Darrow statue We resist and Salman Rushdie can help educate challenge because to speak at for years we must FFRF convention PAGES 10-11 PAGES 12-14 PAGE 3

Vol. 35 No. 3 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. April 2018

FFRF saves $72K for FFRF celebrates 40 years as national organization! county taxpayers in North Carolina FFRF is pleased to have stopped It is unconstitutional for the Bun- an expensive and unconstitutional combe County Tourism Develop- taxpayer grant to a North Carolina ment Authority to fund a religious church. mural, FFRF contended. The Buncombe County Tourism “The Establishment Clause of the Development Authority had award- First Amendment prohibits the gov- ed $72,500 to Haywood Street Con- ernment from financially supporting gregation in Asheville, N.C., for, churches,” FFRF Staff Attorney Ryan according to local media, “an in- Jayne wrote to Buncombe County novative project, to artfully portray Tourism Development Authority [the church’s] mission and minis- President & CEO Stephanie Pace try through a large-scale work of Brown last November. “Buncombe art in the medium of fresco.” This County may not award grants to Freedom from Religion Foundation Co-Founder project, which was slated to be 28.5 churches in order to decorate their Anne Gaylor (pink jacket) leads an FFRF contingent feet wide and 11 feet tall, was meant sanctuaries with religious imagery.” in an abortion-rights rally in Washington, D.C., in to decorate Any reasonable observer would 1992. For an extensive look at FFRF’s 40-plus-year the church’s understand the city’s contribution history, see our eight-page pullout section inside. sanctuary of $72,000-plus as an endorsement with a Chris- of this church and the religious tian religious message portrayed in the project, scene of the FFRF maintained. The U.S. Consti- “eight beati- tution prohibits such endorsement State senator pushes poster fight tudes” of Je- regardless of whether the project Much to the chagrin of Arkansas state religious symbols or messages. sus delivered attracts tourists and possibly gener- Sen. Jason Rapert, FFRF has harmonized an FFRF was then contacted by letter from during the Sermon on the Mount in ates revenue for the county. Arkansas high school’s choral area with the Barrett that the Christian posters had been the New Testament. FFRF’s campaign has paid off. Constitution. removed and that school staff had been in- The church’s pastor had told the “Asheville’s Haywood Street Con- Last fall, it was brought to FFRF’s atten- formed on the unconstitutionality of reli- media that the project would direct- gregation has withdrawn its request tion that Searcy High School’s choral di- gious displays. ly promote the church’s religious for funding for a fresco project rector had placed several Christian-themed But Rapert thought the school should mission: “What it will do more than from the Buncombe County Tour- posters on the walls of the high school cho- have held its ground and taken FFRF to anything is theologize our deepest ism Development Authority, ending rus room. Most contained bible verses. court, posting on Facebook that the district belief here, and that is that God a several-months-long challenge of FFRF Robert G. Ingersoll Legal Fellow “should NOT have caved into the demands blesses those who suffer the most.” the grant’s constitutionality,” the Colin E. McNamara sent a letter to Searcy of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.” He also explained that it would be Asheville Citizen-Times reported. School District Superintendent Diane Bar- Rapert was also unaware of the significant “a timeless witness, both visually and The congregation’s move was a rett, warning the district that it violated the successes of FFRF lawsuits, stating, “Nothing spiritually, to the Gospel.” See Taxpayers on page 7 U.S. Constitution by allowing a display of fails like a Freedom From Religion lawsuit.” FFRF’s newest award honors Avijit Roy legacy

FFRF is proud to announce the to death by militants at the Dhaka creation of an annual award in the Ekushey Book Fair where his two new name of Avijit Roy, who was assassi- books were featured. His wife, Rafida nated three years ago. Avijit, a Ban- Bonya Ahmed, known as Bonya, was gladeshi-American writer and atheist, also brutally attacked and critically died at the hands of militant Islamists wounded, but survived the assault. on the streets of Dhaka. FFRF will be working with Bonya Avijit Roy initiated a new move- in helping to raise funds and bestow ment in free and rational thinking the annual award or scholarship of in Bangladesh, South Asia and Ben- $5,000. gali-speaking diaspora communities. The Avijit Award will be given to a He had a Ph.D. in biomedical engi- person who has been working toward neering, but wrote prolifically on the spread of rational and logical many varied subjects that include discourse, toward diminishing the in- religion, atheism, cosmology and fluence of regressive fundamentalist homosexuality. Bonya Ahmed, left, carries on the legacy of her husband, Avijit Roy, who was religious thinking, toward building He founded an online communi- assassinated in a vicious streetside attack in 2015. a society based on humane laws and ty called Muktomona (freethinkers) without discrimination. The award that promoted rational discourse of freedom of expression, Avijit took His writings and activism earned will recognize creative and heroic among mainly Bengali-speaking us- an active role in protesting the arrests the ire of fundamentalist Islamists ers across the world. As an advocate of atheist bloggers in Bangladesh. and on Feb. 26, 2015, he was hacked See Roy Award on page 4 Page 2 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 Pushing for freethought equality

Name: Joseph Richardson. will supply plenty of time for silence.” ural anymore. And further, that I was Where I live: Winter Garden, Fla. — Christopher Hitchens. no longer able to believe. Where and when I was born: I was These are a few of my favorite things: Before I die: I’d like to see an aurora born in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1963, but There are so many things I enjoy. Last borealis. grew up in the Orlando area. year, I went on vacation with my wife Ways I promote freethought: I Family: Married for 26 years with and we spent two whole weeks hiking, serve on the board of the Central three sons (23, 21 and 18 years old). bike riding, whitewater rafting, zip-lin- Florida Freethought Community. I And four cats. ing and more. That was a very good write letters, speak before state and Education: I graduated from Oak time. But I also love movies, books, local meetings, maintain the CFFC Ridge High School in Orlando, then cats, science and wordplay. website and social media sites, and started college at Renselaer Polytechnic These are not: Time zones (and help in many other ways. I also give Institute in Troy, N.Y. I finished my B.S. don’t get me started on Daylight Sav- talks in local churches explaining my in computer science/physics at SUNY ing Time). Also, anytime someone uses views on freethought, atheism and Albany in 1986. That was followed up an argument from ignorance to justify the separation of state and church. with an M.S. in computer science from their position. And I give atheist/humanist invoca- SUNY Albany in 1988. Started, but never My doubts about religion started: I tions for local government meetings. finished, a Ph.D., also at SUNY Albany. grew up in the Assemblies of God. I I have been fighting with my city, Occupation: Software engineer remember having doubts when I was Winter Garden, for almost four years working on a transaction processing very young. Later, I switched to the now (starting within a week of Greece system for college students. Joseph Richardson Episcopal Church and managed to ra- v. Galloway being handed down) to How I got where I am today: A lot tionalize or liberalize or ignore those do an invocation at our City Com- of the reason I’m where I am today is A R doubts until I was 49 years old. Then mission meeting. I’ve spoken at more luck or being a white male in the Unit- the doctrine of hell became dramati- than two dozen meetings asking it to ed States. I’m not much of a planner. cally more important when I found change its invocation policy, which School, jobs, living situations, etc., of- py if it ends up being a direction that out someone close to me was an athe- allows it simply to pass over anyone ten fell in my lap. Certainly I’ve worked other people look at and say, “I’d like ist. In the process of trying to rational- it doesn’t like. At the moment, that for some things. But the older I get, to go that way, too.” ize, liberalize or ignore hell, I started means me. An unplanned part of the more I realize the advantages I’ve Person in history I admire and why: learning some additional things . . . this fight was getting kicked out of had that I did not earn. Richard Feynman. How can you not things about the bible, theology, phi- one Winter Garden City Commis- Where I’m headed: I’d like to think admire someone who wanted to de- losophy, evolution, morality, etc. Over sion meeting for not standing for the I’m headed in a direction that, in cline a Nobel Prize? the course of five VERY difficult and Pledge of Allegiance. It generated a some small way, reduces suffering, in- A quotation I like: The one that mo- painful months, I shed one doctrine ton of local press and some nation- creases fairness, and makes the world tivates me is this: “Never be a spectator after another. One day, I realized that al attention, as well. I suppose that a slightly better place. I’d be very hap- of unfairness or stupidity . . . the grave I did not believe in anything supernat- counts as promoting freethought. Nonbelief Relief announces $75,000 in spring grants Nonbelief Relief, a leading free- abortions for low-income or indigent who co-edited the first gay journal in that thought charity, has announced its ear- women in Wisconsin, one of about country, whose colleague was brutally ly spring grants “to improve this, our 35 states that has cut off Medicaid murdered and who was targeted for only world.” assistance for abortion care. The fund assassination. He is seeking asylum in the Nonbelief Relief is a charitable or- helped more than 1,000 women last United States. Articles about their plight ganization created by the executive year, with an average of $330. will be appearing in FFRF’s newspaper, board of the Freedom From Religion • $10,000 to the Afghan Women’s Freethought Today, when they are at Foundation. Its purposes are to serve to stop gun death and injury through Fund, endorsed by FFRF Honorary Di- liberty to write about their situations. A as a humanitarian agency for athe- research, education, advocacy and col- rector Katha Pollitt, which works to open fourth application for an endangered ists, agnostics, freethinkers and their laboration. Nonbelief Relief notes that schools for girls in Afghanistan and en- Pakistani is under consideration. supporters. Nonbelief Relief seeks to the center is especially important, given sure the human rights of Afghan wom- Nonbelief Relief Administrator An- remediate conditions of human suf- the official embargo on gun violence re- en. Its motto: “Education is the key.” nie Laurie Gaylor notes that given the fering and injustice on a global scale, search by the Centers for Disease Con- • $10,000 for Camp Quest to use as rising violence and persecution in Isla- whether the result of natural disasters, trol and Prevention. scholarships for children who would mist nations worldwide, the demands human actions or adherence to reli- • $5,000 to UltraViolet, in the wake of otherwise be unable to afford to at- for help from threatened nonbelievers gious dogma. Such relief is not limited the #MeToo and #Timesup movements. tend one of the educational summer from a variety of nations is also increas- to but includes assistance for individu- UltraViolet works to mobilize millions of programs offered around the country ing. These stipends are given after als targeted for nonbelief, secular activ- activists on a range of issues including re- catering to the nonreligious. vetting with a loose consortium of aid ism or blasphemy. productive rights, health care, violence, Additionally, this year Nonbelief groups and individuals. Most individu- The organization is giving: economic security and racial justice. Relief has already given stipends of als receive assistance from more than • $20,000 to Doctors Without Bor- • $25,000 to the volunteer Women’s $5,000 each to three individuals: a one organization. ders, with the request it be used for the Medical Fund, in memoriam to feminist journalist forced to leave To donate directly to Nonbelief Re- group’s work in Syria and with Syrian FFRF’s principal founder Anne Nicol Bangladesh; a Pakistani man who was lief, go to ffrf.org and select the “Donate” refugees, given the crisis there. Gaylor, also co-founder of the longest accused of blasphemy and tortured and button and then click on “Nonbelief • $5,000 to Violence Policy Center, continuously operating abortion fund is now (with his family) seeking asylum in Relief, Inc." Your donation is deductible which is a 501(c)(3) educational group in the nation. All money goes to pay for the United Kingdom; and a Bangladeshi for income tax purposes. OVERHEARD

I don’t know why an entire political you did wrong and it’ll be OK.” Come Published by Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. party wants to proudly carry the brand on. And almost everywhere you go in of being hateful. the world, the biggest structures are P.O. Box 750 Madison WI 53701 Georgia state Sen. Nan Orrock, a Dem- the Catholic churches. [email protected] FFRF.org ocrat, following the passage of a bill Legendary music producer Quin- P 608.256.8900 F 608.204.0422 that would allow adoption agencies to cy Jones, after being asked if he was discriminate against same-sex couples. religious. EDITOR PJ Slinger [email protected] Republicans passed the bill with all The Vulture.com, 2-7-18 Democrats voting no. EDITOR EMERITUS Bill Dunn NBC News, 2-2-18 He [Pope Francis] has just turned back EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Annie Laurie Gaylor the clock to the darkest days of this cri- GRAPHIC DESIGNER Roger Daleiden No, man. I know too much about it. I sis. Who knows how many victims now COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Amit Pal knew Romano Mussolini, the jazz pia- will decide to stay hidden, for fear they CONTRIBUTORS no player, the son of Benito Mussolini. will not be believed? We used to jam all night. And he’d tell BishopAccountability.org co-founder Anne Eric C., Zenos Frudakis, Molly Hanson, Ingrid Laas, Chris Line, me about where the Catholics were Barrett Doyle, calling a “stunning set- Maryam Namazie, Joseph Richardson, Andrew Seidel, Jake Swenson, coming from. The Catholics have a re- back” remarks by the pope defending a Valerie Tarico ligion based on fear, smoke and mur- Chilean bishop accused of child sexual der. And the biggest gimmick in the abuse cover-up. The only freethought newspaper in the United States world is confession: “You tell me what New York Times, 1-20-18 April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 3

Nov. 2-4 in San Francisco Rushdie, Sweeney added to FFRF convention lineup FFRF is delighted to announce that ous versions of the story, and feedback acclaimed author Salman Rushdie has from numerous parents, scientists, and joined comedian Julia Sweeney and children, the story for My Name is Star- “Mythbuster” Adam Savage as some of dust was finalized. Doug Harris gets a the notable speakers who will be headlin- co-credit on the book. ing FFRF’s 41st annual convention in San Doug is a successful entrepreneur, Francisco, which takes places Nov. 2-4 at special-interest writer and science edu- the downtown Hyatt Regency. cation advocate. He was a featured ex- Future issues of Freethought Today pert panel speaker at the 2017 BookCon will update convention speakers as they in New York City on Science and Educa- are confirmed. See the back page for de- tion. While releasing his book in 2017, he tails about the convention. was interviewed by Helen Little for The Public Library Podcast on iHeartRadio Salman Rushdie about science, education and literature. Rushdie is one The second book in the series, Stardust of the most cel- Explores the Solar System, will be released ebrated authors in the fall. The public will receive early of our time. He access to the book through a Kickstarter has written sever- campaign that launched in January. It al classic novels, will then be featured at Book Expo and influenced a gen- BookCon in New York City in June, fol- eration of writers, lowed by an international book release in and received the October. Salman Rushdie Queen’s Knight- hood for his “ser- Leighann Lord vices to literature.” He is also one of the Lord, a veteran stand-up comedian, most thought-provoking proponents for will perform a free speech. stand-up routine His novels include The Satanic Verses, at the convention. The Moor’s Last Sigh, The Ground Beneath Lord has been Her Feet and 2008’s The Enchantress of Flor- Adam Savage seen on Lifetime, ence. His masterwork of magic realism, which premiered on Discovery Channel support communities for those who have VH-1, Comedy Midnight’s Children, won the presitigious in January 2003. Fourteen years, 1,015 left Islam. Central, HBO and Booker Prize, and later, the Best of the myths, 2,950 experiments, eight Emmy Born in Pakistan and raised in Tex- “The View.” She Booker. He is also the author of bestsell- nominations and 83 miles of duct tape as, she spent her early youth as a devout is a contributor ing memoir Joseph Anton. Rushdie’s Luka later, the series ended in March 2016. Muslim. In her late teens, she began to to the Huffington and the Fire of Life is a children’s novel and Today, Savage stars in and produces read the Quran critically and left religion Leighann Lord Post and the au- a companion to Haroun and the Sea of Sto- content for Tested.com, including behind- soon after. thor of Dict Jokes: ries. His latest novels are Two Years Eight the-scenes dives into multiple blockbust- Nowadays, Alternate Definitions for Words You’ve Proba- Months and Twenty-Eight Nights, which was er films (such as “Ghost in the Shell,” Haider directs bly Never Heard of But Will Definitely Never a New York Times besteller, and most re- “Alien Covenant” and “Blade Runner”). EXMNA’s Life Forget and Real Women Do It Standing Up: cently The Golden House, a novel that “de- He also produces and stars in his “Brain Beyond Faith Stories From the Career of a Very Funny Lady. picts Obama’s and Trump’s U.S.” Candy” stage show with Vsauce’s Michael mini-documen- Lord was the New York City face of Stevens. taries, a series of the African-Americans for Humanism Julia Sweeney video portraits of outreach campaign sponsored by the Sweeney, one of FFRF’s honorary John de Lancie ex-Muslim atheists Center for Inquiry and its Millions Living directors, will perform a new stand-up De Lancie, an actor, director, pro- and humanists. Happily Without Religion Campaign. In routine called “Julia Sweeney: Older ducer, writer, singer, musician and voice She is also heading 2012, the group ran a media campaign Sarah Haider and Wider” for the FFRF audience. artist, will be receiving FFRF’s first “Clar- EXMNA’s Normal- that included billboards depicting Lord She is joining Second City in Chicago ence” award — a statuette version of izing Dissent tour, and other contemporary activists and or- in May. FFRF’s 7-foot stat- and travels the United States and Canada ganizers alongside historically prominent She is a “Saturday Night Live” alum ue on display in to cover a range of issues related to apos- African-American humanists Zora Neale who created and front of the site tasy in Islam. She is currently a columnist Hurston, Langston Hughes and Freder- portrayed the an- of the Scopes for Free Inquiry magazine. In addition to ick Douglass. drogynous char- trial, in Dayton, atheism, Sarah is particularly passionate Author Chris Johnson has featured acter “Pat,” which Tenn. De Lan- about civil liberties and women’s rights. her in The Atheist Book: A Better Life. spun off the fea- cie spoke at that She will receive FFRF’s Freethought ture film “It’s Pat.” dedication and Heroine Award. Debra Deanne Olson She also created helped with the Olson, along with Dr. Craig West and performed sev- unveiling. Bailey and Doug Harris Wilkinson, just authored a book about John de Lancie eral award-winning Well-known Bailey her atheist grand- Julia Sweeney one-woman shows, for portraying “Q” in the TV series “Star Harris, 12, a father, The Hon- including “God Trek: The Next Generation,” he has sixth-grade orable Culbert Levy Said, Ha!”, “In the Family Way” and “Let- many film credits, including: “The Hand student at Olson: Governor of ting Go of God,” which was about her that Rocks the Cradle,” “The Fisher Salt Lake California 1939- journey from Roman Catholic schoolgirl King,” “Fearless,” “Multiplicity,” “Women City’s Open 1943. A review of to atheist. She has also been in several on Top” and “The Big Time.” Classroom, the book was syndi- movies, including “Pulp Fiction.” She has De Lancie has appeared in numerous will be re- cated in more than previously received FFRF’s Emperor Has television shows, including “The Librar- ceiving 300 newspapers in No Clothes Award. ians,” “Breaking Bad” and “The West Doug and Bailey Harris the $5,000 early March. Wing.” Beverly Debra Deanne She is a political, Adam Savage He was a speaker at the Reason Rally and Richard Hermsen Student Activ- Olson environmental and Savage has spent his life gathering in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 2016. He ist Award. When Bailey was 8, she was peace activist and skills that allow him to take what’s in his spoke in reference to his Star Trek char- watching the episode of “Cosmos: A held volunteer positions on both of Hil- brain and make it real. He’s built every- acter Q, “My name is John de Lancie, Spacetime Odyssey” in which host Neil lary Clinton’s presidential campaigns. thing from ancient Buddhas and futur- and I am a god. At least, I’ve played one deGrasse Tyson said, “The planets, the She was a national senior advisor and istic weapons to fine-art sculptures and on TV. And I’m here to tell you as a god stars, the galaxies, we ourselves and all a fundraising consultant for the Kucinich dancing vegetables. that I was created by humans. The words of life — the same star stuff.” Inspired, for President campaign in 2003. She is In 1993, Savage began concentrating I spoke were written by men and women, she immediately went up to her fami- founder of Peace Solutions. his career on the special-effects industry, just like all the gods before me. My god ly’s computer and started writing what Olson is committed to fostering a cul- honing his skills through more than 100 creators wanted you to believe I was the would eventually become the beautiful ture of peace and connecting like-mind- television commercials and a dozen fea- omnipotent one.” picture book, My Name is Stardust. ed individuals and organizations to create ture films, including “Star Wars Episode Bailey worked with her father, Doug a sustainable and healthy society. She has I: The Phantom Menace” and “Episode Sarah Haider Harris, over the next year to develop been an active member of the Clinton II: Attack of the Clones,” “Galaxy Quest” Haider is a co-founder of Ex-Muslims a story that they felt would teach chil- Global Initiative since 2006 and served and the “Matrix” sequels. of North America (EXMNA), a group dren this concept, along with other as a member of the Business Council of In 2002, Savage was chosen along with that advocates for the acceptance of re- areas of science such as evolution and Women for Hillary Clinton during the Jamie Hyneman to host “MythBusters,” ligious dissent and works to create local astronomy, most effectively. After vari- 2008 presidential primary. Page 4 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018

Roy Award HEADS UP Continued from page 1 A Poetry Column By Philip Appleman PARABLE OF THE TALENTS “I should have received mine own with interest.” – Matthew 25:27 The love of money is the root, the branch, the flower—so why don’t we ever write poems about money? Is it because we’re just too good for this world, counting our delicate heartbeats out at the edge of everyone else’s reality, our sensitive psyches never fed by the Fed, our Tao out of sync with the Dow, in the midst of rallies, Photo by Chris Line all of us bearish on bulls? Bonya Ahmed, left, sits with FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker on the set of Freethought Matters, FFRF’s new television show. Or is it because they’re already writing their own poems, those canny people, who — in spite of facing nu- to ensure Muktomona persists, and can-do capitalists, brokers and bankers all busily merous hurdles that may include a who has personally done so much locking in yields, threat to their personal lives — have to ensure the safety of other en- pumping new blood into partnerships, persisted in their work through writ- dangered Bangladeshis,” said FFRF watching the markets peak and bottom out, ing, artistic projects, activism or oth- Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. sheltering windfalls, letting their profits run, er means of expression to promote “As Medgar Evers presciently noted cutting their losses, science, logic and humane ideas. before his own assassination, ‘You beefing up capital, funneling cash “We are honored to be part of this can kill a man, but you can’t kill an into balanced portfolios? overdue memorial to Avijit Roy and idea.’ It’s vital that Avijit’s work con- to be working with his widow, Bonya, tinues so that rationalism and free- Down here in the daffodils, who is continuing in Avijit’s footsteps dom of conscience prevail.” who’s counting? Could we ever achieve an emotional high at a boost in the prime rate? Or could we go broke again Bonya meets Charles and convince our down-side lovers it was only negative cash flow?

No poems except in passion: the brokers keep asking, is her smile worth three points up front? Will the bougainvillea turn a profit this quarter? Are those gentle fingertips economically viable? And the sonnets keep whispering: Poets, remember, where your treasure is, there will your songs be also. From Karma, Dharma, Pudding & Pie © Philip Appleman. Philip Appleman is a Dis­tinguished Pro­fessor Emeri­tus at In­dia­na Uni­ver­si­ty. He is editor of the Norton Critical Edition of Darwin. He and his playwright wife, Marjorie Appleman, are both “After-Life” Members of FFRF. Phil’s books: ffrf.org/shop.

