import2004
Health & Human Services Suspends Funds to Faith-based Mentoring Group Being Sued by Watchdog Foundat
The Department of Health and Human Services has suspended the drawdown of federal funds" to MentorKids USA, which is slated to receive $225,000 in public funds through 2006.The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation in late November legally challenged the constitutionality of the funding More »
Freethought Sign Returns to Wisconsin State Capitol
Sign of the Season Photo by Brent Nicastro More »
Freethought Watchdog Group Sues over HHS Funding of Arizona Faith-based Mentoring Program in First-o
(Madison, Wis.) The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national association of freethinkers working since 1978 to keep state and church separate, is suing to halt direct funding by Health and Human Services of a Christian mentoring program in Arizona. MentorKids USA's explicit purpose is More »
Timely New Books Promote Freedom from Religion
Since the best defense is a good offense, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has published two timely freethought "classics" this month, sounding the alarm bell about the dangers of a growing union between religion and government. The books are: Woe to the Women: The Bible More »
Foundation Wins Second Lawsuit on Faith-Based Funding in its Montana "Parish Nursing" Case
(Madison, Wis.) The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which won the first lawsuit against faith-based funding under the Bush administration, won its second faith-based lawsuit today. In a strongly-worded and thorough 32-page decision, U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard W. Anderson, U.S. District Court, District of Montana, Butte More »
Congressional Vote on Pledge Degrades National Debate
Statement by the Freedom From Religion Foundation Yesterday's vote in the House of Representatives approving legislation ostensibly protecting the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance from court review, shows how degraded the national debate over the constitutional principle of the separation of church More »
27th National FFRF Convention Honors Departing Prez Anne Gaylor, Mike Newdow, Outspoken Freethinker
Sign Up Now, & Ask C-Span for Coverage, Too! Released September 14, 2004 The 27th annual national convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation will gather in Madison, Wis., at the Concourse Hotel, 1 W. Dayton St., on the weekend of Fri., Oct. 29 through Sunday, More »
Watchdog Group Protests Harassment of Wisconsin 13-Year-Old at School
Religious Pledge of Allegiance Creates Discord A 13-year-old 'A' student new to West Bend's Silverbrook Middle School (Wis.) has been deprived of her constitutional rights by her principal and singled out for harassment, charges the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis.,-based national state/church watchdog More »
FFRF's Pacific Northwest Mini-Convention Meets July 9-10, 2004
U.S. Rep. McDermott Added to Speakers' Roster The Freedom From Religion Foundation's Pacific Northwest "Mini-Convention" meets on the weekend of Friday, July 9, and Saturday July 10, at the Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue in downtown Seattle. For the first time, a Foundation function will More »
Freethought Watchdog Group Takes First Challenge of White House & Cabinet Faith-Based Offices
The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics) working to keep church and state separate, has filed an unprecedented challenge of Pres. George W. Bush's creation of federal offices for faith-based initiatives. The lawsuit, filed today in the More »
Challenge of 'God' in Pledge of Allegiance Not Over Yet
FFRF Names Newdow "Freethought Hero" The Freedom From Religion Foundation congratulated First Amendment plaintiff Michael Newdow for raising national consciousness about the secular origin of the Pledge of Allegiance. The Foundation emphasized that today's dismissal of his lawsuit by the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the insertion More »
FFRF Wins Challenge of Religious Instruction ("Scopes II") Before Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit today upheld a federal court ruling in favor of the Freedom From Religion Foundation's challenge of religious instruction in three county schools in Rhea County, Tenn. As the decision notes, Rhea County is "the site More »
Freedom From Religion Foundation Joins "Scouting for All" Protest
The Freedom From Religion Foundation will join "Scouting for All" and other critics of bigotry by Boy Scouts of America in protests held during the BSA's National Council Conference in Chicago on May 19-21, 2004. Musician Dan Barker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation will More »
Freedom From Religion Foundation Wins La Crosse Ten Commandments Lawsuit (Again)
(MADISON, WI) Federal District Judge Barbara B. Crabb issued a 47-page opinion today, her second decision in six months favoring the challenge by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its 22 plaintiffs in La Crosse, Wis., of a Ten Commandments monument in a city More »
