The Freedom From Religion Foundation has made its presence felt again in the Minnesota Statehouse.
FFRF members Conni Conner and Tom Picquet worked together to set up FFRF’s Bill of Rights exhibit in the East Hall on the ground floor at the Minnesota Capitol. It will be displayed until Dec. 30, making this the second year in
a row when FFRF has been at the seat of lawmaking in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
A sign attached to the tongue-in-cheek display, featuring three Founders and Lady Liberty gazing at a “baby” Bill of Rights in a manger, reads:
At this season of the Winter Solstice
Join us in honoring the Bill of Rights, adopted on December 15, 1791, which reminds us there can be no religious freedom without the freedom to dissent.
Keep religion and government separate!
At the bottom, it proclaims: “Joy to the World — the Bill of Rights is born!”
“It’s important during this season to represent the views of the growing population of Americans who are not religious,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We want to thank our Minnesota members for making sure of that.”
FFRF only places displays to counter sectarian religious displays in governmental public forums. A nativity scene has been erected on the Minnesota Capitol’s front lawn along with some other religious exhibits.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 40,000 members and chapters across the country, including more than 900 members in Minnesota and two local chapters in the state. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
