The recent statewide voucher expansion in Wisconsin is starting to reveal its harm to public school districts and secular education, according to the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released enrollment information on Oct. 27 for the expanded statewide voucher program. The number of students in the program went up by more than 250% compared to last year, with a total of 2,514 students receiving vouchers to attend private schools this year. The Wisconsin Legislature removed the 1,000-student cap on statewide vouchers that was in place in prior years.

DPI reports that school districts that are impacted by the voucher program will see an aid reduction that totals $11.9 million.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of funding religious education with public money," said FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott.

With the enrollment cap removed, public school districts will start to lose an increasing amount of funding that will go to private religious schools. Each of the 82 schools eligible to receive voucher money in the statewide program is a religious school.

Vouchers are subsidizing religious schools that otherwise would have stagnant or decreasing enrollment. In Madison, Rev. Tia Sierra who runs Lighthouse Christian School, told the Wisconsin State Journal, "Overall, the voucher program has been really great for our school." Half of the students attending the school now receive vouchers paid for by taxpayers.

FFRF has long called for an end to the voucher program in Wisconsin and has highlighted the lack of accountability. The Milwaukee voucher program, which is the longest running voucher program in the country, demonstrates the lack of accountability. Just nine days into the school year, a troubled voucher school closed down in September amid mismanagement of funds.

"Taxpayers have no means of holding these schools accountable. Where public money goes, public accountability must follow," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF Co-President.

By Barbara G. Walker

The very first lesson that we learn in life is that we are utterly powerless. We can't do anything for ourselves. If we feel the pangs of hunger, we can only cry until a mysteriously benevolent giant woman comes and puts us to her breast or to a bottle. If we are in pain, only a giant entity can relieve us.

Unlike those powerful ones, we can't walk or talk or use our hands. We can see things we want but can't reach them without help. We must lie in our own filth until someone cleans us. We can only cry and hope that the giants will be kind enough to attend to our needs. Usually they do, and then we smile.

Of course we can see here not only the prehistoric giants in every mythology, but also the genesis of all later deities, beginning with our human babyhood, when we are utterly dependent on others who are bigger, wiser, stronger and greater than ourselves. It also explains why the first and oldest deity in every early mythology is the Mother/Creatress, our first and oldest perception of any beneficent divinity and humanity's most basic concept of the power to create life, which our primitive ancestors perceived as being embodied only in women.

Even before we learn to use words, we are keenly aware that vocal sounds are necessary to gain the attention of our caretakers. From the first instant of birth, we wail our protest against our sudden traumatic expulsion from our peaceful intrauterine Eden. In the infant's instinctive cries we can see the original rationale of prayer: When you make sounds that the powerful ones can hear, you get their cooperation.

On this simple concept are based all the magical formulae, addresses, appeals, charms, blessings and curses, invocations and evocations of all religious traditions, plus the incredibly arrogant belief that the universe has supreme powers willing and able to pay attention and obey our tiny human vocalizations. It gives us a completely false sense of our own importance, as well as an equally false conviction of our ability to influence nature.

Like babies, we feel ourselves to be at the center of everything. Adding to the foolishness of this concept, we postulate deities whose works are eternal and unalterable, then imagine that our individual wishes have the power to alter them. When the prayers don't work, of course we must invent excuses: It wasn't God's will, or we are too sinful, or some demon thwarted us, or we didn't use the right words. Never is it suggested that there aren't any divine ears listening in the first place.

To make nature amenable to our whims, we humans invent thousands of humanlike intelligences supposedly in charge of events, so we can make things happen the way we want them to happen. We can talk to spirits of the sun, the moon, the stars, trees, crops, animals, ghosts, land and sea, night and day, health and sickness, luck and fortune, life and death, good and evil; everything has its animating force subject to human influence.
In our self-centered fear of our own impotence, we love to imagine ourselves able to induce these entities to obey our will. We may wrap them all up in a single package and call it Goddess or God, a being willing to change the course of events to take care of our every need (even though, paradoxically, S/He has already established it unalterably for all time).

How pathetic we are, thinking so highly of ourselves in a universe far more vast then we can even begin to imagine, mostly unknown, and certainly unhuman. Power — how desperately we wish to claim it, and how little we actually have.

Submit, or else

Over the centuries, some of the cannier members of the human community found ways to achieve genuine power over their fellows, by exploiting naive beliefs for their own incomes and social prestige. Shamans, witches, sorcerers, mystics, priests, and other "spiritually enlightened" pretenders have made a living off the laity for thousands of years, sometimes providing genuine help but more often insisting on meaningless, symbolic rituals in return for their upkeep. Once the believer is convinced of the necessity for ritual, its practice can develop exponentially, as shown by today's international religious corporations, busily convincing each new generation that it must continue the customs forever — or else!

The imagined consequences of apostasy become correspondingly more dire: apocalypse, world doom, eternities of torture in hell. Fear of abandonment is the major driving force for the power claimed by religion — the same fear that haunts a helpless baby, knowing in his inner mind that if left alone, he will die.

Unfortunately, religious authorities' lust for power is not satisfied merely by comforting the believer; it requires much more. Its endless greed insists on the conversion of ever-increasing numbers. Its hatred is fueled against those who refuse to believe, or believe differently. When supplied with temporal power to wage war against the so-called infidel, it does so with enthusiastic abandon. The atrocities committed in religious warfare and persecutions are the most numerous and most vicious in all of human history. While prating of love, many religions actually preach hatred — against the nonbeliever, the sinner, the pagan, the unconverted heathen, the wrong race or the wrong sex, which has been the female sex ever since the advent of monotheistic patriarchy.

