The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which has called for an investigation into proselytizing by a coach, advised Walker County Schools (Ga.) in an Aug. 27 follow-up letter to avoid “self-serving and misleading” offers of pro bono legal representation.

The Aug. 27 letter by FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel to Superintendent Damon Raines points out that Liberty Counsel’s “no cost” representation offer, which the Liberty Counsel mistakenly sent to Walker County, Ala., instead of Walker County, Ga., is “disingenuous.” Seidel explained, “Even with pro bono legal representation, a court battle could cost Walker County taxpayers thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Attached to the three-page letter was a document listing a sample of Establishment Clause cases that schools and local governments have lost, and payments taxpayers were forced to shell out, despite “pro bono” representation. Two cases involved Liberty Counsel and their claim that “the battle is costing taxpayers ‘zero dollars.’ ” The county governments and taxpayers in those cases lost a total of more than $460,000 — one county had to take out a loan to make the payment.

FFRF notified Raines of additional violations such as the football team's chaplain, and that prayer occurs at other sporting events. These violations were pointed out on the “Support Coach Mariakis” Facebook page. That page also provided photographic evidence of the unconstitutional prayers and confirmed that the coach “talked about the Lord very regularly during pre-game speeches… Because of his Godly example many came to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior!”

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A secular message from nonbelievers is greeting GOP convention-goers in Tampa — courtesy of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics). FFRF's patriotic red-white-and-blue message, depicting a finger-wagging Uncle Sam cautioning that "God fixation won't fix this nation," was placed Thursday on Kennedy Boulevard, 50 feet west of Arrawana Street.

FFRF's election-year caveat was drawn by editorial cartoonist Steve Benson, coincidentally the grandson of Ezra Taft Benson, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Dwight Eisenhower who became president of the Mormon Church. Steve Benson left the Mormon Church in a highly publicized break in the early 1990s.

In time for the Democratic National Convention, FFRF will place the same message on two billboards in Charlotte, including a hard-to-miss 14x48-foot version near downtown Charlotte, at 1720 Freedom Drive, 900 feet west of Morehead Street. Those traveling from the airport to the Democratic National Convention will be treated to a highly visible view of FFRF’s “God fixation won’t fix this nation” message on a 10x30-foot billboard on Interstate 77 north of Fifth Street.

“Our equal-opportunity message to both political parties and all public officials is: Get off your knees and get to work!” said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker.

By taking its educational message to political party-goers, FFRF, a nonpartisan state-church watchdog, is continuing a tradition started in 2008, when it placed a board in Denver near the DNC and had a moving billboard in Minneapolis close to the RNC.

“The preoccupation with religion by our nation and our public officials is holding back the USA scientifically, intellectually and morally,” added Annie Laurie Gaylor, who co-directs FFRF.

Gaylor called it "pandering" for the RNC to invite the head of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, who's on the warpath against Obama's contraceptive mandate, to deliver the closing prayer to the RNC. 

Based in Madison, Wis., FFRF represents more than 19,000 members nationwide including nearly 900 in Florida. FFRF has brought about 60 lawsuits to keep religion out of government.

Atheist Ireland has donated $100 to the Hunger Task Force via the Freedom From Religion Foundation in response to FFRF's recent victory ending Irish Fest's discriminatory Catholic Mass discount in Milwaukee, Wis.

Michael Nugent (photo), chairperson of Atheist Ireland wrote to Irish Fest officials:

Thank you for ending the discrimination in admission charges against non-Catholics attending your Irish Fest this Sunday, and for reflecting the reality that Irish identity today transcends our various religious or nonreligious beliefs.

You may have seen the results of the Global Index of Religion and Atheism published last week by Gallup International. The Irish figures showed 47% of Irish adults identifying as religious, 43% as nonreligious and 10% as convinced atheists.

Your promotion of this more inclusive sense of Irish identity is positive and welcome.

As a small token of our gratitude, we are sending $100 to the Freedom from Religion Foundation to buy some food items to donate to your collection. Perhaps you might allow free admission to some people who otherwise could not afford the entrance fee.

