Mobile Menu
Events & Appearances Archives
FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker will be appearing on a livestream fundraiser for the Black Nonbelievers on Saturday, December 23rd at 5:20pm. They will be discussing the current work of The Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the work of the Secular Coalition of America. You can donate to Black Nonbelievers by clicking here. A recording of the presentation will be linked here.
FFRF's Co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker will be speaking at Laics of the World Unite in Paris, France on December 9th, 2023. Annie Laurie Gaylor will be speaking on a panel to discuss gobal unification needs alongside Martine Cerf, Marieme Helie Lucas, Mohamed Cheikh Mkhaitir, and Megan Manson. Q&A will follow the panel. Dan Barker will be performing a few musical numbers on the piano. This event is cosponsored by FFRF. More information about this event can be found by clicking here.
FFRF's Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow, Sammi Lawrence, will be speaking at Congregation Beth Adam in Loveland, OH on February 25th, 2024. Lawrence will be presenting to members of Congregation Beth Adam as part of their regular Adult Education series and will be covering recent state/church violations in the OH area, FFRF's actions & victories, and current Ohio legislation. The event will be both in person and virtual, and the link to the virtual meeting will be posted here closer to the event date. Though this event is free, it is only open to members of the Congregation Beth Adam. For more information about Beth Adam, please visit the congregation's website at bethadam.org.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will be speaking at the Secular Humanists of Roanoke meeting at the South Roanoke County Library for Saturday, February 17, 2024 from 10am to Noon. Barker will be discussing church and state issues of Roanoke and the surrounding communities. This event is free, open to the public, and registration is not required. For more information about the Secular Humanists of Roanoke, click here. More details to follow.
FFRF's Legal Director Rebecca Markert will be speaking at the Notre Dame Law School Chapter of the American Constitution Society on November 9, 2023. Notre Dame ACS is dedicated to promoting progressive legal transformation and addressing the inherent flaws in the Constitution, laws, and legal systems. Ms. Markert will be discussing the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, her work on these issues, her background and early career, the values that inspire her, and her thoughts on the future of litigation on these issues. Q&A will follow. A solidified date and more details to come.
FFRF will be co sponsoring an annual event to recognize and celebrate Thomas Paine’s birthday on January 29th. The theme for the 2024 event is "The Anti-Slavery Efforts of Thomas Paine." The event starts at 4:00 PM EDT or 7:00 PM EDT, and is a virtual event. Pre-registration for Paine’s birthday celebration is required. The event registration link can be found by clicking here. Sponsors of the 2024 event are the Secular Coalition for America, Black Nonbelievers, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Center for Inquiry, the Thomas Paine Memorial Association (TPMA), and the Freethought Society.
Associate Counsel Liz Cavell and Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence will be speaking at the Student Secular Alliance (SSA) Conference on Saturday, June 17. They will be hosting a workshop together. Cavell will also be speaking on a panel with Geoffrey Blackwell and Andrew Seidel discussing legal isses that secular students face. Click here to see the convention schedule, and to register.
FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne will be speaking at a Humanists of Linn County meeting in Cedar Rapids, IA on Sunday, August 6th at 1:30 p.m. The presentation will be held at the Cedar Rapids Public Library and is a free event. Jayne will be speaking about a range of issues related to separation of church and state, including Christian Nationalism and public school funding diversion to private schools in Iowa.
The Humanists of Linn County extend a warm welcome to all individuals who are passionate about safeguarding secularism, regardless of their religious or non-religious affiliations. This event aims to foster mutual respect and encourage dialogue that promotes common ground while acknowledging the challenges posed by Christian nationalism. We encourage attendees to bring their questions!
Please click here to RSVP, as space is limited!
Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker will be guest speakers at the Free Congregation of Sauk County on Sunday, April 16th, 2023 at 10:10 a.m. Gaylor will speak on the growing threat of white Christian nationalism, and how the growing number of religiously "unaffiliated" can counter this movement, in her speech entilted "The Rising of the 'Nones' and How They Can Save Our Democracy." Barker, a songwriter, will provide some freethought entertainment at the piano. The program will be available via Zoom.
FFRF Attorney Liz Cavell will be speaking at FREEFLO, a biennial conference for atheists, agnostics, freethinkers and skeptics, on March 10-12, 2023 in Orlando, FL. This conference is run solely by volunteers, and all profits received will go to scholarships for high-school and college students who are activists in the state of Florida. Topics such as abortion rights, science education, and legal issues for state and church separation for the state of Florida will be discussed. For further information, and to register for the event, click here.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will be speaking on the topic "Is the Separation of Church and State Coming to an End?" at The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, New Jersey on Sunday, February 219 at 11 a.m. More details will follow.
FFRF co-president Dan Barker will perform a freethought concert on Saturday, February 18 at 8PM EST at the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, New Jersey. For further details, and to purchase tickets for this event, click here.