The God of the Old Testament, even having supposedly said "Thou shalt not kill," insisted on literally millions of massacres throughout all of his "sacred" books. The same God still insists on infidel destruction today, via the Quranic tradition that affirms it.
Today, the destructive lust for power that fuels both politics and religion has created a worldwide danger, a possible route to a real and final dissolution of the human race. We must do away with religion's false beliefs and recognize our dependence on one another rather than on imaginary deities. We must admit that, as far as we are ever likely to know, we are alone in the universe and must take better care of the only planet on which we can live. Ultimately, our survival may depend on realistic recognition of our powerlessness, so that we can use our brains to better advantage and achieve real improvements in our lot as a species.

Science, not religion, gives us a power that is useful, and does not foster ignorance or hatred. May we soon transcend our spiritual infancy and grow up.

Barbara G. Walker is the author of Belief and Unbelief, Man Made God, The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Feminist Fairy Tales, et al.

A teeny portion of a particularly vile batch of recent crank mail, printed as received:

pic of jesus: If the pic was up for historical reasons along with pics of Ghandi, moses and others then just take a deep breath and shut up. If it ws up to prosletyze (sic) then you can take it down. But your history doesn't bode –you think everything is about religion and against the constitution. Get a life! — popeye sr.

You are whts wrong with the world today!: U people are whts wrong with the world today if u don't want to believe then don't that's your choice!! And leave the kids alone for getting baptized at school with there coach as their own choice!!!! — John Doe

Decals on Police Cars: If you Devil worshipers don,t like the decals than wear dark sunglasses so you will not be able to see them. Having worked aboard ship for 45 years I have come across some very crass language, and I will now pass some of it on to you. You men of your orginazation keep on licking your fellow men,s stick and the women keep on licking the slit of your fellow female. This way you will be to busy to worry about what the Police have on their cars. If you don,t like this email, crumple it up and stick it up your A _ _ . — Arthur Windell, Caldwell, Texas

Get over It: WE have FREEDOM OF RELIGEION, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT YOU have the FREEDOM of CHOISE not to WATCH, PARTISAPATE, or AKNOWLAGE US . I suggest you get a LIFE. — Jeff Johnnson, Nevada

your work: I am a proud CHRDISTIAN I will do all in my power to hinder and destroy you filthy work — jonathan Flaum

Football Chaplins: You have NO right to say get rid of a Chaplin, If you don't like it send you kids somewhere else,,, or even better home school them, to be bigots and hippocrates just like you! — Jimmie Groom, Madison, Ala.

Moutain Jesus: Don't disguise common human trash as reedom of religion. Mountain Jesus say suck my cock you fucking human trash. — nwalters1957

Memorials and other: I hope your organization is VERY HAPPY about having a school take down a memorial. If you would look back, everything started going to pot in schools and communities after everyone had to start taking religion out. Why don't you get on a case to get all the Mexican flags out of this country, that would make more sense. If they want to live here, they should fly our flag. — Wayne Wilson, Kansas

In God WE Trust: We are a land of majority rules, so deal with it like a mature adult instead of a petulant child. We live in a country based on Christian values. Don't like the menu, then choose another place to eat. Not changing the menu. — JM

Lying asshole: [FFRF staff member], you better shut your fucking mouth now. Another word or letter from you to another school and your career will end. SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU LYING CONSTITUTION SHREDDING ASSHOLE. Die now you AIDS spreading piece of shit. If I ever see you in my life, you better fucking run. — Steve God, Ohio

Villa Rica baptisms: Hi, me again. You should check out the Facebook page titled "We support Villa Rica Coaches and GOD". If you want to know how to find true peace and know beyond the shadow of a doubt what will happen to you after you pass from this life, please respond to my email address. I'd love to lead you to salvation! — John Lerch, Georgia

Fuck you: Burn in hell you terrorist cunts. — Douche Baggs

Donation: I wouldn't donate a squirt of piss if your teeth were on fire. — Mike Andrulis
your movement: if you feel that you must spread your non belief that promotes belief and therefor I am going to sue you ::) sucks when the shoe is on the other foot don't it, see you soon I am a multi millionaire have your lawyers ready. — kale mandrake, warren, mich.
My opinion: Allow me to be direct and to the point, just for my own satisfaction as a Christina woman, loving God: I hope a pox send you very soon to hell, were your soul, the thing you do not believe in, will rot for eternity. Scum like you we do not need around, so hurry up and go to rot in hell! — Barbara Kennemore, Greenville, SC

Religion: You idiots don't want freedom from all religion, just Christianity and Judaism. You will all welcome Islam with open arms though since they are the ones who want to wipe us Christians and Jews off the face of the earth. Don't even contact me back. Just let what I said sink in. I don't want to here a word from you. — Coolidge Ownes, Madison, Wis.
Jesus Christ his picture: You should never take Jesus Christs picture down, never. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Get thee behind me Satan. — Concerned Christian, Georgia

Freedom: i was not aware of your organization until I saw an article about your beef with cop cars displaying "In God We Trust". I am aware that it is virtually impossible to reverse your thinking ESP. since you are from that Democrat city, Madison. Figures. — Jim Irish, Cumming, Ga.

