Name: Phyllis Rose.
Why I volunteer for FFRF: Given the precarious state of the world, how could I not? I can’t think of a better organization that works to protect fundamental human and societal values in a nation in which far too many people don’t care about separation of church and state.
We’ve got people trying to insert their religion all over the public square, even where it’s constitutionally barred. The latest sneak attack to get this biblical Trojan horse inside schools and government disguises religion as history. They claim it’s our “Christian heritage!” It must need endless celebrating from sea to shining sea because they never want to give it a rest.
I believe that religion plays a devastating role in governmental affairs. The Foundation works to expose religion’s negative effects, and there are plenty, on our freedoms.
What I do as a volunteer: I work three afternoons a week. I help keep records of our entire membership (14,634 at last count) and proofread Freethought Today. I maintain paper records and don’t work on a computer.
I’m also a Foundation officer and currently serve as secretary.
What I like best about it: The work atmosphere, with dedicated staff who work hard and harmoniously and have a lot of fun doing it. And we are fueled by a constant supply of “sweets” and tea. Oh, and free parking.
Something funny that’s happened: There are too many incidents to try to recap, but we all share a sense of humor. We have to have one to not let the appalling comments and calls from the so-called “pious” people bother us.
My day job is/was: I was a librarian with the University of Wisconsin-Madison library system. I initially worked for UW-Extension, organizing and giving library courses through our system-wide radio network.
I then served as assistant to the director of Memorial Library, our main campus library. I completed my last five years before retiring as the social work librarian.
Education (formal and informal): B.A. in sociology, UW-Madison; M.A. in library science, UW-Madison.
Informal: Life, marriage, parenthood. I’m not telling how many of each.
These three words sum me up: Sociable, political, critical.
My freethought heroes are: They’re all close to home: Anne Gaylor, Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor.
Things I like: Books, good conversations, movies and plays.
Things I smite: Hypocrisy and theocracy and idiocracy.