FFRF welcomes its 23 new Life, After-Life Members FFRF is proud to announce and T. Zdeblick. recognize its 19 newest Life Mem- Individual Life Memberships are bers, four After-Life Members and $1,000, designated as membership one Immortal. or membership renewal, and are de- The new After-Life Members are ductible for income-tax purposes, as Kathryn Allen, Clifford A. Hall, Gor- are all donations. Rafida Bonya Ahmed is pictured with FFRF’s life-like silicone mannequin don Lamb and Carsten Smidt. Af- States represented are Alabama, of Charles Darwin (created by sculptor Csam Wheatley), which “lives” in ter-Life Membership is a tongue-in- California, Colorado, Georgia, Ken- FFRF’s Joel B. Landon and Wanda Y. Beers Freethought Library. Bonya, cheek-named donation category of tucky, Massachusetts, New York, as she is called, visited FFRF’s office recently to appear on FFRF’s new TV $5,000 for those who want their do- Ohio, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Ver- talk show, “Freethought Matters.” A Bangladeshi-American, Bonya was nation to “live on” after them. mont, Washington and Wisconsin. critically wounded, but survived a Feb. 26, 2015, machete attack by Islamist FFRF’s 19 newest Life Members The latest Immortal is Jack Egger extremists on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, that killed her husband, are Scott Alspach, Jim Ball, Brett Ben- (who also became a Life Member this Avijit Roy, a well-known atheist and author. The brutal attack was part son, Mario Bourgoin, Nancy Breslow, past month and has generously paid of a horrific series of Islamist executions of nonbelievers and gays in that Tim Cooney, Richard Corbeille, Ste- for FFRF to put up freethinking bill- country. phen H. Deutsch, Jack Egger, S. Eu- board messages in the Atlanta area. FFRF’s Nonbelief Relief is working with Bonya on providing help to other rus, Phillip Lloyd Howard, Martha (See page 6). The Immortals catego- endangered nonbelievers. Bonya will be featured on an April 20 TED Talk Lentz (gift membership from Jona- ry is a donation designation for those out of Exeter, U.K. In the fall, she will be a fellow at the London School of than Noll), Jim Loddengaard, Gayle members who have contacted FFRF Economics. You can find her interview on “Freethought Matters,” after it Reber, Tom Reber, Branislav Slan- to report they have made provisions airs on WISC-TV 3 in Madison, Wis., on FFRF’s YouTube Channel. tchev, Susan Wernet, Eric White and for FFRF in their estate planning. April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 5 IN THE NEWS City must pay $700K in which groups receive federal family Ten Commandments case God’s getting mixed messages planning funds. In the past, a group of The city of Bloomfield, N.M., hopes officials made the decision. to use online fundraising money to pay The $286 million Title X program the $700,000 it owes from a lawsuit re- funds family planning services, mostly garding the Ten Commandments mon- for low-income women. ument that was formerly located outside Now the final decision of who gets of City Hall. the funding will be in the hands of one Because the courts ruled the monu- person — Valerie Huber, the acting ment violated the U.S. Constitution and deputy assistant secretary for popula- represented a government endorsement tion affairs at HHS, a longtime advocate of religion, the city must now pay the le- of abstinence. gal fees for the American Civil Liberties Many women’s health advocates Union, which filed the complaint in 2012 fear that the Trump administration will on behalf of two Bloomfield residents. move money away from groups that The nonprofit law firm Alliance De- provide contraception and toward crisis fending Freedom provided Bloomfield pregnancy centers that oppose abortion with "free" legal representation through- or groups that promote abstinence-only out the litigation process. education. City Manager Eric Strahl said Bloomfield had until June 30, 2021, Court: Law covers to pay the $700,000 that it owes for transgender workers the ACLU’s legal fees. Strahl said if the city is unable to raise A federal law banning sex bias in This sign outside the Knox Presbyterian Church in New Westminster, British money through donations, it will have to the workplace prohibits discrimination Columbia, Canada, expresses the exact opposite sentiment of Utah Gov. Gary pay the sum out of its general fund. against transgender workers, a U.S. ap- Herbert. Herbert asked faith leaders in his state to pray for more snow. His peals court said on March 7, ruling in letter asked interfaith leaders to urge prayer for snow during the first week in Woman imprisoned under favor of a funeral director who was fired March. The governor references the summer of 2012 when Utah was plagued after telling her boss she planned to abortion ban freed with wildfires and he asked for prayers for rain, which “worked.” transition to female from male. A Salvadoran woman who spent al- FFRF sent out a press release on March 8 under the headline, "Prayer is snow The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals most 11 years in prison under El Salva- business of Utah gov." said RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes in dor’s ban on abortion was freed after Detroit unlawfully discriminated against "It's best to check the weather report before praying for snow, FFRF the country’s Supreme Court commut- Aimee Stephens, formerly known as An- paraphrases Mark Twain as a retort to a silly request by the governor of ed her sentence. thony Stephens, based on her sex. Utah." The case of the woman, Teodora Several federal appeals courts have del Carmen Vásquez, underscores the said that discriminating against trans- punishment faced by Salvadoran wom- of Americans United for Separation of Hurricane Harvey caused damage gender workers is a form of unlawful en convicted of homicide after losing a Church and State. She is the first woman to their buildings in August, and two sex bias. But the 6th Circuit was the pregnancy. El Salvador forbids abortion to lead the 71-year-old group. Florida synagogues brought suit after first to consider and reject a religious under any circumstances, even to save Laser takes over the organization Hurricane Irma harmed their facilities defense in such a case. the life of the woman. at a time when Americans are strongly in September. Vásquez, 34, was at her job as a school divided about the role of religion in Study: Atheists more cafeteria cook in 2007 when she began public life. likely to be left-handed bleeding and suffered a stillbirth in the Court reverses ruling on last month of her pregnancy. She was ‘In God We Trust’ to be city funds for church A study has found that left-handed convicted of aggravated homicide and in all Florida schools? people are more likely to be atheists be- sentenced to 30 years in prison. The Massachusetts Supreme Judi- cause it is thought that belief is passed But the Supreme Court ruled that The Florida House on Feb. 21, one cial Court on March 9 reversed a low- on genetically. there was insufficient evidence to show week after the school massacre in Park- er court’s ruling that the city of Acton The study suggests that religious that Vásquez had taken any action to land, passed a measure that would re- could fund restoration of Acton Con- people have fewer genetic mutations end the pregnancy and that for “power- quire all public schools to post the state gregational Church. and are therefore less likely to be ful reasons of justice” and “equity,” she motto, “In God We Trust,” in a “conspic- The court ordered a preliminary in- left-handed. should be released. uous place.” junction against using public money to The study, published in the journal Rep. Kim Daniels, a self-described restore the church’s stained-glass win- Evolutionary Psychological Science, re- Pakistani rights activist exorcist who runs her own ministry, said dows that feature religious imagery, and ports that in pre-industrial times, reli- Asma Jahangir dies Florida needed the legislation, given the sent the case back to the lower court for giosity was passed on like other genetic goings-on in the state. further scrutiny of whether Acton could attributes. But because of advances in Asma Jahangir, 66, a leading Paki- “[God] is not a Republican or a Dem- use a statewide historic preservation science, people who would not previ- stani rights activist, fearless critic of the ocrat. He is not black or white,” Daniels grant program to fund any improve- ously have survived are making it to military’s interference in politics and said. “He is the light, and our schools ments to houses of worship. adulthood and reproducing, leading to a staunch defender of the rule of law, need light in them like never before.” The case, Caplan v. Town of Acton, was a greater incidence of atheism. died Feb. 11. The bill passed 97-10, followed by a brought by Americans United on behalf Jahangir was a human rights lawyer standing ovation. The Senate has yet to of 13 Massachusetts taxpayers and was Physicist, atheist who had a reputation for speaking truth take up a companion bill. spurred by concerns from AU’s Massa- Stephen Hawking dies to power and defending the weak and chusetts chapter. The case challenged the marginalized and women and mi- Churches hit by disaster the town’s decision to use the Massa- Atheist Stephen Hawking, the bril- norities against injustice. She gained eligible for FEMA funds chusetts Community Preservation Act, liant British theoretical physicist who international acclaim for being the through which communities can pro- overcame a debilitating disease to pub- conscience of a country where liberal, On Feb. 9, Congress approved a mea- vide government grants to private land- lish popular books probing the myster- secular voices have continuously been sure making houses of worship eligible owners for the restoration of historic ies of the universe, died on March 14. under threat. for public assistance money for the res- buildings, to restore houses of worship. Hawking was also a cosmologist, as- She was the founding chairwoman toration of damaged buildings and oth- Acton wanted to give $100,000 worth tronomer, mathematician and author of the Human Rights Commission of er purposes from the Federal Emergen- of grant money to a church for resto- of numerous books, including the land- Pakistan. cy Management Agency (FEMA) in the ration of stained-glass windows with mark A Brief History of Time, which sold She often faced threats to her life, aftermath of disasters such as hurricanes religious imagery and a “Master Plan” more than 10 million copies. both from military dictators and mil- and tornadoes. President Trump signed to evaluate the restoration needs of Hawking merged Einstein’s theory of itants. She championed the rights of the legislation into law that day. the church itself and two other church- relativity with quantum theory to suggest religious minorities — especially those Federal law now gives permanence owned properties. The church has an that space and time would begin with the who were charged under the country’s to a new FEMA interpretation issued in active congregation and in its grant re- Big Bang and end in black holes. Hawk- blasphemy laws. early January. At that time, the agency quest, it conceded that it wanted taxpay- ing also discovered that black holes were announced it would no longer exclude er funding so that it could save its own not completely black but emit radiation American United picks houses of worship from its aid, which money for religious programming. and would likely eventually evaporate first woman to lead provides for debris removal, emergen- and disappear. cy protection and the rebuilding of Abstinence advocate in Hawking suffered from ALS, a neuro- Rachel Laser, a lawyer and longtime facilities for some private nonprofit charge of Title X funds degenerative disease, which is usually fa- advocate on issues related to reproduc- organizations. tal within a few years. He was diagnosed tive freedom, LGBT equality and racism, Three Texas churches challenged A senior Trump health official who in 1963, when he was 21. The disease left has been named the executive director FEMA’s policy in federal court after has promoted abstinence will decide him wheelchair-bound and paralyzed. Page 6 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 FFRF NEWS FFRF condemns feds honoring of Graham FFRF denounced various govern- worked to narrow civil rights. mental efforts to venerate the late Bil- Graham consistently found him- ly Graham. self on the wrong side of history, A federal order instructed that opposing gay rights and marriage flags be lowered to half-staff on March equality and retracting anti-Semitic 2, just after Graham was “lain in hon- statements only when it became nec- or” in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. essary to do so. And North Carolina is proceeding The Billy Graham Evangelical As- with a 2015 request to place a statue of sociation once said that Vladimir Graham in the National Statuary Hall Putin was “more right” on LGBTQ Collection at the U.S. Capitol. rights than then-President Obama. While it would be fitting for evan- Graham, in his 90s, wrote a full-page gelical Christian organizations to hon- ad appearing in several North Caro- or Graham, it is not appropriate for lina newspapers “to urge my fellow our federal and state governments to North Carolinians to vote FOR the do so. marriage amendment” in May 2012, Despite supporters’ insistence which passed, banning gay marriage that Graham is a universally beloved until later nullified. He belonged to a figure, he had a checkered history, denomination that refused to ordain including anti-Semitism, disdain for women. The “Billy Graham” rule di- atheists and other alienating and di- recting a man to not be alone with a Photo by Shutterstock visive views. Furthermore, he was a re- woman other than his wife continues Evangelist Billy Graham was honored by the U.S. government as flags were ordered ligious figure who had no redeeming to influence evangelicals, including to be at half-staff on March 2, just after he was “lain in honor” in the U.S. Capitol. secular achievements (unlike person- Vice President Mike Pence, isolating alities such as Martin Luther King Jr.). Capitol rotunda, which FFRF also con- known for their direct and incontro- career women in the process. The decision to lower flags to half- demned. Only 31 persons previously vertible service to the nation. In Rosa Billy Graham stood against much mast in honor of Billy Graham follows have lain in honor in the U.S. Capi- Parks’ case, for instance, it was for her of what makes this country noble. He on the heels of Graham receiving a tol since it was completed in 1824, 11 iconic role in the civil rights move- is not worthy of governmental praise rare tribute of “lying in honor” in the of them presidents and all the others ment. Graham, on the other hand, or honors. Atlanta billboard campaign FFRF, Americans United demand equality for Humanist prisoners continues secular message FFRF and Americans United for Sep- and Unitarian Universalism must re- aration of Church and State, two of the ceive the same constitutional protec- most prominent secular organizations tions as theistic belief systems,” the brief in the United States, filed an amicus contends. “In a case with facts remark- brief in appellate court on Feb. 27 over ably similar to those of the one at bar, discriminatory official treatment of a the 7th Circuit held that a state prison Humanist inmate in Nevada. violated the Establishment Clause by The Nevada Department of Cor- denying an atheist inmate the right to rections and Lovelock Correctional form an atheist study group.” Center denied a Humanist prisoner, If the district court’s decision is Benjamin Espinosa, the opportunities allowed to stand, it will not only cut accorded to dozens of “faith groups”: against a considerable, long-standing the ability to organize and meet. Shock- body of case law, but will also run count- FFRF’s billboard campaign propagating ingly, when Espinosa sued to exercise er to the policies and practices now em- freethought and secularism is proceeding his rights on an equal basis with theis- braced by numerous government bod- briskly in the Deep South. tic prisoners, a district court ruled that ies, including state prison systems. A new billboard graphically representing the Espinosa had no constitutional right If the district court’s decision is up- Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to meet with other Humanist inmates, held, the Nevada Department of Cor- went up in early March on Spring Road near because Humanism doesn’t require the rections and Lovelock Correctional the intersection of Atlanta Road in the town of belief in a god. Center will be able to continue to ar- Smyrna in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The The district court’s dangerous de- bitrarily and unjustly deny Nevada’s eye-catching panel proclaims “The Only Wall cision misapplies the law in a way that nontheistic inmates an equal opportu- We Need Is Between Church & State” against could undermine the rights of non- nity to pursue similar beneficial group the backdrop of two portions of a clearly divid- theists if it is upheld. Humanism is en- study and self-help. ed brick wall. titled to constitutional protection as a The appeals court should reverse FFRF put up the billboard for a month in religion, FFRF and Americans United this unjust order. round three of a new year-long campaign in assert. Rolling back the clock to a time the South’s most bustling metropolis. Two pre- when the term “religion” referred only vious billboards in different locations there to “one’s views of his relations to his MOVING? declared “In Science We Trust,” depicting an Jack Egger Creator,” the district court’s view is an Don’t miss your copy of astronaut suspended in outer space to illustrate the slogan. anachronistic interpretation that runs Georgia FFRF Member Jack Egger is underwriting the campaign, for counter to more than half a century of Freethought Today which FFRF is truly appreciative. well-established legal precedent. Nontheists, such as atheists and ad- herents of Humanism, Ethical Culture Notify Us of and Unitarian Universalism, are pro- Your Address Change Yip Harburg, tected by the Constitution to the same from his book: Rhymes for the Irreverent extent as theists. The Supreme Court definitively established that belief in Promptly! a god or gods is not required for one A Nose Is A Nose Is A Nose to be protected by the Constitution’s EMAIL [email protected] prohibitions against religious discrim- Mother, Mother, ination. And the court has specifically Tell me please, identified Humanism, the belief system The Post Office does not Did God who gave us flowers and trees, that Espinosa identifies as his own, as forward third-class mail. one of the many “religions in this coun- Also provide the allergies? FFRF cannot be responsible for replacing try which do not teach what would gen- back issues if we have not been erally be considered a belief in the exis- notified prior to your move. Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation tence of God.” Buy it from FFRF online - shop.ff rf.org “In the prison context, atheism, ag- nosticism, Humanism, Ethical Culture, April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 7 Appeal filed in West Virginia bible-teaching case

After FFRF’s lawsuit caused a West nior Counsel Patrick Elliott, argues that suit. FFRF’s legal complaint lists exam- The bill sought to frustrate West Vir- Virginia school district to suspend its bi- Deal and her daughter may continue ples of the proselytizing curriculum. ginia teachers, who recently gained na- ble classes, a parent plaintiff has filed an to pursue claims against the school dis- Lesson 2 promotes creationism by claim- tional media attention by demanding appeal to make the change permanent. trict even though her daughter is now ing humans and dinosaurs co-existed. that the state Legislature take action The appeal, dated March 5, argues attending a neighboring school system. Students are asked to “picture Adam to remedy West Virginia teachers’ un- that the suspension of the bible class- In November, Senior U.S. District being able to crawl up on the back of a competitive wages. The bill’s sponsors es this school year by Mercer County, Judge David Faber dismissed the case dinosaur! He and Eve could have their shamefully sought to impose additional W.Va., does not prevent the court from on jurisdictional grounds, finding that own personal water slide! Wouldn’t that requirements on public schools, while ruling on the case. The brief states, “Be- Deal did not have standing. The ap- be so wild!” pushing them into inevitable lawsuits, cause the evidence fails to clearly show peal demonstrates that persons who Also in West Virginia, FFRF was in- rather than giving teachers much-need- BITS [Bible in the Schools] is gone for are directly affected by the bible class- volved in helping stop a bill requiring ed relief. good, the case is not moot, and it should es may challenge them in court. “Deal state schools to teach bible classes. Political maneuvering aside, this pro- be remanded to the district court where has standing under the Establishment The West Virginia Senate did not posed law was fundamentally misguid- it can proceed.” Clause whether she endures a chal- even give a vote to SB 252, a bill that ed. Government employees should not Elizabeth Deal, a parent of a former lenged practice or acts to avoid it,” the would have required all schools in the impart religious beliefs to children. Ele- Mercer County student, is part of the ap- brief asserts. state, including elementary schools, to mentary school students are particularly peal before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court Bible indoctrination classes were teach bible courses. FFRF released an young and impressionable and a public of Appeals. The appellate brief, filed by taught in Mercer County Schools for informational video condemning the elementary school education should not Attorney Marc Schneider and FFRF Se- more than 75 years until the FFRF law- bill in early February. include religious instruction of any sort. Pruitt’s leaked views confirm FFRF’s claims Recordings have surfaced of EPA is precisely what the Founders not only chief Scott Pruitt attacking evolution, wanted, but what they actually designed advocating for a constitutional ban on in our godless Constitution. gay marriage and abortion, and claim- He has also recently used the bible to ing that Christianity is under attack in justify his environmental policy. America and being driven out of the In an interview with the Christian “public square.” Broadcasting Network, which has un- At FFRF, we’re not surprised. We precedented access in this administra- know Pruitt. We dealt with him several tion, Pruitt put forth his theocratic per- times as Oklahoma’s attorney general. spective. He explained: “The biblical Prior to his confirmation, FFRF tried worldview with respect to these issues is to warn the U.S. Senate that he is an that we have a responsibility to manage Photo by Shutterstock incorrigible theocrat. and cultivate, harvest the natural re- The People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C. where many protested EPA chief Then, on March 2, Politico broke sources that we’ve been blessed with to Scott Pruitt’s disdain for the environment. the story of the tapes. In the recordings, truly bless our fellow mankind.” The arti- tween [Pruitt’s] personal religion and gal action in order to defy that order. Pruitt can be heard saying things like, cle refers to Pruitt as “the kind of guy you secular law.” We do not live in a theocracy, but that “There aren’t sufficient scientific facts to might meet in bible study,” and that he FFRF laid out the many times Pruitt is what Pruitt would have us think. By his establish the theory of evolution.” “believes God commands us to take care has chosen his religion over his oath of own admission, he is running the EPA He also argues that “the most grievous of the environment and that also means office. After the Oklahoma Supreme in accordance with biblical principles. threat that we have today is this imperial- to use what He has provided.” Court ruled that a Ten Commandments The justified furor that the Politico tapes istic judiciary, this judicial monarchy that On Jan. 13, 2017, FFRF sent a series monument in front of the Oklahoma have generated shows the importance of has it wrong on what the First Amend- of questions to the Senate Energy and Capitol was unconstitutional, Pruitt, in FFRFs work. ment’s about and has an objective to Natural Resources Committee, holding his official capacity as the attorney gener- Pruitt has always been a theocrat and create religious sterility in the public hearings on Pruitt's nomination. The al of Oklahoma, said, “Quite simply, the has abandoned the duties of his office to square, which is wholly inconsistent with first group of questions fell under a Oklahoma Supreme Court got it wrong,” cling to an ancient and misguided book. the Founding Fathers’ view.” Pruitt is heading that sums up all the problems argued that the court’s order was uncon- He’s unfit for office — as proven by his describing a secular government, which we’re seeing with Pruitt: “Conflicts be- stitutional, and filed a new, frivolous le- reliance on a specious theocratic tome. Mike Pompeo unfit to be U.S. secretary of state The anointing of Mike Pompeo as capsulated his worldview. He bemoaned cancelled an event in which the parents Religious Freedom Foundation (which U.S. secretary of state will be a disaster the supposed official campaign to “rip of hate-crime victim Matthew Shepard represents secular folks in the Penta- for the world. faith from our schools.” Pompeo also were to talk to CIA employees about gon and intelligence agencies), told the FFRF has been on to Pompeo for a exposed his Christian fundamentalism LGBTQ issues. This wasn’t surprising. publication. “Our clients at CIA feel ex- while. When he was chosen to lead the in stating, “America had worshipped “Pompeo, who attends weekly bible tremely isolated in a way they have not CIA, FFRF highlighted his darkly dan- other gods and called it multicultural- studies held in government buildings, felt before.” gerous way of thinking based on evan- ism.” Pompeo concluded by describing referenced God and Christianity re- Mike Pompeo was unfit to even gelical Christian notions. politics as “a never-ending struggle . . . peatedly in his first all-hands speech run the country’s premier intelligence “To worship our lord and celebrate until the rapture.” and in a recent trip report while travel- agency. But now he’ll be in charge of our nation at the same place is not only FFRF expressed its deep discomfort ing overseas,” Foreign Policy magazine the U.S. diplomatic apparatus and be our right, it is our duty,” the then-Kan- with the soon-to-be CIA head. reported. Agency employees felt pres- its face to the rest of the world. His ex- sas congressman began a speech to a Pompeo set about proving FFRF sured to go along with the religiosity, treme views make him utterly unfit for Wichita congregation in 2015 that en- right. Soon after assuming control, he Michael Weinstein, founder of Military this tremendous responsibility.

RECRUIT A MEMBER Taxpayers sample copies for $2 Continued from page 1 Send $2 with the name and response to the second thoughts the Tourism Development Authority from Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Would there county had about disbursing taxpayer a mess of its own making. . . Under our have been the same complacency if it address of each person you funds in this manner. system, government is supposed to be was a mosque involved?” wish to receive a sample copy “The Buncombe Tourism Devel- indifferent toward religion, neither Gaylor notes that the county could of Freethought Today to: opment Authority voted to table a promoting nor suppressing it. In initial- fund any number of secular projects to $72,500 grant it previously had award- ly approving public money for a fresco boost tourism in ways that do not ex- FFRF ed the church to install a fresco in the inside a church, the Tourism Develop- clude nonreligious citizens. P.O. Box 750 sanctuary of its property,” stated the ment Authority had crossed the line FFRF has more than 32,000 mem- Madison, WI 53701 Citizen-Times. into questionable territory, as critics bers and 20 chapters across the coun- The Citizen-Times editorial board had pointed out.” try. Its purposes are to protect the Please send us only names gives out weekly grades for a variety FFRF is pleased with the outcome. constitutional principle of separation of likely supporters of new items. It gave a “C” grade to “Initially, taxpayers were being between state and church, and to edu- Freedom depends upon freethinkers the “Haywood Street Congregation, wrongly asked to hand out their mon- cate the public on matters relating to for extricating the Buncombe County ey to a church,” says FFRF Co-President nontheism. Page 8 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 FFRF VICTORIES By Molly Hanson of young Americans are non-Christian. lightened Cleveland County officials, ing against the public school’s uncon- FFRF requested that the district end they took out such obviously Christian stitutional appearance of endorsing Bible verse on T-shirts the chaplaincy program and take ac- artwork from a judicial building that religion over nonreligion by showing tion to stop coaches and other school serves a secular purpose — and the preferential treatment to an outside banned from band representatives from organizing, lead- needs of a religiously diverse popula- religious club. ing or participating in prayers with stu- tion,” says FFRF Co-President Annie An attorney for the district dent athletes. Laurie Gaylor. confirmed on Feb. 9 that the A legal representative of Putnam Fellowship of Christian Athletes had City Schools recently informed FFRF been discontinued. that the district had investigated the Emergency! Crosses incident and discovered that Keah- come off rescue vehicles FFRF coaches schools bone had been allowed into the team’s locker room to interact with students on coach-led prayer and offer prayer. FFRF was assured FFRF stopped constitutional viola- that new procedures had been put into tions that nearly took place in three place and that the athletic staff has high schools in a Florida school dis- been instructed that the practice of al- trict. It was reported to FFRF that the lowing access to students and engaging Gainesville High School, Eastside High in prayer before any game would cease School and Buchholtz High School FFRF has remedied several state/ immediately. football teams were scheduled to at- church violations within a Missouri “Religion is divisive and has no tend a Fellowship of Christian Athletes public school after receiving multiple place in a football team locker room,” football camp this summer. complaints from area residents regard- says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie The camp includes daily church ing school employees at Buffalo High Gaylor. “We’re pleased that the school services and its stated mission is to School promoting religion. district has taken corrective action to “present to coaches and athletes, and It was reported that the band di- honor their students’ rights of con- all whom they influence, the challenge rector of the school’s marching band science and create a more inclusive and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ included a bible verse on the official team atmosphere.” as Savior and Lord, serving Him in band T-shirts in the past. Last year, their relationships and in the fellow- T-shirts for the Buffalo High School ship of the church.” Furthermore, the girls’ basketball team also included a With one stroke, FFRF head football coach of Gainesville High bible verse. Furthermore, a parent re- School described the camp in part as ported that in recent years there have removes N.C. painting A concerned resident reported to a team building activity to “emphasize been prayers given over the loudspeak- FFRF has gotten a brazenly religious FFRF that Palm Beach County in Flor- faith” and stated that “everyone can er before Buffalo High School football work of art removed from a North Car- ida had been displaying Latin crosses benefit from learning some Christian games. olina courthouse. on its fire trucks and ambulances to values and fellowship.” The coaching FFRF wrote to the Dallas County R-1 A Cleveland County resident in- commemorate fallen firefighters and staff, and, occasionally, students were School District on Jan. 9, informing Su- formed FFRF that a large painting had EMTs. FFRF wrote to the county on also leading the team in prayer before perintendent Timothy Ryan that it is a been installed in the main corridor of Jan. 19 emphasizing that while it has meals and coaches were leading the violation of the U.S. Constitution for the Cleveland County Courthouse de- no objection to memorializing emer- team in prayer before and after games. schools to promote a religious message picting a Latin cross and an ichthys, also gency responders, it is unlawful for a FFRF Director of Strategic Response to students, or to sponsor religious known as the Jesus fish. The Elizabeth county government to display patently Andrew Seidel wrote to Alachua Coun- messages at school athletic events. Baptist Church donated the piece. religious symbols. ty Public Schools last year informing On Jan. 19, Ryan responded, in- The religious significance of the “Our objection is to the message the district that the prayers and the forming FFRF that the district would Latin cross is unambiguous and indis- of endorsement of religion over non- camp were illegal. The district re- perform an investigation into the al- putable, FFRF reminded county offi- religion,” wrote FFRF Patrick O’Rei- sponded on Feb. 6, communicating leged violations to ensure they would cials, since an overwhelming majority ley Legal Fellow Chris Line. “These to FFRF that the coaches of the teams not recur. of federal courts agree that the Latin crosses send a message to minority have been instructed to refrain from cross universally represents the Chris- religions and nonreligious emergen- any religious activity. tian religion — and only the Christian cy responders that their service is less Oklahoma football team religion. valuable than that of their Christian doesn’t have a prayer “The Supreme Court has long rec- co-workers.” FFRF stands up for ognized that the First Amendment An attorney representing Palm FFRF has remedied a constitutional ‘mandates governmental neutrality Beach County responded on Feb. 6 New Jersey students violation taking place within an Okla- between religion and religion, and informing FFRF that the fire rescue FFRF has protected students’ rights homa City school district. between religion and nonreligion,’” squad would be removing the cross of conscience at a New Jersey high It was reported to FFRF by a con- FFRF Legal Fellow Chris Line wrote to stickers from their emergency vehicles. school. A student reported to FFRF cerned area resident that Putnam City Cleveland County last November. “Dis- that an East Brunswick High School High School had been including reli- playing paintings that promote Chris- teacher singled the student out to talk gion in its football program. The Rev. tianity fails to respect either constitu- Club discontinued in about why they were not standing for Mike Keahbone was allegedly leading tional mandate of neutrality. A majority the Pledge of Allegiance, and threat- the team in prayers. Keahbone had ex- of federal courts have held displays of Arkansas district ened to report the student to the grade plained that his goal, in coordination Latin crosses on public property to be level administrator for not standing. with his church, was to proselytize play- an unconstitutional endorsement of In a letter sent on Oct. 30, FFRF Staff ers, having stated, “If the Lord opens religion.” Attorney Madeline Ziegler informed the door, we’ll share the Gospel with Plus, this painting conveyed a mes- the district that the U.S. Supreme them.” sage to the nearly 30 percent of Amer- Court has ruled that compelling a stu- In a letter sent to City Schools Su- icans who are not Christian, including dent to participate in the Pledge of Al- perintendent Fred Rhodes, FFRF in- the 23 percent of Americans who are legiance infringes upon students’ First formed the district that it can neither not religious, that they’re not “favored Amendment rights. allow a non-school adult access to the members of the political communi- A legal representative of the district children in its charge nor can it grant ty,” to quote the U.S. Supreme Court. A concerned parent of a Bentonville responded on Feb. 12 assuring FFRF that access to a religious speaker seek- The cross’ exclusionary effect made Public Schools student informed FFRF that all school staff members, includ- ing to proselytize students. non-Christian and nonbelieving res- that a woman, Esther Seim, was lead- ing the specific staff member who had “Public school football teams can- idents of Cleveland County political ing a Fellowship of Christian Athletes committed the violation, are not legally not appoint or employ a chaplain, seek outsiders, FFRF asserted. group for students of Osage Creek Ele- required to participate in the pledge. out a spiritual leader for the team or FFRF requested the county to im- mentary School and Creekside Middle agree to have a volunteer team chap- mediately take down the painting from School in Bentonville, Ark. FCA was re- lain, because public schools may not the Cleveland County Courthouse. portedly organized and run entirely by Texas school gets advance or promote religion,” wrote County officials have acceded to the Seim, who was advertising the group to FFRF Patrick O'Reiley Legal Fellow request. fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders, whom versed in Constitution Chris Line. “Similarly, it is illegal for “The large painting in the main cor- she bribed to attend with food, games, It was reported to FFRF that a a public school or school-appointed ridor of the Cleveland County Court- prizes and “new friends.” teacher at a Texas elementary school volunteer to organize, sponsor or lead house that depicts a Latin cross and Seim vocalized her intentions for was regularly quoting bible verses to prayers at public high school athletic fish has been removed from the loca- the group, saying it existed for “spread- his students. At Stafford Elementary’s events.” tion inside the courthouse,” the county ing the gospel of Jesus Christ in our fourth-grade graduation ceremony last FFRF emphasized that school en- recently replied. public school community.” June, the teacher allegedly took the dorsement of Christianity is particu- FFRF is appreciative of the move. FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliott microphone and announced that he larly troubling given that almost half “It’s gratifying that once we en- wrote to the district on Oct. 25 warn- regularly was telling his students that April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 9