Please pass on our thanks to your organizing committee and to people participating in your festival.

"We were so pleased that Atheist Ireland took a vested interest in this local complaint. It is important that we have the support of Irish citizens, and that secularism is on the rise in Ireland. We hope that Irish Fest continues to respect the diversity of the ever-changing religious climate," said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker.

Irish Fest organizers in Milwaukee announced on Aug. 16 that they were dropping a promotion that violated civil rights laws by rewarding Mass attendance. Irish Fest said they would offer everyone who drops off a food donation by 11 a.m. free admittance.

FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent several letters of complaint to the organization over the past two years over the violation of the Civil Rights Act.

A full-page prepaid ad (click on the image to enlarge) by the Freedom From Religion Foundation which had been accepted more than a month ago to run on Saturday, Aug. 25, was summarily refused a few days before publication by the Daily Standard in Celina, Ohio.

FFRF was contacted on Aug. 20 by Frank M. Snyder, publisher, and its payment was refunded.

The ad had been suggested and underwritten by a generous Celina FFRF member. The donor noted that the newspaper had accepted and published a full-page ad by a religiously motivated anti-abortion outfit on June 6 encouraging Ohio Senate President Pro-Tempore Keith Faber, from Celina, to pass a fetal “personhood” bill.

The signature ad, “It’s Time to Quit the Catholic Church,” has run in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times, generating a lot of dialogue on the Catholic Bishops’ interference with contraceptive coverage for American women.

The ad, an open letter to ‘liberal’ and ‘nominal’ Catholics, asks:

“Do you choose women and their rights, or Bishops and their wrongs? In light of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ war against women’s right to contraception . . . Why are you aiding and abetting a church that has repeatedly engaged in a crusade to ban contraception, abortion and sterilization, to deny the right of all women everywhere, Catholic or not, to decide whether and when to become mothers?”

FFRF receives “a disproportionate number of state-church complaints from Ohio residents unhappy with religion in Ohio government,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It’s hard to educate or make headway with such obvious and blatant favoritism and censorship. What happened to the vaunted marketplace of ideas?”

She is encouraging FFRF members and others disturbed by the Daily Standard’s double standard to contact the newspaper. “Why does this newspaper fear open debate so much it will squelch an important alternative message?"

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The Freedom From Religion Foundation will be urging Republicans (next week) and Democrats (in two weeks) to stay out of the religion business, with billboards in Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C. FFRF is placing billboards in both cities hosting the national political conventions with its special election-year caveat to keep religion out of government.

The patriotically colored billboard artwork by editorial cartoonist Steve Benson depicts a finger-wagging Uncle Sam warning that “God fixation won’t fix this nation.” Benson is the grandson of Ezra Taft Benson, who was secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Dwight Eisenhower and later served as president of the Mormon Church. Steve Benson left the Mormon Church in a highly publicized break in the early 1990s.

FFRF’s 10x30-foot “God fixation” billboard is scheduled to go up today, weather permitting, in Tampa on Kennedy Boulevard, 50 feet west of Arrawana Street, in time to greet GOP convention-goers.

The following week, FFRF will place two billboards in Charlotte, including a hard-to-miss 14x48-foot version near downtown Charlotte, at 1720 Freedom Drive, 900 feet west of Morehead Street. Those traveling from the airport to the Democratic National Convention will be treated to a highly visible view of FFRF’s “God fixation won’t fix this nation” message on a 10x30-foot billboard on Interstate 77 north of Fifth Street.

“This is an equal-opportunity message to both political parties and all public officials. Essentially, we secularists, who comprise nearly a fifth of the U.S. population, are telling government officials that it’s time to get off your knees and get to work!” said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker.