Removal of "Jesus Pic" In Chanute, KS: I'm just curious to know why the frrf is concerned over a picture? What if it was a pic of Kaitlin Jenner hanging in that school or maybe a pic of Hitler? For all you know, the pic in question could be just a pic of anybody. Nobody around has actually seen Jesus so how could you possibly know that this is Jesus? Please contact me, by email if possible as I work construction and I don't use my phone when working. — Derek Benedicto, Guyandotte, W.Va.

May God have mercy on your souls: Ron Reagan stated he "was not afraid of burning in hell". May I assure you that I have a promise from God, Ron will do just that unless he repents. You have my name and address. If Ron, or any of you decide to change your mind please contact me. — Alan DuPriest, Baxley, Ga.

Help: God is great and the government of the USA believes in GOD. SO eat shit you fags. Fuck you. God Bless. — Bill Wish, Alabama

about god in other places besides church: I'm writing this to say,I have a bucket of holy water I can pour out on you and all the atheist out their, how dare tell us when and where we can't serve our Jesus the one who died on the cross from my sins as well as urs. It's time us christain's stand up and fight, and if you try to silence me I will speak louder, I have one last thing to say to all you ugly folks picking on my god, in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you Satan. — Robyn Lee, Norcross, Ga.

Chaplain Letters: How about you take those 3 letters you sent to SEC schools and shove them up your ass? With Kindest Regards. — Michael Skinner

Picture of Jesus: Why on earth would you people fight so hard to remove a photo of Jesus (your Creator) that has been part of a school for decades? That's like removing photos of Sam Walton (founder of Walmat) from all Walmart establishments. I mean come on now. — DE, Massachusetts

How sad: I awoke this morning to a world in turmoil. Organizations selling baby body parts. Transgender celebs being celebrated as heroes. Our President turning a blind eye to the horrific acts of Isis. Go after Planned Parenthood. Alert our President ISIS is a real threat, in the midst of him making friends with Muslims. War heroes are real heroes, not someone who can throw on a dress instead of a pair of boxers. THESE are the injustices. Spend your effort and time on these. — Helen Garner

Sue Reynoldson, 1942–2015

Sue Reynoldson died peacefully Aug. 3, 2015, at her home in Santa Cruz, Calif. Despite chronic pain after a 1973 back injury, she lived a satisfying, productive life. She was born on Nov. 18, 1942. A 40-year resident of Santa Cruz, she was raised in suburban Madison, Wis. The first of three daughters of Ruth and Jack Reynoldson, she attended the University of Wisconsin High School, Rollins College (Fla.), UW-Madison and UC-Santa Cruz. She received a UW bachelor's degree in 1963.

She taught public high school art and worked as an art therapist with children in Canada. Before her back injury, she traveled on six continents. Her interests ranged from European art museums to sustainable living cooperatives. In Santa Cruz, she coordinated programs in the arts, affirmative action and energy conservation. She joined UC-Santa Cruz staff in 1987, coordinating campus development and scientific research programs until retirement in 2007.

She wrote articles, poems, stories, film scripts and plays. Her play "The Last Utopian" had a staged reading and is available for production.

She was a founding member of the Coalition for University Employees, Santa Cruz Action Network and Democratic Socialists of America. She served on city and county advisory bodies, including four years on the Santa Cruz County Women's Commission.

Survivors include her sisters, Mary Baker of Prescott, Ariz., and Julia Hutton of Morgan Hill, Calif. Donations in her honor may be made to the UC-Santa Cruz Smith Renaissance Society for disadvantaged students.

"Sue contacted me this summer, knowing she was dying, to inform FFRF that she would be making our nonprofit one of seven beneficiaries, including Final Exit, and expressing the wish to be 'immortalized' on our donor wall in the Anne Nicol Gaylor Lobby. We corresponded back and forth, realized we had common acquaintances, and I was so touched and grateful for her brave and cheerful interest in helping FFRF," said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. Sue bequeathed $9,800 to FFRF.

"We will be walking past Sue Reynoldson's name every day and will remember her generosity," Gaylor said.

Linda L. Mahan, 1943–2015

Freethought Today regrettably reports the death of Lifetime Member Linda L. Mahan, 72, on Aug. 4, 2015, only five weeks after learning she had pancreatic cancer. She was married to Alan B. Palmer, who survives her.

Linda, born in West Chester, Pa., graduated from Henderson High School and Drexel University and had retired from DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical as a benefits specialist in human resources. She tended lovely flower gardens, was an avid bird watcher and amateur photographer and collected antique dolls and lovely miniatures of museum quality.

She volunteered with the West Chester branch of Planned Parenthood. "Once a week she would escort clients past angry and insensitive protesters who yelled vile rhetoric and held disgusting signs," recalled her friend Margaret Downey, an FFRF state representative who heads the Freethought Society based near Philadelphia, to which Linda also belonged.

She volunteered for animal welfare organizations and sponsored a scholarship for a veterinary student. She adopted several rescue dogs. She was also a dedicated supporter of American Humanists.

At her request, there was no service.

Being goodly with godly

FFRF awarded Erica $200.

By Erica Broderhausen

Living in a small town in South Carolina in the heart of the bible belt USA, I've received my fair share of odd looks. I'm the girl who didn't pray during my high school awards ceremonies, the girl who didn't include a bible verse as my senior quote and the girl that wanders the ghost town that is Sunday while everyone else is at church.

In my hometown, it is something of an anomaly to not have faith in a higher being, or at least act like you do. Independence of thought is not a common trait here, and the number one characteristic that most aspire to be is "godly."

