoennes 12-1-14 Paul Eck discovered Ericksen working for possession of child pornography. Balyo hosted and the Diocese of St. Cloud, MN, are being The Catholic Diocese of Helena, MT, has Special Olympics in Kansas City in 2010, where a Christian radio show, was a camp counselor sued by a man who alleges he was molested filed a bankruptcy plan that proposes a $16.4 he was then suspended, moving to Indone- and volunteered with the sheriff’s department as an elementary student in the early 1970s million settlement for 362 people who alleged in sia. He was founded volunteering in 2014 at a and a church’s overseas mission. He was ar- in Foley. The suit accuses the diocese of cre- a 2011 suit they were molested by clergy. Each Brooklyn Center food pantry and subsequently rested at a Christian music concert. ating a “public nuisance” by not informing the would get a minimum of $2,500. fired. Balyo met clandestinely in motels with boys public about Thoennes and about 2 dozen other Bishop George Leo Thomas apologized to Ericksen told MPR what he learned in ther- as young as 12. “I’m having a lot of trouble try- priests who allegedly molested children. victims at a press conference. “I know the pain apy: “I was thinking of it as I was being a father ing to reconcile two people in the orange jump- Thoennes, of St. Cloud, was deposed in is real, the pain is in the present tense, and in to these kids. Of course, you know, the father suit before me,” Judge Robert Holmes Bell told September for a separate suit and admitted mo- the name of the church, I want to say I’m sorry doesn’t have sex with kids, but I didn’t have Balyo. “There’s the Christian man with a repu- lesting at least 5 boys in the diocese. Source: and we’re sorry as a church.” tation as a value-driven individual. But there is St. Cloud Times, 1-7-15 The diocese is the 11th in the U.S. to seek Continued on page 22 something else going on that is troubling . . . Three women are suing Rabbi Barry Freun- filthy, obscene.” del, his synagogue in Washington, DC, the He was sentenced earlier to 25-50 years for adjacent mikvah (ritual bath) and Towson Uni- sexually assaulting the same boy last May, 2 versity law school in connection with clandes- weeks after his wedding. Baly’s pregnant wife tine nude videos allegedly made by Freundel of has been granted an expedited divorce. them in the mikvah. He was arrested in October Court records said he collected children’s on 6 counts of voyeurism. obituaries and articles about kidnapping and “Defendants turned a blind eye to obvious child sex abuse. Source: WZZM, 12-5-14 signs of Freundel’s increasingly bizarre behav- John Fiala, 56, a former Nebraska Catholic ior, ignoring the bright red flags that Freundel priest already serving 60 years in a Texas pris- was acting inappropriately with women subject- on on a 2012 murder-for-hire conviction, was ed to his authority,” the suit claims. sentenced to another 30 years for aggravated Plaintiff Emma Shulevitz alleges the rabbi sexual assault of a 16-year-old. told her in 2012 not to put a water bottle in Fiala tried to have his accuser killed. In 2010, front of a clock radio, where a camera was later the Omaha Archdiocese paid an undisclosed found. Source: The Forward, 12-5-14 amount to settle a sexual assault. Source: oma- Velicia Alston, 39, and “John Roe” are su- ha.com, 12-4-14 ing a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation for John Irwin, 73, Dungiven, N. Ireland: Con- $10.5 million in Hillsboro, OR, alleging decades ditional discharge after pleading guilty to theft of sexual abuse were covered up, including the and theft by an employee. He must obey all plaintiffs’. Irwin Zalkin’s law firm has 14 active laws for 2 years. Irwin, a retired Catholic priest, cases against Witnesses congregations in sev- took the money in 2009-12 from St. Patrick’s eral states. Church Parochial House. Alston alleges that Daniel Castellanos, a Irwin has repaid the money and made com- minister and piano teacher, molested her when Page 20 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

Letterbox

Place for religion isn’t smiles. Hopefully, you will find one that starts 2015 off well for you. government “We must become the change we Thanks for all the great work you want to see in the world.” (Mahatma FFRF realists do. It’s sad we have to Gandhi) have a group as such, to bring san- “Show me a person who has never ity to the world, but I am afraid if we made a mistake and I will show you don’t exist there will be more 9/11’s someone who has never achieved and worse (even from the Christian re- much.” (Joan Collins) ligion). They must stay in their place, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have and that is not in the government. to remember anything.” I am enclosing a check for $500 to- “If you lend someone $20 and you ward a Lifetime Membership. I will be never see that person again, it was sending another check for the same probably worth it!” amount next month. “A society grows great when old peo- At the age of 77, I’ll keep reading ple plant trees whose shade they know as long as the eyes hold out and I am they shall never sit in.” breathing. “Only the guy who isn’t rowing has Bob MacArthur time to rock the boat.” (Jean-Paul Sar- Massachusetts tre) “The best theology is probably Appreciate ‘fine job no theology; just love one another.” Good day at Black Rock (Charles Schulz) George and Julie Iddon (aka Braveheart and Artemisia), Washington state, have of educating’ “Nothing is impossible. Some things a freethought moment on their motorized couch in front of the center camp at I would like to change my member- just are less likely than others.” Burning Man 2014 in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada. The week- ship in FFRF to Lifetime. You will find “I can explain it to you. I can’t com- long annual event is “an experiment in