“God fixation won’t fix our nation, or any nation. A preoccupation with religion in government and a political fear of offending religious lobbies is holding back our nation scientifically, intellectually and morally,” added Annie Laurie Gaylor, who co-directs FFRF.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, who has been invited to deliver the closing prayer at the Republican National Convention, has been strongly criticized by FFRF for his role in trying to sabotage the contraceptive insurance coverage mandate. FFRF exposed the role of Dolan and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in its signature newspaper ad, "It's Time to Quit the Catholic Church," which has run in The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and Los Angeles Times.

"It is this kind of unseemly partnership between religion and politics that disrespects the constitutional principle of secular government. Dogma should never be allowed to trump humanity or civil law," Gaylor added.

FFRF, based in Madison, Wis., acts as a state/church watchdog. FFRF is the nation’s largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics) with more than 19,000 members, including nearly 900 in Florida and almost 500 in North Carolina, which is also home to the Triangle Freethought Society, an active chapter of FFRF.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has sent letters of complaint to four Pennsylvania school district boards to inform members that their prayers at meetings are unconstitutional.

Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert sent letters to the Octorara Area School Board in Atglen, the Eastern Lancaster County School Board in New Holland, the Big Spring School Board in Newville and the Greencastle-Antrim School Board in Greencastle. In all instances, a local complainant had alerted FFRF to the violations.

FFRF is a national nonprofit organization with over 18,500 members, including over 600 in Pennsylvania.

"It is beyond the scope of a public school board to schedule prayer as part of its scheduled meetings," Markert noted, citing numerous court cases, including the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals' 2011 ruling in Doe v. Indian River School. "Federal courts have struck down school board practices that include this religious ritual." 

The 3rd Circuit, which encompasses Pennsylvania, emphasized in Doe v. Indian River that school board prayer is analogous to other school prayer cases when it comes to protecting children from the coercion of school-sponsored prayer, which is heightened in the context of public schools.

Markert told the boards that the prayers they choose not only demonstrate their endorsement of and preference for religion over nonreligion, but also Christianity over all other religious faiths. (The Octorara board regularly recites the Lord's Prayer.)

"Prayer at public school board meetings is unnecessary, inappropriate and divisive," Markert said. "Calling upon board members, as well as parents and students of the school, to pray is coercive, embarrassing and beyond the scope of our secular school system.

"Board members are free to pray privately or to worship on their own time in their own way. The school board, however, ought not to lend its power and prestige to religion, amounting to a governmental endorsement of religion that excludes the 15 percent or more of the U.S. population that is nonreligious, including nearly 1.5 million Pennsylvanians (American Religious Identification Survey, 2008)."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national state-church watchdog that has directed a lot of attention toward ending Tennessee constitutional violations in schools recently, and has awarded three Tennessee student activist awards this year, has written yet another letter to a Georgia school over concerns.

FFRF has contacted the Walker County Schools over complaints it has received about proselytizing by a high school coach at Ridgeland High School, in Rossville, Ga., less than 10 miles from downtown Chattanooga.

In recent years, FFRF has halted illegal school prayers at Soddy Daisy football games and graduations, and other Tennessee schools. FFRF won a lawsuit in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2004 against Rhea County, which declared unconstitutional devotional religious instruction in the schools, including a program to “teach the bible as literal truth.” Most recently, FFRF contacted the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga over inappropriate prayers at public school athletic events.

In an August 21 letter, FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel asked Walker County Schools Superintendent Damon Raines, to investigate complaints over practices by Ridgeland High School football coach Mark Mariakis. According to FFRF’s local complainant, Ridgeland, like Soddy Daisy and UTC, conducts prayers at school football games, in this case often organized or led by Mariakis. “It is illegal for a public school athletic coach to lead a team in prayer,” wrote Seidel, citing numerous legal cases including Supreme Court decisions.

Mariakis is accused by the complainant of shuttling players to different churches for pre-game meals and “at these events the church’s preacher sermonizes to the players about the Christian religion.” Mariakis has stated publicly that the program “opens the door for some of the kids” and is “a way of meeting the need of the churches.” Ministers will “bless the food” and according to one church, “presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ” to the players.

Seidel called this practice an “egregious violation” which must cease immediately.