Urge Casper Mayor to Reconsider Vote to Keep Ten Commandments as "History"
The Freedom From Religion Foundation's recent request to the city of Casper, Wyoming, to remove a Ten Commandments monument in a city park has been covered nationally, due to a bizarre development. The Foundation protested a bible monument in a Casper city park in September More »
Pledging Allegiance to Secular Constitution
Statement by the Freedom From Religion Foundation Congratulations go to Michael Newdow, the doctor/attorney who became a household name last year when he unexpectedly won his challenge before the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to remove under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.Not More »
Freethinkers Gather for 26th National Conference in DC
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has an engaging line-up for its 26th annual national convention in Washington, D.C., taking place Oct. 10-12. Convention awardees include: reporter/columnist Helen Thomas; provocative attorney Alan M. Dershowitz; New York Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Natalie Angier ("Confessions of More »
Statement by the Freedom From Religion Foundation
Faith-based Assault on ConstitutionU.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's freudian slip yesterday on the Charlie Rose Show added insult to the injuries inflicted on the First Amendment earlier in the day by the Administration.Talking about the Administration's vision for the Iraqi government, Powell said More »
Churches Are Not Above the Law
It's Time To Make Wisconsin Clergy Accountable Statement by Freethought Today editor Annie Laurie Gaylor This was written testimony submitted today before a committee of the Wisconsin State Legislature regarding a pending reform to More »
Casper Letter
Mayor Barbara A. Peryam City of Casper 200 North David St. Casper WY 82601 Dear Mayor: On behalf of Casper taxpayers and complainants, our national organization, which works to protect the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state, is writing to ask that you remove the Ten More »
FFRF Convention Countdown; Hotel Rooms Still Available
FFRF Goes to Washington, D.C., Oct. 10-12 The Freedom From Religion Foundation has put together an engaging line-up of powerhouse speakers for its 26th annual national convention in Washington, D.C., taking place Oct. 10-12. Speakers include: provocative attorney Alan Dershowitz; White House correspondent Helen Thomas; TV More »
Mississippi Governor Emulates Moore; Endorses Ten Commandments
Join the Foundation's Complaint Against Gov. Musgrove's Ploy The Freedom From Religion Foundation today blasted as "transparent electioneering" Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's invitation to display notorious Judge Roy Moore's unconstitutional Ten Commandments monument in the Mississippi Capitol for a week in September. Musgrove sent Moore a More »
Letter to Ronnie Musgrove
Gov. Ronnie MusgroveOffice of the GovernorPO Box 139Jackson MS 39205Dear Governor:Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is not a hero. He is a monumental embarrassment to his state and this nation. As the top judge in Alabama, defying and scorning the rule of law, he More »
Call Media over Imbalanced Coverage
Monumental Threat Freedom From Religion Foundation Statement on Moore's Folly and Related Action Alert: The suspenseful removal yesterday of the unconstitutional Ten Commandments monument blighting the rotunda of Alabama's Supreme Court building in Montgomery is a relief and a victory for common sense and reason. The tide More »
Milwaukee DA's Message to the World: Religion Excuses Violence?
Minister Faces Only Abuse Charge for Boy's Death The Freedom From Religion Foundation today called upon Milwaukee District Attorney E. Michael McCann to "throw the full force of Wisconsin law" against the faith-healing minister and his accomplices whose actions killed an 8-year-old autistic boy on More »
Child Abuse Letter
District Attorney E. Michael McCann Safety Bldg., Rm. 405, 821 W. State St. Milwaukee WI 53233 Dear District Attorney: On behalf of our membership in Milwaukee County, we urge your office to throw the full force of Wisconsin law against the Rev. Ray Hemphill and his accomplices for More »
Undiplomatic Relations
Vatican's Anti-gay Politicking Calls for Abolishing Ambassadorship Statement by Freethought Today editor Annie Laurie Gaylor It's time to abolish the U.S. ambassadorship to the Vatican. The Freedom From Religion Foundation vigorously protested the Vatican ambassadorship when it was formally initiated under the Reagan presidency. The Vatican is More »
Resounding Victory
Freedom From Religion Foundation Wins Federal Lawsuit Against Ten Commandments Monument in City Park in La Crosse, Wis.(MADISON, WI) Federal District Judge Barbara B. Crabb issued a strong 41-page More »
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational charity, is the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics), and has been working since 1978 to keep religion and government separate.
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