community, art, radical self-expression, enclosed a check for $1,000. prehend it for you.” and radical self-reliance.” George adds, “We’ll see you in October 2015 at the The best way to describe my feelings “Do not speak unless you can im- convention in Madison.” is that I am proud to be a member. I prove the silence.” feel that pride every time I read about “Reason makes me an atheist; com- tarianism has caused a deadly muta- creation to involvement to execution how FFRF takes action against the un- munity makes me a humanist.” tion in the heart of Islam and we see and presentation. Steps included, ending efforts by those who want to “Religion is indulged rather than the tragic consequences in Paris today. but were not limited to: 1) research/ impose their religious beliefs on others discussed.” I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all knowledge/service; 2) awareness; and through government action and/or at “Failure is simply the opportunity to must, to defend the art of satire, which 3) fundraising. They were also asked publicly funded venues. It is amazing begin again more intelligently.” (Hen- has always been a force for liberty and to write a five-page paper about their to me how insensitive and uninformed ry Ford) against tyranny, dishonesty and stupid- experience. many religious people are as shown by “The deepest sin against the human ity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a I’m excited to say that your organiza- their behavior. FFRF does such a fine mind is to believe things without evi- code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ tion was chosen as a recipient of one of job of educating all of us on issues of dence.” (Thomas Edison) Religions, like all other ideas, deserve the eight group’s fundraising efforts! separation of church and state and Diane Uhl criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless On behalf of Amanda Corder, Lauren other matters concerning religious be- Arizona disrespect.” Ouellette, Sydnee Alexander, Jasmine lief and lack thereof. I miss Christopher Hitchens terri- Smith and Husayn Jaber (Multicultural You have changed the way I think Fire station Jesus sign bly, but he couldn’t have stated it any Advancement Scholars), please accept about religion, taught me how to have better than his friend Salman (but I’m this check for $43.52 to use toward the an intelligent discussion about the sep- was offensive probably wrong; Hitchens would have continued success of your organiza- aration of church and state with others I live about a half mile from Utica, no doubt been better). tion. In addition, I have included and and made me feel good, even anxious, N.Y., where FFRF contested the “Happy Free press is a must in our society!! mailed under separate cover a banner to come out of the closet as an atheist. Birthday Jesus We Love You” sign out- Greg Stuart the students signed. Thank you! side a firehouse. I do not belong to a Indiana We appreciate your work and the Rob Haworth formal synagogue, church or mosque. services you provide to make some- Maryland I am offended by the firehouse sign. Hotel bible inserts a one’s life just a little bit better. I very much appreciate and support Traci L. Guinn, Ed.D. • • • your actions with the mayor regarding wonderful idea Michigan Congratulations to FFRF on being the sign. I was so impressed with the “To identified by [Jerry Falwell’s] Liberty Name withheld whomever opens this bible” insert that ‘Death with dignity’ an Counsel as one of the staunchest sup- New York Jamie Tobitt has placed in several hun- porters of the separation of church dred hotel Gideon bibles over the years important fight and state! What would Jesus drive? that I printed copies to do the same in Barbara Mancini’s story [Dec14] Ken Crosby, After-Life Member my travels. I recently stayed at six ho- about her struggle, and sad failure, to Texas Dollar rental! tels in California, Nevada and Utah achieve a “death with dignity” for her • • • While renting a car recently at the and, to my surprise, I found a bible in father brought me back to my own sto- As an active member of FFRF, I have airport in Jacksonville, Fla., I noticed only one. ry. My mother, who was dying of ovar- five words to submit to the Letterbox: a sign in the booth of the Dollar rent- We’re making progress! Keep up ian cancer, wanted desperately to die, Socrates died for our sins. al office that read “God Bless You!” I the good work. and I found a way to help her do that. Best wishes. spoke to the manager and told him Don Stockard After writing about this in my book George Singer that I did not think that mixing reli- California Last Wish, I heard from many people Rhode Island gion with business was a good idea, with a dying loved one who had the and that the sign may be offensive to Mich. college students same reasonable wish: a swift, painless Thanks for Charlie others of different faiths and beliefs. I death. Anyone who has been through said that I did not need to be “blessed.” appreciate FFRF this understands the good sense in al- Hebdo donation After picking up my rental, as I was I’m honored to share some wonder- lowing physicians to help. It’s the safest I am so proud of you for your dona- driving out, I noticed that the sign was ful news about a First Year Experience way to make sure the passage from life tion to Charlie Hebdo, I am sending taken down. Keep up the great work. (FYE) course that I teach at Central to death goes smoothly. you a check for $100 in support of your Phil Kellerman Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant. I, too, am a member of Compas- efforts. New York Last semester, I had the pleasure of sion and Choices, an organization that Your courage should set the ex- working with 40 students entering their assists people who are in this situa- ample for every publisher who writes Remembering Rushdie