FFRF co-president Dan Barker will debate Dr. Andrew Knight of Apologetics Now on the topic "Is God to Blame for Suffering?" at 7:00 pm Friday, February 17, 2023 at the Live Oak Cultural Center (1050 Live Oak St.) in Smyrna Beach, Florida. There is an entry fee of $10 per person. Click here to register.
FFRF Attorney Liz Cavell will be speaking for the Association of Secular Elected Officials on February 16, 2023. Cavell willl be discussing the rules surrounding school prayer after the Supreme Court's ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. This will be an open webinar and listeners will get a chance to learn what school board members need to know to ensure that school system employees respect the rights of students and follow the law. For further information, and to register for this free event, click here.
Hear ye, Hear Ye! Join us to celebrate the birthdate of Thomas Paine!
Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of The Freedom From Religion Foundation, will be speaking at the virtual Thomas Paine Birthday Proclamation Celebration held on Sunday, January 29. Actor Ian Ruskin will be reading a New Rochelle, New York proclamation. Author, comedian, and monologist Julia Sweeney will be reading a City of Philadelphia proclamation signed by former Mayor Edward G. Rendell. Another City of Philadelphia proclamation, signed by former mayor Michael A. Nutter, will be read by author and educator Christopher Cameron. Actor John de Lancie and his wife Marnie Mosiman de Lancie will be reading proclamations from the cities of Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania. A special message from Congressman Jamie Raskin will also be included. Please click here for further information, and to register for the event.
FFRF co-president Dan Barker will be hosting the Center for Inquiry's "When Religious Leaders Become Atheists" event on January 28, 2023 in Vancouver, CA. This event will feature a panel discussion with former Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders talking about their experiences of losing their beliefs.
This hybrid event, co-sponsored by FFRF, is presented in person at at UBC Robson Square, and streamed live on Zoom across Canada and around the world at 2 p.m. PST.
Registration is now open to attend in-person, or live online via Zoom. Admission is by donation to CFIC.
FFRF Associate Counsel Liz Cavell will be speaking at the Secular Student Alliance Spring Semester Speaker Series on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. She will be speaking on student rights & FFRF's Know Your Rights resources. This is a public event and a virtual presentation. More details to follow.
Sometimes we might forget that protections for religious freedom include protection of non-religion. The First Amendment protects your right to hold and express your own beliefs, or lack thereof, as well as the right to not be pressured or coerced into participating in religious activities. Additionally, you have the right to be free from discrimination based on your secular identity. In this webinar, Liz Cavell, from Freedom From Religion Foundation, will lay out your rights as a secular student and what to do when your school or community don't respect them. For more information, and to RSVP, click here.
FFRF co-president Dan Barker and FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal will be at Gora’s 120th and Saraswathi Gora's 110th Birth Centenary Conference on ‘Secular Thought and Social Action’, at Atheist Centre India (Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh) on January 7 and 8, 2023. Details to follow . . .
After an intense year of changes to our legal landscape, state legislatures across the country are preparing for their upcoming 2023 legislative sessions. FFRF's legislative team has also been busy gearing up for these sessions to empower advocates like you to help stand up for our secular government.
We hope you can join us for an interactive webinar as we prepare to advocate for secular legislation in each of these states. On Thursday, Dec. 22, at noon Central (1 p.m. Eastern), we will break down trends that we expect to see across the states, talk about why state-level policies are important, and show how you can use your voice to influence those policies.
Click here to RSVP for the webinar. We hope to see you there as we prepare for critical fights in state legislatures to uphold the separation of state and church!!
Freedom From Religion Foundation Communications Director Amit Pal will be taking part in a global online event this Thursday, Nov. 17, dedicated to charting the worldwide rise of the far right.
The discussion, “Proto-Fascisms: The Far Right’s Threat to Humanity and the Environment,” headlined by intellectual luminary Noam Chomsky and including speakers and performers from all over the planet, will take place from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Eastern this Thursday. Pal will be speaking at 9:45 a.m. Eastern with a focus on the rise of religious nationalisms in the United States and India. You can watch the event live here. People can take a look at the program and check and choose which speakers and musicians they wish to see here.
Dan Barker will speak about "Losing Faith in Faith" in Knoxville, Tennessee, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 18, at Pellissippi State Community College. Please note that since this is an indoor event, masks will be required. Contact chapter leader Aleta Ledendecker at [email protected] for further details.
The Greater Sacramento Chapter of FFRF will be hosting FFRF's Co-President Dan Barker who will be speaking about his new book "The End of Worship," on Sunday, Sept. 11 in Roseville, CA. Doors will open to the public at 1:30 p.m. for a social with snacks. The program will begin at 2 p.m. with a Q&A and book signing to follow. No RSVP is needed. Please click here to contact The Greater Sacramento Chapter of FFRF for location and details.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will be speaking at the San Francisco Bay Chapter's inaugural event in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 10. Barker will discuss the "Battle of Church and State;" a timely topic as we adjust to a post-Roe world. The meeting will be held at the San Francisco Public library. Space is limited, and you can sign up by clicking here. For further information, email Bay Area Chapter Leader Walt Bilofsky by clicking here.
