2008 News Release Archive
Newdow, FFRF & Coalition Sue to Halt Inaugural Prayers
December 29, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, its co-presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor and several of its members are among the 29 co-plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit, Newdow v. Roberts, filed today by attorney Michael Newdow in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to enjoin the Presidential Inaugural Committee from sponsoring prayers at the official Inauguration. The 34-page Legal Complaint also punctures some myths, documenting that for most of our country's history, no clergy led prayers at inaugurations.
"Beware of Dogma" Billboard Message Comes to Little Rock
December 23, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the largest national association of atheists and agnostics, has taken its national billboard campaign to Arkansas for the first time, posting its colorful and cautionary "Beware of Dogma" billboard at the Main Street Bridge, 100 feet south of the Riverfront near the Rivermarket District.
FFRF Urges Obama Not Only to Drop Warren, But All Prayer, From Inauguration
December 22, 2008 After being heaped with abuse over the past eight years, the Establishment Clause needs a 'fierce advocate' indeed in the White House. Take this unparalleled opportunity, Mr. President-Elect, to rebuild that wall of separation between church and state."
FFRF Sues County of Manitowoc
December 17, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation is taking the County of Manitowoc to court over its "provocative and divisive" prominent display every December since 1946 of a nativity scene bearing the words "Glory to God in the Highest" on its courthouse lawn.
Unfazed by Theft, FFRF Returns Winter Solstice Sign to Illinois Capitol in Springfield
December 17, 2008
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which was informed yesterday morning by the Illinois Secretary of State's Office that its Winter Solstice sign disappeared sometime between 9:45 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday, has replaced the stolen sign. An identical display is back up in the statehouse rotunda.
FFRF Exposes Twice-Daily, Mandatory Christian Prayer Imposed by Military Chaplains at Iraq Command
December 11, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis.-based national state/church watchdog, has been waiting a month for a reply to its letter to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, protesting mandatory Christian prayer and bible reading conducted by chaplains to a captive audience, as part of daily shift change briefings in the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Iraq. ...
"Imagine No Religion" Billboard Visits Canton, Ohio This Month!
December 8, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics) with 13,000 members and more than 300 in Ohio, is taking its irreverent billboard campaign to Canton, Ohio this month.
FFRF Places Winter Solstice Sign in Illinois Capitol
December 8, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation is putting its Winter Solstice sign in the Illinois State Capitol today. The Foundation applied for a permit after Illinois members contacted the state/church watchdog, asking it to protest the decision to permit a religious group to plant a nativity display in the Capitol for the month of December. . . .
"Imagine No Religion" Billboard to Go Up in San Antonio
December 8, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation is taking its national billboard campaign to Texas for the first time, posting its colorful "Imagine No Religion" billboard on I-37. . . .
FFRF Solstice Message Returns to Wisconsin Capitol for 13th Year!
December 2, 2008 ’Tis the season . . . for the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s gilt “Winter Solstice” message, which returns for its 13th visit to the first-floor rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol for the month of December.
Freethinking Winter Solstice Sign & Billboard to go up in Olympia!
November 26, 2008 Tis the season . . . to bring some freethinking cheer to Olympia! The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a state/church watchdog and the nation's largest association of atheists and agnostics, is making its mark on Olympia in December.
FFRF Sues City of Rancho Cucamonga over Censorship of "Imagine No Religion" Billboard
November 25, 2008 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation is filing a lawsuit today in federal court against the City of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., for taking actions which led to the censorship of its "Imagine No Religion" billboard on Archibald and Foothill Blvd, Route 66.
"Imagine No Religion" Billboard Comes Down in Cucamonga
November 20, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation's "Imagine No Religion" billboard, which only went up late last week in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., for a two-month run, has been censored by General Outdoor Co., which took down the Foundation's vinyl message today. While the Foundation has encountered billboard companies unwilling to lease boards in several locations (Rapid City, Mich., Peoria, Ill., rural Nebraska and Salt Lake City), this is the first time one of its billboards has been censored after going up.
