Freethought Today

Vol. 26 No. 2 - Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. -
March 2009

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It Pays To Complain

A Blessed Christmas, St. Anne Parish

In early December 2008, the Foundation received a complaint from a citizen in Macomb Co., Mich., who alerted us to a nativity scene displayed on the median of a public street. The glass-enclosed manger scene was prominently displayed at a busy intersection in the City of Warren and was accompanied by a sign that read, "A Blessed Christmas, St. Anne Parish."

Foundation staff attorney Rebecca Kratz sent a letter to the Board of County Road Commissioners in Macomb County demanding that the creche display be removed from the roadway immediately. The Board acted swiftly and sent a letter (above) the next day to the individual responsible for erecting the display.

Stopping Mandatory Prayer

Foundation staff attorney Rebecca Kratz wrote a superb letter last October objecting to mandatory Christian prayer by chaplains during shift changes in the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Iraq. Although the practice stopped in early December, the letter (above) and assurances on behalf of Secretary Gates were more than welcome, however tardy!

March 2009 Excerpts
News New Bus Signs Debut Billboards Celebrate Darwin Day Ohio Billboard Stolen, Replaced It Pays To Complain 2009 Student Essay Scholarships Dodge County Board Suspends Prayers In Memorial, Catherine Fahringer, 1922–2008 In Memorial: Clara Carlson FFRF Campus Tour, Debates – East Coast Freethought Across the Board	Articles Not So Intelligent Designer by Lester Goldstein 2008 Freethinker of the Year: We Are Not Alone by Kay Staley Let There Be Light Verse, a book review of Karma, Dharma, Pudding & Pie by Philip Appleman by Dan Barker Protest Obama's Faith-based Executive Order! by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor Cartoon by Don Addis