“they can do all things through Christ.” FFRF gets cancellation ed that they "take a knee" while he led school janitorial staff member — who FFRF Associate Counsel Sam Gro- of graduation invocation them in prayer. FFRF notified Baldwin is also a minister — spoke during the ver wrote to Stafford Municipal School County Public Schools on Sept. 12 that assembly and led all students in a District Superintendent Robert Bostic FFRF has ended unconstitutional Thomason’s actions were inexcusable. long Christian prayer. The prayer was on Jan. 30, reminding the district that invocations at a California high school. “Coaches may not use an injury as allegedly offered “in Jesus Christ’s public school teachers may not en- A community member reported an opportunity to force students to name” and made specific reference dorse religion to students. to FFRF that the Wasco Union High participate in a religious exercise,” to a bible passage relating to spread- “The Supreme Court has continu- School graduation program had in- wrote FFRF Legal Fellow Chris Line to ing god’s word. The U.S. Supreme ally struck down bible promotion and cluded an invocation in 2017. FFRF As- Superintendent Eddie Tyler. “It is ille- Court has struck down school-spon- other forms of proselytization in public sociate Counsel Elizabeth Cavell wrote gal for public school athletic coaches sored prayer time and again. schools,” wrote Grover. to Wasco Union High School District to lead their teams in prayer.” FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick El- FFRF was informed on Feb. 12 by an Superintendent Lori Albrecht on Jan. The district responded on Feb. 21 to liott wrote to South Carolina Public attorney representing the school dis- 19, warning the district that the Su- inform FFRF that the coaching staff had School District on Dec. 27, remind- trict that the violation was addressed preme Court has struck down prayers been reminded of their constitutional ing it of its constitutional obligation with the teacher and that the school at school-sponsored events time and obligation not to pray with players. to refrain from advancing or endors- principal planned to address the issue again — including public school ing religion. On March 5, an attorney with the entire school staff during an graduations. for the district responded informing upcoming meeting. FFRF was informed on Feb. 13 that FFRF gets school to run FFRF that the principal of the school the district will not be including an in- had reviewed the legal issues relat- vocation as part of its 2018 commence- away from prayer walk ed to prayer in public schools with Florida district removes ment program. After a concerned parent contact- school staff and made a commitment ed FFRF about religious promotion at that unconstitutional prayer would unsightly plaques One more stop: Utah bus a school in Mendenhall, Miss., action not be permitted in the future. Thanks to FFRF, religious messages was taken to remedy the violation. have been removed from a Florida driver ends proselytizing It was reported that the principal of See You at the Pole? Not school. It was brought to FFRF’s Mendenhall Jr. High School used a re- attention that plaques had been posted corded message before the start of the if you work for school in all school buildings in the Dixie school year to invite district families to County Schools District listing four join him at the school for a prayer walk district goals, the last of which is to and to ask that everyone pray for the “Serve with a good attitude, as to the upcoming school year. The school also Lord and not to men. Ephesians 6:7.” advertised the prayer walk event on FFRF wrote to the district on July 25 its homepage. FFRF wrote to Simpson explaining that courts have continually County School District on Aug. 31 to held that school districts may not dis- ensure that it did not allow its employ- play religious messages or iconography ees to organize or participate in future in public schools. religious events in their roles as district “While the display of plaques con- representatives. taining bible verses in a public school “Prayer walks unconstitutionally en- would be constitutionally prohibited tangle school personnel with an exclu- under any circumstance, the DCSD’s sively religious message,” wrote FFRF plaques are especially egregious be- Associate Counsel Sam Grover to Su- cause the displayed bible language is perintendent Greg Paes. portrayed as official school policy,” Paes responded on Feb. 28, inform- wrote FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew ing FFRF that no plans would be made Seidel. for religious events going forward nor An attorney representing Dixie Dis- would such events be posted on the trict Schools responded on Feb. 15, school website. informing FFRF that the religious sig- nage had been removed by the school. Bad Axe High School Texas Good News A concerned parent reported to chops religious club FFRF has reminded a Louisiana FFRF that a bus driver for Helen M. FFRF has reminded a Michigan school district of its legal obligation Club gets bad news Knight Elementary School, part of school of its obligation not to pro- to refrain from promoting religion. A concerned family member of a the Grand County School District on mote or endorse religion after be- A concerned Ouachita Parish student of Wichita Falls Independent Moab, Utah, passed out proselytizing ing alerted that a teacher at Bad Axe School System member contacted School District in Irving, Texas, report- gifts to students on her bus. The gifts High School was hosting a Christian FFRF to report that East Ouachita ed to FFRF that there was a prominent included candy and bookmarks with “breakfast club” in her classroom ev- Middle School in Monroe, La., host- display advertising the Good News Club bible quotes on them. These presents ery Thursday morning. ed a “See You at the Pole” event — a — a religious club — in Fain Elementa- came from “Scripture Candy,” a com- A Facebook page for the club, Christian-oriented prayer rally orga- ry School. The advertisement indicated pany that wraps candy in scriptures, which was managed by two teachers nized each year around a bible verse that the club has scheduled meetings which it advertises as “a great way to in the Bad Axe Public Schools dis- — last fall. within the school each Tuesday. spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” trict, described the weekly meetings The event included adults playing FFRF wrote to the district informing FFRF Legal Fellow Chris Line wrote as “Food for your bellies and food for live music, prayer by an adult and par- it that it violated the U.S. Constitution to the district on Dec. 19 to ensure the soul!” (The page was also used to ticipation by school faculty — includ- if religious clubs were being granted that its bus drivers do not proselytize promote other youth-oriented Chris- ing the principal. Additionally, FFRF special access to advertise to students students on their buses. Line under- tian events.) Students were enticed to was informed that a pastor from an and families. lined that public school bus drivers attend the meetings with free food in area church that has “adopted” East “As you are aware, it is a well-settled are agents of the school district and exchange for exposure to Christian Ouachita Middle School was permit- constitutional principle that public are subject to the same constitutional teachings. FFRF Robert E. Ingersoll ted to deliver a Christian prayer last schools may not advance, prefer, or restrictions as other district staff and Legal Fellow Colin McNamara wrote August at a ribbon cutting ceremony promote religion,” wrote FFRF Associ- may not legally promote Christian or to the district on Nov. 28 asking that for the school. ate Counsel Sam Grover. other religious messages to students. it immediately remove the group FFRF Associate Counsel Sam Gro- An attorney representing the district On Feb. 16, FFRF received word from Bad Axe High School. ver wrote to Superintendent Don responded on Feb. 19 assuring FFRF that the district had investigated the An attorney representing the dis- Coker on Oct. 26, asking that district that the Good News Club would not be issue and that action had been taken trict responded on Feb. 28, writing staff cease scheduling and advertis- granted special access to advertising. to rectify the violation. that the superintendent had remind- ing religious events, or allowing out- ed participants of the club that the side adults to participate in religious meetings must be student initiated events on campus with students. American Infidel: FFRF tackles coach-led and led. Grover also pointed out that no Robert G. Ingersoll prayers in Alabama school-sponsored event can include clergy-led prayer. FFRF has ensured that a coach at a The district responded on Feb. 7, By Orvin Larsen Assembly not required: school in Bayminatte, Ala., will no lon- notifying FFRF that the East Ouachi- Prof. Larsen writes ger be leading his team in prayer. Prayers ended in school ta Middle School principal was re- with a ection and respect of this FFRF was informed that this past FFRF has remedied unconstitu- minded that school employees may illustrious 19th September, a football player was in- tional Christian proselytization at a not participate in student events such century freethinker. jured during an Elberta High School South Carolina high school. as “See You at the Pole.” football game. Following the injury, In December, Fox Creek High The school administrative staff Buy it from FFRF online Coach Kenny Thomason called all of School in Columbia, S.C., held an as- has also been cautioned against pro- shop.ff rf.org the players to the sideline, asked them sembly for all boys in the school in moting personal religious beliefs to to remove their helmets and demand- response to vandalism incidents. A students. Page 10 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018

Convention speech Darrow statue can help educate for years

Here is an edited version of the speech talk to them about the history of the Zenos Frudakis gave on Sept. 17 at site and of the Bryan statue. Then I FFRF’s 40th annual convention in Mad- said, “Can I speak about Darrow?” be- ison, Wis. It has been broken up into two cause he didn’t talk at all about Dar- parts — a general overview of the idea row. He allowed me. behind the Clarence Darrow statue (this The next day, when I was getting page) and the actual creation of it (page ready to leave, I saw another group 11). Frudakis was introduced by FFRF Le- of students stand in front of the Bry- gal Intake Attorney Madeline Ziegler: an sculpture. I jumped out of the car Zenos Frudakis is a renowned and ran across the courtyard and said, sculptor known for his public mon- “Wait! Wait! You’ve only heard half uments, portrait statues, busts and the story. There’s going to be another figurative sculptures. He has created sculpture here of Clarence Darrow.” an extensive award-winning collec- The group was a high school class tion of more than 100 bronze sculp- from Atlanta, and the teacher said, tures in public and private collec- “Tell us about him.” As they left, I tions. His work includes sculptures thought, I can’t spend the rest of of historic figures such as Benjamin my life sitting in a car in a parking Franklin, Albert Einstein, Dwight D. lot, jumping out, scaring kids, telling Eisenhower and Winston Churchill. them about Darrow. But with a sculp- “Freedom,” his best-known sculpture, ture there, it can do the talking for has become an internet icon, inspir- us. ing many in their quest to break free At this point, I thought the Free- from boundaries. dom from Religion Foundation FFRF has been delighted to work Photo by Ingrid Laas needed to get some publicity for this with Zenos Frudakis on our statue of Sculptor Zenos Frudakis talks to the FFRF audience about how he created the — they’re paying for it, we’re paying Clarence Darrow in front of the Rhea Clarence Darrow statue that now sits outside the courthouse in Rhea County, Tenn. for it. I just said “Annie Laurie, let’s County Courthouse, home of the just do it. We’ll risk them stopping Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tenn. you from putting the sculpture up.” Please welcome Zenos Frudakis. ture both demand looking at the courthouse lawn, which they would While I was sculpting, a woman real world and not seeing it through have had a hard time getting away started threatening me. She said By Zenos Frudakis language. with — I know that Annie Laurie and she would meet me when the sculp- All of you, I’m sure, know about Dan wouldn’t let them! — they put ture went up and she had a surprise the Scopes trial. Outside the Rhea up a sculpture of him looking young. for me and said she had a shotgun. culpture has sometimes been County Courthouse, there was a But this was more subtle because And there were people praying that called frozen music. It’s some- sculpture of William Jennings Bryan it’s supposedly they didn’t want Sthing you do without words. on the left and an empty space on history. But it’s the sculpture. We One of the advantages of that, phi- the right. Bryan was 65 at the time not really history. I can’t spend the rest of my were constant- losopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, of the trial. He was an old man, bald- That sculpture is life sitting in a car in a parking ly working with is that words can bewitch you. There ing, overweight and had diabetes. He there to preach, lot,“ jumping out, scaring kids, the town. There are words like “unicorn” or “God,” died just five days after the trial. to tell people that telling them about Darrow. But were many people and you think it’s there because you But in his sculpture, they decided evolution isn’t with a sculpture there, it can do in the town who have the word. But when you’re work- to present him as a young, handsome true, that cre- the talking for us. didn’t want it, but ing with sculpture and you don’t have man. It was kind of a lie right from the ationism is true. gradually they words, you’re just looking directly beginning. Instead of putting a Ten It was a religious — Zenos Frudakis came around and at what’s real. Painting and sculp- Commandments monument on the statement and I were saying, “No, wanted to change that. this is the right thing to do.” Tom Davis, who’s a local historian, The night before the unveiling, said, “Now that we have this sculpture there were some younger people of William Jennings Bryan, we’re go- there in the front who came and ing to need one of Clarence Darrow.” brought their sign, “Welcome Clar- And that was something I’d been ence Darrow,” which was encour- thinking about anyway. aging. And the Wall Street Journal, Freethought activist Margaret New York Times, newspapers from Downey wanted me to meet Annie San Francisco to the East Coast wrote Laurie Gaylor. She said, “Come to about it, so there was a lot of media Philadelphia where she's speaking coverage. People I know even saw it at the Ethical Society. Tell her about in Australia. your idea to do this Darrow sculpture. And then it was time for the Maybe she can help.” So I did, and unveiling. You may have heard about Annie Laurie seemed interested the drama of trying to get the cover because the Freedom From Religion off the statue — it took about five Foundation had its own history in minutes. At this point I turned to Dayton. Bryan College was sending the crowd and said, “It took me less missionaries to public school to time to make it than it’s taking to teach religion, to sell their brand of unveil it.” Christianity and FFRF stopped them. On the relief it says, “Darrow They hated FFRF in town. asked William Jennings Bryan, ‘Do Annie Laurie told me she would you think the Earth was made in like to be supportive and said that six days?’ Bryan said, ‘Not six days FFRF had this Robert Ingersoll of 24 hours.’ That was a checkmate sculpture project it was involved moment, because the next thing with in Peoria, Ill. I told her I’d help Darrow said was: “Well, how about her with that. When I went into the 600,000 years?” Then that allowed foundry, I noticed insects all over for evolution. the Ingersoll sculpture. They were, I thought — and the Freedom ironically, praying mantises, but they From Religion Foundation made it were living in the sculpture. After happen — if we could put the Darrow we got it to Philadelphia, we put the statue there, now it’s not a sculpture bronze statue outside and let the that’s preaching like the Bryan one, mantises all go off into the foliage. it’s a sculpture that’s part of a histor- I went to Dayton, and Tom Davis, ical narrative. We redefined it and the historian, was there almost every now people will go there and teach- day. Students would come on field ers will take their classrooms there Zenos Frudakis shows off the full-sized Clarence Darrow statue and his initial trips. This particular group was from and they’re going to have to answer scale model as it was being constructed. a religious college and Tom would to him. April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 11 Sculptor casts Darrow ‘warts and all’ could cut into the anatomy, cut into By Zenos Frudakis the biceps and so on. So that’s why I first created him naked. ou all know about Clarence You also don’t want to work on a Darrow. I love his quote, “I do head that’s seven feet up in the air. Y not believe in God because I It gets uncomfortable. This took two do not believe in Mother Goose.” He years to do. It’s like taking a car and said a lot of great things. He looked smashing it a little. It’s still all there, like he slept in his clothes, and that’s but it’s not the same. Right? I worked because he did. He drank hard, he on the head separately. was a womanizer, but he was a great One of the things I was told from lawyer. the beginning is they didn’t want When I was thinking about cre- to see the name “Freedom From ating the sculpture, I wanted him Religion Foundation” anywhere to look just like he was, unlike the around the base. And they didn’t sculpture of William Jennings Bryan, want me to overshadow the other which was untrue — not just in the piece. The other sculpture was 10 sculpture, but also in the argument it feet tall with the base. It has a 4-foot was making for creationism. I wanted base and a 6-foot sculpture. You to show Clarence Darrow the way he really shouldn’t do a 6-foot sculpture looked at 68 years old at the time of outside, because it looks smaller- the trial, warts and all. You know, the than-life, so I almost always do 7 baggy clothes, the pants up to here, feet tall or more. So, I made a 7-foot which, I guess, was the style. Like a sculpture on a 3-foot base. It made lot of older people, he still had the my sculpture a little larger than the style from an earlier period. He is other one. It’s subtle, but it’s still famous for his suspenders, which he the same height. I technically stayed used to snap when he was making a within the rules. point. Next is the rubber mold. You pour And because I wanted to be rubber over the clay. It looks like an realistic, I wanted to sculpt him the alien movie or something that’s been way he was, with long hair. But for this covered and then you put plaster over trial he cut his hair. I wanted to show the rubber. There’s clay in there. this was that moment in time, again Once you take the clay out it’ll flop because I wanted to show that the around. But the plaster holds the other sculpture didn’t have that kind rubber like a mother holds a child, so of credibility. it’s called the mother mold. The clay I used was from about Then you take out the clay and you that period, the 1920s. Some of it was pour wax into the rubber mold and used to make the Lincoln Memorial. you pull sections out. You put what’s It’s a plastalina made from olive oil. Dan Barker and Zenos Frudakis shake hands in front of the finished Clarence called “sprues” on after they cast the And it’s passed down. When I die, it Darrow statue, installed on its pedestal in Rhea County, Tenn. wax. And that’s how you deliver the will get passed on to another sculptor. liquid bronze to the different parts of You use it over and over again. And the sculpture. You have to have one the tools are all handmade. It’s not piece. You can’t make the changes as between his shoes. But we didn’t have on the end of the nose and otherwise something you can go out and buy. In easily. You want to start with a small enough time and we started to run the bronze won’t get there. The times past, sculptors made their own piece. out of money. bronze is melted, and as it moves, tools, they didn’t go to a store and Margaret Downey said it looks like Before I get the statue to the full it cools. If it cools and it doesn’t get buy sculpture tools like you would he’s pointing to heaven. That might size of 7 feet tall, I start with him to all the parts, then you only have a buy paint. not be good. But one of the photos nude. That’s the way it’s traditionally partial cast. You start with a conceptual model. had him pointing up, so that’s why I been done. So that way he wears the You dip the wax in a ceramic This you start small because you want did that. I was going to have a base clothes, the clothes don’t wear him. material and you can see the sprues. to be able to make changes. And as that represented the various periods When you have a figure and you have There’s wire in there because you get larger, the armature has to of evolution, so he could stand on his folds, they follow the arm. Otherwise, sometimes it’ll explode while they’re be sturdier to hold up the larger argument and put Lucy the hominoid if you just sculpt the clothes first, you pouring. And I’ve been there. You have molten bronze kind of flying around. It’s still kind of flat looking. Bronze is not by itself that attractive. It’s all welded together and this is the patina process. You can see how it’s changing color. And what that does, the patina helps protect the bronze outdoors. It also gives it a quality almost of skin to be able to look into it. It gives it a depth, especially when you add the wax. I made it green because I wanted it to look at least as old as the sculpture that was already there. Normally, I would make it kind of a brown, but I wanted it to look like it belonged with the Williams Jennings Bryan statue. It’s like when you’re painting, you’re doing glazes, you’re going to make a painting lighter and then the glazing darkens it. I wanted to make a statement with the whole sculpture. I made the pedestal look better than the Bryan one. He had a concrete pedestal. There are little ways to overwhelm, to compete with, to make it better. But you can see the warm brick and the warm stone and then the rough stone at the bottom that matches the bottom of the courthouse. There’s kind of a visual rhyme. It looks like it Zenos Frudakis works on sculpting the head of Clarence Darrow to be attached to the sculpted body later. belongs. Page 12 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018

Freedom From Religious Fundamentalism Award We resist and challenge because we must

Here is an edited version of the speech Maryam Namazie gave on Sept. 15 at FFRF’s 40th annual convention in Mad- ison, Wis. She was introduced by FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor: Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born writer and activist who lives in London. She has a very lengthy resume as a free- thinking feminist rabble rouser. The Islamic regime of Iran has called her “immoral and corrupt” and once did an exposé on her titled “Meet This An- ti-Religion Woman.” She’s spokesper- son for Fitnah — Movement for Wom- en’s Liberation. She hosts a weekly TV program in Persian and English called “Bread and Roses.” Maryam and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain were featured in the 2016 film by Deeyah Khan called “Islam’s Nonbelievers.” She’s received the Julia B. Friedman Humanitarian award among many other recognitions. She’s done a lot of work on refugees. This past summer, Maryam organized the largest gather- ing of ex-Muslims in history, which Dan and I were proud to be at in London, and which FFRF helped to co-sponsor. She has led many protests and found- ed Iran Solidarity. And now she will be Photo by Ingrid Laas named the 2017 Henry Zumach Free- Maryam Namazie holds up her Freedom From Fundamentalism Award presented to her by Henry Zumach, the benefactor of dom From Religious Fundamentalism the award, which includes a $10,000 prize. award recipient. Hank is here to give her a plaque and her $10,000 award the Damned” by the Iranian regime. She refused to do so and they assassi- ized society and, of course, parents, prize. And we are very grateful to the Thousands upon thousands of people nated her on the spot. who, even though they are believers, benefactor, Hank Zumach. were executed in one bloody summer Of course, we know about the Ban- love me more than they love religion during the ’80s in Iran. Many of them gladeshi bloggers, like the wonderful and religious dogma, which is how it By Maryam Namazie were killed after five-minute trials. Avijit Roy, and I don’t know if you’ve should be. Some of them were asked only one heard of the Yemeni 17-year-old, Omar But we know that’s not necessar- question: Do you believe in God? And Mohammad Batawil. He identified ily the case for a lot of young people hank you very much. This is real- when they said as an atheist. He across the world. And to be honest, the ly a wonderful honor, especially “no,” they were used to criticize Is- fact that I am alive weighs very heav- coming from people like your- taken out and When 16-year-olds are lam on Facebook ily on me. I feel this great burden of T hanged in city squares for acts selves who are activists who have been shot. Their fam- and was threat- responsibility, so much so that I some- changing the world — the Freedom ilies were even incompatible“ with chastity ened as a result. times feel that if I don’t speak, it would from Religion Foundation, Dan Bark- made to pay for and gay men are being thrown And one day he be very difficult to breathe. In many er, Annie Laurie Gaylor, people who the bullets that off of buildings because of was abducted in ways, like many others, I speak because I admire greatly. I can’t tell you how were used. front of his home I have no choice. Sharia ‘justice’, then criticism grateful I am. I think of others — in front of his I know this is true for many people I do honestly feel that this award is slaughtered, gen- of religion and religion’s home! — and he who are coming out as atheists under not very well deserved, especially when erations slaugh- role in power becomes a was murdered. very difficult circumstances in the Mid- I think of the innumerable people tered actually, historical task and necessity. And just to show dle East, in North Africa, in South Asia, across the world who’ve said no to the by the Religious — Maryam Namazie what a wonderful thanks in large part to the internet and Religious Right, particularly people Right, by the Isla- young man he was, social media. I think what we’re seeing who live in theocracies and are doing mists in Algeria, there’s a quote of now, the tsunami of atheism, is a result so at great risk, and the many unsung for example, the innumerable killed his on Facebook. He wrote, “They ac- of social media and the access it has heroes who have died fighting against by what the Algerians called the “green cused me of atheism! Oh, you people, I given. And social media and the inter- religion’s encroachments in the public fascists.” Green is the color of Islam see God in the flowers and you see him net are doing to Islam what the print- space. and the Islamists are our fascists. One in the graveyards. This is the difference ing press had done to Christianity. I think of people like those who of those killed was Katia Bangana. She between me and you.” Many of us feel that we are all going are buried in mass graves in the Kha- was a 17-year-old student. The Islamists And, for me, when I think of these to die, aren’t we? But many of us pre- varan of Iran; it’s called the “Place of demanded that she wear a headscarf. people, the fallen, it brings to mind fer to do it standing. And we make no that “Les Miserables” song, “Empty apologies. I have said it many times be- Chairs at Empty Tables.” It really does fore: When you can be killed for leav- describe how I feel. ing Islam, for criticizing Islam, then you need to do it publicly, loudly and “Oh, my friends, my friends forgive me proudly. You need to celebrate blas- That I live and you are gone, phemy and apostasy when it is illegal There’s a grief that can’t be spoken, because these are important forms of And there’s a pain goes on and on, resistance. Phantom faces at the window, When 16-year-olds are hanged in Phantom shadows on the floor, city squares for acts incompatible with Where my friends will sing no more.” chastity and gay men are being thrown off of buildings because of Sharia “jus- Lucky to be alive tice,” then criticism of religion, the I do often feel that I’m very lucky to Religious Right and religion’s role in be alive. My 11-year-old actually asked power becomes a historical task and me before I flew to this conference, necessity. And this challenge takes “Mommy, will you be assassinated?” I place in many different ways. said, “I’m going to the United States, For example, you may have heard of for goodness sakes, not Iran or Syria.” the unveiling movement in Iran where But a lot of us feel that we’re lucky women — even though it is compulso- to be alive. I feel lucky to have a sup- ry to be veiled, even though it is pun- Photo by Ingrid Laas portive partner, lucky to have parents ishable by fines and up to two months Maryam Namazie speaks with some members of a PR firm who were doing video who got my sister and me out of Iran, in prison — are unveiling as a way of snippets from convention speakers and attendees. lucky that I live in a somewhat secular- challenging the veiling laws. And men April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 13 are veiling in solidarity with women, and we all have to listen to them. The saying, “Look how stupid it is to be East London Mosque was one of those veiled.” that complained. They were incensed I think it’s important to be able to because one of our placards said, “East criticize the veil. And particularly when London Mosque incites the murder of you think of the veil, very often it’s pro- LGBT,” and it does. And that’s what moted; it’s the propaganda that it’s they’re calling “Islamophobic.” The empowering: “Oh, it feels so good to way things are phrased just shows how be not seen and not heard and to be much we live in a world where cultural invisible and walk around in a mobile relativism reigns supreme, and every prison; how lovely!” And that’s why as homophobe and reactionary can say a challenge to that, we’ve had nude that they’re a Muslim leader and we all protests. Not an objectified nudity, not have to listen to them. a nudity that’s commodified, but one This East London Mosque is a cen- that is in the hands of women as a form ter of homophobia. It’s invited preach- of political protest. It can be hugely ers that have called for the death of empowering and an important chal- apostates and blasphemers, and they lenge to the Islamist movement. want us to apologize? I don’t think so. Another form of protest has been This is what Gay Pride in London eat-ins during Ramadan. All we hear is wrote when they received the com- “Happy Ramadan!” or how lovely Ra- plaint against us. They said, “If any- Photo by Ingrid Laas madan is, let’s all celebrate Ramadan. one taking part in our parade makes Maryam Namazie gestures to the crowd during her convention speech on Sept. Ramadan is a bleak month for a lot of someone feel ostracized, discriminat- 15, 2017. people because you’re forced to not ed against or humiliated, then they’re eat, you’re forced to not drink. You can dred responses, but it actually went vi- body painter Victoria Guggenheim. undermining the principles on which be arrested and beaten and flogged if ral in 24 hours. We had 120,000 tweets We had flags of countries that execute we exist.” And they said they “won’t tol- you do. Of course, people have a right from 65 countries. It was very moving. LGBT and the aim of our involvement erate any discrimination of any kind.” to fast, but a lot of us don’t want to fast A lot of people said they sat behind was to say that there are 15 countries or And they “won’t tolerate Islamopho- and we should also have that right. So, their computers and cried because it territories that execute LGBT. One of bia.” That’s very interesting, because we have eat-ins in front of embassies was the first time that they had come our activists had the Chechnya flag on we had Muslims march with us and our where it’s illegal, drinking wine and out. Even though it’s on the internet, his ass, which is exactly where it should placards were against racism. Most of eating pork sausage rolls. I know some even though it’s anonymous for many, be, particularly since Chechnya’s pres- the people marching were migrants might find it distasteful, but it is a seri- and there’s still so much fear around it, ident had said that he wanted to elim- and people from Muslim backgrounds ous solidarity action. it was empowering. inate gay people by the beginning of and minority backgrounds. And we We went in front of a number of em- And here’s a few funny, sad, moving Ramadan. were very clear that our placards were bassies last year and this year. The only responses to the #ExMuslimBecause Of course, the minute we got there, against Islam, against Islamism, against embassy that called the police was the hashtag. the police converged on us because Islamic homophobia, and against rac- Iranian Embassy. I wonder what they • “#ExMuslimBecause I’m a woman.” people had been offended by our plac- ism. The conflation of bigotry with told the police? “There are people eat- • “#ExMuslimBecause bacon, Yum.” ards. They were particularly offended criticism of religion and the Religious ing in front of our embassy!” • “#ExMuslimBecause no 72 virgins about the placard, “Allah is gay.” And Right benefits reactionaries and disad- It may seem funny or silly, but these for me.” we talked to the police about how there vantages us and other dissenters. As of are important ways of resisting and • “#ExMuslimBecause my own moth- are countless signs saying, “Jesus is gay” now, Pride is assessing whether they will challenging the Islamists and the reli- er told me I should be killed because I and “Jesus has two dads” and making allow us to march again next year. And gious right. It’s something that’s been didn’t believe the same things she did.” fun of the pope and on and on and on. we’ve told them that we don’t need done by young people in Morocco and • “#ExMuslimBecause my dad said But the minute you talk about Islam, their permission to march for LGBT Tunisia and Algeria and many of them there’s no such thing as rape in mar- you’ve got the police converging on rights. We will march nonetheless. have been beaten and arrested. It’s riage in Islam, and that I’m a liar when you. They did try to take our placards We held placards for people’s rights. something that we think is important I asked him to tell the man he’d mar- and they did say it was illegal and this People did that in the feminist move- to do to show solidarity with those per- ried me off to at 17 to stop raping me. and that, but you’re not going to mess ment, they did that in the civil rights secuted for eating during Ramadan. My own dad.” with us. We marched anyway and it was movement against segregation. That’s I’m just trying to give you some There are Muslims who also showed a wonderful march. basically what lots of people do when examples of the various forms of re- solidarity with us. But a lot of them As expected, some “Muslim lead- they’re fighting for people’s rights. sistance. Another was #Ex-MuslimBe- hid their faces because of fear of the ers” complained. They asked for an It does anger me to think that these cause hashtag. We thought we’d start backlash. apology, which we are not giving. And “progressives” look at us in the same it to see why people have left Islam, they said that our placards were “Islam- way that the Islamists look at us. While to give an opportunity for people to Double standards ophobic.” First of all, they’re not “Mus- criticism of Christianity or the Chris- speak because so many are in the clos- We joined Gay Pride Parade in Lon- lim leaders.” It’s interesting how any- tian right is seen to be “progressive,” et, they’re frightened, they’re fearful. don. Some of us were topless — we were one who is regressive and reactionary similar criticisms of Islam and Islamism We didn’t expect more than a few hun- body painted by the award-winning suddenly becomes a “Muslim leader” are considered “Islamophobic” and bigotry against Muslims. There is a rac- ism behind the double standards that finds “Jesus is Gay” to be permissible at London Pride but finds “Allah is Gay” to be offensive. They see dissent through the eyes of our fascists and they vilify this dissent. The reality is that it’s not all about de- mographics, it’s about people’s politics and their choices. You’ve got professors at universities saying ex-Muslims are “native informants,” “coconuts” and “Uncle Toms” and linked in with the Christian Right. But the Islamists are our Religious Right, and more closely linked in aims and actions to the Chris- tian Right than they like to let on. Always blamed It reminds me of the fact that what- ever happens, we’re always to blame. The Islamists are never to blame. There’s always an excuse for why they have to kill people and decapitate peo- ple. Poor things, you know they feel desperate. They’re upset about U.S. imperialism. They faced racism. A lot of ex-Muslims have faced racism, faced imperialism, faced injustice and pover- ty. We don’t tend to decapitate people, though, do we? Photo by Ingrid Laas It does remind me sometimes of Maryam Namazie shows a photo of Katia Bangana, a 17-year-old student who refused to wear a headscarf and was assassinated on the spot. See Namazie on page 14 Page 14 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018