"Imagine No Religion" Billboard Comes to California for the First Time
November 18, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation's national campaign to place nonreligious, irreverent billboards has come to California for the first time. The billboard just went up on Archibald Street, facing north, in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The colorful billboard carries the Freedom From Religion Foundation's name and website, and boasts a John Lennon-esque statement, "Imagine No Religion," against a stained-glass window background. The billboard can be seen by those traveling east and west on Foothill Boulevard, which is part of the famous Route 66.
FFRF Sues Colorado Governor Over Prayer Proclamations
November 13, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the help of Denver-area members and plaintiffs, is suing Colorado Gov. Jim Ritter Jr., for showing governmental preference for religion in issuing National Day of Prayer proclamations in tandem with the National Day of Prayer (NDP) Task Force . . .
Watchdog Pursues Electioneering Violations by Priest, Catholic Group in Colorado
November 12, 2008 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a formal Complaint with the Federal Election Commission "seeking an immediate investigation and enforcement action against Informed Catholic Citizens (ICC)" over an election in Colorado.
Atheists/Agnostics Post "Imagine No Religion" Billboard in Colorado Springs
November 5, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the largest national association of atheists and agnostics, is taking its billboard campaign to 6737 North Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, for the next month, asking passers-by to "Imagine No Religion." The artwork employs a stained-glass window motif.
Watchdog Group Exposes Catholic Election Abuse in Colorado
October 30, 2008 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation, which has a chapter in Colorado Springs, is exposing an election abuse reported today by a member of the public from Franktown, Colo.
Does the Religious Right Know No Shame?
October 16, 2008 It brazenly put out a news release on Oct. 15 with a totally false headline, "Nativity scene allowed on public property," claiming: "The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has won a legal victory over an anti-religion group."
Judge Declares "Real-Life Victory" for FFRF and Plaintiffs in Green Bay Nativity Scene Case
October 8, 2008 Yesterday a U.S. District judge, declaring that the Foundation and its Green Bay plaintiffs "have already won," have a "concrete victory" and a "real-life victory," declared moot FFRF's lawsuit against a manger scene atop Green Bay City Hall.
"Keep Religion OUT of Politics" Message Comes to Des Moines
October 6, 2008 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the help of its Iowa members and Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers, is placing a timely message--"Keep Religion OUT of Politics"--that will be up until election day in Des Moines, Iowa. The billboard is slated to go up today on Fleur Drive, near the intersection of Bell Avenue, connecting the downtown and the Des Moines International Airport. . .
FFRF Sues Bush, Shirley Dobson and Gov. Doyle over National Day of Prayer Proclamations
October 3, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a federal lawsuit today broadly challenging the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer and requiring a National Day of Prayer Proclamation by the President....
Church Politicking Is Uncivil Disobedience
September 25, 2008 A well-heeled extremist legal outfit is calling on priests and pastors throughout the nation to defy IRS regulations by using their tax-exempt pulpits this Sunday, Sept. 28, to endorse candidates in the presidential race.
Cherry Creek School Violation Linked to Lutheran Brotherhood
September 22, 2008 A federal judge’s decision on Sept. 8 to throw out the Foundation’s lawsuit challenging endorsement of religion by the Cherry Creek School District in Denver did not keep the Foundation down for long. Foundation attorney Robert R. Tiernan, in his return bout, has introduced evidence linking the District’s 40 Developmental Assets to a Lutheran, scripture-based program.
Billboard Imagining"No Religion" Visits Harrisburg
September 19, 2008 A "stained glass" billboard bearing the message "Imagine No Religion" will be up for a month in downtown Harrisburg, Penn. The location is South 2nd St. at Mulberry St., near Harrisburg Hospital, only 7 blocks from the Pennsylvania State Capitol building.
FFRF Files Motion to Delay Oral Arguments
September 12, 2008 Based on comments to the media by the Green Bay mayor indicating the city may adopt a policy to place only secular decorations at City Hall, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has asked the judge to delay oral arguments scheduled for Monday, Sept. 15.