FFRF is also calling attention to allegations that Mariakis uses bible verses as motivational tools and places pressure on players to attend a religious football camp. “Even if Mariakis is simply suggesting attendance, his position as head coach in charge of playing time, impregnates any suggestion with force. Playing time leads to scholarships and college; it should be a question of merit only, not religion,” Seidel wrote.

FFRF warned the superintendent that the coach endangers federal funding if, as contended, he uses of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as “a platform and a vehicle that allows us to share Christ with the kids.” FCA is a student club and by law public employee involvement is strictly non-participatory.

FFRF has awarded three Tennessee students $1,000 activist awards so far this year, most recently to a brave 12-year-old, Maia Disbrow, for speaking out against government prayer by the Hamilton County commissioners. FFRF awarded $1,000 to Krystal Myers for blowing the whistle on violations at her school in Lenoir City, Tenn., where her article, “No Rights: The Life of an Atheist” was censored by her school, and to Jeff Shott, a high school student in Spring Hill, Tenn., who exposed violations at his school.

FFRF is an educational organization with more than 19,000 nonreligious members, including about 275 in Tennessee, that works to keep state and church separate.

FFRF requested a prompt response, noting that the first scheduled game for Ridgeland is August 31. 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking a Sedgwick County appraiser to investigate a misuse of a church parsonage exemption claimed on the home of a Kansas state Senate candidate.

FFRF is a national state-church watchdog based in Madison, Wis., with over 19,000 members nationwide, including members in Kansas.

Michael O'Donnell II told The Wichita Eagle that he "lives where he says he lives," which is a home owned by Grace Baptist Church in Wichita, Kan. — a home that should be exclusively used by an acting minister who regularly conducts religious services. O'Donnell's father is the senior pastor of the church and lives in a neighboring city. It does not appear that the parsonage has been lived in by a practicing pastor in some time.

Sedgwick County records show that the church-owned home has been exempt from property taxes since 1996. The Wichita Eagle reported that O'Donnell has been a registered voter at his residence since 2007 and uses it as "his official address on campaign filings and for his position as a Wichita City Council member."

A local complainant tipped FFRF off to what appears to be a misuse of a charitable tax exemption. FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott wrote an Aug. 21 letter to Sedgwick County Appraiser Mike Borchard: "We request that Grace Baptist Church or Mr. O'Donnell pay the appropriate amount of current taxes, back taxes and penalties owned."

Elliott added that "taxpayers should not have to pay more taxes because a church and its leaders have falsely claimed an exemption."

FFRF is currently in federal court challenging preferential income tax benefits for "ministers of the gospel," commonly known as "the parsonage exemption," created by an act of Congress in 1954. Ministers, who are paid in tax-free dollars, may exclude from their taxable income "housing allowances" furnished as part of compensation. 

Irish Fest organizers in Milwaukee announced today that they are dropping a promotion that violated civil rights laws by rewarding Mass attendance, in response to a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Irish Fest will now offer everyone who drops off a food donation by 11 a.m. free admittance.

Freedom From Religion Foundation Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott is pleased with the resolution: "We have been going back and worth with Irish Fest officials for the past two years to stop their discriminatory Catholic mass discount. It wasn't until we had local members weigh-in that we seemed to make some progress."

FFRF asked its Wisconsin members on Tuesday to stand up for their rights as local citizens and taxpayers. Not only was the festival excluding nonreligious Wisconsinites, but citizens who practice a religion other than Catholicism.

"We received many strong testimonials from our secular members. Some identified as Irish folk who have been attending the event for years, but do not subscribe to the Catholic faith — or any faith for that matter — and felt ostracized by festival officials," said Elliott.

FFRF, a national nonprofit with more than 18,500 members and about 1,400 in Wisconsin, sent its first letter of complaint about the discount in 2010, when officials refused to address the complaint.

Elliott sent a follow up letter on Aug. 9 and received an Aug. 14 response from an attorney representing Irish Fest stating that they would not end or amend the discount.