Join FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker at Kentucky Freethought Convention in Louisville, Kentucky on September 4, 2022. Learn more here.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation will be co-sponsoring an event with FFRF member Chris Sweeny to celebrate Constitution Day, in Bentonville, Arkansas. FFRF members are invited to explore the Crystal Bridges Museum to witness an exhibition titled “We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy.” Members will meet at the Eleven Restaurant in the Crystal Bridges Museum at 11 a.m. and, after viewing the exhibit, will join in marching to Bentonville Square. The event is free, and attendees are encouraged to wear clothes that support FFRF’s mission. If you are interested in this event, or in joining the soon to be affiliated FFRF Members of the Ozarks Chapter, please click here to contact chapter leader Chris Sweeny.
We invite everyone to join us at our inaugural conference – BAHACON. Bluewater Atheists, Humanists, Agnostics (BAHA) is a Non-Profit Organization dedicated to improving the image of Freethinkers and Atheists and to give back to our communities. All profits from our conference are returned back to the communities. We come from an area known as Bluewater Country with members from both sides of the river separating Michigan and Ontario.
With a great lineup of well known speakers, including FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
The Supreme Court dealt several blows to the separation of church and state this summer. What exactly did they decide, and how will these decisions impact the nation? To break it all down for you, OnlySky is hosting an all-female virtual panel of secular attorneys from the new We Dissent podcast, including FFRF Legal Director, Rebecca Markert and FFRF Staff Attorney, Elizabeth Cavell. The online event will be held July 18, at 6 p.m.
Freedom From Religion Foundation's Senior Counsel Patrick Elliot will be speaking at the Lake Superior Freethinkers meeting, located at the College of St. Scholastica on Sunday, June 5th.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will be speaking at the Religious Trauma Conference on April 29 - May 1, 2022. CORT speakers this year represent a variety of fundamentalist religious backgrounds including Amish, Evangelical, Mormon, Muslim, and Hasidic Orthodox Judaism. They will be covering a vast array of topics from cultural genocide to coercive control, fear of Hell to post-religious sexuality, and religious schooling to racism. In addition to presentations by psychologists, social workers, authors, and former clergy, survivors of religious fundamentalism are eager to share their own personal stories of trauma, recovery, and hope with you.
Join FFRF co-president Dan Barker along with hundreds of humanists, atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, and scientific skeptics at FreeFlo 2022, March 4th through 6th, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. This three day event at the Marriott Orlando Airport Lakeside hotel features informative presentations, networking opportunities, exhibitors, and entertainment from start to finish.
Proceeds support the Florida Humanist Association Scholarship Fund in coordination with the Secular Student Alliance. Register here.
Secular government is under attack in the Iowa legislature. Christian nationalists control both the Iowa Senate and House and Governor Reynolds. They are busy filing bills threatening religious freedom, voting rights, LGBTQ lives, reproductive healthcare, teachers, public education, and science. Help us defend Jefferson's wall of separation between religion and government.
Please join us on March 3rd from 2:00-4:00 PM at the rotunda of the Capitol Building in Des Moines. Help us preserve our great experiment in secular government.
Our speakers include: Robert Cook, Activism Chair, Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers. Jason Bennell, Secretary and Press Officer with IAF. Thomas Harvey, long-time member of IAF. Ryan Jayne, Constitutional Lawyer with the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Visit the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers website here.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will be speaking to the Bay Area Humanists on February 5, 2022 at 3:00 PM PST.
Humanism is a philosophy which is based on a naturalistic understanding of reality. Many Humanists were raised in religious homes and may have been religious themselves but found naturalism to be more sensible and life affirming. Each of us who made this journey have a story to tell about how we came to be nontheists. Dan Barker will tell us about his journey in this presentation based in his book, Godless.
Dan became a teenage evangelist at age 15. He received a degree in Religion and was ordained to the ministry. He served as associate pastor in three California churches and was a missionary in Mexico for a total of two years. Dan preached for 19 years and maintained an ongoing touring musical ministry, including eight years of full-time, cross-country evangelism.
Following five years of reading, Dan gradually outgrew his religious beliefs. “If I had limited myself to Christian authors, I’d still be a Christian today,” Dan says. “I just lost faith in faith.” He announced his atheism publicly in January, 1984.
Dan is currently a co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) along with Annie Laurie Gaylor. The purposes of the FFRF are to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism. Dan regularly travels the country and the world giving lectures, performing concerts, and participating in debates with theists, many at college and university campuses.