Chicago Here FFRF Comes!
September 11, 2008 Today is Last Day to Make Hotel Reservations at Convention Rate! Act Now!
The Wacky World of the Assemblies of God
September 11, 2008 Statement by Foundation co-president Dan Barker, a former Assembly of God preacher ...
FFRF's Full Page Ad in Today's New York Times Imagines a World Free from Religion
September 9, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation has placed a full-page in today's New York Times (p. A17), featuring a photograph of the intact pre-9/11 Manhattan skyline juxtaposed with the words: "Imagine a World Free From Religion."
FFRF Takes "Keep Religion OUT of Politics" Sign to RNC
September 2, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation is mobilizing secularists by placing its timely message--"Keep Religion OUT of Politics"--via a mobile billboard roving within three blocks of the Republican National Convention site in St. Paul.
FFRF Takes "Imagine No Religion" Media Blitz to Phoenix
August 29, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation is taking not just one but five of its "Imagine No Religion" billboards to downtown Phoenix for the month of September.
Setting The Wall Street Journal Straight
August 27, 2008 The on-line version of the Wall Street Journal published an item (Aug. 26, 2008) which mentioned the Freedom From Religion Foundation's "Keep Religion OUT of Politics" billboard, but contained some false reports. ...
"Keep Religion Out of Politics" Billboard Goes Up in Denver Timed for DNC
August 11, 2008 Two months after posting an "Imagine No Religion" billboard in Denver at West 14th Avenue and Fox Street, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its local membership have replaced that sign with a timely new message: "Keep religion OUT of politics."
VA Immune from from Challenge over Religion
August 7, 2008 A 3-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago ruled on Tuesday that the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its three taxpayer plaintiffs do not have standing to challenge the incorporation of religion into all aspects of healthcare by the Veterans Administration.
Court Denies FFRF Standing to Sue over North Dakota's Subsidy of Christian, Church-Run Juvenile Ranches
July 17, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national state/church watchdog, remains committed to ending state subsidy of avowedly Christian juvenile detention facilities in North Dakota, despite a decision by a federal judge yesterday dismissing its lawsuit on lack of standing. The state funds the placement of children in the Lutheran ranches, which actively impose religion on inmates and discriminate against nonChristian juveniles.
2008 High School Winning Essays Chosen
July 17, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation has announced the winners of its annual essay competition for college-bound high school graduates. Students this year were asked to write a timely 3 to 4 page essays about why there should be no religious test for public office.
"Imagine No Religion" Billboard Campaign Comes to Seattle
July 7, 2008 A "stained glass" billboard bearing the message, "Imagine No Religion," has just gone up in Seattle for a month. The colorful billboard appears on Denny Way Hill, east of Stewart Street, in the Capitol Hill/Broadway area of Seattle.
Faith-Based Initiative Should Be Abolished, Not Renamed
July 1, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics), today condemned Barack Obama's "gratuitous" pandering and his pledge to expand and rename George Bush's faith-based initiative. The Foundation is a nonpartisan educational organization working to keep church and state separate, which has taken the lead in legal challenges against the faith-based initiative.
FFRF Pursues Open Meetings Violation
July 1, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation has asked the La Crosse County District Attorney to prosecute officials of the Village of Holmen who engaged in open meetings violations in selling off part of Star Hill and a cross on it. Actions made during a violation of open meetings law can be invalidated by a district attorney.
State/Church Watchdog Asks AG to Investigate, Enjoin Sale of Holmen Star Hill Site
June 21, 2008 The Wisconsin Attorney General is being asked to immediately investigate a suspected open meetings violation by the Village of Holmen, Wis., and to enjoin its sale of a parcel of land at the end of June to the Lions Club. A $1,200 bid by the Freedom From Religion Foundation for a parcel of property on Star Hill , circling a huge cross and Christmas star, was rejected by the village in May, in favor of a $600 bid by the Lions Club.
Watchdog Asks Wisconsin Assembly to Stop Praying
June 19, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national watchdog working to keep church and state separate, has asked leadership in the Wisconsin State Assembly to stop opening sessions with prayer, pointing out that one representative went so far as to "exorcize the Assembly Chamber."