Prior to FFRF's involvement, Irish Fest's website said, "Guests who donate nonperishable food items prior to the liturgy are admitted to the festival free of charge after the Mass." Elliott suggested a simple solution to the problem would be for all attendees to be able to donate items for free admittance at 11 a.m. or at any time of entry. 

Irish Fest takes place Aug. 16-19 and the promotion is offered on Sun., Aug. 19. 

See the before and after (in order) versions of Irish Fest's website: 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation continues to challenge a discriminatory church discount that rewards people who attend Catholic Mass with free Sunday admission at Irish Fest in Milwaukee.

This year the annual event is Aug. 16-19 at the city-owned Henry Maier Festival Park. FFRF, a national nonprofit with more than 18,500 members and about 1,400 in Wisconsin, sent its first letter of complaint about the discount in 2010, when officials refused to address the complaint.

Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott followed up with a letter Aug. 9 to Kathy Pratscher, interim executive director, on behalf of a local complainant, who has been bothered for years by the discrimination. The fest's website says, "Guests who donate nonperishable food items prior to the liturgy are admitted to the festival free of charge after the Mass."

Elliott noted, "This means that only those who would conceivably attend or want to attend the Catholic Mass can receive this major benefit. Therefore, you are discriminating on the basis of religion." He added that "the additional condition of bringing in a food item for donation does not absolve Irish Fest from violations of state and federal civil rights laws."

Under Wisconsin law, it's illegal to "Deny to another or charge another a higher price than the regular rate for the full and equal enjoyment of any public place of accommodation or amusement because of sex, race, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry." It's also illegal to "Give preferential treatment to some classes of persons in providing services or facilities in any public place of accommodation or amusement because of sex, race, color, creed, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry."

Elliott further wrote, "Patrons who are nonreligious or not Catholic and do not wish to attend Bishop Malloy’s Mass are not treated equally and will have to pay $15."

FFRF is committed to helping complainants file public accommodations complaints with the state Department of Workforce Development's Equal Rights Division should the violation continue. "One solution would be for all attendees to be able to donate items for free admittance by 11 a.m. or at any time of entry. This will ensure that Irish Fest is equally welcoming to those of all religions and no religion."

Elliott said the practice is widespread in Wisconsin and is becoming more common. "Oshkosh Irish Fest offered free admission to Mass attendees in 2009 and 2010. Polish Fest in Milwaukee offers reduced admission to Mass attendees. German Fest in Milwaukee hosts a Mass in the Marcus Amphitheater and promotes it by saying, 'All church attendees receive free admission to the Fest.' Festa Italiana offers this promotion: 'FREE admission to Festa when you attend High Mass at 11 a.m. in the Marcus Amphitheater.' ”

Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president, noted that dropping the practice will also help ensure the Hunger Task Force has a successful food drive. "The current policy is a disincentive since three-fourths of Wisconsin citizens aren't Catholic."

Given their history, you'd think the Irish would be more sensitive about discrimination in the U.S., including religious discrimination.

A short first-of-its-kind feature spot, “Spotlight on Freethought and the First Amendment,” produced in conjunction with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, begins airing on select national public television affiliates Saturday, Aug. 18.

The spot is guaranteed to air 500 times in the next three months and reach three million people. There are two versions, one four minutes, and the other 5:30 minutes, which will run interchangeably. When and where the short program, used as filler, will run cannot be announced beforehand. Public TV affiliates decide which fillers are needed the day they run. If you catch one of the spots on your local public TV affiliate, please be sure to contact the affiliate promptly to thank it for airing the program, and encourage it to rebroadcast “Spotlight on Freethought and the First Amendment.”

Larry Cohen is senior producer of “Spotlight On,” which airs short informational documentaries as filler on public television affiliates. This is believed to be the first such segment featuring discussion of freethought, atheism and focus on the specific dangers of mixing state and church.

The show description sent to affiliates reads:

“America has more diversity, faiths, religions, and cultures than any other country in the world. And yet we all seem to get along pretty well. Only in a country where we can be free of religion in our government can we then be free to practice our own or choose not to follow any faith.