first year of college. My class, FYE 101, tion and fights for legalization. Many about the tragedy. is considered an introductory course religious people are in favor of such Charlie Sitzes, Lifetime Member in Hebdo wake for first-time students (freshman and change. Some of them are Catholic. A Indiana The day that they put a fatwa on transfer). I work with students who major foe of physician-assisted death, Salman Rushdie was the day 27 years have shown in high school, and desire however, is the well-funded Catholic Here’s to health, ago that I ordered The Satanic Verses. to continue to show in college, an in- Church. I hope you saw the wonderful quote terest in diversity, multiculturalism and The word “mercy” comes up often happiness in 2015 from Salman after the terrorism in inclusion. in Catholic teachings. Unfortunately, As the old year ends, I look back on Paris: During the semester, I’ve asked the it is not applied in cases of dying pa- some quotes and sayings, some unat- “Religion, a medieval form of un- students to complete a major commu- tients, who simply, and reasonably, tributed, that I found throughout the reason, when combined with modern nity service project. This assignment al- want a decent way out. past year that will follow me into the weaponry becomes a real threat to lows groups of students to coordinate Betty Rollin new, providing guidance and some our freedoms. This religious totali- all aspects of creating a project, from New York January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 21

disappear from human experience al- together, if our species survives long enough. I find it very encouraging that the membership of FFRF and other freethinking groups is growing and, in polls, more and more people are pub- licly professing no religious belief. I began to lose what little belief I had in religious mythology when I went to college and began an extensive study of biology and evolution. As my knowl- edge increased, my awareness of the David Williamson, founder of the Central Florida Freethought Community, an FFRF chapter, loves his custom Mighty silliness, and the destructiveness, of the Wallet. “The FFRF and CFFC logos stand symbolically between ‘the state’ on the left and ‘the church’ on the right. biblical Genesis story also increased. My previous two Mighty Wallets regularly garnered compliments and comments. Now I have a reason to talk about Largely because of what I’ve learned something a little more substantial than ‘nice wallet!’ ” through FFRF and the stories told by others who have put aside their ves- Pope off the mark on Green Bay, fans of faith and football ers who prey on uneducated people. tigial belief in ridiculous mythology, admired the Seahawks as the players This never-ending cycle decreases when the subject of belief comes up in insulting religion knelt in prayer to personally thank God the opportunity for education and pro- conversation I no longer just say that Thanks, Annie Laurie [for her blog for their miraculous victory. Other fans duces people who believe the lies of I’m not religious. I state that I am an “We can and we must make fun of may have been tempted by a less vis- religious leaders, the very same imams atheist. faith”], right on the money! The pope ceral moment to question why such an and bishops who brainwash those that I think it’s important that we “come opposes negative comments about re- omnipotent God was lounging around follow them into believing that to have out” to show others that we have no ligions because he doesn’t want bricks the clouds in a No. 12 jersey watching many children is the will of some “god.” shame in our choosing knowledge over thrown at his glass house. So while it football while ignoring deadly natural And on it goes relentlessly toward a ignorance and blind obedience to stuff sounds as if he is defending the idea disasters, worldwide diseases and a host self-prophesied Armageddon. we just know can’t be true. of respect, he is really trying to protect of daily atrocities of men against men, Charles W. Brown Robert C. Van Fleet Catholics from being a target. women and children. California California When people hide behind reli- Regardless of your persuasion, we gion to excuse extreme behavior, it is know that our hardworking Seahawks Exhibiting no shame Stealth fundamentalists well past the time to be polite in our may, or may not, win the next Super denouncement of this façade. Popes Bowl. And even in 2015, some may about ‘coming out’ stalking Texas are considered infallible to orthodox believe that the outcome of the “big I’m a longtime member who ea- On the day before Texas Gov.-elect Catholics, but we say that no one is game,” followed by hurricanes, pan- gerly reads each issue of Freethought Greg Abbott’s inauguration, a news entitled to respect simply because they demics and wars will be positively al- Today. It’s very interesting and annoy- story showed Gov. Rick Perry “passing hold a title (let alone be considered in- tered by prayer if you just have faith. ing that so many increasingly arrogant down” a bible said to have been hand- fallible). Let’s see what happens. religious bigots persist in ignoring the ed from Texas governor to governor Respect is earned by deeds. When Patrick Sebald legal realities underlying separation of since 1925. Perry was heard telling Ab- religious leaders earn our respect, we Washington state and church as they initiate battles bott that the governor’s primary duty is will give it. Religions themselves — Editor’s note: Pat’s letter was published they cannot win. to be a servant of the people and quot- that’s another matter. in the Everett Herald in January. What In the science of evolution, there ed from the Book of Matthew. Jerry Gilbert happened in the Super Bowl? God snubs are two terms that describe the signifi- It’s no secret that Abbott, and the Colorado