A chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation
Freedom From Religion, Albuquerque (FFR-ABQ) is working to keep state and church separate and to educate the public about the views of non-theists. We are gradually “coming out of the closet,” speaking truth to power as non-believers providing a balance to religious influences. We call ourselves “non-theists” or “free-thinkers,” which means “a person who forms opinions about religion on the basis of reason, independently of tradition, authority, or established belief.”
FFRF members in NM started meeting in 2010 and registered with the state in the spring of 2012 as an educational non-profit. We established a board of directors with five offices – president, vice president Secretary, Treasurer, and past president. We are accepting donations to our billboard fund and for our quarterly Meet and Greet events with speakers and refreshments.
We have had some great activist projects. We meet once each month, and meeting topics so far have included the following:
- Obtaining legal support from FFRF for local violations of C/S
- Billboard funding and placement (see photos)
- Monitoring City and County Commission meetings
- Creating various brochures for FFR-ABQ
- Ending religious graphics on the cover of the NM Bar Association newsletter
- Ending creationism instruction in a public school
- Competing with Hobby Lobby Christian Nation ads in the Albuquerque Journal
- Constitution Day celebrations and advertisement, Sept. 17
- A debate in 2012 on “God is Dead?” with Jim Travis (yes) and Trent Horn (no) – find it on YouTube
- A talk on Non-Believer Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans by the author, David Niose
- Darwin Day celebrations and advertising around February 12, including “A Comparison of Science and Religion” talk by Ron Herman at the NM Museum of Natural History that sparked controversy
- Discussions of Christianity in New Mexico
- Gay pride and equal rights tabling at PrideFest 2013
- A talk on Born Atheist by the author, Tim Covell
- Review of Catholic hospital “missionary” policies regarding women’s healthcare
- Renewed efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment to ensure women’s rights
- Two talks with musical entertainment by Dan Barker, FFRF co-president, including one with the Albuquerque Atheist Band
- Assertiveness workshop, Jerry Gilbert, retired clinical psychologist.
- “The Trouble With Christmas,” Tom Flynn, Executive Director of The Council for Secular Humanism and Editor of the Free Inquiry magazine.
- Production of a YouTube video on church/state separation
- Co-sponsored a visit by the “Unholy Trinity Tour” by Matt Dillahunty, Aron Ra, and Seth Andrews in 2014
We are part of the growing movement against the national god obsession! We might be “fallen-away” Catholics or former members of other religions, born atheists or agnostics, self-discovered free-thinkers, or doubting New-Agers. We welcome diversity.
Contact:
FFR-ABQ Board of Directors