“This segment focuses on our freedom to practice our faith, or no faith — exactly as we want.”

“More wars have been waged, more people killed, in the name of religion than by any other institutional force in human history,” says the narrator. “So with such wildly contrasting beliefs in this country, why aren’t we at each other’s throats? Here’s why. It’s our Constitution and its very core of freedom from religion. Our country was founded in part by refugees seeking freedom, seeking to escape centuries of religious persecutions, holy inquisitions, witch hunts.”

The four-minute version talks about the benefits of the United States’ secular form of government, defines “freethought” and includes brief interviews with FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker, author of Godless and Losing Faith in Faith, and Annie Laurie Gaylor, editor of Women Without Superstition.

Gaylor, a co-founder of FFRF, says on-camera:

“The United States of America was the first nation where our founders did not claim a pipeline to a divinity. It was a revolutionary act that they created a secular and entirely godless Constitution whose only references to religion are exclusionary, that there shall be no religious test for public office. The founders were aware of the inquisitions and the pogroms and the religious wars and the terrors in Europe, and the persecutions in many of the individual colonies — and they wanted no part of that. And so they erected what Thomas Jefferson called the ‘wall of separation between church and state,’ and that protects all of us. It has prevented the bloodshed and warfare that we see in so many parts of the world where religion is involved in government.”

Adds Barker: “There are some believers that don’t see the difference between neutrality and hostility. They think efforts of groups like ours to keep the government neutral are also a hostile act against their faith, when we’re not asking for the government to be pro-atheistic either. If the government stays neutral, the government stays secular, then everybody’s an insider, nobody’s an outsider.”

The longer spot features a bonus: an interview with Pitzer College professor Phil Zuckerman, a leading expert on “secularity” and how secular societies measure up favorably to religious nations. Zuckerman is an FFRF member and author of many books, including Society Without God.

As a bonus, a version that is over seven minutes, including additional interview footage about freethought, morality and purpose in life has been posted at FFRF’s website and can be viewed now on FFRF’s homepage: ffrf.org/.

Watch for little “cameos,” including appearances by Darwin, Einstein and Susan B. Anthony, shots of some mementos at FFRF’s office, Freethought Hall, a powerful quote by Mark Twain about the witch hunts, and photographs by Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel of the Reason Rally crowd, and of FFRF Staffer Katie Daniel giving those Westboro Baptists the thumbs down when they picketed an FFRF event.

“We warmly thank FFRF members who contributed to FFRF’s PR Campaign Fund as part of the spring membership appeal, whose generosity made possible the filming and airing of this first-of-its-kind segment,” said Gaylor.

Only the first three months of airing are monitored by Neilsen Ratings, but “Spotlight On” segments often run far longer. The program is not offered as any part of any PBS national program service.

FFRF has been venturing into television this year with nationally airing ads, including one featuring JFK endorsing the separation between church and state, and one by actress Julia Sweeney defending contraception from attack by Catholic bishops. 

(Pictured from left to right: Richard Dawkins, Sara Paretsky, Julia Sweeney and Jessica Ahlquist)

Statistics show about one-fourth of Oregon adults (more than 700,000 people) are nonreligious, so wouldn't it be a good place to hold a convention for religious skeptics?

Yes, says the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is holding its first national conference in Oregon in mid-October, when FFRF members and supporters gather in Portland. The impressive roster of speakers includes evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion.

FFRF, formed in 1978, holds its annual convention every third year in its home base of Madison, Wis., and in varying cities the other two years. The state-church watchdog has almost 19,000 members nationwide and is the largest organization of atheists, agnostics and freethinkers in the U.S. It's the 35th such gathering for FFRF. Events begin Friday, Oct. 12, and conclude Sunday, Oct. 14, at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, 921 SW Sixth Ave. Over 400 people have already registered, so a full house is expected.

Freethought luminaries at the podium besides Dawkins will include mystery novelist Sara Paretsky, actress/ playwright Julia Sweeney, journalist Katherine Stewart (author of The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children), Clergy Project “graduates” Teresa MacBain, Jerry DeWitt and annalise fonza, as well as student activists Jessica Ahlquist and Max Nielson.