Seahawks! cance of changes that occur within spe- lieutenant governor-elect, Dan Pat- cies over time. “Rudimentary” anatom- rick, are both creationists eager to pass Terror threat requires Scientific theories ical or physiological features are ones legislation mandating the teaching of that are becoming more apparent and intelligent design alongside evolution rethinking tactics always open to revision significant for success of the species in public schools. Both are advocates Though I am a Life Member com- I’d like to comment on [student over time. “Vestigial” features are those of school vouchers for private and pa- mitted to a secular society, I have come essayist] Benjamin Carter’s comment that are becoming less prominent as rochial schools, taking students out of to the conclusion that it is immedi- about scientific theories being con- they become less important for the sur- the public school system. Both oppose ately imperative for the secular com- stantly disproven. While it’s true that vival of the species. abortion rights, marriage equity and munity to reach across the aisle and many ideas have been accepted and Human culture also evolves, and birth control. build strong bridges with theists from later proven false, it’s usually the de- beliefs and “facts” that were once uni- Both are what I like to call “stealth the currently predominant religion in tails that are revised and not the vigor- versally accepted are discarded, most fundamentalists,” public officials or America in order to protect against the ously tested general ideas. often as scientific research and discov- those seeking office who disguise their immeasurably greater threat to civil Copernicus was wrong about cir- ery fill in gaps in our knowledge. For real agendas by avoiding discussion of liberties that will manifest from the cular orbits of planets, Newton about example, we now know that the Earth religious issues during campaigns, but inevitable rise of radical Islam within the immutability of space and Einstein is not flat and that natural phenomena who, once elected, unveil a radical fun- American borders. about the cosmological constant. Bi- like earthquakes and lightning are not damentalist Christian agenda. I am deeply thankful to FFRF for its ologists argue over the modes of evo- caused by temper tantrums of imagi- Only time will tell how Texans will indefatigable pursuit of secular liberty, lution and physicists the existence of nary beings. suffer for it in the days, months and but I don’t want to look back with re- dark matter. But centuries after New- In human cultural evolution, super- years to come. gret 30 years from now at all the time ton came up with his laws of mechan- stitions and religious mythology fit the Jack Mathys we squandered writing to local govern- ics, they are still used every day by engi- “vestigial” category. Over time they will Texas ments about [what to me are relatively neers. We still believe that planets orbit inconsequential things like nativity around the sun and that the cosmolog- scenes]. ical constant has a logical explanation. Michigan Atheists celebrate decades of activism As my heroes Annie Laurie and Dan Biologists still have no question about well know, fighting militant theism the phenomenon of evolution. FFRF Co-president Dan with reason is not like fighting fire with Rather than a house of cards that Barker spoke at the fire. It is not even like fighting fire with will be knocked down one day, vigor- 28th annual statewide water. It is like fighting fire — with a ously tested scientific theories are more convention of Michigan flashlight. We have no time to fight this like blueprints of partially mapped Atheists (MA) in Ann fire with flashlights. houses that may be revised upon fur- Arbor in ­December. All theism, if unchecked, leads to ther knowledge, but the existence of He is ­pictured at left theocracy. But not all theocracies pose which are in no doubt. with Doug Marshall, the the same danger. We needn’t look too Tsee Lee courageous plaintiff far to find other nations which have al- New York in FFRF’s lawsuit ready surrendered to the “religion that ­challenging religious must not be insulted.” Population problem ­discrimination in I regret this conclusion, but I am ­Warren, Mich. convinced that joining forces with our tied to religious belief Photos by Tracey Martin Dan also performed a Christian countrymen is the only way There are two basic problems on few freethought songs. to secure long-term freedom for secu- this planet: the human population ex- MA President Anne- larists. plosion and religion. The two feed on Marie stands behind Frank Mercer each other like parasites, forever hun- Dan as organizers and Washington gry. As the population grows, people attendees join the become poorer and more desperate. festivities. MA, founded Jesus Christ real Super Poverty reduces their opportunities to in 1975, is one of the become more educated, and they be- oldest continuously Bowl superstar? come less willing or able to question operating atheist groups After Seattle’s comeback win over authority. That delights religious lead- in the country. Page 22 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