When children are born here, their parents teach them lessons from bible verses. Children grow up having no idea what other religious people are like or even, god forbid, what nonreligious people are like, or that their beliefs and opinions hold any meaning whatsoever. We are taught that the bible is the ultimate moral code, our guide to life, the universe and everything. It only makes sense, then, that when those around me find out of my atheism, the overwhelming response is that I disbelieve in god for the simple reason that either I hate him or that I am only looking for an excuse to behave immorally.

But those are not the reasons I disbelieve in god. I disbelieve in god simply because I seek the truth in life. I am consistently wanting to know about the world and about science, and in my journeys so far I have seen a lack of evidence for the existence of a divine being. I disbelieve in god because I've read various holy books and none of them so far has convinced me that god is anything other than a rather vicious, human-made creation. I disbelieve in god because I would rather live according to my own will to be good.

While many others around me pursue goodness out of the idea that they will be rewarded in heaven, I pursue goodness simply for the sake of being good. While many around me pray for that homeless man on the street, I buy him a meal instead. Though most people use it with good intentions, religion is ultimately a block to our goodness.

Instead of being concerned about general good will toward others, people are often more concerned with promoting their idea of godliness. This divides us across nations and cultures as every individual strives to promote his or her religion's idea of morality. The concept of being good just for good's sake is lost in the cacophony of whose-religion-is-better banter.

It is up to me, and to all other freethinkers of the world, to speak up. We need not be afraid to identify ourselves as atheists, agnostics or the like, for if we refuse to be vocal about who we are, the negative stereotypes will only persist.

It is my hope for the future that all people, not just freethinkers like me, will be active in their wishes for a better world and be kind to one another, not under the banner of being godly, but simply goodly.

Perhaps one day, it will be a more important trait to simply be good, regardless of religion. And perhaps one day, we can all be good without god.

Erica Broderhausen, 18, was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Summerville High School in Summerville, S.C. She will be attending Boston University as a biology major specializing in ecology and conservation biology. "I am very interested in evolution, the history of the world, animal and human behavior, psychology and, perhaps ironically, religion. I plan on becoming an environmental lawyer and helping to put in place laws that better protect our beautiful Earth."

The Coolidge (Ariz.) City Council, during a hastily called meeting Sept. 21, voted unanimously to back away from a proposal to allow only Christians to pray before council meetings, the Arizona Republic reported.

Robert Hudelson, the council member (also a Baptist minister) who sponsored the resolution to limit prayer to Christians, spoke before he voted against his own proposal:
"History will look back on us and say, 'There is a city council who stood for Christ and Christ alone.' For that, we should never be ashamed."

The council then unanimously voted to let representatives of any religious group within the city limits offer a prayer before meetings. "Now we have a legally defensible position, and everyone will have a seat at the table," claimed Mayor Jon Thompson.
After learning that the council had voted 4-2 on Sept. 14 in favor of the Christian-only policy, FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a complaint letter Sept. 17 to Thompson: "If the council insists on continuing to host prayers at public meetings, it must not discriminate against any person wishing to give a prayer."

The letter pointed out that last year the U.S. Supreme Court in Town of Greece v. Galloway upheld prayers at city council meetings on the understanding that the town "at no point excluded or denied an opportunity to a would-be prayer giver." Seidel wrote, "Members of minority religions and even the nonreligious and must be permitted to deliver invocations."

During the Sept. 14 discussion, Councilman Gary Lewis said that if any non-Christian were to give a prayer, "I wouldn't sit here and listen to it, I would walk away."

Seidel chastised Lewis, noting that "this type of intolerance is not only despicable in a government official, but also patently unconstitutional when codified in city laws and policy."

FFRF's letter said that ideally, the council would do away with prayers altogether. FFRF recently filed lawsuits against the Chino Valley School Board in California and Brevard County in Florida for their invocation practices.

Letter stops grants to Florida churches

The city of Ocala, Fla., has in the past used its discretionary fund to give grants to churches. Last year, the Ocala City Council provided a grant to First Presbyterian Church to repair its steeple. This year, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church requested $10,000.

Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel wrote a letter to City Attorney Patrick Gilligan, noting that such grants violate the U.S. and Florida constitutions. The Florida Constitution says, "No revenue of the state . . . shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church."

While maintaining he disagreed with FFRF's position, Gilligan responded Sept. 8 that the council withdrew funding for St. Paul AME from its budget.

School cross, Jesus painting taken down

Guthrie Upper Elementary School took down a cross in a classroom after getting Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel's Aug. 26 letter to Guthrie (Okla.) Public Schools: "When a school erects crosses on its property, it unconstitutionally promotes a religious message, specifically a Christian message."

An Aug. 27 response from Superintendent Mike Simpson said the cross had been removed.

• • •

A painting of Jesus was removed from Altizer Elementary School, Huntington, W.Va., just five days after Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent the school district a complaint letter. Cabell County Schools Superintendent William Smith informed FFRF on Sept. 8 that the picture had been taken down, adding that the district was conducting a sweep of all facilities "to make sure all are in compliance."

Private sector gets Wisconsin crèche

The city of Elkhorn, Wis., will not put up a nativity scene on public land this December. Previously, a large nativity was displayed annually in Veterans Park and illuminated at night.

FFRF started objecting to the display in 2012. After FFRF asked to display its own banner this year alongside the nativity scene, Staff Attorneys Patrick Elliott and Sam Grover were invited to meet with attorneys for the city. The city then decided to move the crèche to a location on private property.

In response to the city's action, FFRF withdrew its request to put up a freethought banner.