DeWitt, director of Recovering from Religion, openly parted with the Pentecostal ministry last year. MacBain left the Methodist ministry in March with much media attention. fonza is a former United Methodist pastor who joined the Clergy Project in July.

Ahlquist was a plaintiff in a successful ACLU federal lawsuit challenging a prayer banner at her high school in Cranston, R.I. The case caused a months-long firestorm of protest, including death threats to the diminutive 17-year-old student, who at times had to be put under police protection. Nielson is a student plaintiff in FFRF’s ongoing South Carolina lawsuit over a district policy that sanctions graduation prayer.

FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker will emcee. Barker, a "recovered" evangelist himself, will perform at the piano as “The Singing Friendly Neighborhood Atheist." Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert will discuss FFRF's legal activism. Andrew Seidel, FFRF's newest staff attorney, will debunk the "Christian Nation" myth.

It's the first appearance at an FFRF convention for Dawkins. He was scheduled to come to Madison in 2001 but canceled in the wake of 9/11. He'll receive FFRF's Emperor Has No Clothes Award for "telling it like it is" about religion.

Paretsky, who is best known for her mystery novels featuring Chicago private investigator V.I. Warshawski will receive the Freethought Heroine Award. Ahlquist will receive the Freethinker of the Year Award. Nielson will be honored as a student activist. FFRF has honored six student activists with scholarships so far this year.

Attendees can also sign up for a pre-convention tour of the gorgeous Multnomah Falls/Columbia River Gorge for $45. 

A Saturday special event is the "Nonprayer Breakfast," which substitutes a blasphemous "moment of bedlam" for the traditional moment of silence. (Not a single head is bowed.) Saturday evening activities include a drawing for "clean," pre-In God We Trust currency.

Other Hotels

Paramount: Courtesy rooms for $149 are being held for FFRF’ers at the Paramount Hotel, 808 SW Taylor St., which is across the street from the Hilton. Call 1-800-663-1144 (make sure to mention your FFRF connection). 

Marriott Portland City Center: Courtesy rooms for $143 are available to FFRF’ers at the Marriott, which is a block or two away from the Hilton. Call 1-888-236-2427 (ask for Portland Marriott City Center, 520 Southwest Broadway, Portland, Ore.) or phone 1-503-226-6300 (mentioning FFRF).

Other options include using expedia.com, hotel.com and other websites to find less expensive rooms in downtown Portland’s many hotels.

Convention registration is $60 per member, $65 for nonmember companion accompanying member, $110 per nonmember (join for $40 and save $10) and $25 for students. "Sign up now and secure a room to avoid disappointment," said Gaylor.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Breen approved a settlement yesterday between the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Town of Whiteville, Tenn. The Agreed Judgment ends a lawsuit brought by FFRF against the town and its mayor, James Bellar, over several crosses on town property.

The judgment enjoins Whiteville from installing crosses on city hall property in the future. It further provides that the mayor and town agree not to replace an arm on the remaining structure atop the town’s water tower. After FFRF threatened a lawsuit last fall over the cross on Whiteville's water tower, the town paid over $4,000 to remove an arm of the cross.

FFRF did not file suit until Bellar inflamed the situation by placing crosses on city property in front of city hall in December, which he later adorned with wreaths. Bellar had told WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tenn., "somebody has to stand up to these atheist sons of bitches."

In the settlement, the mayor also agreed not to place crosses on the public portion of the sidewalk in front of his insurance business. The town will pay $20,000 toward FFRF’s attorney’s fees. FFRF had about $10,000 in additional expenses.

“The result underlines the clear and solid law that government bodies may not place Latin crosses on public property. We are not a Christian theocracy, but a secular republic,” said Dan Barker, FFRF co-president.

Bellar and the Whiteville Board of Alderpersons approved the terms of the settlement on August 6. Judge Breen’s issuance of an agreed judgment concludes the case.