its baneful influence on me already). Day display at the downtown RiverPark The big mistake they made at Sun- Mall. I’m also the atheist blogger on Meet a member day school, though, was giving me a the award-winning Spokane Faith & nice Revised Standard Version of the Values website (www.spokanefavs.com) Name: James Downard. bible, complete with a plethora of where my “Ask an Atheist” button gets Where I live: Spokane, Wash. bottom-of-the-page cross references. plenty of traffic. Where and when I was born: Spo- That’s how I first spotted that the Da- The big thing on my plate is the on- kane, Sept. 22, 1952. vidic genealogy of Joseph listed in Mat- line anti-creationism project, which has Family: Two sisters and a brother thew didn’t match the one given in expanded to cover over 35,000 sources still living, plenty of nieces and neph- Luke. I notice that not all bibles make (including over 13,000 technical sci- ews far and wide. the mistake of putting cross references ence works aimed at “flattening” over Education: B.A. in history, Eastern right there for people like me to follow 6,000 anti-evolution sources). Nothing Washington University. up more easily! on this scale has existed before. Those Occupation: Former inventory/sup- Before I die: I would like to enjoy who want to help the TIP baby grow ply worker, now retired (on extremely at least a bit of whatever posthumous and thrive can find a link atwww.tor- inadequate Social Security). fame I may have earned. tucan.com/ because I can’t quite do it How I got where I am today: Mud- Ways I promote freethought: Over alone (it takes a secular village sort of dling along one day at a time as best I the years, I’ve become active in the Spo- thing). can, trying to enjoy myself but not mak- kane Secular Society and the Inland I’m also on Facebook and Twitter, ing a nuisance. Northwest Freethought Society, the lat- where I’ve been usefully applying TIP Where I’m headed: In my TIP (Trou- ter now an FFRF chapter. I’ve helped methods to short-circuit anti-evolution- bles in Paradise) anti-creationism proj- James Downard organize and staff the annual Darwin ists. ect, I hope to help limit anti-evolution- ist popularity. The initial PDFs and still air it around the Fourth of July. links are online at www.tortucan.com, a These are not: People who seri- very much no-frills page so far. ously think things like anti-evolution- Black Collar Crimes The TIP project is a methods-based ism are good science and the people (“follow the sources”) approach that who (knowingly or not) elect them to Continued from page 19 Havel was accused in 1988 of assaulting a sex. I didn’t consider it sex.” Ericksen claimed 13-year-old girl he had counseled before com- bypasses the usual and often distracting boards of education or state legisla- there was no “rape” due to lack of penetration. ing to El Camino. The civil suit was dismissed. “religion vs. science” fistfight in order tures or Congress. I devised the “Tor- “The case is still open,” said Sawyer Coun- The alleged victim was 34 when she came for- to to pull the rug out from under the tucan” concept to account for how ty Sheriff Mark Kelsey. Charges could still be ward. anti-evolutionists. Sound documenting people can so easily do those sorts of brought due to Wisconsin’s legal doctrine called Havel was accused in 2002 of molesting a “tolling,” which stops the clock on the statute of girl between 1968-73 while he was pastor at a of sources is something they can’t do at things (search on youtube.com for “tor- limitations for people who leave the state. Pasadena parish. Archdiocese of Los Angeles all, let alone well enough to win, so it tucan” videos). The doctrine was upheld in a 2010 Wiscon- files state that the Marianist Order settled that seems a good idea for us to play those My doubts about religion started: sin Supreme Court case involving former con- case and Havel petitioned to leave the priest- cards right off the bat. I was raised in a family of very much victed Jesuit priest Donald McGuire. Source: hood in the late 1990s. Sawyer County Record, 12-30-14 “We are taking this matter seriously and as- Person in history I admire: Stephen ex-Mormons, where there was no reli- James Schook, 66, a former Louisville, sessing the situation carefully,” the hospital said Jay Gould, as prickly a “paying atten- gious upbringing or discussion of reli- KY, Catholic priest in prison, had his request in a statement. tion to details” guy as ever there was, gious matters whatsoever. My mother for “shock probation” denied. He has terminal The Survivors Network of those Abused by and whose ideas (from spandrels to (very politically conservative but also melanoma. He was sentenced to 15 years last Priests was alerted by a concerned citizen to April on 3 counts of sodomy and 1 count of in- Havel’s presence at the hospital, where he has NOMA) have sparked my and others’ very nonreligious) went ballistic when decent and immoral behavior with an individual. worked since 1980 and is an electro-convulsive thinking. For example, my pocket defi- she found out that our first-grade class Richard Whitfield, now 56, told the jury therapy specialist. nition of religion (“a neotenous span- was marched once a week to religious Schook first molested him in 1971 when he was “When the news of Jerry Sandusky broke, drel sustained as a Scorched Earth de- instruction at a Spokane church. She 13 and said the sexual relationship lasted for we heard from victims of coaches and victims years. He was too ashamed to tell anyone, he of teachers,” said SNAP’s Barbara Dorris. “You fense”) owes a lot to Gould’s concepts thought public school was where you testified. Source: WLKY, 12-19-14 feel safer to come forward when someone’s and terminology. were supposed to get educated, not in- Juan McFarland, former pastor of Shiloh blazed the trail.” Source: Contra Costa Times, A quotation I like: William James, doctrinated, and pulled me out imme- Missionary Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL, 12-7-14 sent a questionnaire in 1904 about reli- diately. I spent the time reading on my was permanently barred by a circuit judge from church property and must remove himself from gious beliefs of prominent persons and own at school while the class dithered all church bank accounts. McFarland told the Removed / Resigned their dependence on “the authority of away the hour at the church. But she congregation in September he had AIDS, had John E. Harris, 59, a Catholic priest who sex with parishioners on church property, mis- the bible,” replied