FFRF Asks Immigration Office to Drop Religious Oath for Naturalized Citizens
June 19, 2008 The national state/church watchdog made the request on behalf of several complainants seeking U.S. citizenship, who were dismayed to be confronted with a religious test for citizenship.
"Imagine No Religion" Billboard Campaign Visits Denver for Two Months
June 2, 2008 A "stained glass" billboard bearing the message, "Imagine No Religion," will go up for two months this summer at West 14th Avenue and Fox Street, six blocks from the State Capitol in downtown Denver.
FFRF Complaint Halts Evangelical Talk in High School
May 16, 2008 A timely complaint by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, acting on a tip from a resident, halted a scheduled evangelical talk during the lunch hour at Stoughton High School in Stoughton, Wis., earlier this week ...
FFRF Files Lawsuit Against Rio School District and Wisconsin Department of Instruction
April 25, 2008 The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national organization of freethinkers working to keep church and state separate, today filed a lawsuit in Dane County Court seeking to force the school district in Rio, Wis., to charge rent to the Child Evangelism Fellowship Group ...
State/Church Watchdog Makes $1,200 Bid on Holmen "Star Hill" Site
April 25, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national state/church watchdog based in Madison, Wis., has formally offered $1,200 for a 990-foot bite of land on what is known as the "Star Hill" cross site in Holmen, Wis. ...
Repelled by Expelled
April 24, 2008 Statement by Annie Laurie Gaylor, Co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation: I ruined a perfectly good spring evening to see "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," a so-called documentary by rightwing gadfly Ben Stein ...
FFRF Bids on Holmen "Star Cross" Site
April 21, 2008 The Freedom From Religion Foundation , a national state/church watchdog based in Madison, Wis., has formally offered to purchase what is known as the "Star Hill Cross Site" in Holmen, Wis. ...
FFRF Objects to Sheriff Dept.-Sponsored Prayer Breakfast featuring Justice (Elect) Gableman
April 18, 2008 A Wisconsin county sheriff has been asked to cease and desist his eighth annual sponsorship of a prayer breakfast by the Burnett Sheriff Department ...
"Faith Forum" Outright Religious Test for Public Office
April 16, 2008 Nearly a year ago, when CNN broadcast a presidential faith forum last June, the Freedom From Religion Foundation issued a statement condemning the imposition of a religious test for public office ...
FFRF Halts Christian Vending at Madison VA
April 10, 2008 Acting on a complaint from a patient at the Madison VA Hospital, the Freedom From Religion Foundation today protested the presence of Christian vendors setting up shop at the main entrance, through which every patient and employee must pass ...
Memorialize 11-Year-Old Madeline by Removing Faith Exemption
March 28, 2008 The death of an 11-year-old child from illness is always tragic, but what puts Madeline Kara Neumann's death last Sunday in a different class is that it is unforgiveable. Madeleine's long descent into diabetic ketoacidosis was unnecessary, preventable and the result of willful negligence on the part of her bible-believing parents ...
"Beware of Dogma" Billboard Design Wins Addy Award!
February 29, 2008 A "Beware of Dogma" billboard designed with a stained-glass motif last fall for the Freedom From Religion Foundation won an "Addy" award for Adams Outdoor Company in late February . . . "
Hateful Response to "Imagine No Religion" Message Shows Its Power
February 12, 2008 It is hard to credit how one little freethought billboard could create such insecurity by religionists! The Freedom From Religion Foundation's pretty billboard, with its wistful, John Lennon-inspired message, "Imagine No Religion," has been attacked by not just one, but two billboards in Chambersburg, Penn. ...
"Imagine No Religion" Billboard Debuts in Columbus, Ohio
February 1, 2008 A 14x48-foot "stained glass" billboard bearing the message, "Imagine No Religion," is going up Saturday morning, February 2, for the month of February on the southeast corner of East Broad St. and Lancaster Ave, Reynoldsburg ...
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