The case was handled by Alvin Harris, a Nashville attorney.

"We thank our local complainant who has remained steadfast in the face of local hostility," said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. FFRF had not revealed the complainant's name. 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the Willow Springs Water Park in Little Rock, Ark., to discontinue a church discount next season.

Willow Springs Water Park owner David Ratliff offered a special Monday promotion to church groups for five dollars per person.

Leifel Jackson, executive director of the charitable Reaching Our Children and Neighborhoods (ROCAN), asked the water park if the discount would extend to his non-profit. Jackson was told that ROCAN could not receive the discount because it is not a church group.

ROCAN Director Jeff Poleet — a new FFRF Lifetime Member — explained to Ratliff that ROCAN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, just like a church and should not be denied the promotion.

Arkansas Matters reported that without the discount, Jackson said he couldn't afford the admission and ROCAN's planned trip was canceled, crushing some kids' hopes.

As a result of his conversation with Poleet, Ratliff chose to discontinue all discounts for the remainder of this season.

FFRF Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt, concerned the church discount may be reinstated in the future, pointed out in an August 2 letter to Ratliff that the discount violated both federal and Arkansas law.

Arkansas citizens are guaranteed "the right to the full enjoyment of any of the accomodations, advantages, facilities, or privileges of any place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage or amusement."

Ratliff told a reporter that the discount was "not a moneymaker." He said every time he has a church group they have people who are "very well behaved, they expect the most of each other, they are supervised, organized, and it's less expensive to bring them."

"Willow Springs Water Park's restrictive promotional practice favors religious customers, and denies both customers who do not attend church as well as nonbelievers the right to 'full and equal' enjoyment of Willow Springs Water Park. Any promotions should be available to all customers regardless of religious preference or practice on a non-discriminatory basis," wrote Schmitt.

FFRF said it would have been far nicer and shown good will had Ratliff extended the Monday discount to all 501(c)(3) groups, particularly those serving children. However, FFRF said dropping the promotion, thereby ensuring that secular groups are not charged more, at least conforms to the Civil Rights Act. 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has sent multiple letters to Shenendehowa Central Schools (Clifton Park, N.Y.) urging it to follow court precedent and personal conscience by removing prayerful songs from its music classes.

FFRF is a national state-church watchdog based in Madison, Wis., with over 18,500 members nationwide, including more than 1,100 in the state of New York.

A concerned parent told FFRF that the complainant's child came home singing the prayer, “Thank You For the World So Sweet,”  which ends with “Thank you God for everything.” The class was  also taught to sing “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep,” which includes the line, “I pray the Lord my soul to keep,” and other devotional Christian songs.

“Words do not lose their meaning just because they are set to music,” noted FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert in her third letter of complaint on August 6.

FFRF sent its first letter to Shenendehowa Central Schools (SCS) Superintendent L. Oliver Robinson on June 13, 2012, asking the district to instruct the music teacher to stop leading children in prayer. “Teaching these very young and impressionable students pervasively Christian music in a public school violates the First Amendment,” wrote Markert. “There is no dearth of secular, age-appropriate melodies for elementary school students to learn. Parents — not the school district or a public school music teacher — have the authority and the right to decide whether to expose their child to religious concepts and devotional music.”

SCS General Counsel Kathryn McCary responded on June 26 claiming that “[n]one of the songs was taught, or used, as a prayer” and stating that school needed to know the identity of the parent complainant to continue the discussion. FFRF sent a rebuttal letter on July 24, to which McCary only responded to say that since the school’s position had been laid out in her earlier letter, “the matter has been resolved, and no further action is necessary.”

FFRF refused to back down, and sent a third letter on August 6. Markert pointed out in that letter that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over New York, had specifically dealt with “Thank You For the World So Sweet” in a school prayer case, ruling that it was a prayer and that school officials were correct to ban teachers from leading their students in reciting it.

FFRF is willing to take formal legal action against SCS if it refuses to halt its policy of indoctrinating young children via its inappropriate music curricula.