Namazie Continued from page 13 a woman who’s been raped. It’s the The Buddhist Right, we know what it is length of her skirt that must have been doing to the Rohingya Muslims there. the problem, not the rapist. And very The Jewish Right, what it is doing in the often you see that sort of blaming the Palestinian territories. We have to fight victim by Islamists and Islam itself and them. But, at the same time, adamantly their many apologists. defend the separation of religion from There’s been many times where I’ve the state, citizenship rights irrespective received death threats and I’ve been of people’s beliefs, and human rights, told, “Well, what do you expect? You irrespective of our migration status, know you shouldn’t have been talking where we come from, what our back- about these things.” Well, I’m sorry but grounds are and so on. I expect NOT to be killed for talking The charges of Islamophobia are about religion and criticizing it. de facto blasphemy and apostasy laws. We see this victim blaming with the In countries under Sharia, they kill us, attack on Charlie Hebdo as well. If they imprison us, they call us apostates only they hadn’t drawn that cartoon. and blasphemers and send us to the “They shouldn’t have been killed, gallows. Here in the West where such but. . .” There’s always some “buts,” laws don’t exist, they cry “Islamopho- as if offense is more important and bia” with the support of many people Photo by Ingrid Laas more offensive than murder. And, of who are supposed to be on our side. Maryam Namazie signs a book for George Iddon of Washington. course, we know racism exists. It kills. It’s a way of silencing dissent and criti- But I don’t think ex-Muslims need cism. But we have to criticize Islam be- And then I woke up. To be able to wake coming. Yes, that tsunami is coming, a lesson in racism. We live it all the cause our lives depend on it. someone up, that’s what stands for be- but it’s coming from us, from the ones time. Particularly, many of our family I want to end now with a few words ing ‘out, loud and proud.’ Because if who are on the front line. But here you members remain from Mohammed he wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here. And I’m guys are losing. Muslims, and rac- Alkhadra. [You sure that this is the same situation for “Yesterday, at night, I had a small I think what we’re seeing ists can’t really tell can read his story a lot of people here. To be ‘out, loud paper that says, ‘Awesome Without Al- us apart anyway. now, the tsunami of atheism, in the January/ and proud’ is to give a chance to peo- lah.’ And we left here and we went to They can’t even is“ a result of social media February issue of ple who are in the closet to come out. have dinner. An ex-Muslim with me at tell the difference and the access it’s given. Freethought To- “You give a chance to people to think, the conference grabbed me and took between Muslims — Maryam Namazie day.] He spoke in ‘How do I know what I know? How do I away that sign. And I asked her why. and Sikhs. We all July at the free- know that the Earth is round? How do She said that because there are Mus- look the same to thinkers confer- I know about the theory of evolution?’ lims next to us, we might get in trou- them. Obviously, also, criticism of Is- ence that Annie Laurie and Dan were There’s someone that says, ‘OK, it’s cre- ble. This is in London. This is in the lam and Islamism is not the same as at, the largest gathering of ex-Muslims ationism.’ But I need to find out. This 21st century. This is in the free world. bigotry against people. It’s been con- in history, and he just blew us away. debate and this reasoning with people, Where are your priorities? While we flated so we have to keep explaining He is a star. He’s someone we should you can’t have that while you’re hiding. die there, you all are thinking about Is- that criticizing Islam is not racism, all know. He has started the Jordanian And I know that a lot of people here are lamophobia. Being out is being able to criticizing Islamism is not racism. Atheists in a country where you cannot open, but to be open in the Middle East speak and to be who you are. So if we We must not excuse fundamental- legally be an atheist. You can be killed is something else. think about which is better, the cons or ism because of racism. And we mustn’t by mobs for being an atheist and he’s “In August 2016, Nahed Hattar, a the pros, I will definitely pick the pros. excuse racism because of fundamen- publicly shown his face there. I want to journalist and an atheist, published Why? Because you can never live with talism. I think it’s important to fight end with his words: a cartoon about the god of ISIS. It yourself. You can’t live with yourself if on several fronts. We fight for LGBT “I’d like to first thank Maryam showed that this is what jihadists look you just choose to be quiet. And this is rights, we fight for women’s rights, Namazie, the bravest woman I know, for in heaven. The whole country was what you are doing. You’re being qui- we fight for the right to be free from for hosting this. I’m Mohammed calling for the government to get him. et while we’re not. Look what we are religion. We are complex people and Alkhadra. One day, four years ago, I And it did. And after it got him, while having to give and what you are giving. we fight on very many fronts so we can was becoming more and more Salafi. he was going up the stairs at the court- You’re giving your freedom and we’re also fight against religion, including Is- And I was believing in the Caliphate house, he was shot to death on the giving our life. Don’t give up the things lam. We can fight against the Religious and having that Caliphate again be the 25th of September last year. that you have. You have freedom of Right, which includes Islamists and the greatest Arab nation or the Muslim na- “This is the con, this is the major speech. Use it. You have the freedom Christian right. Look what the Hindu tion. And then this man Richard Daw- con for being out. Death is what we are to offend.” Right is doing in India. It is killing peo- kins . . . I found a YouTube video of him fearing. Maryam said in the opening Yes, you have the freedom to offend. ple for eating beef, for goodness sakes. and I began to learn and learn more. of this conference that the tsunami is Use it. Thank you. Thank you so much.

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Jerry Coyne visits Freethought Hall THEY SAID WHAT? This is a nation that was not founded The biblical worldview with respect to on agnostic views. these issues is that we have a responsi- This was a nation bility to manage and cultivate, harvest founded with a deep the natural resources that we’ve been belief in God. . . . You blessed with to truly bless our fellow can’t separate church mankind. from state. EPA head Scott Pruitt, in an interview Rep. Steve Scalise with the Christian Broadcasting Net- at National Prayer work, on his justification to use the Breakfast. Earth’s resources, such as oil and coal. Steve Scalise ABC News, 2-8-18 The Hill, 2-22-198

When you take prayer out of schools, If you ever had a doubt that God exists, you replace it with metal detectors. guess what? No- South Carolina state Rep. Bill Chum- vember the 8th, all ley, on a bill that would allow public the proof you need. school teachers to pray with students. Why? Because Friendly Atheist, 2-13-18 [Clinton] had it all, she had the me- We can’t very well blame God for not dia, she spent $1.4 Evolutionary biologist and author Jerry Coyne, left, chats with FFRF Co- coming to our aid if we fail to use the billion on a seat, President Dan Barker in FFRF’s Charlie Brooks Auditorium at Freethought tools (prayer and the Second Amend- on a position, she Hall in Madison, Wis., on March 14. Jerry is an honorary director of FFRF and ment) he has graciously given to us. Photo: Gage Skidmore thought was owed an Emperor Has No Clothes award recipient. Bryan Fischer, senior columnist for Sebastion Gorka to her because of Cowger Nation, in the wake of the her gender and her deadly shooting in a Florida school last name, but she lost! on Feb. 14. Former White House adviser Sebastian CowgerNation.com, 2-16-18 Gorka, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference. When we say, “thoughts and prayers,” Right Wing Watch, 2-24-18 it’s frowned upon. And I take real of- I know in my heart fense at that because of hearts this will be thoughts and prayers the generation that are really the only restores life in Amer- thing that’s gonna ica. If all of us do all stop the evil. we can, we can once Florida state Sen. Kel- again, in our time, Left: Coyne signs a copy of his book — Why Evolution Is True — for an FFRF li Stargel, in a speech restore the sanctity Kelli Stargel member following the discussion. Coyne’s two books may be ordered from before voting against of life to the center Mike Pence shop.ffrf.org. Right: FFRF Staff Attorney Ryan Jayne holds his daughter an assault weapons ban. of American law. Leona before the event begins. Friendly Atheist, 3-4-18 Vice President Mike Pence, predicting that legal abortion would end in the Abortion is murder. . . I’m a Roman U.S. “in our time,” during a speech Catholic and a conservative Republi- to Susan B. Anthony List & Life Insti- can. They’re welcome to their point of tute, an anti-abortion organization. view — but I take abortion seriously. The Hill, 2-28-18 It’s murder. Idaho state Sen. Dan Foreman, talking about a group of University of Idaho stu- I think of those kids dents who traveled 300 miles to speak to who went back to him about birth control legislation. Fore- school today after man abruptly canceled the meeting. that horrific shoot- ABC News, 2-20-18 ing, and they need something more. And if there’s ever a time to return They need a be- prayer to the classroom, now’s the lief in God and Je- time. That’s something I would be a sus Christ. I think Jason Chaffetz big advocate for. that would help. During the 90-minute session, Coyne and Barker discussed several topics, Republican candidate Steve Lonegan, Former U.S. Rep. Jason Chaf- including atheism, evolution, and free will. Coyne also did an “Ask an who is running to represent New Jer- fetz, speaking about the Park- Atheist” segment on Facebook Live! and will appear on an upcoming sey’s 5th congressional district, follow- land High School students “Freethought Matters” TV program. ing the mass shooting at the Parkland, who returned to school two Photos by Chris Line Fla., school. weeks after the mass shooting. Huffington Post, 2-16-18 The Hill, 3-1-18

Freethought on the high seas

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Freethought Today is published 10 times a year. About 80 members of FFRF or its chapter, the Central Florida Freethought Community, participated in the annual Freethought Cruise, hosted by the enterprising chapter and its directors David and Jocelyn Williamson. FFRF Co- Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor were guest presenters and extend their warm thanks for wonderful P.O. Box 750 • Madison, WI 53701 hospitality. Side note: A woman (not associated with the group) went overboard the last night of the four-day cruise ffrf.org/donate to the Bahamas, but fortunately was rescued in a maneuver that took the Norwegian Epic about an hour. Page 16 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 Why is the bible so badly written?

By Valerie Tarico in the Matthew account, the Last Sup- per is timed as a Passover meal. By con- illions of evangelicals and other trast, the Gospel According to John was Christian fundamentalists be- written to persuade pagan Roman pros- Mlieve that the bible was dictated pects, so the author timed the events by God to men, who acted essentially as differently. This is just one of many ex- human channelers. Each phrase is con- plicit contradictions between the four sidered so perfect that it merits careful Gospel accounts of Jesus’s death and linguistic analysis to determine God’s resurrection. precise meaning. The contradictions in the Gospel If that were the case, one would have stories — and many other parts of to conclude that God is a terrible writ- the bible, are not there because the er. Although some passages in the bible writers were confused. Quite the op- are lyrical and gripping, many would get posite. Each writer knew his own goals kicked back by any competent editor or and audience, and adapted hand-me- writing professor — kicked back with a down stories or texts to fit, sometimes lot of red ink. changing the meaning in the process. Mixed messag- The folks who are confused are those es, repetition, bad Photo by Shutterstock who treat the book as if they were the fact-checking, awk- audience, as if each verse was a time- ward constructions, Scholars estimate that the earliest of preceded it in the culture at large or a less and perfect message sent to them inconsistent voice, the bible’s writers lived and wrote about specific conversation, or both. by God. Their yearning for a set of weak character devel- 800 years before the Christian era, and clean answers to life’s messy questions opment, boring tan- the most recent lived and wrote almost a Inside baseball has created a mess. gents, contradictions, century after any historical Jesus would A lot changes in 2000 years. As we passages where no- have lived. To make matters more com- read the bible through modern eyes, it The pig collection Valerie Tarico body can tell what the plicated, some of them borrowed frag- helps to remember that we’re getting a My friend Sandra had a collection of heck the writer meant ments of even earlier stories and songs glimpse, however imperfectly translat- decorative pigs that started out small. to convey . . . . This doesn’t sound like a that had been handed down via oral ed, of the urgent concerns of our Iron As family and friends learned about it, book that was dictated by a deity. tradition from Sumerian cultures and Age ancestors. Back then, writing any- though, the collection grew to the point A well-written book should be clear religions. For example, flood myths that thing was tremendously labor intensive, that it began taking over the house. and concise, with all factual statements predate the Noah story can be found so we know that information that may Birthdays, Christmas, vacations, thrift accurate and characters neither two-di- across Mesopotamia. seem irrelevant now (because it is) was stores . . . when people saw a pig, they mensional nor plagued with multiple Bible writers adapted earlier stories of acute importance to the men who thought of Sandra. Some of the pigs personality disorder — unless they and laws to their own cultural and reli- first carved those words into clay, or were delightful — lovely and well-craft- actually are. A book written by a god gious context, but they couldn’t always inked them on animal skins or papyrus. ed — some not so much. Finally, the should be some of the best writing ever reconcile differences among hand- Long lists of begats in the Gospels; move to a new house opened an oppor- produced. It should beat Shakespeare ed-down texts, and often may not have greetings to this person and that in the tunity to do some culling. on character development, Stephen known that alternative versions existed. Pauline epistles; instructions on how to The texts of the bible are a bit of a Hawking on scientific accuracy, Pab- Later, variants got bundled together. sacrifice a dove in Leviticus or purify a pig collection. Like Sandra’s pigs, they lo Neruda on poetry, Aleksandr Solz- This is why the bible contains two dif- virgin war captive in Numbers; ‘chosen reflect a wide variety of styles, quality, henitsyn on ethical coherence, and ferent creation myths, three sets of Ten people’ genealogies; prohibitions against raw material, and artistic vision. From Maya Angelou on sheer lucid beauty Commandments and four contradictory eating creatures that don’t exist; pages of creation stories to Easter stories to the — just to name a few. versions of the Easter story. threats against enemies of Israel; coded book of Revelation, old collectibles got No question, the bible contains beau- rants against the Roman Empire. . . handed down and inspired new, and tiful and timeless bits. But why, overall, Forgery and counterforgery As a modern person reading the bi- folks who gathered this type of materi- does it so fail to meet this mark? One Best-selling bible scholar Bart Ehr- ble, one can’t help but think about how al bundled them together into a single obvious answer, of course, is that neither man has written two books about forg- the pages might have been better filled. collection. the bible — nor any derivative work like ery in the New Testament, texts written Could none of this have been pared A good culling might do a lot to im- the Quran or Book of Mormon — was under the names of famous men to away? Couldn’t the writers have made prove things. Imagine a version of the actually dictated by the Christian God make the writings more credible. This room instead for a few short sentences bible containing only that which has or other celestial messengers. We hu- includes the book of 2 Timothy, the one that might have changed history: Wash enduring beauty or usefulness. Un- mans may yearn for advice that is “god- which claims that “all scripture is God- your hands after you poop. Don’t have sex fortunately, the collection in the bible breathed,” but in reality, our sacred texts breathed.” Pseudonymous writing was with someone who doesn’t want to. Witch- has been bound together for so long were written by fallible human beings so common among early Christians that craft isn’t real. Slavery is forbidden. that Christian authorities don’t trust who, try as they might, fell short of per- nearly half of the books of the New Tes- Answer: No, they couldn’t have fit themselves to unbind it. Maybe, deep fection in the ways that we all do. tament make false authorship claims or these in, even without the begats. Of down, bible-believing evangelicals and But why is the bible such a mixed were assigned famous names after the course, there was physical space on pa- other fundamentalists suspect that if bag? Falling short of perfection is one fact. When texts claiming to be written pyrus and parchment. But the minds they started culling, there wouldn’t be thing, but the bible has been the subject by one person were actually written by of the writers were fully occupied with a whole lot left. So, they keep it all, in of literally thousands of follow-on books several, each seeking to elevate his own other concerns. In their world, who the process binding themselves and by people who were genuinely trying to point of view, we shouldn’t be surprised begat who mattered(!) while challeng- our society to the worldview and very figure out what it means. Despite best if the writing styles clash or that they ing prevailing Iron Age views of illness human imperfections of our Iron Age efforts, their conclusions don’t converge, espouse contradictory attitudes. or women and children or slaves was ancestors. which is one reason Christianity has simply inconceivable. And that’s what makes the “Good fragmented into more over 40,000 de- Lost in translation Book” so very bad. nominations and non-denominations. The books of the bible were originally It’s not about you FFRF Member Valerie Tarico is a psy- Here are just a few of the reasons written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, The Gospel According to Matthew chologist and writer in Seattle. She is the for this tangled web of disagreements though not in the modern versions of (not actually authored by Matthew) was author of Trusting Doubt: A Former Evan- and the terrible quality of some biblical these languages. When Roman Catholic written for an audience of Jews. The gelical Looks at Old Beliefs in a New Light writing (with notable exceptions) by Christianity ascended, church leaders author was a recruiter for the ancient and Deas and Other Imaginings, and the modern literary standards. embraced the Hebrew bible and translat- equivalent of Jews for Jesus. That is why, founder of WisdomCommons.org. ed it into then-modern Latin, calling it Too many cooks the Old Testament. They also translated Far from being a single unified whole, texts from early Jesus-worshippers and Freedom from Religion Foundation the bible is actually a collection of texts voted on which to include in their canon or text fragments from many authors. of scripture. These became the New Tes- P.O. Box 750 • Madison, WI 53701 • (608) 256-8900 • FFRF.org We don’t know the number of writers tament. Ironically, some New Testament What is the Freedom From Religion Foundation? precisely, and — despite the ancient writers themselves had already quoted Founded in 1978 as a national organization of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics), traditions that assigned authorship to bad translations of Old Testament scrip- the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., works to keep state and church famous people such as Moses, Matthew, tures. These multilayered imperfect separate and to educate the public about the views of nontheists. FFRF has Mark, Luke and John — we don’t know translations inspired key doctrines of the more than 32,000 members. FFRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofi t and donations are tax who most of them were. We do know Christian faith, the most famous being deductible for income tax purposes. that the men who inscribed the bibli- the “virgin birth.” FFRF’s email address is info@ rf.org. Please include your name and physical cal texts had widely different language Plus, an enormous amount of infor- mailing address with all email correspondence. skills, cultural and technological sur- mation is simply lost in translation. One FFRF members wishing to receive online news releases, “action alerts” and roundings, worldviews and supernatural challenge is that the meanings of a story, “Freethought of the Day” should contact info@ rf.org. beliefs — along with varying objectives. or even a single word, depend on what April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 17

Secular support in AA aids atheist Marine FR The ‘higher power’ addressing me as “sir.” The following books are by FFRF My attainment of officer rank led to members on the topics of religion or reference doesn’t have a number of new and exciting assign- freethinking. FFRF does not do tradi- to mean God ments all over the world. Each time I tional book reviews. moved, I found a new AA sponsor local- This article first appeared in the October ly and tried to attend 90 meetings in 90 Status Quon’t: A Woman’s issue of Grapevine, the monthly magazine of days. I also began sponsoring other men Alcoholics Anonymous. and got involved in AA service work. Perspective on How During the Persian Gulf War, I was Christianity Was Never By Eric C. able to attend a few AA meetings at the About God Marine headquarters in Dhahran, Sau- ot only are there lots of atheists di Arabia. However, I spent most of my By Katilyn Pulcher with decades of sobriety in Alco- time out in the desert on the front lines. $17.89 (paperback); $9.99 (Kindle) Nholics Anonymous, there have al- 2017 (Self-published) ways been atheists in foxholes. help each other survive by working to- Atheist in fighting holes The author describes her theory that A graduate of a Christian high gether. In fact, another favorite term For the record, Marines don’t have Christianity was created by humans school, I enlisted in the Marine Corps among Marines — “gung ho” — is an “foxholes.” We call them “fighting at age 19. I had already discovered that ancient Chinese battle cry that means holes.” While under fire during Oper- solely to control the behavior of other the more I studied the scriptures and “working together.” ation Desert Storm, I observed an im- people, particularly women and homo- the more earnestly I prayed, the more The master gunny and I had both portant difference between the athe- sexuals. She believes that religious lead- I doubted the existence of any kind of been in situations where we and those ists I knew and others who might be ers recognized fear God. I’ve rediscovered this many more around us were scared out of our minds. inclined to spend time on their knees as the number one times through the years. But we knew that when Marines support praying for divine protection. I found source of human Five years into what would become each other selflessly, we can and do over- that the atheists could be counted on motivation and the a 25-year career in the Marines, I was come our fear. In doing so, we gain an to do things that are actually useful, like fear of an immortal, diagnosed by a physician as an “acute, ability to beat seemingly insurmount- digging better fighting holes. all-powerful God as chronic alcoholic.” A Vietnam veteran able and life-threatening odds. Some years later, I found myself in more paralyzing with an impeccable service record, I was We knew that the bond Marines feel Somalia in the midst of a civil war char- than fear of them- hospitalized briefly and introduced to with each other, especially in combat, is acterized by sectarian violence, famine selves, and thus Alcoholics Anonymous. best described as spiritual. and human suffering on a biblical scale. claimed to have in- I was happy when I was told at my This is clearly not a supernatural pow- Even though we could find no sign of a timate knowledge first meeting that AA is “spiritual, not re- er, but a deeply human power that has “loving God” anywhere in Somalia, I and of God’s wishes in order to influence ligious,” and “not allied with any sect or been proven throughout history to play a few other military personnel decided others. The book encourages readers to denomination.” But my spirits fell when a decisive role in turning potential de- to start holding AA meetings in down- reject the status quo and replace it with the meeting began with a prayer, fol- feat into victory on the battlefield. town Mogadishu. a status quon’t, which is described as an lowed by a ritual recitation that invoked Our little group opted to meet out- ever-evolving state of critical thought the name of God no fewer than six times Esprit de corps doors in the shade of a tree because and personalized belief systems. (“How It Works”). The meeting closed “Esprit de corps is the same kind of of the heat. That turned out to be a with the saying of the Lord’s Prayer. spiritual power that AA has,” the master mistake. Our first meeting was broken It was instantly clear to me that AA gunny explained. “People in AA call this up by sniper fire. Although the sniper Mom, We’re Black! was a religious cult in denial about being power whatever they want.” was clearly a lousy shot, we decided to By Peter A. Bobley religious. So I didn’t come back to any The second good thing that hap- change locations. $17.50 (paperback); $5.99 (Kindle) meetings for years. pened to me in treatment was that I We chose to move our meeting In the meantime, on several occa- found my first sponsor. I noticed him at indoors behind concrete walls and Wall Street Rose Publishing 2017 sions I almost died from my alcoholism. an AA meeting they drove us to in a hos- simply ignore the heat. It was our We are all black Africans with the iden- My disease progressed through an addi- pital van one evening. He was the one group’s little joke that we closed our tical genetic code. We’re not French per tional five years in guy in the room meetings “in the usual manner” by all se or Catholic per se. We’re human per the Marines. The at the end of the shouting, “Incoming!” se. Each of the 31 commandant of I’ve a played a role in meeting whose lips two-page spreads the Marine Corps organizing a couple of secular weren’t moving Sober for 33 years (text on left, car- then ordered me “'We Agnostics' meetings of AA when everybody About a year after returning to the toon on right) to the National Na- in my community. else was holding United States, I married a woman I’d portrays an im- val Medical Center hands and reciting met in AA who is also an atheist. We had portant element — Eric C. at Bethesda, Md., the Lord’s Prayer. two children before I retired from the in history. Topics for treatment of My first sponsor, Marines. Today, our kids are grown and covered include alcoholism. At least an atheist with 10 doing well. the fictional and two good things happened to me the years of sobriety at the time, explained to As of this writing, I have 33 years of supernatural as- second time I was hospitalized. me that even though much of the AA pro- sobriety in AA and my wife has 26 years. pects of religion, how human IQs rose, First, a long-sober Marine master gram borrows from religion, AA works just But some in AA still “feel sorry” for the creation of language, the need for gunnery sergeant, who was a counselor fine anyway, as long as you don’t drink, go atheists, just as our co-founder Dr. Bob at the treatment facility, helped square to lots of meetings and take as many of said he felt about unbelievers in the Big laws and money, admitting ignorance away for me the “higher power” ques- AA’s suggestions as you can stomach. Book. Some, too, remain convinced and the role of science, the subjugation tion. He pointed out that all Marines Working the Twelve Steps to the that those who say they won’t believe are of women, climate change and more. have the same higher power — the com- best of my ability wouldn’t kill me, my “belligerent” and have a “savage” mind, mandant of the Marine Corps. sponsor said. Even as an atheist, he ex- as co-founder Bill W. asserted in the Star Thistle In addition, the master gunny noted plained, I could work the Steps exactly Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. By Jim Gronvold that he and I had both been in harm’s the same way everybody else works them My original atheist AA sponsor, with way earlier in our careers. — imperfectly and according to my own whom I remain in touch, has 43 years of $14.99 (paperback); $9.99 (Kindle) We talked about a phenomenon understanding. sobriety in AA and is still clearly a thorn 2017 (Self-published) with which we were both quite familiar, Before my first year in sobriety end- in the side of some of the bleeding dea- From tasting “wild sea/on a soft something known as “esprit de corps.” ed, my career as a Marine rocketed into cons in his home group. breeze” to expressing his conviction “Esprit” is the French word for “spirit.” a new dimension. The commandant In recent years, I’ve a played a role that “hallowed Nature/...needs no And “corps” refers to a body of troops, ordered me back to college, where in organizing a couple of secular “We temple,” the concise lyrical poems in in this case, our corps of Marines. I completed my bachelor’s degree. Agnostics” meetings of AA in my com- Star Thistle reflect We knew from hard experience that Shortly after my second anniversary in munity. I’ve also tried to be more vocal the author’s view when the situation is grave, Marines sobriety, people were saluting me and at other AA meetings about my lack of that “Life itself/is belief in any kind of God. paradise.” Author Your weekly antidote to the Religious Right If AA is to survive and thrive in a world where increasing numbers of peo- Barbara Swift ple, especially young people, are leaving says, “The poems FREETHOUGHT RADIO religious beliefs behind them, as I did, offer readers my hope is that we will open the doors a look into the PODCASTS AND BROADCASTS of our fellowship a little wider. larger questions of the here and FIND OUT MORE: rf.org/radio Eric C. is an FFRF member who lives in Michigan. now, and what — Hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor — Copyright © AA Grapevine Inc. October makes for a meaningful life.” Author Slightly irreverent views, news, music & interviews 2017. Permission to reprint AA Grapevine Terri Glass says, “Slightly reminiscent Inc., material does not in in any way imply of Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost, affiliation with or endorsement by either Al- Jim Gronvold’s musings of life and coholics Anonymous or AA Grapevine, Inc. death are deeply philosophical.” Page 18 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018