Teacher's 'Personal Testimony' removed

Murchison Middle School, Austin, Texas, removed religious content from its website after getting an FFRF letter. Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy also will no longer be allowed to host eighth-grade graduation prayer.

Jeff Sanders, Murchison athletic coordinator, had a section on his Austin Independent School District page titled "My Personal Testimony." In it he wrote of "accept[ing] Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior when I was 9 years old."

Staff Attorney Sam Grover sent a letter June 9. An attorney for the school district responded July 22 that the district took FFRF's concerns seriously and said the constitutional issues had been discussed with administrators.

Texas police chief gets the message

Police Chief Steve Drumm will no longer post religious messages under the banner of the Zavalla, Texas, Police Department. Drumm had posted bible verses and a request for residents to "Pray For Your Pastor."

"When a government organization or a government employee acting in his or her official role speaks, it is with the voice of the state," said Staff Attorney Sam Grover in an Aug. 6 letter.

The next day, FFRF's local complainant informed Grover that Drumm had changed the department's Facebook page to be a personal page, despite claiming that "the Zavalla PD page has always been my own, and in no representation the city of Zavalla views, and feelings, I used it to keep the city informed on issues."

Editor's note: No grammar police at the chief's disposal?

Church must clean up its leavings

Hoover High School in the North Canton (Ohio) City School District can continue to rent space to Mission View Church, but the church will no longer be allowed to leave materials behind after services.

The church had left behind signs, brochures, offering envelopes and ads for a "crisis" pregnancy ultrasound center. "When a school allows a church to leave religious, proselytizing materials displayed on its property, it has unconstitutionally entangled itself with a religious message, here a Christian message," Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert reminded the district in a letter.

According to an Aug. 7 reply from attorney Mary Jo Shannon Slick, the superintendent told the church it needed to clean up the area after renting the space.

Band's religious music gets scrutiny

Winchester Community High School in Indiana will no longer perform religious routines after getting an FFRF complaint lodged with the Randolph Central School Corp.

The band's 2015 performance of "With Trumpets and Cymbals" was based on Psalm 150 and included a narrator reciting "Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary!" Stained glass props served as a backdrop.

"WCHS has a responsibility to ensure that performances by school-sponsored groups do not impermissibly promote religion over nonreligion or Judeo-Christianity over all minority faiths," wrote Staff Attorney Sam Grover.

Steven Murphy, attorney for the school district, "acknowledge[d] the concerns expressed in [FFRF's] letter" and said that separation of church and state would be "considered and addressed on all future performances."

Prayer, ants deemed unwelcome at picnic

Dalton (Ohio) Middle School football coach Dennis Finley was warned about engaging in inappropriate religious activity at school for asking a student to lead a prayer at a school picnic. Senior taff Attorney Rebecca Markert sent a letter of complaint Aug. 10.

School attorney Susan Hastings responded Aug. 13 that the superintendent for Dalton Local Schools made it clear to Finley that he cannot lead his team in prayer or invite a student to do so. "In addition to addressing this specific concern, the District will be scheduling professional development with all of its staff and coaches regarding the separation of church and state and, more specifically, the prohibition on leading, sponsoring or encouraging prayer in school at school sponsored events," Hastings' letter said.

• • •

Teachers in the Tishomingo County Schools in Iuka, Miss., have been reminded that they cannot participate in religious activities with students. A parent informed FFRF that on the first day of school this term at Tishomingo County High, faculty joined students at the flagpole to pray. Staff Attorney Sam Grover sent a letter Aug. 21 that quoted a federal court ruling: "If while acting in their official capacities, employees join hands in a prayer circle or otherwise manifest approval and solidarity with the student religious exercises, they cross the line between respect for religion and the endorsement of religion."

Attorney Nathaniel Clark wrote back Aug. 28 to say that he personally hosted a discussion with high school staff to reiterate that they could not endorse any religious practice while on campus, adding that "mistakes, if any, [were] made in good faith and will be corrected immediately."

Christian care ad off school website

An ad for the Christian Community Center's child care services has been removed from the South Lewis Central School District website. "Advertising for the CCC on the District website crosses the line because anyone viewing [it] would understand that the District endorses any organization given a section of the website," wrote Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert in a complaint letter.

Superintendent Douglas Premo responded Aug. 17 that the offending material had been removed.

School staff warned about prayer pole

This year's "See You at the Pole" prayer events will not be organized or promoted by the Huffman (Texas) Independent School District. In 2014, a newsletter sent to all district staff documented SYATP events at several schools, indicating that staff, parents and community members participated in the events.

"Any religious events in any of the District's schools must be entirely student-initiated and student-run," wrote Staff Attorney Sam Grover in a Sept. 26 letter, noting that "the best place for an adult to pray on the day of See You at the Pole is not on campus with the students but at alternate locations."

After following up several times, FFRF finally received a response Aug. 11. It stated that district staff would not be involved in organizing or promoting future SYATP events and said administrators would review staff obligations during staff development meetings before the start of the 2015-16 school year.

FFRF letter curbs meeting in church

Keller (Texas) Independent School District's mandatory employee meetings will not include proselytizing and employees who do not want to attend the meeting, which takes place in a church, can attend remotely.

At the most recent meeting, religious literature was distributed to employees and a pastor was allowed on stage to advertise the church's ministries and to invite staff to attend services.

"If KISD permits a church to distribute religious pamphlets or gives a pastor time to promote the church's services to a captive audience of employees during KISD-sponsored events, a reasonable employee will conclude that the district is endorsing religion," Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote in a complaint letter Aug. 5. FFRF requested that staff meetings not take place in religious settings.

