Ohio FFRF members Nancy Dollard and Tom Reke, joined by freethinkers Charles Wright and Andreas Avente, protested the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 1 at the Summit County Courthouse in Akron. The Beacon Journal story said the event marked the end of a marathon reading of the bible that started the previous Sunday. Pastor Mike Radebaugh sang the national anthem and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
The paper added, “Tom Reke from Akron was among local atheists to carry signs on the sidewalk below the courthouse steps. Reke’s two-line sign read: ‘Prayer Never Works/There’s no God.’ ”
Nancy notes that Tom’s god was lower-cased, unlike the newspaper’s. Freethought Today tried to purchase reprint rights to the photo but was told “we will not be able to grant permission to use one of our photos for your publication” by Kimberly Barth, director of photography and graphics.
The Akron Day of Prayer had a “much lower turnout this year,” Nancy said. “Also, we got to talk to some young students who were part of the local Secular Student Alliance chapter.”