Have fun, win prizes! Join FFRF’s online billboard campaigns Show off your freethinking with Both campaigns offer weekly prizes FFRF’s two virtual billboard campaigns. based on staff picks. If your billboard is The “Out of the Closet” campaign chosen as a staff “pick of the week,” FFRF allows you to proclaim your freethink- will feature your billboard on Facebook ing. Create your own message and add and Twitter, and will mail your prize — your own photo to make a unique vir- FFRF’s popular “Out of the Closet Athe- tual billboard. Go to ffrf.org/out. ist” cap or “Unabashed Atheist - Not The “Not Afraid of Burning in Hell” Afraid of Burning in Hell” T-shirt! campaign is inspied by Ron Reagan’s Tom Cara, president of the Chicago irreverent 30-second TV commercial, chapter of FFRF, was a recent staff pick in which he quips that he is “an un- for his billboard. He is shown wearing abashed atheist, not afraid of burning his “Unabashed Atheist” T-shirt prize. in hell.” Go to ffrf.org/unabashed. And Jerry Vaughan is wearing his new It’s fun, it’s easy and takes less than “Out of the Closet Atheist” cap. (It’s a minute to complete! Once your cy- not lost on us that’s he’s standing just berboard is approved by FFRF, you may “out of the closet”!) And Carleton post and tweet it. Our app lets you use Coleman shows off his new cap. it as your Facebook or Twitter image Here are several of our recent staff or even as your Facebook and Twitter picks. You could be next! banners.

Jerry Vaughan Tom Cara Carlton Coleman April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 19 LETTERBOX

Billy Graham was a Mardick, who died on Feb. 15. Anne served as president of our local bigot and charlatan chapters of FFRF and Americans Unit- We decided to become Lifetime ed for the Separation of Church and Members today, the same day funeral State until her fragile health sadly pre- services are being held for Billy Gra- cluded her participation. ham. You cannot forget him spewing Anne was a dedicated and passion- anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ remarks. ate humanist who, despite years of liv- He spent a lifetime getting extremely ing with severe pain, made her home wealthy by exploiting the credulousness available to many visiting humanist of Americans. dignitaries. Tom and Gayle Reber Anne’s generosity was remarkable in Kentucky so many ways, including her participa- tion in the renovation of our Humanist Community Center in Mesa, Ariz. The Company doesn’t reveal greater Phoenix humanist community will long remember the numerous con- Christian agenda tributions of Anne Mardick. I recently bought a plastic-sealed Hal and Doreen Saferstein 2018 calendar and put it on my wall. Arizona Then I noticed a cardboard stiffener in- (See page 23 for Anne’s obituary.) side with a message by the co-founder of Dayspring cards. I went to its website and found it’s got a Christian agenda. Graham was charismatic So, with no disclaimer visible on the She removed those magazines and the Establishment Clause of the First package, it was there to ambush people. will have a talk with the staff. The issue Amendment. snake oil salesman It should have said the purchase was on the rack was out of place and I was, In order to do so effectively, our Billy Graham’s outsized influence helping to further Christian endeavor/ jokingly, told that Satan put the copy mission and goal should be that we the with numerous presidents was a national practices. It made me so angry that I there and sent me to find it! During people force Congress to establish clear scandal. Graham was nothing more than contacted the company. these critical times, we all must be law and rule against the domestic inter- a charismatic snake oil salesman who Linda Riess vigilant. ference and abusive dictatorial nature preached to the people of the world that New York Sweat the seemingly small stuff. of cults (at times far worse than foreign they were all “miserable sinners” des- Jack M. Pedigo enemies) in order to protect all citizens tined for eternal hellfire unless they ac- Washington from the vast harm cults are dedicated cepted his backwoods, bible-thumping Religion wrong-headed to cause us. fire-and-brimstone evangelical theology. Every government official shall abide That was his so-called “good news.” on reproduction issues FFRF should try to win with these laws or be charged with con- Graham’s anti-Semitism was well docu- We have to address the outcome of stitutional violations, from local mayors mented, and he also was homophobic, religious attitudes on human repro- the war, not battles to the commander in chief. advocating the discredited “conversion duction. This goal of unfettered repro- My fundamental question is: Should And that Congress shall no longer therapy” for gays. duction is heading us toward massive we keep winning and losing individual permit the states or local government The fact that this theocratic bigot human overpopulation. All of this, at battles, or should we focus on winning officials the right to violate our Consti- lay in state in the Capitol rotunda, sur- the very least, is encouraged, especially the war waged by cults against our dem- tution at will without legal recourse and rounded by a fawning bevy of leading by the Catholic Church, which prohib- ocratic republic, seeking to reduce our penalties. political figures, including President its contraception and even advises the freedoms, trying to force us to abide Harold Chanin Trump, was nothing short of disgraceful least-educated that contraception is dan- with their ancient faiths, dangerous be- Florida and represented a serious violation of gerous. What can the goal possibly be? liefs and destructive political, econom- the separation of church and state that Do they think ahead? What would life be ic, social and life-threatening tenets? the nation was founded on. like in an overpopulated world? I would The public-at-large does not under- Anne Mardick will long Dennis Middlebrooks find it horrific. This is what religion and stand that we (and such other caring New York ignorance would bring down upon us. entities) are not our country’s enemy be remembered F. Frederickson and that our primary purpose is to as- I have enclosed a donation to honor Oklahoma sure government officials stop violating the memory of our dear friend Anne 'I love receiving Freethought Today' Religious magazine A sacrificial weekend I love receiving Freethought To- day. It’s very informative, creative and shouldn’t be at library Gordon Lamb sent us this short discus- ed, cynical eye while he listened. hopeful. I recently checked the free maga- sion between God and Jesus regarding the “Just picture it — hanging from I’m a new member and I think it zine rack at my local library and found crucifixion: that cross, eyes turned heavenward, would be fun to have FFRF return-ad- a copy of Philadelphia Trumpet. Scan- “Listen, son, here’s the con. We tell the soldiers throwing craps for your dress labels like the ones my friends use ning through this periodical, I saw arti- the suckers that I’m willing to sacrifice Crocs, thong and bathrobe. And for endangered animals. cles like, “How the wrangling over the my son for forgiveness of their ‘sins,’ when you complain that you’re thirsty, Cathleen Imp Holy City hastens bible prophecy,” “The and they’ll absolutely eat it up. Think offering you some vinegar.” Oregon deadly climate change deception” and of the pure theater of it — dragged “Sounds like most of the wines in other scatological screeds. Of course, through the streets, flogged, a crown the Hinnom Valley,” Jesus interrupt- everything was backed up by some sort of thorns. . .” ed. “I mean, Me-sus Christ! I wouldn’t of “fact of prophesy.” “What?! Flogged!? A crown of use that to treat toenail fungus!” Include FFRF The big problem is that the maga- thorns!? Since when does Jerusalem “My point,” Almighty God sniffed, In Your Estate Planning zine had a library address on the back, have a Folsom Street Fair?” Jesus “is you’ll be spending the rest of and when I checked the periodical sec- stared at His Dad unbelievingly. eternity up here in the Cloud Nine tion, sure enough, there were other is- “Just listen, wouldja?” JeHoffa Sports Bar and Bordello. Not one of sues with a handwritten label. glared at his mouthy kid, thinking those yokels will hook up to the fact The magazine is published by the that maybe knocking up that Jewish that when I said that ‘I’ve so loved the Arrange a bequest in your will Philadelphia Church of God. I was girl might not have been the best idea. world that I gave my only begotten or trust, or make the Freedom shocked that our library would sub- He went on to detail the high points: son,’ I only meant for 48 hours or so From Religion Foundation scribe to something like this, so I three years of cruising the back roads — less time than your mother spent the bene ciary of an insurance brought up the issue with our librarian. with his 12 fishing buddies, bringing in labor, after all.” policy, bank account or IRA. Luckily, she is an intelligent, gracious wine to the weddings, treating his “And she still bitches about that,” It’s easy to do. woman. She told me she had contacted mother like crap while she thinks that Jesus grinned. “Especially after I the magazine and was informed that it he’s a god, only cleaning his house teased Joseph about paternity suits.” For related information (or to request a bequest brochure), was a free religious publication sent out twice in three years, and the whole “Well, Joseph will have a little fun at please contact Annie Laurie to numerous libraries. time cops hatin’ while he rollin’. A your expense,” snorted The Almighty. Gaylor at (608) 256-8900, The staff (volunteers) don’t know sort of Our Savior of the Rednecks “Joseph the Carpenter is the cross info@ rf.org which ones are legit or not and simply gig. And appropriate for someone supplier to the Roman garrison.” put them on a shelf. Luckily, the librar- born in a barn. Gordon Lamb Freedom depends ian feels the same as us about religion Jesus looked on with a rather jad- Kentucky on freethinkers (she told me one of her favorite authors is Philip Pullman). Page 20 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 BLACK COLLAR CRIME Broad Creek Christian Church, New Bern, NC, in- ness and indecent exposure. Gregory, pastor at Wa- Statesman, 2-5-18 Compiled by Bill Dunn cluding a photo with his wife and 6 children. Source: terfront Christian Community Church, was allegedly Kenneth L. Fairbanks, 61, Greensboro, NC: 4 Winchester Star, 2-15-18 found by police in the back seat of a vehicle with an- counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act on a Arrested / Charged Anthony Oelrich, 51, St. Cloud, MN: 3rd-degree other man naked and tied up in the front seat. child under 16. Fairbanks, pastor at Faithworks Min- criminal sexual conduct. Oelrich, pastor at Christ A citizen called police after allegedly seeing the istry, is accused of assaults on 4 church members Steven Winn, 33, Crandall, TX: 3 counts of sexual Church Newman Center Catholic Student Commu- naked man exit the vehicle and expressed concern from 1997 to 2016. Source: WGHP, 2-1-18 assault of a child. Winn, a youth pastor at Open Door nity, was arrested after an investigation of alleged because it was parked in view of his daughter’s bed- Garry Evans, 72, and Gay Evans, 70, Rushville, Baptist Church, is accused of assaults on an alleged sexual misconduct involving an adult woman. room window. IN: Criminal trespass. Gay Evans is also charged with victim who is 15. In 2014, parishioners got a written notice that “I was counseling a young man with a drug prob- resisting law enforcement. The couple are accused Open Door senior pastor Matt Jarrell hanged Oelrich was taking “voluntary leave for ‘depression, lem,” Gregory told a reporter. “It did turn strange, of refusing to leave a residence where they wanted himself in jail in 2011 after his arrest on a rape charge anxiety, and stress’ ” to receive treatment at St. Luke but it wasn’t my doing, OK? . . . And I was adamant to speak with their son’s girlfriend. A family member in West Virginia. Source: Dallas News, 2-27-18 Institute, which provides mental health services for that I’m not participating in that way. And so that’s ended up chasing them off with a baseball bat. Philip “Flip” Benham, 69, Concord, NC: Com- priests, deacons and members of religious commu- when the police pulled up, and they assume things, Garry Evans, pastor of Rushville Baptist Temple, municating threats. Benham, an ordained Free nities. Source: St. Cloud Times, 2-13-18 but I’m standing by my story.” Source: KDKA, 2-10-18 was arrested in October 2017 on multiple counts of Methodist minister who leads Operation Save Amer- Gerardo Martinez, 52, New Port Richey, FL: 2 David Cooper, 43, Eloise, FL: Sexual battery and child molestation and sexual battery involving girls ica, is accused of threatening a woman at A Pre- counts of sexual battery/custodial authority solicits lewd exhibition on a victim under 12. Cooper, pastor ages 3, 5 and 7. He tried unsuccessfully to kill him- ferred Woman’s Health Clinic in Charlotte during a victim. Martinez, pastor of Miracle Christian Church, of Mountain Movers Ministries, is accused of expos- self after another alleged victim came forward. It’s protest against legal abortion. is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old girl on ing himself 4 times last year to a 7-year-old girl. unclear if the sexual charges are tied to the trespass- The clinic volunteer told a reporter Benham ap- multiple occasions from April to October 2017 after According to the complaint, the girl told her ing. Source: Greensburg Daily News, 2-1-18 proached her “menacingly” and “repeatedly” and telling her she had multiple personalities and that mother that Cooper put his “pee pee” in her “no- John A. Sarro, 76, Elkton, MD: Unlawful sexual said “You are dead.” Benham responded that there one of them was possessed by a demon. no” several times and that Cooper told the girl that intercourse and unlawful sexual contact. Sarro was was no such threat, that he actually told her she was They allegedly had sex in a back room at the a woman she knew let him do it to her when she pastor at St. Helena Catholic Parish in Bellefonte, “dead in her sins.” church, at her home and in the parking lot of a Pub- was little. DE, in 1991-94, when the crimes involving a girl un- Defending Alabama Senate candidate Roy lix grocery store. Source: WFLA, 2-12-18 An affidavit alleged the woman, now 32, told in- der 16 are alleged. Moore last year against charges that he dated and Douglas Rivera, 40, Baldwin Park, CA: Child mo- vestigators Cooper molested her for about 2 years, He was removed from public ministry in 1997 by assaulted girls in their teens, Benham said, “There is lestation, indecent exposure and burglary. Rivera, starting when she was 10. Cooper apologized to her the Diocese of Wilmington after allegations of sexu- something about a purity of a young woman, there pastor of God’s Gypsy Christian Church in Glendale, several times in a phone conversation deputies lis- al abuse in the 1980s in New Guinea, where he was is something that is good, that’s true, that’s straight, is accused of masturbat- tened to, Sheriff Grady serving as a Marist missionary. He’s been living in a and he looked for that.” Source: WSOC, 2-26-18 ing in his pickup parked Judd said. Source: Lake- monitored residence since 2002, according to the di- An unidentified imam in Temara, Morocco, is outside a motel room land Ledger, 2-9-18 ocese. Source: News Journal, 1-31-18 accused of sexual assaults on 6 children at a mosque occupied by 2 girls from The girl, 7, told her mother that David P. Carson, Dorothy Nicolo, 70, Tallahassee, FL: Grand where he had started an elementary school. After China ages 10 and 13. 63, Tampa, FL: Sexual theft, fraud to obtain over $50,000, illegal use of parents of a child reported an alleged assault, 5 oth- Pastor Cooper put his ‘pee pee’ He masturbated assault. Carson, pastor credit cards and passing a forged instrument. Nico- er families made similar accusations. in her ‘no-no’ several times. and stared at the girls at In My Father’s House lo, volunteer treasurer for 24 years at Aenon Baptist Parents of an alleged victim reportedly wit- for about half an hour Church and a math Church, is accused of stealing $119,000 from the nessed the imam molesting their 8-year-old son af- before knocking on the teacher at Hillsborough church between 2012-17. Source: Tallahassee Dem- ter they were alerted by a watch group that he was door, forcing his way inside and sexually assault- Community College, is charged with assaulting a ocrat, 1-25-18 alone with the boy at the school. Source: Morocco ing one of the girls, alleged Covina police Lt. Trevor 14-year-old girl. Another adult allegedly witnessed World News, 2-21-18 Matthew F. Pinder, 43, Palm Harbor, FL: Sexual Gaumer. Surveillance video led to his arrest. Source: part of the attack. Source: WFTS, 2-8-18 battery with custodial authority. Pinder taught at David Rowan, 62, Milton, FL: Sexual battery by Valley Tribune, 2-12-18 Caleb Gaston, 21, Wichita, KS: Aggravated inde- Calvary Christian High School in 2009 when the inci- an authority figure, 3 counts of rape and 2 counts An unidentified woman in her 50s was arrest- cent liberties with a child. Gaston, who worked at dents with a 16-year-old student are alleged. Before of unlawful sexual contact. Rowan, pastor at Liber- ed in Israel and awaits extradition to Australia on Kid Zones at both the Downtown and East YMCAs, that he taught at Indian Rocks Christian School. ty Baptist Church, is accused of assaults on 14- and 74 counts of sexual abuse of girls at an ultra-Orth- is accused of assaulting a 4-year-old girl in January. Authorities suspect there are other victims. Pin- 15-year-old sisters at a hotel in Murfreesboro, TN, dox school she headed in Melbourne. She allegedly Kid Zone employees watch children while parents der allegedly admitted to detectives he assaulted when he was guest speaker at a religious conven- molested 3 sisters separately at Adass Israel School are exercising or taking classes. Areas are surveilled the student at least twice. Source: Tampa Bay Times, tion in 2014. from 2001-08 to “get them ready” for marriage. She by video. 1-25-18 The girls and their mother knew him before his fled to Israel in 2014. Gaston’s employment at Plymouth Learning , 66, Shermans Dale, PA: Unlaw- visit to Tennessee, a police report said: “The victims Harry Maxwell The sisters allege they were targeted because Center, a church preschool, was “terminated on ful delivery of a controlled substance, criminal use looked up to Pastor Rowan and counted on him they came from a dysfunctional home. Source: 10/9/17 due to one complaint of inappropriate of a communication facility and drug possession. for spiritual guidance.” Source: Murfreesboro News, Haaretz, 2-12-18 touching,” said a statement from Plymouth Congre- 2-20-18 Maxwell, youth pastor at an unidentified church, Richard Cecil, 47, N. Fort Myers, FL: Soliciting gational Church. Source: Wichita Eagle, 2-6-18 is charged with selling the painkiller Oxycodone. Anthony Morris, 49, Zelda Morris, 46, and Ka- prostitution. Cecil, the former pastor of The Father’s Barbara L. Fouts, 56, Dennison, OH: 2 counts of Source: pennlive.com, 1-26-18 mali Morris, 19, Toledo, OH: Aggravated robbery House who now runs a ministry with his wife from grand theft. Fouts, treasurer of Pleasant Valley Unit- , 84, Canadys, SC: 3 counts of crim- with a deadly weapon. Anthony Morris is pastor at Ralph G. Stair their home, is accused of offering to pay $200 to an ed Methodist Church, is accused of stealing from the inal sexual conduct, assault with the intent to com- St. Paul’s AME Zion Church, and Zelda and Kamali undercover officer for sex at a hotel. church from 2012-16. “The accountant found that mit criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, assault, are his wife and daughter. They are charged in an “Richard’s extensive Hebraic insight, humorous, there were $63,299.60 in disbursements that could burglary and criminal sexual conduct with a minor. incident with Nickema Turner, 39, who was teaching Stair, founder of Overcomer Ministry, came under Sunday school when the Morrises allegedly attacked investigation after video surfaced from church ser- Turner, pointed a gun at her and took items from her vices from last July to October. One clip shows him purse. According to the police report, Zelda stated to Well, maybe not the best way calling a 12-year-old girl to the front and putting his Turner’s daughter, “You wanna know why this hap- hand between her breasts. “Growing up,” he said, pened? It happened because your mom slept with adding while she returned to her seat, “I’m gonna my husband.” Source: ABC 13, 2-19-18 touch those things till nobody else can touch ’em.” Aryeh Goodman, 35, East Brunswick, NJ: En- Charges involve at least 35 alleged acts involving gaging in prostitution with a child and endangering another girl in 1998-99. Stair pleaded guilty in 2002 the welfare of a child. Goodman, a rabbi who oper- to assault and battery for sexual touching of 2 un- ates a religious learning center (chabad) from his derage girls from the church. Source: CBS Charles- home and may be affiliated with another at a sepa- ton, 1-18-18 rate location, is accused of having sex Feb. 1 with a 17-year-old girl at a hotel. Pleaded / Convicted Two others are charged with trafficking for al- legedly selling the girl’s services to about 30 men Tadhg O’Dalaigh, 74, Dublin: Guilty by jury of in January and February. Goodman was sentenced indecent assault on a 12-year-old boy at Christmas in 2015 to 11 to 23 months in prison after pleading time in 1980 at an Irish boarding school where O’Da- guilty to 2 counts of indecent assault involving a boy laigh taught as a Sacred Heart Missionaries Catholic in 2001 at Camp Menachem in Pennsylvania, where priest. he was a counselor. Source: Courier News, 2-19-18 The complainant, now in his 40s, testified O’Da- Maurice Frazier, 51, Indianapolis: Coercion and laigh came in the sick bay to check his temperature: enticement, sexual exploitation of a child, posses- “He put his hand down and touched my testicles sion of child pornography, offense by a registered and penis. He did that. I just lay there. I didn’t know sex offender and 6 counts of receipt of child por- what to do. It was probably a minute, a minute nography. Frazier, associate minister at Nazarene and a half. That is a long time when he is at me. He Missionary Baptist Church, is accused of multiple Wayne Trotta sent this photo of the marquee from Red Mount United stopped. He left.” assaults on a 14-year-old girl he met through the Methodist Church in East Berlin, Pa. “It’s either a quote from a Trump O’Dalaigh has earlier assault convictions in 1999 church. University textbook, or from someone with a serious case of Double and 2014. Source: Irish Examiner, 2-22-18 He’s also accused of persuading the girl to send Entendre Deficit Disorder,” writes Trotta. Ifor Whittaker, 73, London: Guilty by jury of 7 nude photos of herself and threatening to retaliate counts of gross indecency and conspiracy for as- if she reported him to police, according to the U.S. saults on a boy between 1987-93, starting when the Attorney’s Office. Frazier is married with 4 children. boy was 10 and Whittaker was an Anglican priest. Source: Indianapolis Star, 2-15-18 dynamic and engaging style endear him to a wide not be accounted for due to lack of records,” said Roy Cotton, a priest who died in 2006 and was nev- Otho Schilling, 58, Mount Hermon, LA: Theft spectrum of pastoral engagements and ministry prosecutor Scott Deedrick. “There were $43,911.72 er charged, facilitated the abuse with Whittaker, ac- of government funds, amounting to over $200,000. opportunities,” said a Facebook post about the cou- of disbursements not authorized by the [board.]” cording to the prosecution. Source: BBC, 2-22-18 Schilling, pastor of a unidentified church in Bush be- ple’s November appearance at Bible Temple Church Fouts disbursed about $34,000 of that total. Charles A. Barnett, 72, an Australian Catholic tween 2005-16, is accused of concealing his earnings in Toledo, OH. Source: WBBH, 2-12-18 “Of that amount, $24,283.67 is alleged to have priest sentenced to 6½ years in 2010 for molesting 4 and employment from the Social Security Adminis- Albert L. Phillips, 74, Sarasota, FL: Lewd or las- been disbursed by [Fouts] to herself or for her ben- teen boys between 1977-94, pleaded guilty to inde- tration while receiving Retirement, Survivors and civious conduct on victims under 12 and under 16. efit,” Deedrick alleged. Source: Times-Reporter, 2-6-18 cent assault and persistent sexual exploitation of 2 Disability Insurance of $1,728 a month. A 15-year-old girl alleged to police in December that W. Thomas Faucher, 72, Boise, ID: 10 counts more victims. One boy testified Barnett sneaked into He had the church pay personal expenses such Phillips, former pastor of New Bethel Missionary of sexual exploitation of a child, 2 counts of distrib- his room through a window to molest him. Source: as health care and insurance premiums, car pay- Baptist Church, started touching her sexually when uting sexually exploitative material and 2 counts ABC Online, 2-19-18 ments and a personal land note in lieu of being paid she was 4 and living with the Phillips family. Source: of possession of a controlled substance. Faucher, Donald C. Biggs, 39, Medford, OR: Pleaded guilty a salary, the indictment said. Source: Times-Pica- WFLA, 2-12-18 who retired in 2015 as pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic to transporting with intent to engage in criminal sex- yune, 2-15-18 Sean M. Massaro, 24, New Milford, NJ: Theft. Church, talked in an online chat of his “desires to ual activity. Biggs, youth pastor at Mountain Church, Brian S. Dicken, 37, Winchester, VA: 2 counts of Massaro, director of children and youth ministries rape and kill children,” prosecutor Cathy Guzman was accused of secretly recording girls in the nude taking indecent liberties with a child. Dicken, former at All Saints Church, is charged with stealing $582 said at a probable cause hearing. at his home and on church trips between 2012-14. associate pastor of Church of Christ at Mountain from the collection basket over a 5-week period. He allegedly possessed and traded images of It’s alleged he encouraged “messy” activities View, is accused of assaults on a girl younger than 18 Church officials brought surveillance video to po- infants and toddlers subjected to sexual acts and requiring students to change clothes or shower. At in late 2014 and early 2015. lice. Source: Citizen Voice, 2-12-18 other physical abuse. A search also found marijua- church camps he allegedly used “punishments” He’s listed as lead minister on the website for George N. Gregory, Munhall, PA: Open lewd- na, LSD and Ecstasy, Guzman said. Source: Idaho such as covering a camper in syrup and flour. Source: April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 21