In an Aug. 17 response, school attorney Amanda Bigbee said the district would allow remote attendance for the upcoming meeting and religious speakers would not be allowed to speak or distribute religious literature.

Schools say football prayer not OK

University of Toledo (Ohio) football coach Matt Campbell will no longer lead his team in the Lord's Prayer before games. "The University and the football coaching staff are endorsing religion whenever Coach Campbell incorporates prayer into the team's pregame activities and allows himself or the coaching staff to lead them," wrote Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert.

Media reports over the summer indicated that Campbell said players would now "determine on their own any personal preparation methods to help them mentally prepare." The university confirmed on Aug. 31 that those reports were accurate.

• • •

The Corsicana (Texas) ISD previously started all Corsicana High School football games with a prayer led by a clergy member. Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote a letter of complaint last November. Although FFRF never heard back from the school district, a report from a local resident said the game on Friday, Sept. 4, had a moment of silence in place of the prayer.

City drops Gospel Fest sponsorship

The city of Jonesboro, Ga., ended its unconstitutional involvement in Gospel Fest after getting an FFRF complaint letter. concert. While claiming that it disagreed with FFRF's position, the city officially "relinquished sponsorship of the concert."

The event was advertised with Christian imagery on the city's Facebook page. Residents were encouraged to "enjoy some all night Saturday revelry in anticipation of a feverous day of Sunday worship and prayer."

Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel cited state and federal constitutional restrictions and court precedent that bar city participation.

Steven Fincher, attorney for the city, responded that the city had turned control of the concert over to two ministers' groups, and noted that the city did not own the property or the stage where the concert was to be held. The city also removed all ads for the festival and informed residents by email of the new hosts.

Jonesboro, in central Georgia, has about 4,600 residents.

Graduation prayer won't be repeated

The Collinsville (Texas) Independent School District will not schedule prayer at future graduation ceremonies. Staff Attorney Sam Grover in an Aug. 12 letter to the school district said, "Graduations are not the place for personal religious promotion, just as it would taint the occasion if a speaker promoted his or her personal political beliefs while speaking to those assembled."

An attorney for the school district responded that future graduations would not include invocations or benedictions in order to comply with the law.

Board agrees to approve secular club

After more than a year of stonewalling, Ward Melville High School, Setauket, N.Y., finally gave a student permission to start a Secular Student Alliance chapter. FFRF Legal Fellow Madeline Ziegler wrote to the district July 23 urging them to stop violating the Equal Access Act and let the club form.

Thomas Sheedy, who had tried for two years to start the club, planned to go to the Three Village Central School District board meeting in September to protest the denial, but got word of the club's acceptance shortly before the meeting. He attended anyway to thank administrators for approving the group.

Thomas will speak at FFRF's annual convention and receive the $5,000 Beverly and Richard Hermsen Student Activist Award.

Name: Jim Hudlow.

Where I live: In a buzzing nest of young Earth creationists north of Spokane Valley, Wash.
Where and when I was born: Spokane, Wash., Dec. 6, 1950.

Family: I live with my 91-year-old father on rural land that our family has owned for a century. I have a younger brother. Both are strong agnostics.

Education: B.A. in philosophy and English with K-12 teaching accreditation. I'm the only atheist banjo player in the Spokane area that I know of. I also taught myself to play the hammered and mountain dulcimers and mandolin.

I've read the entire King James Version bible (The Skeptic's Annotated by Steve Wells, of course!) because every skeptic should be thusly informed.

Occupation: After high school I fell into a skycap job at the Spokane airport. I met amazing people every day and got front row seats to all the concerts coming to town. After I graduated from college, I taught sixth grade for two years but then took a job with Western Airlines. I retired from Delta Air Lines (they bought Western) in 2006.

Military service: I was drafted in 1972 but was rejected as medically unfit, which shocked me. I was sure I was destined to be a "tunnel rat" in Vietnam. The 39 other guys, 16 of which had doctor's letters trying to exempt them, were all inducted. They gave me a standing ovation as I left the building. To this day it still brings a tear to my eye wondering if any of those fine men were harmed in a war that made no sense whatever to me.
How I got where I am today: I didn't actively seek out an atheist organization until about five years ago. It didn't occur to me such a thing existed before then. I wish I had done it sooner. The particular subject of "faith healing" and the harm it caused, especially to helpless children, made me really scrutinize various religions. It inspired me to be much more vocal regarding religious privilege, religious exemption from safety rules, religious shield laws and so on.

Now I'm retired, play bluegrass music for charity when I can, lead a bird trip or two for the Audubon Society each year, do photography (mostly of nature) and golf with my Dad with another father-son twosome.

Where I'm headed: I'd like to continue to be involved in secular causes. I don't consider myself "pushy," though I often wear atheist themed T-shirts in public. I welcome inquiries. I politely andf actually respond to disparaging comments.

Person in history I admire: Charles Darwin. Not just for his On the Origin of Species, but for the process this religious man had to go through to finally present his findings to the public and his peers. How many times could he have let his religious beliefs interfere with his real world observations? How many times did he not change what he observed to accommodate the beliefs of the day that would have made life less problematic for him?
A quotation I like: This one always inspires conversation with my religious friends: "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." (Galileo Galilei)

These are a few of my favorite things: I get goose bumps every time I look at the moons of Jupiter with my 12x36 image-stabilized birding binoculars. I can see four, sometimes five or six, moons as brilliant pinpricks of light. They are the same moons Galileo looked at through his improved telescope in 1609. It is seriously inspiring.