succinctly: “No. No. did send us all to Sunday school, just so voluntarily separated himself from public min- used church money, used drugs and carried a No. It is so human a book that I don’t we’d be exposed to it and could make istry in 2003 after having served in 5 Maine loaded gun in church. parishes over 19 years, was defrocked by the see how belief in its divine authorship up our own minds (none of us became After he refused to give up his post, trust- Vatican. Diocese of Portland officials said an can survive the reading of it.” converts from the experience). ees filed an injunction. Church members voted accusation of sexual abuse of a minor by Har- twice to remove him, 80-1 in October and 92-13 These are a few of my favorite We were living in California by ris in the early 1980s has been substantiated. in November. Source: The Advertiser, 12-3-14 things: Music (classical and otherwise), the time I was dispatched to Method- Source: Press Herald, 1-17-15 movies (and their music), studying sci- ist Sunday school in the early 1960s, The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston an- ence and history in many forms, design- which didn’t last long. I was summarily Allegations nounced that 3 administrators at Immaculate Conception School in Revere, MA, resigned ing an amusement park (my grand and asked to leave (much like Carl Sagan’s An unidentified 89-year-old man told the His- after allegations of indecent exposure in a bath- obviously unbuilt “Nat Park” plan that fictional Ellie Arroway inContact ) for torical Institutional Abuse inquiry how he was room by an employee. had as brief blip of “fame” in our local asking too many questions about the sexually abused by teen boys and beaten by A statement said 3 potentially illegal inci- KSPS public TV’s 1990s documentary biblical flood (my dinosaur collecting nuns at Nazareth House and Lodge in Belfast, dents took place in a student-only bathroom in N. Ireland, where he arrived when he was 3 the 6 weeks prior to the announcement. Pastor “Memories of Natatorium Park.”) They and encyclopedia reading having had after his parents abandoned him. His mother George Szal, Principal Alyson Kelly and an wanted him to get a good education and better unidentified teacher resigned “due to their fail- life than she could provide after his father left ure to report these possible incidents in a timely the family, the man testified from a wheelchair. manner.” He never told her about the sex abuse “out The unidentified employee was put on leave What of respect for her,” he said. pending the outcome of a police investigation. A total of 102 witnesses testified before the Source: WCVB, 1-13-15 War on inquiry, which was set up in 2013 to investigate S. Bartholomeow, pastor of Our Lady of child abuse in 13 N. Ireland residential institu- Fatima Catholic Church, Jalahalli, India, was Christmas? tions from 1922-95. Source: BBC, 1-6-15 suspended by the Vatican. Bangalore Archbish- Minnesota Atheists The Catholic Diocese of Gallup, NM, re- op Bernard Moras confirmed the suspension leased an updated list going back decades of but offered no details, saying “It’s best you ask raised $1,190 30 clergy and 1 layperson it says were credibly him.” for a Twin Cities accused of sexually abusing minors. The list Bartholomeow was accused of rape in 2013 food bank on includes names, places and dates of service but the case was dismissed after the complain- Thanksgiving Day but doesn’t mention any criminal charges, sanc- ant refused to cooperate. Activists are press- tions or information on the number of accusers. ing to reopen the case. Source: Times of India, on the 5K Walk to Arizona plaintiffs’ lawyer Robert Pastor said 1-12-15 End Hunger and was “credibly accused” is an arbitrary term. “In that Dan Duane, 76, Mallow, Ireland, lost his ap- named volunteer context, the Catholic Church acts as judge peal of a decision by the Apostolic Signatura in organization of and jury. Historically, the Catholic Church and Rome that he be defrocked. Pope Francis has its managers have used the phrase ‘credibly endorsed the ruling of the canonical court, and the month by the accused’ to justify hiding pedophile priests.” the Diocese of Cloyne has apologized to victims Foundation Beyond Source: Arizona Republic, 12-17-14 of Duane’s alleged sexual abuse for the time the Belief. In December, The Catholic Church of Scotland an- removal took (8 years). Source: Irish Indepen- 24 atheists donated nounced 15 allegations of sexual, physical, ver- dent, 1-7-15 bal or emotional abuse were made in in 2013, 7 Robert Harrison, 77, one of the first black over $1,000 worth of of which allegedly involved clergy members. Six Catholic priests in Milwaukee, has been barred toys and games to the allegations were historical (from the 1980s or from public ministry and removed from teaching Children’s Hospital before) and 10 of the 15 were for sexual abuse. and coaching at Cardinal Hayes High School, of Minnesota, said As of November 2014, there were no pros- Bronx, NY. A press release from the school said ecutions associated with the 2013 allegations. Harrison “has admitted committing several acts Eric Jayne, MA president and FFRF member (center, arms spread in this photo Source: BBC, 12-16-14 of sexual abuse of minors in the 1970s and at the Mall of America). “In 2014, we had over 70 volunteers donate over 1,600 California victim advocates are calling for 1980s.” hours of service for our monthly food bank packing event and had about 150 the ouster of former Catholic priest and psy- At the time, Harrison was serving in Milwau- volunteers serve meals on 14 occasions to over 300 people without permanent chiatrist Thomas Havel from his practice at El kee as a Capuchin Franciscan priest. Source: Camino Hospital. They cited accusations that PIX11, 1-5-15 housing at the Family Place Shelter,” Jayne said. Havel, now 77, molested 2 teen girls years ago. Email: [email protected] January-February 2015 Madison, Wisconsin Freethought Today Page 23