Mail Tribune, 2-16-18 cedures were insufficient to protect him,” said a Harry L. Thomas, 74, Medford Township, NJ: statement read to parishioners at Feb. 4 services. Pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, endan- A separate suit against McCraw is pending. Source: gering the welfare of a child and 3 counts of sexual Baptist Press, 2-6-18 assault. Thomas, pastor of Come Alive Church, ad- mitted molesting 5 girls between the ages of 7 and Finances 10 from 1999 to 2015. The Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, MD, Thomas founded Creation Festivals, which now awarded $500,000 to Thomas McGarvey for alleged bills itself as the largest U.S. Christian music festival, long-term sexual abuse in the 1980s by priest Rob- and Come Alive International, a missionary organi- ert L. Brown through a compensation fund set up zation. Source: Courier Post, 2-16-18 by the diocese. An unidentified Catholic priest, 58, was arrest- “Whatever settlement they gave me is not go- ed in Mexico City on charges of aggravated sexual ing to wipe out the pain that I went through,” said abuse of a minor for allegedly assaulting a 12-year- McGarvey, who was 16 when he went to Brown for old girl after her mother left her at church to study counseling. Brown died in the mid-1990s. Source: catechism. The girl fled and her mother contacted Newsday, 2-13-18 police. Source: AP, 2-16-18 Walter Diggles, 61, pastor at Lighthouse Church Thomas Thanninilkumthadathil, 44, Kallara, in Jaspar, TX, and his wife Rosie Diggles have filed India: Rape, theft, criminal intimidation and volun- for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. They were convicted last tarily causing hurt. Thanninilkumthadathil, a Sy- year of wire fraud and money laundering for divert- ro-Malabar Catholic priest, is accused of raping and ing $1.3 million in hurricane relief money but hav- robbing a 42-year-old Bangladeshi woman from En- en’t been sentenced. gland after they met on Facebook. From 2007-12 while executive director at the The woman told police that he raped her repeat- Deep East Texas Council of Governments, Walter edly during her weeklong February visit and stole Diggles funneled money to a nonprofit he ran and her gold jewelry, mobile phone and about $1,800. then to church accounts for his family’s personal Source: The News Minute, 2-16-18 use, court documents said. Source: Beaumont Enter- Matthew Tague, 44, San Marcos, CA: Pleaded prise, 1-12-18 guilty to lewd acts on a child under 14. Tague, pastor at North Coast Calvary Chapel, allegedly admitted Legal Developments to investigators that he repeatedly molested a girl in 2016-17 when she was 12 and 13. He turned himself Fernando Sayasaya, a Catholic priest accused in after his wife caught him molesting a relative, an of molesting 2 North Dakota boys, was extradited affidavit said. Source: Union-Tribune, 2-15-18 from the Philippines. He’s charged with 2 counts of John Bishop, 54, Vancouver, WA: Pleaded guilty briefcase in a closet weren’t new and he wasn’t sure seeking at least $1.03 billion in damages because of gross sexual imposition for alleged abuse of under- to unlawful importation of a controlled substance. how to destroy them. “This isn’t rocket science,” alleged abuse by priests and others associated with age siblings from 1995-98 while assigned to 2 parish- Bishop, pastor at Living Hope Church, was arrested Judge Jeanne Schechter said. “You just destroy it.” the church. Source: Pacific Daily News, 2-19-18 es in the Fargo area. at the Mexican border in San Ysidro, CA, in posses- Source: Sun-Star, 2-8-18 Joseph White, 81, founder of the Church of the A Philippines court ordered his extradition in sion of 282 pounds of marijuana. Source: AP, 2-9-18 Thirty-one Pakistani Muslims were sentenced Living God International, is accused in a suit filed 2010 but he appealed and wasn’t arrested until late Lethebo Rabalago, the South African “Doom for the April 2017 murder in Mardan of Mashal Khan, by 5 male church members of sexual abuse and ha- 2017. Source: AP, 2-15-18 Pastor,” was found guilty of 5 counts of assault and 23, a university student whom they accused of post- rassment over a period of more than 20 years. The A Brooklyn, NY, yeshiva agreed to pay the city of contravening the Agricultural Stock Remedies Act ing blasphemous material online. Imran Sultan Mu- Pentecostal church is headquartered in Columbus, $22,500 for continuing to hold religious services in by a court in Limpopo province. hammad was sentenced to death, 5 others received OH, and has 102 locations worldwide. White, long a building the city deemed unsafe. Abraham Low, Rabalago, prophet of Mt. Zion General Assem- life imprisonment and 25 others received 4-year sen- dogged by abuse allegations, started it in 1994 after a rabbi and director of Yeshiva Kollel Tifereth Elizer, bly, sprayed the insecticide Doom on multiple con- tences. Khan was stripped, beaten and shot before being forced out of the Church of the Living God. answered a criminal summons from the Depart- gregants in 2016, claiming it could cure various ail- being thrown from his 2nd-floor dormitory. Formal accusations were made last June to the ment of Buildings and accepted the fine. ments, including cancer and HIV. Source: BBC, 2-9-18 Video footage shows a mob beating and stomp- church’s board of directors (2 members are White’s After a fire in August 2015, inspectors found the James D. Arbaugh, 40, Stuarts Draft, VA: Pleaded ing Khan’s lifeless body. A court determined the sisters) but results of its investigation haven’t been building had no certificate of occupancy and sprin- guilty to traveling in foreign commerce to engage in blasphemy charge was baseless. Source: AFP, 2-8-18 disclosed. Source: Columbus Dispatch, 2-6-18 kler system and was illegally occupied as a house of illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Arbaugh admit- Benjamin Nelson, 27, Waco, TX: 20 years in pris- John Wright, former pastor of Mid-City Church worship. Several orders to vacate the property were ted “engaging in illicit sexual conduct” with at least on after pleading guilty to online solicitation of a mi- of the Nazarene in San Diego is accused in a suit ignored. Source: NY Post, 2-11-18 21 boys as young as 5 in Haiti as a Mennonite mis- nor and 2 counts each of aggravated sexual assault of sexual harassment and rape by plaintiff Amy sionary between 2008-17. Source: Times-Dispatch, of a child and indecency with a child. Nelson, pastor McClanahan, 23. The church is a co-defendant for Allegations 2-6-18 at Peoria Baptist Church and a seminary student at alleged negligent hiring/supervision. McClanahan Church of England spending for sexual abuse Dennis Engelbrecht, 58, Nevada, MO: Pleaded Baylor University, was accused of posing as a teen met Wright in 2014 when he was her professor at issues has increased fivefold since 2014 and the guilty to illegally collecting $91,000 in Social Secu- to meet and eventually seduce a 13-year-old girl. Point Loma Nazarene University. She told him that a church faces over 3,300 allegations of abuse by cler- rity disability benefits from 2011-15. Engelbrecht, Source: Tribune-Herald, 2-6-18 family member had molested her and he offered to gy and volunteers. pastor of Pentecostal Assembly of God, was paid a Benjamin L. Petty, 36, Spencer, OK: 15 years’ counsel her, the complaint says, and they eventually The vast majority relate to “children, young weekly salary of $650 but failed to report his em- probation, wear an ankle monitor for 2 years and sex started having sex. Wright’s wife was co-pastor. people and vulnerable adults within church com- ployment status, prosecutors said. Source: Kansas offender registration after pleading guilty to rape, The Wrights have countersued, alleging the rela- munities,” Peter Hancock, bishop of Bath and City Star, 1-29-18 forcible sodomy and rape by instrumentation. Pet- tionship was consensual and that McClanahan had Wells and the church lead bishop on safeguard- ty, a cook at a Texas church camp, was charged with “agreed at all times that she would keep the rela- ing, told the general synod in London. A “deep Sentenced raping a 13-year-old girl in 2016 after tying her up. tionship secret from all other persons” and that she sense of shame” pervades, he said. Source: The Prosecutor David Pyle said major factors in de- exposed the affair only after John Wright broke it off Jordan Baird, 26, Warrenton, VA: 8 months in Guardian, 2-10-18 ciding not to seek prison in October 2017. Source: jail, 5 years’ probation and $12,000 restitution to Catholic priest Eduardo Perez, a native Colom- time were that Petty is San Diego Reader, 2-1-18 the victim’s family after a jury found him guilty of 5 bian who served parishes in Stockton and Modesto, “legally blind” and that The Catholic Arch- counts of indecent liberties with a minor by a cus- CA, is being investigated by the Stockton Diocesan the family signed off on diocese of Santa Fe, todian. He pleaded no contest to electronic solici- Review Board for alleged abuse of a 15-year-old girl the plea agreement. The Nelson was accused of posing as NM, is being sued by 4 tation of a minor. Baird used his position as son of who was a member of St. Stanislaus Parish in 1999. family has filed a civil a teen to meet and eventually more men alleging sex- the leader of the Life Church and as a Christian pop Modesto police have also been notified. suit. Defendants are the ual abuse as children by singer to manipulate girls and women into having seduce a 13-year-old girl. Perez later served St. Mary’s Parish in Stockton, First Baptist Church priests Sabine Griego inappropriate relationships with him, prosecutors where his replacement Dean McFalls resigned in of Terrell, the Baptist and the late Wilfred charged. 2013, telling parishioners he was about to become General Convention Bombardier. Griego was The judge barred testimony from 3 other alleged the father of a baby son and could no longer serve as of Oklahoma and the Country Estates Baptist removed from the priesthood in 2005. At least 74 victims as prejudicial to Baird. According to testimo- a priest. Source: Stockton Record, 2-9-18 Church. Source: newsok.com, 1-30-18 similar suits have been filed in recent years. ny, the church ordered an investigation, which was Ronnie Gorton, 39, Munford, TN, pastor of The Joni Stinson, 42, Ottumwa, IA: 10 years in prison An Albuquerque man, now in his 50s, alleges conducted by Steve Dawson, a close friend of Baird Awakening Church, has been accused by a juvenile suspended, 5 years’ probation and $160,000 restitu- Bombardier repeatedly molested him at Blessed and former co-pastor. male of sexual assault, molestation and rape, most tion after pleading guilty to theft as bookkeeper at Sacrament Parish and told him “participating in this Prosecutor David Gross suggested Dawson left recently on Jan. 31. “Interviews are being conduct- Ottumwa Christian School since 2010. She has paid special altar boy training was his ‘ticket to heaven.’ ” out key details of his probe when he was interviewed ed, evidence is being gathered,” said Billy Daugh- back $50,000 so far. Source: Ottumwa Courier, 1-26- Source: Albuquerque Journal, 1-28-18 by police and refused to share his notes with law en- erty, Tipton County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy. 18 Robert and Cindy Litzinger, former senior pas- forcement. Source: Prince William Times, 2-21-18 “Currently these are just allegations. No warrants Stephen J. Howard, 58, Fontana, CA: 308 years tors at the Church for Life in Santa Maria, CA, are have been filed.” Steve Brack, Brookville, IN: 9 months’ home de- to life in prison for 32 convictions of lewd act upon defendants along with the church in a suit filed by tention, 400 hours’ community service and $5,217 Gorton’s friend told a reporter the pastor had a a child, oral copulation of a person under 16 and parishioner “Jane Doe,” who alleges sexual battery, restitution after pleading guilty to felony theft. Brack handgun and was talking about suicide, which law sodomy of a person under 18. Before his 2014 arrest, assault and harassment from 2014-16. Doe a mother S was accused of stealing from Whitcomb United enforcement was notified about. ource: Covington Howard was lead pastor at Muscoy United Methodist of 2 in her 30s, asserts that she has discovered over Leader, 2-2-18 Methodist Church, where he was a trustee, and from Church. a dozen women who had similar experiences. Cindy the Brookville Kiwanis Club. Prosecutors said the 4 male victims’ current ages Litzinger assisted, facilitated and encouraged Rob- Removed / Resigned A State Police detective testified that the resti- range from 14 to 36. Source: Fontana Herald, 1-25-18 ert’s conduct, the complaint said. tution was likely only a fraction of what Brack stole Carlos Pineda Gomez, parochial vicar of Corpus Doe alleges that in church premarriage classes, because the statute of limitations barred charges Christi Catholic Parish in Council Bluffs, IA, was sus- Civil Lawsuits Filed Robert told women how to masturbate and have an for older suspected thefts. A church member said pended due to an allegation of a “serious violation orgasm to be “prepared and willing to do whatever profits from the church’s county fair food tent went Cameron McDonald, Lexington, KY, pastor of of boundary issues related to unwelcome advances their husbands wanted” and shared photos of him up 50% after Brack was not allowed to handle mon- Southern Acres Christian Church, is accused in a suit toward an adult,” the Diocese of Des Moines an- and his wife in bed. ey. Thousands of dollars are also missing from the filed by church member James Keogh of embezzle- nounced. He was ordained in December 2016. Law Robert Litzinger allegedly groped Doe’s breasts 1999 sale of the church parsonage. Source: Demo- ment, unlawful conversion of funds and unjust en- enforcement has been notified. Source: Daily Nonpa- and genitals during a prayer group meeting at his crat-American, 2-21-18 richment for allegedly using $100,000 of a $170,000 reil, 2-20-18 home, which Doe complained about to Cindy, who Alfredo P. Arias, 51, Aurora, IL: 205 days in jail, donation to pay the mortgage on his home. Keogh Sean Kerins, 27, West Middlesex, PA, was re- allegedly called that an “innocent mistake.” Source: with credit for time served, and deportation to Co- claims the 2016 donation was meant to pay off the moved as a teacher at Kennedy Catholic High School Santa Maria Times, 1-18-18 lombia after pleading guilty to battery. Arias lost his church’s $144,000 mortgage. and as pastor of Church of the Good Shepherd due religious worker visa after he was charged with fon- The complaint alleges McDonald fired the Civil Lawsuits Settled to a series of inappropriate text messages to a stu- dling 2 girls under age 6 as pastor at Sacred Heart church’s office manager to stop her from providing dent. Kerins was ordained last June and taught a Catholic Church. Source: Chicago Tribune, 2-12-18 financial information to law enforcement. Source: First Baptist Church of Columbia, SC, agreed sophomore course in morality and a senior course in Robert Gamel, 67, Merced, CA: 4 years in prison Herald-Leader, 2-20-18 to apologize and pay $300,000 to settle a case Christian social living. after pleading no contest to possessing child por- Louis Brouillard, former Catholic priest, is ac- involving a child who was allegedly molested by Diocese of Erie Bishop Lawrence Persico also nography. During a probation check, Gamel, for- cused by Guam plaintiff “ABL” of raping him at least Andrew McCraw, volunteer youth mentor. “Joel announced the resignation of David Poulson, 64, mer lead priest at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Los 8 times in the parish rectory in 1971 when he was 14. Doe” and his parents alleged McCraw started mo- pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Cambridge Banos, was found to be in possession of the same Brouillard allegedly walked around naked before lesting him about 6 years ago when he was 11. Springs, due to “credible allegations against Father nude images of a female teenage parishioner he was telling him it was “natural and normal” to have sex, “We are sorry that this young man was Poulson regarding the sexual abuse of minors.” convicted for in 2016. the complaint says. wronged and that our policies and procedures as Source: Sharon Herald, 2-13-18 Gamel told investigators the photos he kept in a The church on Guam now faces 157 lawsuits well as our enforcement of those policies and pro- Email: [email protected] Page 22 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 ON THE ROAD

Photo by Chris Line FFRF attorneys Elizabeth Cavell and Andrew Seidel taught a continuing legal education program at the Dane County (Wis.) Legal Association of Women luncheon in January. FFRF Co-President Dan Barker debated University of Leeds thermodynamics They discussed Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission — a professor Andrew McIntosh on the topic of “Does God Exist?” before an overflow recently argued case before the U.S. Supreme Court — and how the case threatens crowd of more than 240 students and FFRF members in the Gheens Science Hall to redefine religious liberty and undermine civil rights laws across the country. and Rauch Planetarium at the University of Louisville on Feb. 26. Pictured are McIntosh, Baptist Campus Ministries organizer John Adams, Dan, and moderator Clint Elliott.

Dan Barker, front row center, spoke about FFRF and his new book Free Will FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor was invited to speak Feb. 28 to an Explained to an enthusiastic group of FFRF Kentucky members and “Reasonable adult education class at Lakeview Lutheran Church in Madison, Wis. FFRF Living” members on Feb. 25 at Sullivan University in Louisville, Ky. Co-President Dan Barker provided beautiful piano music, opening Annie Laurie’s talk with the traditional freethought anthem “Die Gedanken Sind Frei” and ending it with his jazz ballad and ode to romance and science, “It’s Only Natural.” Freethought Today caption contest! This was Annie Laurie’s first talk before a Lutheran (ELCA) congregation, and she found the 60 or so in attendance to be supportive of separation between church and state. Annie Laurie and Dan are pictured with the very open- minded Pastor Dean Kirst.

In early February, FFRF Legal Director Rebecca Markert, left, and Director of Strategic Response Andrew L. Seidel, right, lobbied members of Congress, including Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, center. They lobbied on important This month’s caption contest photo was taken by FFRF Member Emily secular issues, including protecting the Johnson Amendment, ensuring Dunbar at a grocery store in Philadelphia. To enter, please write a that FEMA funds are not used to build churches, and sponsoring a Darwin humorous or witty caption to go along with this picture. Email your Day resolution. As the unabashed heathens entered the office of one Texas response to [email protected] by April 25. representative, the Rolling Stones song “Sympathy for the Devil” fittingly began to play: “Please allow me to introduce myself . . .” This trip was part of The winner, chosen by FFRF staff, will receive an FFRF T-shirt! We will FFRF’s “Educate Congress” initiative and has helped produce several important announce the winner and top runners-up in the May issue. victories, including defeating one of Trump’s worst judicial nominees and defeating a measure that would have undone the Johnson Amendment. April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY Page 23 CRANKMAIL Activist Anne Mardick dies Here we go with another installment of letters respecting an establishment of religion, or prohib- ticipant and a plain-spoken bus driver. we have received from nonmembers, reprinted as iting the free exercise thereof”. Unless you are suf- IN RIA received. fering from a cranial/rectal impaction, this should Mardick was a board member of both Sad: terminate your existence, because you be very easy to understand. — Jeff Backus the Secular Coalition for Arizona and obviously haven’t a molecule of decency. what’s u’r purpose: You are Bastards bound for hell! Atheist activist and FFRF Life Mem- the American Civil Liberties Union of even sadder is you chose this path? — Michael C. Stop what you are doing. — Ray Judkins ber Anne Mardick died on Feb. 15. Arizona. Risinger Religion in school: I just seen on the Cleve- She had been a member of FFRF Besides being an FFRF Life Member, Wasting time: I have only one thing to say to land Ohio news that u are complaining about a lo- you people: Get the fuck over yourselves. There are cal high school near me that says a little prayer be- since 2008 and she was also a lifetime member of the real problems in the world that require solving. Stop fore there basketball games the school I am talking was a founding Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix, wasting your time. Good gosh. — David Wetmore about West Branch My question is what are u doing member of FFRF’s the American Humanist Association I feel sorry for you: I am praying for all of to the schools that are teaching that Muslim gar- Valley of the Sun and the National Center for Science Ed- you as your path is not going to end happy. When bage in schools across our country? Are there two chapter in Arizona. ucation. She was a Humanist minister you leave this earth, you will be sadly disappoint- different standards here or what ? To me Islam is ed that you have been wrong all along. Why would not a religion and those type of people don’t de- She also founded and was the Humanist representative on you want that for yourself? Why would you want serve to be amoung us Americans they have there and was president the Arizona Interfaith Movement board that for your friends? Family? Kids? Don’t you de- own part of the world and we have ours I will be of the Greater of directors. serve better? Why would you be so determined to waiting for your response thank you — Eric Neff Phoenix Chapter A retired telecommunications pro- go against God? Do you realize that HE is the cre- Shit hole arse wipes: By disbanding...I pray of Americans Unit- fessional with nearly three decades of ator of all things? I really truly feel sorry for you. — daily that all you reprobates wind up in hell where Anne Mardick ed for Separation technical and leadership experience, Kurt Sholly you belong...you are despicable...amen... — Allan Information: You’re stupid! — Jason Walker Jones of Church and State. Anne spent most of her career in new Freedom: Why does the basic freedom and Pray: You should be ashamed of yourself stop- Mardick helped coordinate the bill- product development. She held di- liberty of not wanting to pay for the consequenc- ping people who want to pray from praying if you board campaigns in Phoenix and Tuc- rector-level positions at both US West. es of a woman’s free choice and free will to behave don’t want to pray that your choice to but the stop son in 2011. The billboards featured (now CenturyLink) and Sprint. She and act like a slut and a tramp have to be “reli- somebody else who wants to pray is just mean gious”? If a woman wants to let a man defile her for hearted don’t you have anything better to do then families, couples, a blind student with earned a bachelor’s degree in business her own pleasure out of wedlock, she can at least to bother kid our great country that everybody the statement: “Faith without reason is administration and a master’s degree in pay for contraception out of her own pocket. Just wants to come to was built on God why are you try- true blindness,” a Spanish-speaking par- telecommunications. further proof that these “freedom from religion” ing to destroy it — Gary Wagner and atheist groups are simply anti-Christian social- Wrong: Hello. This is Steve Johnson. You have ist groups who are ironically doing the work of in- misinterpreted the idea of Separation of Church ternationalist Talmudic Jewry. There are plenty of and State. I say shame on you for that. The thing is AR INVAIN sterile men and many who have had vasectomies this, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is an Tom Waddell that you sluts can pick from if you want to act like a Anti-American organization. It should be ashamed the American Civil Liberties Union of $10 whore, don’t ask the rest of America to pay for of itself. I mean it, the Freedom From Religion Maine Senate Maine. “I think that religious liberty is your birth control pills unless you want to pay the Foundation consists of a bunch of pathetic, good a founding principle in our country.” rest of us for our greens fees — for nothing dweebs who obviously don’t really give Jack Brandt Here are Waddell’s remarks: Atheists: When are you going to sue tow truck a care about the U.S. Constitution at all. As such, companies? Notice the towing piece in back is the Freedom From Religion Foundation needs to Feb. 15, 2018 Good morning. I am Tom Waddell, shaped like a cross. That can be your next project. get the heck out of the United States of America Tom Waddell, president of FFRF’s president of the Maine Chapter of the How can atheists be offended by what they don’t and never, ever come back. The Freedom From Maine chapter, has now opened ses- Freedom from Religion Foundation. believe in? If you were true atheists, you wouldn’t Religion Foundation has absolutely no right what- sions of both the Maine House and the We support everyone’s religious free- care. Why not just leave people alone, and live and soever to be in the U.S of A. — Steve Johnson Maine Senate by dom by advocating for the separation let live? You would love living in North Korea where Go away!: I saw your representative Dan on it is an atheist government. Christians have the life Ingram Angle. He is rude, disgraceful, arrogant reading a secular of church and state. expectancy of dead men. — Patrick McCarthy and lacks the ability to present a cogent argument. invocation, both As you fulfill the Senate’s solemn Interpretation: You need to “read” the Con- I want nothing to do with your organization. — believed to be responsibility of making decisions that stitution, not interpret it. It IS a document that Revonda Colbert firsts. will affect everyone who lives in Maine, was drafted by the Founding Fathers, in very plain Nazis: Just wanted to let you know that you English, so ALL the common people could under- are anti fredumb if you boycott thinking of any On Feb. 7, I urge you to rely on — and trust in — stand everything contained therein. There is no type. God bless you and have a great day .....nazi 2017, Waddell the collective character, honesty and “separation of church & state” in this document, thinkers. You are what make people depressed. — spoke before the integrity of your colleagues for guid- whatsoever. It states “Congress shall make NO law Jason Brusie Maine House and ance, today and every day. was then honored The wisdom of our Founding Fa- Tom Waddell by FFRF with its thers has much to offer, as well, and I “Nothing Fails Like Prayer” award, giv- would like to close with words from two en out at FFRF’s annual convention. American presidents: This year, Waddell took it to the Sen- Thomas Jefferson reminds us that: ate, where he delivered the invocation “The purpose of government is to en- on Feb. 15. able the people of a nation (or state) “Waddell made no reference to God to live in safety and happiness. Govern- or Jesus in his brief remarks, as many of ment exists for the interests of the gov- the invocations that open sessions of the erned, not for the governors.” Maine Legislature do,” wrote Charles John Quincy Adams inspires us Eichacker of CentralMaine.com. with: “If your actions inspire others to Waddell was invited to give the in- dream more, learn more, do more and vocation by state Sen. Shenna Bellows, become more, you are a leader.” who said in an interview that she has Thank you all for the sacrifices each tried to bring an array of people with of you have made to be a member of religious and nonreligious views into the Maine Senate. We, the people of the statehouse. Maine, appreciate and rely on your col- “The invocation before the Senate lective wisdom and the personal com- is supposed to be open to all people of mitment you have made to Maine’s all faiths, including no faith,” said Bel- future. lows, the former executive director of Thank you.

NOTHING FAILS LIKE PRAYER CONTEST

Our goal is to see secular citizens flood government meetings with secular invocations that demonstrate why government prayers are unnecessary, ineff ective, embarrassing, exclusionary, divisive or just plain silly. The person who gives the best secular invocation will be invited to open FFRF’s annual convention in 2018, receiving an all- expenses-paid trip to San Francisco Nov. 2-4, along with a plaque and an honorarium of $500.