I like playing and listening to music (except that which promotes violence), good nonfiction books, nature in all its amazing diversity, aircraft of all kinds (I just had an awesome ride in a B-17) and talking with people and hearing their personal stories.

These are not: When someone says "supposably" instead of "supposedly," it's like fingernails on a chalkboard; unsolicited visitations by religious folks bearing "the good news."

My doubts about religion started: When I was 8, the country preacher came to our house to get me. Why my parents surrendered me to him I will never know. I guess they were just glad he had not come for them. Anyway, he spent the next hour, in a hot car in mid-July trying to scare the hell into me. Even at 8 I was asking questions this man could not answer. Why would god invent hell? Why doesn't he just come down and tell us what he wants us to do in person? Anyway, I went into the car unconcerned about religion and left the car as a sweaty little atheist.

Before I die: My goals include make someone smile every day, visit a lot more historical sites in America, find more fossils and inspire children, whenever I can and without inappropriate intrusion, to be inquisitive about everything around them. I want to meet Annie Laurie Gaylor, Barbara Walker and/or Marci Hamilton, as the slightest interaction with any of these women would improve me.

Ways I promote freethought: I've served as secretary/treasurer and am currently president of the Inland Northwest Freethought Society, an FFRF chapter. I work with our tireless Vice President Elizabeth Rose and many other folks to show the face of atheism in the public arena so "regular" people can come to know we are, as Douglas Adams would say, "mostly harmless."

We do this by having booths at local fairs in the Spokane and Hayden, Idaho, area. The cost is substantial and comes exclusively from member donations. We promote INFS and the Spokane Secular Society and North Idaho Secular Society. As one older woman said to me after a few minutes of conversation last year at the booth, "You know, you're not so bad." I thanked her and said that most people who talk to us end up feeling that way as well. I want like-minded people to know groups like ours exist so they can become involved much younger than I did.

I've played in a couple of religious bluegrass bands lately, to inform my skeptical side and because I enjoy entertaining. Of course I am always honest about my position when asked by spectators or preachers, but I'm polite about it in "their" house. You might be surprised by how many folks have taken me aside and said they are agnostic and only come to church for the social functions and for appearances' sake.

I was recently voted out of one of those bands for being an atheist, which they all knew when I started playing with them over a year before. They didn't even have the nerve to vote while I was present. I missed a practice due to a dog-walking wrist injury (don't ask) so they voted then. Four to two for ouster. And no, I don't feel persecuted. Go figure.

By Janet Brazill

Kim Davis, the county clerk in Kentucky who is a recent convert to Apostolic Christianity, has drawn nationwide attention because of her adamant refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She also refuses to quit her job.

Davis is admired by many for standing for her "sincere religious objection" to complying with the recent Supreme Court decision upholding same-sex marriage. Presidential candidates Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum showed their ignorance of our secular American history by supporting her "Christian beliefs" over her duty to uphold our Constitution.

Many such religionists opposed to homosexuality base their opposition on ancient writings. The Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) calls same-sex unions an "abomination." But that was a word used for many things the ancients wanted to forbid in order to make their society function. Today, it is no longer necessary to demand that every union produce children in order to ensure the survival of the tribe. In fact, after centuries of propagation, we now have an overcrowded Earth. Perhaps nature is compensating by producing nonproducing humans.

Or, to put it in the religious vernacular, the "gays" could be God's answer to our overpopulation problem!

To be sure, modern society ignores much that is written in the Old Testament, such such as the requirement for a man to impregnate his brother's widow so that the brother's line may continue. (Deut. 25:5) Indeed, the word "abomination" is used for many things considered trivial nowadays. For example, the bible forbids women to wear slacks: "A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination to the Lord thy God." (Deut. 22:5)

Much of the hatred about homosexuality is based on the bible. But while Genesis 19 tells of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because homosexuality, take a look at the whole story as described there. A man named Lot was visited by male angels. An angry mob demanded that he turn over his visitors to them so that they may "know" them. Then Lot, a truly despicable character, tries to avoid the wrath of these angels by pimping his virgin daughters, so he goes out to the mob and says: "Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes; only unto these men do nothing."

Fast-forward to the 21st century. Any thinking person finds the idea of Lot offering up his little girls for gang rape at the hands of a vicious mob horrifying. Morality has clearly evolved since the legends of biblical times were written, and this ancient book should not be used as a guide to moral living today. Through trial and experience, we have evolved a better moral code, one that fits the problems of our time.

The judge in Kim Davis' case, himself religious, ruled that in accordance with our country's secular standards, no one person's religious beliefs can prevail in matters of law.

We are fortunate that our founding fathers had the foresight to create a country based on laws, not the happenstance of someone's religious beliefs.

FFRF member Janet Brazill is a retired computer systems analyst who lives in Colorado.

Acknowledge that it's OK to be different

FFRF awarded Bria $400.

By Bria Bertrand

I was that child who always asked "Why?" after everything. If something did not make sense to me, curiosity spiked and I needed a definitive answer. That part of me was always accepted until I started to question my family's religion.

As a child, attending church was never voluntary. The churches we attended were Baptist and predominantly black. Since I was only about 8 years old, seeing people jumping around, screaming and speaking in different languages frightened me. I later figured out that the foreign language I heard was called "speaking in tongues."