Churches in schools debated on MSNBC

A Religious Right scheme to “plant Orlando, Fla., was reported by Harris ange County Public Schools, has re- co-founder and pastor, being designat- a church in every school” was one of in her Jan. 14 article in The Nation peatedly complained to the district ed as the school football team’s “chap- the topics covered in a Jan. 31 segment headlined “The movement to put a about a number of problems. lain” (as well as chaplain of its bowling of MSNBC-TV’s “Melissa Harris-Perry church in every school in growing.” The church vows it will never own team!). The district subsequently re- Show,” featuring FFRF Co-President The Venue Church, which operates its own building. Its motto is “Partner- named him “life coach” and contin- Annie Laurie Gaylor and Katherine inside three public schools in Orange ing with schools and communities to ues to justify Lamphere’s active school Harris, author of The Good News Club: County, Fla., has as its goal “To plant serve students and families to gain the presence, which includes organizing The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on a congregation in every Central Flori- privilege of sharing the love of Jesus “mission trips” for students. America’s Children. da school zone in the next 10 years.” for eternal impact.” Harris and Gaylor debated the topic FFRF’s complaint over such an en- FFRF, which has an ongoing federal FFRF complained, among other with a Methodist evangelist. tanglement at Apopka High School in lawsuit over bible distribution in Or- things, about Todd Lamphere, Venue’s NLRB rules against College essay contest honorable mention Lutheran college The National Labor Relations Board Unleashing the atheist within ruled against Pacific Lutheran Univer- sity’s claim that it’s exempt as a reli- By Jennifer Wilson believed in God to raise our hands. I gious institution from NLRB jurisdic- was the only one who didn’t. He then tion. The decision allows contingent asked me to justify my nonbelief. faculty (non-tenure track) to unionize Two weeks into college, in a room at the school in Tacoma, Wash., report- My parents raised me with a full of strangers (and my roommate), ed the Chronicle of Higher Education profound respect for science but not I froze up, unable to justify myself or in December. with religion. My physicist taught me even ask the simplest of questions as a A 1980 U.S. Supreme Court case, that there are certain laws of nature rebuttal: “Why do you believe in God, ways will be, no matter how many of my National Labor Relations Board v. Yeshiva that the universe abides by, and even professor?” For the rest of the semes- peers poke at the atheist within me, try- University essentially barred full-time though we cannot understand every- ter, my peers met my opinions with ing to stamp it out. faculty at private colleges from form- thing, these laws exist and allow us to glares of disdain and immediate coun- ing unions. But the board ruled it had survive. terattacks. Jennifer Wilson, 21, was born in Ge- jurisdiction because the university My respect for science has never led That first semester was rough, but neva, Switzerland, and lived in France the “does not hold its petitioned-for facul- me to belittle religion or those who I’ve become more confident in ex- first eight years of her life but considers Law- ty members out as performing any re- believe. It simply allows me to justify pressing my opinions. I’ve used my rence, Kan., her hometown. She’s a senior ligious function” and that it had failed a world in which the answer to “What nonbelief to instigate discussion rather majoring in English and mathematics at St. to prove that full-time contingent fac- is the meaning of life?” is just as eas- than argument. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. She wa ulty members exercised managerial ily nothing, as it is God, nirvana or the I’ve always been an atheist, and I al- awarded $200 for this essay. authority. number 42. I had a Catholic friend in junior high who tried to pique my curiosity. She talked about religion a lot. I only Sharing the Crank Mail mentioned my nonbelief when I was asked what church I went to. When Parental warning: contains obscene, schatologi- all about. It’s bad enough that we have the anti Games of violence the kids play today... you rep- we were 14, out of the blue, she told cal and sexually graphic language. Proofreader Christ as the US president, we certainly don’t resent a world without GOD.. YOUR SO BACK- me that I could come to Mass with her warning: typos and bad spelling uncorrected. need you to dictate our lives as well. — LP Gunn WARDS — Jay McMahon anytime and said, “I pray for you a lot because I’m worried that you’re going New, oh-so-appropriate hot spot suggested for god- Life: It’s in my best interest to inform you that Your group: All you liberal sacks of shit need to less heathens: Bikini Atoll, test site for 23 U.S. nuclear you are in violation. You will need to cease your be shuffled to Bikini Atoll & left to rot!!!