MORE INFO AT: ff rf.org/outreach/nothing-fails-like-prayer Page 24 FFRF | FREETHOUGHT TODAY | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 Join FFRF in San Francisco from Nov. 2-4

Join the Freedom From Religion (see order form below, including Satur- Foundation in San Francisco for its 41st day Nonprayer Breakfast plus the Satur- annual convention from Nov. 2-4 at the day Banquet Dinner) to save $20 (and beautiful downtown Hyatt Regency. (For get a chance to socialize with other mem- information on guest speakers, see page 3.) bers). Friday night dinner and Saturday The conference hotel features dramat- lunch are on your own. The menus for ic architecture, panoramic views and a the two Saturday meals (with veggie, waterfront setting, di- vegan and gluten-free rectly across from the options) are: iconic Ferry Building. Breakfast — If you’ve got some Chef’s bakery se- free time during the lection, scrambled convention, you can eggs, Hobb’s bacon, explore the vibrant breakfast potatoes, Embarcadero district, juice and coffee. The Regency Club Lounge at the Hyatt offers guests spectacular 360-degree or head a bit further Dinner — Potage panoramic views of San Francisco and the bay. to explore famous Parmentier (potato attractions like Chi- leek soup), crispy natown and Fisher- The Hyatt Regency in downtown shallots, chive crème man’s Wharf, or ride San Francisco. fraiche, Champagne the ferry to Alcatraz. brown butter chicken, tarragon mush- The Hyatt features the world’s larg- room fond, Cipollini onion and Com- est hotel lobby at 17 stories tall with te risotto, steamed broccolini, French 42,000 cubic feet of space. Each room pear tart, frangipane, vanilla cream. features floor-to-ceiling windows over- 2018 CONVENTION REGISTRATION FORM looking cityscapes or the San Francis- General schedule Or register online: rf.org/convention2018 co Bay and comes with complimentary Arrange your travel schedule for Wi-Fi. the convention’s expanded hours and DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION & MEALS PACKAGE to take in a little sightseeing as well. Get a $20 discount when you bundle two meals and registration. Includes Hotel reservations The official starting time is 1 p.m. Saturday breakfast and dinner. Number Registering Cost Reserve rooms now to avoid disap- Friday, Nov. 2, continuing through pointment! Rooms (at $230 plus tax) Saturday night. FFRF’s membership Member ___$190 $____ are being held for Friday and Satur- and state representative meetings take Spouse or Companion ___$195 $____ day nights, and a slightly more limited place Sunday morning with a noon (Non-member accompanying member) number for Thursday. Phone directly adjournment. to make your reservations: 1-888-421- The convention will include ir- Non-member ___$240 $____ 1442 and use the code “Freedom From reverent music, complimentary ap- Child / Student with ID (Meals Only) ___$130 $____ Religion Foundation.” Or go online petizers on Friday afternoon and a at ffrf.org/convention2018 for full con- complimentary Friday night dessert Please indicate number of meals vention information or reserve hotel reception, plus the popular drawing Saturday Non-Prayer Breakfast rooms directly at bit.ly/FFRF2018. for “clean” (pre-“In God We Trust”) __# Regular __# Vegetarian __# Vegan __# Gluten Free currency on Saturday night. Saturday Banquet Dinner Registration Return the handy registration form FFRF registration, always a deal, is on this page or sign up at: ffrf.org/ __# Regular __# Vegetarian __# Vegan __# Gluten Free only $60 per member, $65 per compan- convention2018. REGISTRATION – NO PACKAGE ion, $110 non-member, and free for stu- . . . dents and children. Take advantage of For information on FFRF’s conven- Member ___$60 $____ FFRF’s meal and registration package tion speakers, see page 3. Spouse or Companion ___$65 $____ (Non-member accompanying member) Non-member ___$110 $____ Or join for $40 and save $5 Child / Student with ID ___Free $____ SELECT MEALS À LA CARTE Please indicate number of meals Saturday Non-Prayer Breakfast ___$60 $______# Regular __# Vegetarian __# Vegan __# Gluten Free Saturday Banquet Dinner ___$90 $______# Regular __# Vegetarian __# Vegan __# Gluten Free

⊲ Total $______

The Hyatt in San Francisco features a beautiful 17-story high atrium lobby. ☐ I am enclosing a donation to sponsor student convention travel costs. $_____ (Make checks payable to FFRF) Return with payment to: Twofer! Dan Barker’s newest books FFRF, Attn: Convention | P.O. Box 750 | Madison, WI 53701

2 for $30ppd. – SAVE $5! Names of all registrants (attach extra sheet as necessary) The only place to get autographed copies. Barker has essentually eliminated the problem of free will. — Michael Shermer “ ” Address

City State / ZIP How “The Most NEW! Science and Unpleasant Philosophy Character in Phone* Email* converge All Fiction.” to create a Foreword beautiful by Richard Credit Card Number Expiration Date / Security Code illusion Dawkins (Paperback) (Hardback) Free Will Explained GOD Signature *Contact information for in-house use only. Normally sells for $12 ppd. Normally sells for $23 ppd. ☐ Please tell us about any concerns over accessibility or accommodations in Barker is donating royalties to FFRF for books purchased through FFRF. order to fully participate in this convention: FFRF.ORG/shop • Item# FB100 • 1-800-335-4021 FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION Celebrates PLUS

Years of Activism Our warmest gratitude to you — our members — for your support, activism and participation. FFRF would not be here without you. All photos on this page by Paul J. Gaylor

Founding meeting as national group in April 1978. Includes Second lawsuit: founders Anne Gaylor, Margaret and C.J. Richards, Jo and Anne & Attorney Charline Kotula. Karen Julian. Anne Gaylor on ‘Phil Donahue Show’ in 1978. Ruth Green.

1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 ‘Pray on your own time.’ FFRF ‘Angels off public payroll.’ FFRF goes national! First paid employee (part- FFRF publishes first bible starts a regional group to FFRF ends school funding of time): Sheila Thompson. warning label. combat governmental prayer nativity pageant at Wisconsin FFRF publishes first book: The (Dane County, Wis.). Capitol. Born Again Skeptic’s Guide to First FFRF lawsuit: Feds order the Bible, by Ruth Hurmence USPS nationwide to stop Green. issuing religious-themed ‘Phooey on Falwell’ FFRF cancellations. Convention speakers: Supreme First student essay contest picket. Court victors Vashti McCollum, established. Annie Laurie Gaylor stops Roy Torcaso. First FFRF T-shirt! FFRF removes cross from 122-year First FFRF film: ‘A Second Look Terry Andrae (Wis.) State commence- at Religion.’ ment prayer John Sontarck, FFRF’s original Park. abuse at third founding member, dies. Anne and Annie Laurie Gaylor University of appear on NBC’s ‘Tom Snyder Wisconsin- Show.’ FFRF rents first office. Madison. FFRF pickets Catholic Church. Page 2 FFRF | SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 The inside story of FFRF’s founding

By Annie Laurie Gaylor ‘The Dane County Board’s Judiciary priateness of a state university inflicting ry of legal accomplishments (see pages Committee didn’t exactly tell Anne Gay- prayers on a diversity of students of ev- 6-7). his April marks the 40th anniversa- lor to go to the devil when she requested ery and no religion. They agreed with The ease of ending some of those ma- ry of the national founding of the the board cease opening its meetings me, and the chancellor, rumored to be jor violations, I confess, gave us in those TFreedom From Religion Founda- with a prayer Monday night. But several an agnostic, agreed with them. Within heady years of the 1970s an unrealistic tion. FFRF actually began as a regional committee members informed her the a month, the prayers were halted at the perspective about how quickly activism group two years prior. My mother, Anne proposed ban stands a snowball’s chance midterm commencements and from could make a difference. We sincerely Nicol Gaylor, then a well-known feminist in hell of being approved . . . that point on. thought we’d just have to remind the activist, and I, a college student, were ‘Gaylor told the slightly bemused As the timeline starting at the bottom nation of its secular roots and the pen- dismayed to learn that local govern- committee that: ‘It is not the business of each page shows, within the first two dulum would swing back. Perhaps one Chris Line mental bodies of governmental bodies to pray. When years, we had a number of major success- must not only be a committed reformer were opening board members pray publicly, you in- es, including winning FFRF’s first lawsuit but also an optimist to found a contro- with Christian flict pressure, compulsion and embar- within about a month of its filing. Satisfy- versial cause group! prayers and rassment on those of your members ing victories brought resulting headlines And here we are today, grown from decided we’d and those of your audience who do not and individuals seeking to join our new the original three of us to more than better do some- accept or share these private religious group. A past mistress of the soundbite 32,000 members nationwide. I like to thing about it. views.’ ’ before the term was known, Anne and say that, as a freethinker in the United Thinking After reminding committee mem- her actions generated many wire and TV States, it may be the worst of times to be it would seem bers that the Constitution is a ‘godless’ stories. By the spring of 1978, Anne was in court but the best of times generally, rather weak to document designed to eliminate en- asked by onlookers across the country to with ‘Nones’ now comprising 24 percent go before the tanglements of church and state, Anne take FFRF national. of the adult population and 36 percent Annie Laurie Gaylor Madison City suggested they open instead with a read- FFRF was formally incorporated on of Millennials. About a fifth of Genera- Council and ing from the Constitution ‘with special April 5, 1978: ‘To promote the consti- tion Z identify explicitly as atheists or the Dane County (Wis.) Board merely attention to the First Amendment.’ My tutional principle of separation of state agnostics. as a mother-daughter team, we decid- suggestion that the board ‘pray on your and church and to educate the public in FFRF has grown from an all-volunteer ed we’d identify ourselves as part of a own time’ became the news story’s ban- matters related to nontheism.’ group to 25 full-time staff, including sev- group. We’d been bandying about the ner headline. We ended our remarks by The founding meeting of 15 indi- en staff attorneys and two legal fellows. concept that freedom of religion neces- thanking the committee for not open- viduals took place in Indiana on April We produce our own newspaper and our sarily encompasses the right to be free ing with a prayer. One of the committee 8, 1978. My father, Paul J. ‘Jody’ Gaylor, own media, and create our radio and from religion. Anne coined what is now members responded: ‘Amen.’ was one of the new “Freethought Matters” TV show, an oft-repeated phrase: There can be no We went on to address the Madison 15 founders. and Facebook Live! broadcast in the Ste- true religious liberty without the free- City Council over its equally inappropri- (An unfail- phen Uhl Friendly Atheist Studio. dom to dissent. ate prayer. Despite Bark’s prophecy, and ingly devoted Our legal work has always set FFRF That’s the short story of how the although it took about a year, the city cheerleader of apart, even before we had the budget Freedom From Religion Foundation council dropped prayer altogether. The my mother, he to hire our first staff attorney in 2008. was born. An elderly Milwaukee gen- county board dropped explicit prayers, became FFRF’s We’ve taken well over 70 completed tleman, John Sontarck, learned of our adopting rotating opening remarks by hardest-work- lawsuits with about a dozen ongoing, new venture and agreed to lend his local alderpersons. ing volunteer.) winning two-thirds of them. We sponsor name and moral support, becoming the That fall, I ended the 122-year abuse The rest is four student essay competitions and sev- third member of our nascent group (al- of commencement prayers at UW-Mad- history, as they Paul J. Gaylor eral student activist awards. Since 2006, though, sadly, he died within the year). ison. With knocking knees, I nervously say. Some, but we’ve never missed a week broadcasting A reporter at The Capital Times cov- went before the senior class officers. by no means all, historic highlights are Freethought Radio. And since 2007, ered our appeal to a county committee To my pleasant surprise, the students recorded in the timeline on each page of we’ve placed thousands of messages on on June 21, 1976. Ed Bark reported: beamed as I pointed out the inappro- this special section, along with a summa- billboards throughout the nation and

Dan Barker joins FFRF in 1984, appears on Oprah Winfrey Show. Carol Callahan, TV crew. Anne Gaylor on CNN’s ‘Crossfire’ in 1983. Ishmael Jaffree, first Freethinker of Year.

1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Anne Gaylor joins paid staff. Gaylor v. Reagan lawsuit filed Dan Barker’s first of 130 de- against ‘Year of the Bible.’ bates for FFRF takes place in July 7, Ruth Green dies. Judge James Doyle rips Nashville. Writes: ‘Freedom depends Congress over Year of Bible, upon freethinkers.’ Wisconsin state Senate (briefly) won’t enjoin it. drops paid prayers after FFRF FFRF’s second requests equal time. book: Woe to FFRF’s airs its first TV show, FFRF moves to more spacious the Women: ‘Freethought Forum.’ office. The Bible Tells Intro issue, Freethought Today, FFRF sues over La Crosse Ten Me So, by FFRF publishes debuts in September. Annie Laurie Commandments, Part I. third book: Anne choked by anti-abortion FFRF sues and wins over UW- Gaylor. First ex-clergy panel at FFRF’s Lead Us Not woman after TV show in Phila- Madison religious recruiting. Into Penn Minneapolis convention. delphia. Launches ‘Christians Photo by Ken Malpas Station, by Anonymous’ hotline. Anne Gaylor. Four-city TV tour over Year of Bible. Newspaper headline: ‘Anne Anne Gaylor on CNN’s ‘Crossfire. Gaylor, Lightning Rod.’ Oprah Winfrey features FFRF on TV show with guests Anne, Annie Laurie, Dan Barker & Rita Bell. Timeline photos this page by FFRF puts up first bus ads: Isaac Asimov speaks at N.J. Paul J. Gaylor unless otherwise noted. ‘The bible: A grim fairy tale.’ FFRF solstice signs on city buses. Chapter event. April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION Page 3 taken full-page ads in major newspapers. and partner at FFRF, Dan Barker, who who died when she was two. But my twin newspaper editor, Anne wrote the first Despite censorship, we’ve placed our had formerly preached from that nas- brother Ian recently uncovered a fasci- editorial in the state calling for legaliz- ad by Ron (‘unabashed atheist . . . not ty bible! We met for the first time on nating tidbit about our maternal ances- ing abortion. After that, her phone nev- afraid of burning in hell’) Reagan on na- Oprah Winfrey’s ‘AM Chicago’ in 1984. tor, George Sowle (or Soule), who came er stopped ringing. She was propelled tional and regional TV markets. We’re Dan had contacted me after reading my over on the Mayflower as a tutor, not a into the abortion rights movement, be- proud of our honorary board, including book, briefly explaining he had just left Pilgrim. Records show that on March ginning an abortion referral service and our Honorary President Steven Pinker. the ministry and was seeking informa- 1, 1658, Goodwife Soule, George’s wife, serving on the national board of NARAL. (See their well wishes on the back page.) tion on FFRF. Busy working two jobs, I their son John and about 10 others were As a junior high student, I happi- We’ve grown from a dining-room-ta- was impressed by his story but, infamous- fined 10 shillings each for ‘frequent ab- ly trailed around the state of Wiscon- ble operation to working out of a small ly, never wrote him back. My mother did, sence from the public worship of God.’ sin with my mother as she passionately rented office to acquiring a historic asking Dan to address the upcoming na- There appears to be no ‘God gene’ on worked to free women — tabling, speak- two-story building, Freethought Hall, in tional convention about his ‘losing faith my maternal side. ing, lobbying and doing countless media downtown Madison. Membership and in faith’ story. It was natural she’d suggest It was also lacking in my father, de- interviews. When hearings were eventu- staff growth compelled a major build- that Dan join us as a guest when Oprah spite his growing up in a Christian ally held on abortion and contraception, ing expansion, completed in fall 2015, put together a show about people los- Church Disciples of Christ family. He we witnessed the rotunda of the Wiscon- during which we added five stories ing their religion. When Dan joined the always said religion ‘never took.’ He sin state Capitol filled with nuns, priests plus a library — thanks to an incredi- staff in 1987, he promptly set up FFRF’s despised the hypocrisy of the deacons and bused-in parochial school children. ble outpouring of support and some first computer database, then became and other holier-than-thou types in De- Their testimony invariably began, ‘The simply extraordinarily generous bene- FFRF’s public relations director and pression-era segregated Missouri, who bible says . . .’ or ‘God says . . .’ We saw factors, including among many others, ‘ambassador of freethought,’ and since would mouth platitudes on Sundays — clearly that the only organized opposi- Dan Barker Ken Proulx, Charlie then a major free- and ugly racism the tion to reproductive rights was religious. Brooks, Steve and thought author, de- rest of the week. Abortion law reform came swiftly, but Diane Uhl, Brian bater, speaker and The final straw was we’d learned a lesson we’d never forget: Bolton, Harold Er- co-founder of The To be free from religion is an his humiliating full- We must not allow religious doctrine or ickson, Joel Landon Clergy Project. advantage for individuals; it body immersion dogma to hold sway over our civil laws. and Wanda Beers, From the be- is a necessity for government. baptism in front of As Anne wrote in, ‘Free From Reli- Richard and Beverly ginning, it was our the congregation gion’ (from Lead Us Not Into Penn Station): Hermsen, Rose Zer- aspiration to do when he was 12. ‘In working for women’s rights, I Ken Proulx wick and Leonard ourselves out of a cause and a job. Un- My parents wisely let their four chil- fought in a battle that would never end, Speisman. fortunately, given the increasing threats dren grow up free from religion. They because the root cause of the denial of Anne, FFRF’s principal founder, died to secularism and evidence-based social ‘devoutly’ believed that children should those rights was religion and its control at 88 in June 2015, four years after my policy in the United States and world- be allowed to make up their minds once over government. Unless religion is kept father, having lived long enough to tour wide, we appear to have job security. Our they were old enough to understand in its place, all personal rights will be in the nearly completed expansion and to movement must work even harder to disturbing abstractions such as ‘original jeopardy. be feted in the Charlie Brooks Auditori- ensure that the candles of the Enlighten- sin.’ They abhorred the idea of subject- ‘To be free from religion is an advan- um at its first event. She shared my pride ment are not snuffed out. ing young children to neurosis-inducing tage for individuals; it is a necessity for that so many dedicated individuals have concepts such as hell and eternal dam- government.’ joined FFRF as members, and that so aaa nation. I like to say (in no apology to many professionals lend their talents as There is a back story about how FFRF Robert Browning) that I was a secular aaa part of FFRF’s committed staff. really came to be founded: my family’s Pippa: God wasn’t in his heaven; all was To every friend, colleague, Board I never imagined back in 1976 that freethought tradition. I’m a third-gener- right with my world. Member, State Representative, staffer, I would spend my life working for free- ation freethinker on my mother’s side of But my mother realized in so many FFRF member (some of you, such as thought and the First Amendment, the family. My mother explained that her ways how much was wrong with the Dick Hewetson, dear members from the although I can imagine nothing more quiet farmer-businessman father (who world, particularly for women. What inception), and FFRF’s many generous, important. Nor would I have imagined died long before I was born) was ‘embar- opened our eyes to the vital need to generous donors among you, I thank that writing a book about bible sexism rassed’ by religion. As she grew up, she keep religion out of our laws and poli- you . . . for making FFRF’s work, accom- for FFRF at my mother’s request would felt that was the appropriate reaction. cies was her activism on behalf of repro- plishments and future achievements be how I would meet my spouse-to-be Anne didn’t remember her mother, ductive rights. In 1967, as a small-town possible. Forward! Kathleen Parr McKenna Daily Cardinal

St. Louis convention, 1987. Participants don State/Church: Keep Them Separate rally in Wisconsin Capitol, FFRF moves into Freethought Hall, thanks FFRF Freethinker sweatshirts. 1988. Founding member Joe Kotula is at left. to many donors — the most generous being Blanche Fearn.

1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 FFRF sues to halt Illinois State Second FFRF film, ‘Champions Media: ‘Good Morning America,’ FFRF complaint closes Chapel suggested by Pat of the First Amendment,’ ‘700 Club,’ ‘Donahue.’ infamous Baptist home for Robertson. debuts. Anne Gaylor wins Gaylor v. children. Wisconsin attorney general FFRF publishes Just Pretend: A Hanaway lawsuit. Alabama FFRF chapter rules against pre-game prayer. Freethought Book for Children Bible-free hotel room request protests Cheaha State Park by Dan Barker. gets international coverage. Chapel. Butterfly McQueen at FFRF’s FFRF moves into Freethought convention in Atlanta. Hall, a two-story building in Butterfly McQueen becomes Madison, Wis., thanks to kind 22nd FFRF Lifetime Member. donors. (See painting, above.) FFRF’s second TV commercial Jack Kevorkian speaks at featuring Dan Barker airs in annual convention. Honolulu, Madison, Wis., and Jefferson City, Mo. Censored elsewhere. FFRF publishes Dan’s ‘Stay Away Pope Polka’ Betrayal of airs in all U.S. cities pope Trust: Clergy FFRF sues over Ten visits. FFRF’s first TV commercial, Abuse of Commandments at Colorado Children by starring Sheila (Thompson) Media includes ‘Sally Jessy state Capitol. Annie Laurie Jensen. Raphael,’ Boston People Are All photos this page by Gaylor. Talking, Detroit’s ‘Kelly & Co.’ Paul J. Gaylor unless otherwise noted. Page 4 FFRF | SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018

Then andPaul J. Gaylor now Paul J. Gaylor

FFRF’s start as a volunteer, dining-room-table group. In this photo circa First FFRF office in 1980. In 1979, Sheila Jensen (left) was the first hired 1977, principal founder Anne Gaylor (top left) types while volunteers part-time help. Anne Gaylor became a paid staffer in 1981 after five years collate FFRF’s newsletter. of volunteerism. Andrew L. Seidel Freethought Today

FFRF paid cash in 1990, thanks to generous donors, including Blanche The groundbreaking in August 2013 for FFRF’s five-story addition to Fearn, for its office building in downtown Madison, Wis. Anne’s frugal accommodate FFRF’s growth to more than 20,000 members and 16 staff philosophy: A nonprofit should never go in debt, and FFRF never has. that year. A decrepit building next door to Freethought Hall was razed for the addition, completed in 2015, thanks to very generous donors. Brent Nicastro Chris Line

Phase 1, Lake Hypatia, Freethought Hall, Alabama, 1992. Victorious plaintiffs in Wisconsin challenge of Good Friday holiday, 1996.

Freethought Hall today, fronted by FFRF’s 25 full-time staff.

FFRF abortion rights contingent, First-ever atheist sign in the Wisconsin Washington D.C., 1992. state Capitol, 1996.

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 FFRF sues over FFRF asks Wisconsin Sen. FFRF asks Sen. Russ FFRF stops federal money Supreme Court refuses Waunakee, Wis., crèche. Herb Kohl for ‘equal time’ Feingold to permit Barker for Our Lady of the FFRF appeal over ‘In God invocation. No go. invocation. No go. Rockies. We Trust’ suit. FFRF mentioned in Tom Robbins’ novel, Skinny FFRF FFRF wins suit: Denver FFRF lawsuit overturns Legs and All. publishes mayor enjoined from Good Friday holiday. Dan Barker’s proclaiming day of ‘Portrait of an Atheist’ Losing Faith prayer. First-ever atheist sign about Catherine Fahringer FFRF’s Alabama chapter in Faith. goes up in Wisconsin in San Antonio Express- ‘Religion is the problem’ sues Roy Moore (Pictured: state Capitol. News. banner flies during Roger and Pat Cleveland.) July 4: Lake Hypatia pope’s visit in Colorado. Probable cause found, Freethought Hall Grand FFRF publishes first FFRF reissues FFRF challenges ‘In God FFRF’s ethics complaint Opening. We Trust’ motto. anthology over Alabama Gov. H. Guy One Woman’s Fight by of women FFRF proclaims Oct. 12 Vashti McCollum. Hunt. ‘Freethought Day.’ FFRF holds ‘Good freethinkers, without God’ event for edited by Catherine Fahringer schoolkids. Annie Laurie flies FFRF banners over Gaylor. San Antonio.

Butterfly McQueen dies Dec. 22. April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION Page 5 Speaking of atheism . . . Brent Nicastro By Dan Barker especially enjoyed getting to know the struggling but vibrant freethought/hu- hen I gave my very first talk manist groups in countries like Mexico, at the FFRF convention in Guatemala, Honduras and Cameroon. WMilwaukee in 1984 — the I think I now hold a world record: To same year I came out of the ministry date, I have done 130 public moderated — I mentioned to Annie Laurie Gaylor debates with theists, mostly on the topic that maybe this would help me earn ‘Does God Exist?,’ but also on morality, some reverse-penance after 19 years of the resurrection of Jesus, the bible, the preaching the false hope of the gospel. afterlife, and state/church separation. Well, 34 years later, I think I can say, My opponents have been mainly con- ‘Mission accomplished!’ servative and evangelical Christians — During that time, I have had the such as Norman Geisler, Richard Swin- great honor of speaking for FFRF in at burne, and the now-disgraced Dinesh least a thousand D’Souza — but I have also debated lib- events in almost eral theologians, theistic philosophers, all 50 states and rabbis, Muslim apologists and even a more than a dozen Hindu Vedic astrologer. For many years, I teamed up with the Arizona Republic cartoonist Steve Benson, foreign countries. My favorite debate was for the Ox- a prominent ex-Mormon, to put on our dog-and-pony show, Tunes ’N ’Toons. About half of those ford Union in 2012, where we wore were on college tuxedos with bow ties and toasted the December. But I think my favorite ap- Week at the University of Iowa, some- campuses. Many queen before Peter Millican, Michael pearances were on national television one went backstage and turned off my were at UU Fel- Shermer and I went against Peter in Guatemala and Honduras, where I microphone while I was talking about Dan Barker lowships, Ethical Hitchens (brother of Christopher), truly got to do some reverse-missionary free speech. Annie Laurie and I once Culture Societies, mathematician John Lennox and an penance, in Spanish, for those years I drove to a private college in Minnesota regional humanist, rationalist, atheist, Anglican priest on the proposition, preached in Latin America. where we had been invited by students skeptic, freethought groups, and even ‘This house believes in God.’ Richard One thing I was surprised to learn is to talk about FFRF, only to find that the in a few churches. I was invited to tell Dawkins was in the audience. After the that I truly enjoy speaking before a ‘hos- administration had locked the doors my preacher-to-atheist story, but also debate, the moderator asked the peo- tile’ audience, starting with that first ap- and cancelled the event. The Westboro to explain why I now work for a group ple to ‘vote with your feet.’ Those in fa- pearance on Oprah Winfrey’s ‘AM Chi- Baptist Church once protested outside that keeps state and church separate. vor of the proposition exited through cago’ in 1984, where I first met Anne one of my debates, which I considered I cannot count how many freethought one door, and those agreeing with the and Annie Laurie. It is much more fun a real honor. concerts at the piano I’ve performed. opposition exited through another. (and important) than preaching! Once It is satisfying to see the growth and (Unitarians are the best audience!) I The results: 143 for the proposition a preacher, always a preacher, I guess. A success of the Freedom From Religion

Paul J. Gaylor and 168 for the opposition. According local Baptist minister stood up in the au- Foundation. We are now in a strong po- to Oxford University, the atheists won! dience at one of my debates and yelled sition to continue spreading the ‘good There is no God. ‘Blasphemy!’ I thanked him for the news’ of freethought and secularism. I can’t estimate the number of TV compliment. During First Amendment Dan Barker is FFRF co-president. and radio interviews Anne Gaylor, An- nie Laurie and I have done for FFRF. FFRF Membership Growth 1978 – 2018 My first appearance on the national “Phil Donahue Show” in 1988 gar- 35,000 nered more than 2,000 letters and phone calls in a pre-email era, giving 30,000 our membership a huge boost. My ap- pearance on the national “Oprah Win- 25,000 frey Show” was followed by invitations to the “Sally Jessy Raphael Show,” “The 20,000 Daily Show” (twice), Morton Downey 15,000 Jr., Maury Povich, “Good Morning America” (twice), many Fox News FFRF Members 10,000 shows (such as ‘Fox and Friends,’ Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Tucker Carl- 5,000 son, Laura Ingraham), and “Religion and News Weekly” on PBS. I even en- 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 My first talk before an FFRF convention joyed being thrown off the Eric Bolling 2018 in 1984, as a ‘baby atheist.’ show on Fox Business Network one 1978 Year

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 FFRF wins second FFRF files suit FFRF’s World Famous FFRF prevails in ‘Friendly Neighborhood FFRF wins first court Wisconsin Good Friday challenging Wisconsin Atheist Cookbook debuts. Marshfield, Wis., shrine Atheist’ music CD victory in nation against suit. subsidy to Catholic case; shrine may not stay released by FFRF. faith-based funding (Faith schools. on public land. Works of Milwaukee). FFRF sues over papal shrine in Cherry Creek Partial victory by FFRF FFRF lawsuit with ‘Scopes II’ FFRF victory Park, Colorado. over Marshfield (Wis.) minister stops public halts illegal bible Jesus shrine. funding to assist clergy instruction in Rhea to develop marriage County, Tenn.