My young, impressionable mind grasped a few main concepts from attending these churches. The first concept was that if you do anything "bad," you will be sent to a place called hell where you will subsequently spend an eternity burning and suffering.

The second concept I was taught was that if you are not heterosexual, you are a bad person and will subsequently be sent to hell. These ideas terrified me, as did the thought of a "devil" that would get me if I were to misbehave.

I had numerous fears about letting my family know how I truly felt about religion. I had mixed feelings because I felt even if I could not open up to anyone else, at least my family should accept my beliefs. I later discovered that I was wrong.

I would drop small hints here and there about the bible and how certain things did not make sense until my mother started to get defensive. I would ask her, "How could you sit in a church, being a gay woman, and listen to them speak so negatively about gay people and still continue to attend?"

I would ask her, "How could you be affiliated with a religion that despises the person that you are?" She had no answer, and it was at that point that I began to question everything.

I face challenges throughout my life because of my nonbeliefs. Since I am a young, black female, others automatically assume I am a Christian. I have had strangers start conversations and bring up religion in mid-conversation. When I was 14, I was speaking with an older black man about starting high school in a few months and how excited I was. He began to tell me all the negative things about public high school. He warned me about the gay girls in high school that would try to talk to me and how I had to "shake that devil off."

I felt so out of my element. I did not know if I should uncomfortably smile and nod or state firmly that we do not have the same beliefs and that I accept everybody regardless of sexual orientation. I was unsure of what to say, so I said nothing.

In the African-American community, the idea of "God" is what keeps a lot of people going. The idea of a higher power brings comfort and hope. That is often all they have for motivation. The biggest obstacle discouraging diversity within this movement is the judgment factor. It is why so many young, black teens are afraid to challenge the beliefs that their family has taught them. There is so much nonacceptance within the African-American community for being homosexual or a nonbeliever.

People should learn the concept of acceptance, acknowledging that it is OK to be different, and not be so quick to judge others for their appearances and beliefs.
Bria Bertrand, 18, was born in Orlando, Fla. "I moved to Georgia in 2006 and have resided in Gwinnett County ever since. I attended Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga. I will be going to Kennesaw State University, with my intended major as biology premed. I have always had a strong attraction to medicine and I intend to pursue a career in the medical field after college."

Freethought needs more diversity

FFRF awarded Karina $500.

By Karina Solano Suarez

I extended my two small cupped hands and looked up underneath the wrinkles that belonged to an old man's face. I received a white circle in my hands, and a pinning glance from the bishop. He quizzed me on the saint I had chosen as a part of completing another sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church: my confirmation.

Could he see it in the way I handled the body of Christ that I was a nonbeliever? Moments later, my mother quickly hurried to the building next door and dragged me with her so that I could be photographed in various positions of prayer. The day of my confirmation is easily one of the more frustrating days I have lived as a nonbeliever.

I grew up in a family that taught me to say "Gracias a Dios" (thank you, Lord) after every meal, drove through 10 minutes of traffic to sit through Mass every Sunday and attempted to instill in me the love for the religion that reiterates that inequality is fixed and that a person is either good or bad instead of being on a spectrum.

The Mexican community, for the most part, embraces Catholicism, so disagreeing means, to my community, disagreeing with my culture.

My problem is not that my community portrays me as ungrateful and damned. My problem with Catholicism is in its history, its core beliefs, the gender and social inequality, and the brutality in the introduction of the church in Mexico, to name a few.

Although the rhyming prayers were drilled in my head, the sound of manipulation by the corrupt church officials is louder. I am a nonbeliever because although the faith I grew up in is a man-made social construct, the denomination acts as if questioning it or updating the outdated and irrelevant aspects of the denomination is against God's will. I believe that this is a scheme and that the church's initial purpose was to justify inequality and keep people from fighting the system, which seriously needs reforming.

The freethought community lacks member diversity in large part because in many communities, breaking away from the church can be seen as betrayal rather than growth as an independent person. Because of this, I do not feel very comfortable being outspoken at most social events about my refusal to be part of the religion I was brought up in. Due to the religiosity in my community and the continued segregation in some of the neighborhoods in Chicago, I hardly ever get the chance to interact with the freethought community, which is mostly located in white neighborhoods.

In Chicago, neighborhoods of color are thought of as the bad sides of the city. After crossing a bridge, one is in another neighborhood of a different color. I do not reach a white neighborhood until I pass many, many bridges. Although this avoids the conflict of cultural assimilation, it also avoids acculturation of ethnic minorities.

Freethought and nonbelief can become more attractive and widely understood among America's nonwhite communities if our neighborhoods stop separating each other by color.

Religion, in many ways, is the fundamental result of not questioning authority. Many of my religious friends and family even refuse to acknowledge the historical and contemporary inhumane treatment of people by their denomination. Some even try to justify it! I am all for morals and doing good, but I do not need to believe in God in order to be a good person.

Although I am mestiza (mixed descent), I do not believe in the religion violently introduced by the Spaniards when they colonized the indigenous in the name of the cross.

This makes me, and many others, an outcast with mestizos and an outcast with the predominantly white freethought community. When freethought becomes more widely accepted in communities of color, I — having never been a stranger to being a minority — will finally find my place.

Karina Solano Suarez was born in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, but grew up in the Little Village neighborhood, also referred to as the "Mexico of the Midwest," in Chicago, where she graduated from Social Justice High School. She will major in international studies and peace, justice and conflict studies at DePaul University, while maintaining her closeness with her dog, Sunday, her love for books she borrows from her high school English teacher, and her love for authentic Mexican elements.