— Pen- to go to hell.” devices detonated between 1946–58. activities! Eternity is a long time! Advise has been dragon of Britain The sentiment came from her heart, given!!! Have a nice day!! — [email protected] a place full of compassion for others, you people are assholes: You people are absolute hey: You people need to get a real job instead of but I was taken aback. In my head I losers, the bottom of the barrel of humanity. Tol- Idiots: If you don’t like freedom of religion the taking god out of everything. I took your bible erance only goes in one direction for mofos like move your ignorant selves to Iraq. — Ryan Howe quiz which sickened me cause if u got a question told her she should save her prayers you, and you the only reason you get away with it wrong u give the right answer along with some for people who actually want them, is because in the end you will answer to God. — get out of alabama: you have NO RIGHT TO IN- smart ass remarks. No wonder the world is all to but aloud I just said, “Thank you, that’s Dick Heads, [email protected] FRINGE ON OUR RIGHTS TO WORSHIP GOD hell. Have a blessed day. — matt barnette, Virginia very thoughtful.” AND STAND FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS... IF MSNBC: SAw your twerp on MSNBC with MHP. YOU DON’T LIKE...MOVE TO BAGHDAD! — WHERE JESUS DIED: RELIGION AS JESUS Whether it was by telling me about Relogious organizations do far more good for phullips BRUIED AT THE CITY OF GOLGOTHA, AND Jesus Christ in the middle of an abor- the poor & down-trodden than you ever will, if CURCIFIED IN THE CITY OF GOLGOTHA. tion debate or trying to debunk de- you do anything! Catch your breath next time, Opinion: You are very alarming group of mis- BUT, JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST DIED cades of scientific inquiry while discuss- asswipe, before speaking. You are all worthless led individuals. With your last breath...... Who’s TOGETHER ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS pieces of shit. You will be targeted in our revolu- name will you be calling out? — jdhattonelectric@ AND THEY WERE KILLED ONLY TWICE. — ing creationism, my classmates found tion! — dee mee, Tarrytown, Colo. yahoo.com DONNA RINKER, ANDOVER, MAINE ways to poke the atheist within me. The vast majority of students at my God is Great mother fuckers!: Get a life and religion: If a city wants to have a CHRISTMAS Questions: What we do with practicing religion small Lutheran college in Minnesota leave Ohio alone you bunch of racist pigs! — parade mind your own fuckin business! Christ is is our business whether it’s partaking in a prayer Mike Hunt, [email protected] the reason for CHRISTMAS! Get over it. White before a football game or I stilling it in govern- are Christians. I was hesitant to attend Christians are supposed to be tolerant of every- ment WHO THE FUCK DIED AND MADE because of that, but I felt at home on Poop: Poop in my mouth tastes so good like a thing but we can’t do anything because it might YOUR BITCH ASS BOSS TO TELL US WHERE the campus, the academics were rigor- real atheist would say on a mothafucken dick- offend some camel humper. Groups like yours OUR RELIGION HAS BUSINESS BEING?! No ous and the financial aid they offered weed mothafucka bitch ass niggas eatin salad on will be the reason for the 2nd civil war!! MERRY one so go jam a couple fingers up your narrow a Tuesday rubbing their dicks on the floor until CHRISTMAS assclowns. — Sam Nelson, Wisconsin ass sit the fuck down shut the fuck up and stop was stellar. they are red all over and split that shit in 2? — making a mockery of traditions no one gives a Three problems faced me: biblical Dick Long Growing up: Take a good look at the world now fuck and the only reason they act like they do studies, theological studies and ethi- and what it was when you were young. did your is because of persistent nagging by your founda- cal studies requirements. One day in Freedom: You and your leader the current US parents do drugs?. Where there as many mur- tion trying to get you to shut the hell up! We’re President have destroyed the true meaning of ders.. rapes.. crimes?.. were there wholesum football players we pray before every game and my first-semester class called “Bible America where we are free to choose our own programs on tv?.. Did people lock there doors?.. our coaches are apart of that family tradition you in Film,” the professor did the un- beliefs and ignore the ones we choose not to If you want to fight to keep something out.. you CANT stop this we will pray and pray and pray. thinkable: He asked those of us who participate in. Stop destroying what America is should be working on what is on the TV.. the — James KCCO Page 24 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin January-February 2015

Freethought billboards blanket Chicago area

FFRF and its Metropolitan Chicago chapter put up 14 freethought bill- boards in Chicagoland in December and January, with six more scheduled to be placed in March. Eleven went up in December and three in January. (All are shown here, along with Evan Kane’s on this issue’s front page. Bill- boards featuring “Friendly Atheist” Hemant Mehta and Tom Cara, chapter director, were featured in December’s Freethought Today.) Bob Elmore, photographer and chapter board member, commented: “As Tom Cara might attest, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for the cause of FFRF, and providing some decent pho- tos of the billboards was a true plea- sure. We’re all really proud of Tom’s commitment to furthering the message here in the Chicago area and look for- ward to recruiting more new members who might respond to our efforts and aren’t afraid to show their true colors.” One billboard was somehow deemed “offensive” by a landowner whom Clear Channel was leasing space from and had to be moved to a differ- ent location. It featured Alan Wagner and his message, “I put my faith in sci- ence.” “It’s hard to believe someone would be that offended by a slogan that says that,” commented Cara. FFRF, which has more than 800 Il- linois members, debuted the “Out of the Closet” billboard campaign in 2010 in Madison, Wis. Chicago is the 12th city for the campaign.

Mark your calendar! 38th Annual National FFRF Convention Weekend of October 9–11, 2015 Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center 1 John Nolen Drive Madison, Wisconsin

Tour expanded Freethought Hall Friday morning. Tour Frank Lloyd Wright convention center Friday afternoon, enjoy appetizers, workshops.

Formal program begins 7 p.m Friday continuing all day Saturday.