standards. Dan Barker First Atheists in Foxholes FFRF wins before appeals Award was dedicated on court, stopping direct July 4 at Lake Hypatia. internet subsidy to Grand opening of new parochial schools. auditorium. FFRF gets city of Nobel Laureate Steven Milwaukee to remove Weinberg, pictured with first Eagles Ten Doug Jager by Atheists Anne Gaylor (adjacent Commandments Lake Hypatia sign in Foxholes monument, right), receives the first monument placed on Lake Hypatia. This Emperor Has No Clothes public property (see monument and others Award. photo at right). were created by veteran Bill Teague. Page 6 FFRF | SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 40+ years of court victories! Chris Line When education alone is not successful, lowing the suit, the city sold a small parcel of and the circumstances are either egregious or the park containing the marker to the Eagles, the facts particularly promising, we go to court. which had gifted the decalog originally. The FFRF has filed and completed well over 70 law- city and Eagles were represented by Pat Rob- suits, with a dozen ongoing and more in the ertson’s legal group. A resounding ruling by planning stages, winning about two-thirds to District Judge Barbara B. Crabb ruled against date. FFRF couldn’t do it without its all-import- this sweetheart sale as a remedy. The appeals ant local plaintiffs, who deserve an ovation! court approved the sale, but demanded more Here is a recap of FFRF’s successful litiga- fences and disclaimers. Attorney: James Fried- tion over the years: man. 1977 FFRF, Anne and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Anne Gaylor v. United States Post Office Barker v. Jim Towey, Director of White House Federal lawsuit forces USPS to suspend na- Office of Faith-based and Community Initia- tionwide religious cancellations for St. Vincent tives de Paul. Attorney: Karla Dobinski. Lawsuit forced HHS to discontinue funding 1984 MentorKids or other faith-based mentoring FFRF, Jon Foust, Anne and Annie Laurie groups. Mentorkids USA was an offshoot of Gaylor v. University of Wisconsin Watergate felon Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellow- FFRF got the university to stop asking for ship Ministries. Attorney: Richard L. Bolton. and giving student contact info to area church- FFRF v. U.S. Department of Education es and campus ministries. Attorney: Richard Federal funds of $435,000 earmarked for Jacobson. FFRF’s current legal team includes (front row, from left) constitutional attorneys Andrew Alaska Christian College, an unaccredited bi- 1993 Seidel, Elizabeth Cavell, Patrick Elliott, Legal Director Rebecca Markert, (back row, from ble college with 31 students run by Evangelical FFRF, Colorado Chapter of FFRF, Robert left) Legal Assistant Whitney Steffen and constitutional attorneys Colin McNamara, Made- Covenant Church of Alaska, plus funds from Fenn and Lee Whitfield v. City and County of line Ziegler, Ryan Jayne, Sam Grover and Chris Line. previous grant were suspended. Attorney: Denver praying and pope blessing someone. Attorney: dedicated to bringing ‘homeless addicts to Richard L. Bolton. Successfully enjoined the Denver may- Robert R. Tiernan. Christ.’ Attorney: Richard L. Bolton. 2006 or’s office from co-sponsoring a Day of Prayer FFRF, 7 Minnesota members v. University 2000 against Violence on Dec. 5, 1993. Attorney: 2004 of Minnesota FFRF and Clarence Reinders v. City of John Doe, Mary Roe & FFRF v. Sue Porter, Robert R. Tiernan. Minnesota agreed to drop plans to spon- Marshfield, Wis. Rhea Co. Board of Education Alabama Freethought Society, Roger sor a ‘faith health leadership course’ and to Challenge of statue of Jesus with words The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled

Cleveland v. Alabama State Parks Brent Nicastro remove itself from a ‘faith health consortium’ ‘Christ Guide Us on State park system agreed to take down 51 years of bible instruction in Rhea Co. (Day- intended to be a national model. Attorney: Our Way’ in public crosses, remove ‘chapel’ title from buildings ton, Tenn.) schools unconstitutional in ‘Scopes Richard L. Bolton. park resulted in city and state maps, and give groups ‘first come- II,’ a practice started after the Scopes Trial. At- FFRF, Anne and Annie Laurie Gaylor and selling land with first service’ rights. Attorney: ACLU; Pamela torney: Alvin Harris. Dan Barker v. Gonzales shrine to Knights of Sumners. FFRF, Edith Paxman, Ron Calvert, James The Federal Bureau of Prisons, following Columbus, which 1996 Soular v. Montana Office of Rural Health FFRF’s suit, dropped plans to set up ‘single- had gifted shrine. Alabama Freethought Society, Gloria Her- FFRF successfully challenges funding and faith’ residential re-entry programs at one or sheiser, Al Faulkenberry v. Judge Roy Moore Appeals court ruled merger of two Montana state offices with the more piloted institutions. Attorney: Richard L. The chapter and members in Gadsden sued sale did not remedy ‘Montana Faith-Health Cooperative.’ Attorney: Bolton. violation of shrine in Moore as county judge for inflicting prayers Richard L. Bolton. 2007 public park, order- on juries and erecting a Ten Commandments Clarence Reinders 2005 FFRF, Craig Gosling, John Kiel, Sean O’Bri- plaque in his courtroom. Won, thrown out on ing erection of wall or Sue Mercier, Hank Zumach, FFRF & 20 an and Diana O’Brian v. Indiana Family and technicality in 1998 after interference of gover- fence with visible disclaimer. Attorneys: varied. others v. City of La Crosse, Wis. Social Services nor. Attorney: ACLU; Joel Sogol. FFRF, Anne and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Suit ends first chaplaincy for state workers Barker and Rev. Charles Wolfe v. Joe Leean 1997 in nation, hiring pastor to bring ‘faith into the FFRF, Anne & Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan and Susan Dreyfus workplace’ for state employees in Indiana’s Barker, Samuel M. and Jennifer Essak, Rich- Nationally watched law to create and fund Family and Social Services Administration. ard Uttke and Michael Hakeem v. Tommy state coordinator to ‘assist’ clergy to develop State abolished chaplaincy and fired chaplain, Thompson & John E. Litscher ‘community-wide standards of marriage,’ ruled ending suit. Attorney: James Friedman and FFRF overturned Wisconsin’s Good Friday unconstitutional. Attorney: James Friedman. co-counsel. holiday mandating worship between 11 a.m.-3 2001 FFRF, Doe, Doe Child, Roe, Roe Children, p.m. on Good Friday and closing government FFRF, Anne and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Zoe v. Cherry Creek School District offices at noon. Attorney: Jeffrey Kassel. Barker v. Mark D. Bugher, et al. Challenged program, ‘40 Developmental FFRF, Alan and Mary Porath, Floyd Olson, Appeals court upheld lower court ruling Assets,’ linked to the Lutheran Brotherhood, Esther Mattson v. Ozaukee County in favor of FFRF that direct cash grants to reli- Some of the La Crosse plaintiffs, including including Asset 19 urging child to spend ‘one or FFRF mopped up its Good Friday victory to gious schools to reimburse them for internet principal plaintiff Sue Mercier (second from more hours per week in activities in a religious force county offices to stay open. Attorney: Jef- linkage access is unconstitutional. Attorney: right, standing) and Hank Zumach (fourth institution.’ District agreed to add ‘secular frey Kassel. James Friedman. from right, standing), who recruited many (nonreligious)’ to the asset. Attorney: Robert 1998 2002 plaintiffs. R. Tiernan. Julie Wells and Jeff Baysinger v. Lochhead FFRF, Anne and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan 2009 Challenge of shrine commemorating Barker v. Scott McCallum, et al. In Round II of FFRF’s challenge of Ten Com- FFRF, Gail and Wayne Vann, Taku mass by Pope John Paul II during his 1993 FFRF wins first fully adjudicated federal mandments marker in a public park in La Ronsman, Wendy Coriell, et. al, v. City of appearance at Cherry Creek State Park lawsuit challenging direct funding of a faith- Crosse, Wis., 22 individuals of no and various Green Bay, Wis. removes religious phrases, image of boy based agency, Faith Works, a Milwaukee group religious persuasions became plaintiffs. Fol- Suit dismissed after city agreed not to

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

FFRF sues Montana over FFRF prevails in second FFRF wins first court victory FFRF’s winning challenge of merger with faith health co- challenge of La Crosse Ten halting funding in progress Faith-based Office at White op. First of 10 victorious court Commandments. (Final win, under faith-based initiative, House, Cabinets appealed to cases against the faith-based 2005.) Mentorkids USA (Ariz.). Supreme Court. Brent Nicastro initiative handled by outside Freethought Radio, which Barker represents atheism at counsel Rich Bolton. Julia Sweeney debuted in 2006, goes national,

Brent Nicastro World Religions Conference. performs on 30 stations over Air America. Media include ‘The O’Reilly ‘Letting Go of Media includes national AP, Factor’, CNN, national CBS. God’ at annual convention. USA Today, ‘CBS Evening News,’ Dr. Oliver Sacks receives 2005 C-Span, CNN, ‘ABC World News,’ Emperor Has No Clothes Chronicle of Philanthropy. FFRF wins lawsuit against Award. faith-based funding in Brent Nicastro FFRF publishes Rhymes for the Plurality opinion in Hein v. FFRF Montana health co-op case. Irreverent by Yip Harburg with denies FFRF right to sue over Yip Harburg Foundation, Cabinet faith-based offices. Jeff Dean illustrated FFRF places first billboards by Seymour after 3 decades of censorship. Cwast.

See timeline, 2007. April 2018 | Madison, Wisconsin | FFRF | SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION Page 7 continue putting a manger scene atop the en- David Williamson v. Orange County (Fla.) Compels school district to publicize schol- trance of city hall in Green Bay, Wis. Attorney: School Board arships for atheist students, not just Christian Richard L. Bolton. Suit over censorship of freethought mate- students. Attorneys: David Kaloyanides, An- FFRF, Annie Laurie Gaylor & Dan Barker v. rials, while allowing unfettered distribution drew Seidel and Madeline Ziegler. State Superintendent of Public Instruction of Christian bible in Orange County schools, FFRF, Kevin Price and Jesse Castillo v. Suit forces Rio (Wis.) school district ends with district suspending bible distribu- Brewster County, Texas to comply with state constitution and tions. Attorneys: Jerry H. Jeffery, Steven M. Suit promptly removes Christian cross de- charge rent for after-school Child Evan- Brady, Andrew L. Seidel. cals from county patrol vehicles, despite gov- gelism Fellowship Group; CEF stops FFRF, Patrick Elliott v. Wisconsin Office ernor’s vow to fight FFRF. Attorneys: Randall Victorious plaintiff Marie Schaub meeting in schools, case dismissed. At- of Commissioner of Insurance Kallinen, Sam Grover, Patrick Elliott. torney: Richard L. Bolton. FFRF sued over open records viola- FFRF, Steve Kristoff, Renana Gross v. High School, New Kensington, Pa. Attorney: FFRF v. Manitowoc County tions for withholding information relat- Franklin County, Ind. Marcus B. Schneider, with help from Patrick Suit over nativity scene at ed to decision not to enforce Wiscon- Two rounds: FFRF sued over prominent Elliott. Wisconsin county courthouse sin’s contraceptive mandate, which nativity display in front of courthouse. County FFRF, Andrew DeFaria v. City of Santa ends in Catholic group moving court ordered provided to it. Attor- turned area into public forum, with FFRF with- Clara, Calif. crèche to private land, although ney: Christa Westerberg. drawing challenge. When county censored Sued city after waiting four years for them technically county agreed to FFRF, Jane, John, Jesse & FFRF display, FFRF went back to court; judge to remove 14-foot cross from public park public forum allowing nonreli- Jamie Doe v. Emanuel Coun- ordered that nonreligious displays be permit- marking site of second Spanish Catholic mis- gous views. Attorneys: Richard ty School System ted, county closed forum altogether. Attor- sion. City removed cross. Attorneys: Rebecca L. Bolton; Rebecca Markert. Suit stopped pre-lunch- neys: ACLU Gavin M. Rose of ACLU of Indiana; Markert, Madeline Ziegler, David Kalyonides. 2012 time prayers inflicted on elementary stu- Sam Grover and Rebecca Markert. Additionally, FFRF has won Round I of Doe 1 and Doe 2 v. School Board of Giles dents, reprisal against children not praying. FFRF and Jerome H. Bloom v. City of eight pending cases, including: County Attorneys: W.R. Nichols, Samuel T. Grover Shelton, Conn. Halting prayer by school board in Chino Suit removed display of Ten Command- and Andrew L. Seidel. City allowed American Legion angel display, Valley, Calif; finding Brevard County (Fla.) ments on wall of district school, resulting FFRF, Doe 4, Doe 5 v. Connellsville (Pa.) but censored FFRF’s solstice display. In re- discriminated by not allowing nontheistic in victorious federal court ruling. Attorneys: Area School District sponse to suit, city closed forum in Constitution invocation; ending a live nativity pageant in Rebecca Glenberg, Frank M. Feibelman (with Suit removes Ten Commandments mono- Park, including angel display, permitted FFRF Elkhart, Ind., public schools; finding Texas ACLU of Virginia), Patrick C. Elliott. lith in front of district’s junior high school, to place display in Huntingtown Park, where Gov. Greg Abbott unlawfully censored FFRF’s FFRF. v. Town of Whiteville, Tennessee which, judge rules, ‘runs afoul of the Establish- there was a Christian nativity. Attorneys: Eliza- Bill of Rights nativity display; finding the IRS Suit over cross atop water tower, and cross- ment Clause.’ Attorney: Marcus B. Schneider, beth Cavell, Ryan Jayne, Laurence J. Cohen. clergy housing allowance privilege unconsti- es in front of City Hall and on city-owned side- with help from Patrick Elliott. 2017 tutional; finding a 30-foot cross in a Pensacola walk results in removal of one arm of cross 2016 FFRF, Marie Schaub, Doe 1, Doe 2, Doe 3 v. public park unconstitutional; finding a Latin atop water tower and injunction against in- FFRF, Antelope Valley Freethinkers and New Kensington-Arnold (Pa.) School District cross on the county seal in Lehigh, Pa., uncon- stalling crosses on city hall property. Attorney: David Dionne v. Antelope Valley (Calif.) Five-year epic battle removed 6-foot, 2-ton stitutional; and ending biblical instruction in Alvin Harris. Union High School District Ten Commandments monument from Valley elementary schools in Mercer Co., W. Va. 2013 Doe 1, 2, 3 v. Jackson City (Ohio) School District Lawsuit removes painting of Jesus from Memorable cases that got away . . . middle school in Jackson, Ohio. ACLU attor- neys James L. Hardiman, Michael Honohan; Gaylor v. Reagan ten by Judge Richard A. Posner, FFRF won the Rebecca S. Markert. FFRF sued when Congress proclaimed 1983 right to continue its suit. Posner compared the as ‘The Year of the Bible.’ The judge considered creation of the faith-based offices to the Sec- FFRF, Sari Dworkin v. City of Pismo Beach the case was not ripe until Reagan signed it, but retary of Homeland Security hypothetically City halts all prayer and abolishes position moot after he signed it. The lawsuit commanded deciding ‘to build a mosque and pay an imam of ‘city chaplain,’ whose prayers had cited major headlines, TV talk shows and interviews a salary to preach in it because the secretary Christian bible more than 88 times. Attorneys: for FFRF about what’s wrong with the bible being believed that federal financial assistance to Pamela Koslyn, Andrew L. Seidel. part of U.S. law. The lawsuit delayed the signing Islam would reduce the likelihood of Islamist 2014 of the proclamation, whose wording was weaker terrorism in the United States.’ Douglas Marshall v. City of Warren, Mich. than originally proposed. Bush appealed FFRF’s win to the U.S. Su- Michigan city forced to permit Marshall, ‘FFRF v. Pat Robertson’ Longtime volunteer Phyllis Rose with preme Court, by then lacking O’Connor. In a 5-4 an FFRF member, to install a ‘reason station’ In 1986, FFRF, with Illinois member Steve Van Katie Daniel and Eleanor Droblewski. plurality ruling on June 25, 2007, FFRF lost its in City Hall atrium to counter ‘prayer station.’ Zandt, filed a federal lawsuit to stop the building right to sue the executive branch over the faith- lifelong resident and daughter of a former mem- based offices. FFRF did win the plurality opinion, Attorneys: FFRF, Americans United and ACLU. of a chapel at the Illinois statehouse. The chapel had been suggested during a visit by TV evan- ber of Congress, was found not to have standing with four justices solidly in our camp. FFRF v. Koskinen gelist Pat Robertson. In December 1986, FFRF in 1987, the case was successfully revisited by The dissent, written by Justice Souter and FFRF sues IRS for failing to enforce elec- won its lawsuit at the trial level, with a strong, FFRF with 22 local plaintiffs. The city divested signed by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer and Ste- tioneering restrictions against churches. eloquent decision. In January 1988, the appeals itself of the monument and land under it. vens, noted: ‘If the executive could accomplish Settlement reached when IRS showed it court inexplicably ruled that the prayer room Grams, a schoolteacher, testified that when through the exercise of discretion exactly what had flagged churches involved with political had a ‘secular purpose.’ The silver lining: the she received crank calls and death threats, she Congress cannot do through legislation, Estab- intervention and filled position to oversee chapel was never used. would fearlessly reply, ‘Tell me more!’ lishment Clause protection would melt away.’ such investigations. FFRF can renew lawsuit La Crosse Ten Commandments Hein decision National Day of Prayer if IRS reverts to previous inaction. Attorney: FFRF sued over a Ten Commandments mon- In a case filed in 2004, when Justice Sandra FFRF sued over a 1952 federal law, passed at Richard L. Bolton. ument in a park in La Crosse, Wis., donated by Day O’Connor was still on the court, FFRF chal- the behest of Billy Graham, requiring the presi- Matthew Nielson, et. al. v. School District the Fraternal Order of Eagles, in a case garnering lenged President Bush’s creation of the White dent to exhort citizens to ‘turn to God in prayer, Five of Lexington, S.C. national exposure. FFRF’s attorney deposed the House Office of Faith-based and Community at churches’ during an annual day of prayer. Eagles official behind the project, learning that Initiatives, as well as eight cabinet-level ‘of- FFRF’s attorney Richard L. Bolton noted that South Carolina students sued over gradu- these unconstitutional monuments were one fices of faith-based initiatives.’ FFRF asked the National Day of Prayer Taskforce, which ation prayer, district agreed to stop. Attorney: giant advertising scheme for director Cecil B. De- the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit to was also named in the suit, was working hand Aaron J. Kozloski, Patrick Elliott. Mille and an Eagles member seeking to promote reinstate its right to sue over the faith-based in glove with the government and that evangel- 2015 Minnesota granite. Even though Phyllis Grams, a offices. In January 2006, in a 2-1 decision writ- icals had essentially hijacked the event. FFRF, Dan Barker, Annie Laurie Gaylor,

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 FFRF accepted for Combined FFRF has eight staffers. FFRF has 10 full-time staff, FFRF has 13 full-time staff. Dawkins Federal Campaign. including two attorneys, who gets the FFRF Darwin billboard FFRF sues over Texas Gov. Rick goes up, covered by Rachel sent 300 complaint letters. Emperor Ron Reagan, Perry’s proclaimed ‘day of Has No Maddow. Nicastro Brent Janeane FFRF wins first round of fasting and prayer.’ Clothes Garafalo (left), FFRF runs National Day of Prayer Award. Julia Sweeney challenge. FFRF runs many ads first bus FFRF speaks at Reason Rally, record radio ads capitalizing on the victory. signs in Global Atheist Conference in for FFRF. Dan Barker 20 years: 700 attend Australia. ‘Sleep in on FFRF, with kind donor help, convention FFRF issues third music CD by Sundays.’ places first ad in New York headlined by Barker, ‘Adrift on a Star.’ 90+ state/church victories, 495 Times. Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Media includes CNN, Colbert’s Nicastro Brent FFRF places first national TV letters of complaint. ‘The Word’ segment, ads on ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ FFRF places billboards in 13 Canalplus French TV. and ‘CBS Evening News.’ states! Billboard blitz includes over ‘Out of the Closet’ billboard JFK ad & ad with Julia Sweeney 20th anniversary 4th of July 100 billboards. campaigns take place in North against Catholic bishops runs FFRF hires first attorney, celebration at Lake Hypatia Rebecca (Kratz) Markert, who Carolina, Arizona. 1,000 times. Freethought Hall. Third essay writes 200 complaint letters. Grace Quiroz wins billboard contest, for Honorary Board starts. contest. grad students, funded by Brian Bolton. Page 8 FFRF | SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION | Madison, Wisconsin | April 2018 40th Anniversary Testimonials from some of FFRF’s Honorary Board of Directors One might think that the legal America’s Founding Figures were For 40 intrepid years, FFRF has been defenders of the Establishment and thinkers thoroughly influenced by the principled voice and activist Free Exercise clauses of the U.S. the European Enlightenment. If all vanguard for those of us who care Constitution would be grim warriors Americans were as imbued with the passionately about preserving the or killjoy legal sharks. Nothing could spirit of the Enlightenment as our separation of church and state that be further from the Freedom of Founders were, we would have no is so fundamental to our democracy. Religion Foundation! With humor, need for an organization so tirelessly Let me put it plainly: If Jefferson, humanity — and an unshaking commitment to and effectively trying to keep the country true to Madison, Monroe and Paine were alive today, they freedom of and from religion — the Foundation has the original vision. So, congratulations to FFRF on would be proud to be supporters of FFRF. And so strengthened our Constitution and kept America at your 40th anniversary. I wish we didn′t need you so would Elizabeth Cady Stanton! the forefront of Enlightenment values. desperately, but, alas, we do. ROBIN MORGAN STEVEN PINKER REBECCA NEWBERGER GOLDSTEIN Honorary FFRF Director FFRF Honorary President Honorary FFRF Director Editor, Ms. (1989-1994), Co-Founder, Women’s Media Harvard’s Johnstone Family Professor of MacArthur Fellow; 2015 National Humanities Medal Center. Author of Sisterhood is Powerful and Fighting Psychology. Author of Enlightenment Now: The Case Honoree. Author of Thirty-Six Arguments for the Words. for Reason and The Blank Slate. Existence of God: A Work of Fiction. Congratulations to FFRF for 40 years One would have hoped 40 years on Now hear this: The Pew Research of indefatigable work propping up the that the FFRF would be a quaint Center reports a growing share of constitutional wall between church anachronism by now, long past its U.S. adults who say belief in God and state — a wall that many constantly utility, like a ‘Let’s keep flat-earth is NOT necessary to have good seek to dismantle. Of all the secular science out of the classroom’ society. values or be moral: In 2011, about organizations in America, I think FFRF Instead, its goals have never been 48 percent agreed, but in 2017, 56 is the best, because they don’t just more relevant. Thank you, FFRF, and talk, but also walk the legal walk. In view of all they’ve percent agreed. The trend in the st keep up the good, brave fight. done, I’m tremendously proud to be a supporter and a 21 century is to adopt a more secular basis for ROBERT SAPOLSKY member of their honorary board. moral values. Hurrah, FFRF. Honorary FFRF Director ERNIE HARBURG JERRY COYNE Professor of biology, neurology and neurological Honorary FFRF Director Honorary FFRF Director sciences, Standard University. Author of Behave: The Scientist, Director of The Yip Harburg Foundation. Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. University of Chicago. Author of Why Evolution Is True and Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion Are I am particularly proud to be Incompatible. associated with the work of the How can we continue our pursuit of Freedom from Religion Foundation happiness when organized religion The Freedom from Religion because of its emphasis on programs is always standing in the way? For Foundation restores my faith designed to reach, and use the 40 years the FFRF has been trying in the goodness of Americans. talents of, freethinking young to get it to stand aside, and I’m very Congratulations, FFRF, on your 40th people. FFRF has been exemplary in grateful. anniversary. lending support to secular young people who often RICHARD DAWKINS feel very alone in many parts of this nation. EDWARD SOREL Honorary FFRF Director SUSAN JACOBY Honorary FFRF Director Evolutionary Biologist. Author of The God Delusion. Honorary FFRF Director Artist, illustrator and author. Regular contributor Congratulations, FFRF, on 40 years of Author of The Age of Unreason in a Culture of Lies, to: The Atlantic, The New Yorker and The Nation. providing escape routes for people Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism and trapped in their religions! Your The Great Agnostic: Robert Ingersoll. legal activities have protected us all from the theocratic urges of many If you have had it up to here with congregations and church leaders. faith-based initiatives, creationism But even more important, FFRF has and clerical prying into our private   helped doubters step into the daylight of a secular lives, FFRF is the organization for you. life. Above all, you have done this without lies and This scrappy group brings lawsuits depends on trickery, without exaggeration or insinuation: You have against church-state entanglements exposed the facts and let them speak for themselves. and puts up witty billboards and bus Well done, and keep it up! signs promoting, well, freedom from religion.  DANIEL C. DENNETT KATHA POLLITT Freedom From Religion Foundation ffrf.org Honorary FFRF Director Honorary FFRF Director Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Tufts Columnist, Subject to Debate, The Nation, essayist, University. Author of Breaking the Spell, Freedom poet. Author most recently of Pro: Reclaiming Evolves and Darwin’s Dangerous Idea. Abortion Rights.

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 FFRF has 14 full-time Media: Sean Hannity, Fox Anne Nicol FFRF refurbishes statue FFRF has 24 staffers. FFRF reaches 32,000 employees, including five TV, ‘CBS This Morning’. Gaylor, to Great Agnostic Robert members, 25 staffers. attorneys. principal Ingersoll FFRF starts Educate Ron Reagan records TV founder, in Peoria Congress campaign ‘Freethought Matters’ TV Steven Pinker, one of ‘100 Seidel Andrew ad for FFRF that runs (thanks to Stephen Uhl) most influential people dies June park, with show debuts. on Comedy Central, in world’ 2015. help from censored by NBC, ABC, (TIME), Zenos CBS, Discovery. becomes 400 attend grand opening Frudakis.

Ingrid Laas FFRF’s first of expanded Freethought Attorneys write 1,050 honorary Hall. complaint letters, earn president. Media include CNN, ‘CBS 230 victories. Stephen and Diane Uhl This Morning.’ Freethought Today also Groundbreaking for FFRF’s PR campaign: ‘I’m FFRF Commissions, goes mobile friendly, expanded Freethought FFRF starts fourth essay an atheist and I vote.’ creates online. Hall. contest, for students of Clarence 150 state/church FFRF wins FFRF and Sacramento color. Darrow Co-creates victories. inaugural chapter place 55 ‘Out of statue Avijit Roy FFRF Board creates Henry by Zenos Memorial the Closet’ billboards! FFRF files amicus with Nonbelief Relief charity. Zumach Frudakis, Award. Marci Hamilton against Freedom for lawn of ‘Monkey Trial’ Hobby Lobby anti- Attorneys send 1,186 From courthouse in Rhea Co., contraception case. formal complaint letters, Religious Tenn., to balance the have 241 victories. Fundamentalism Award. historical record.