Action Alert Archive
Urge S.C. senators to support Pro-Birth Accountability Act
A new bill introduced in the South Carolina Legislature would require that if the state bans abortion care, it must pay all costs associated with birthing and raising children born as a result.
SB 928, dubbed the “Pro-Birth Accountability Act,” is a retort to the swath of legislators across the country attempting to force women to give birth to unwanted or nonviable pregnancies against their will.
The bill states: “Just as South Carolina may not constitutionally use a citizen’s rental property without just compensation, it may not constitutionally require a woman to incubate a child without appropriate compensation.”
Restrictive abortion laws are a tactic of Christian supremacists to effectively overturn Roe v. Wade, which affirmed the legal right to abortion in 1973. This is a critical state/church issue because these laws are based on the dogmatic religious belief that ensoulment takes place at conception. People who oppose abortion should not have one, but they also have no right to use their positions of power to inject religion into our secular laws. And if they do, South Carolina SB 928 contends, the state ought to be accountable for the financial repercussions of that forced pregnancy.
This bill is currently in front of the Senate Committee on Medical Affairs — and the members need to hear from South Carolina constituents in support of this bill. Please click on the red “Take Action!” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Urge Florida legislators to reject bible classes in public schools
Two bills have been introduced in the Florida Legislature that would require all public schools to offer bible classes.
The corresponding bills, HB 341 and SB 746, mandate all Florida public schools offer “an objective study of the Bible, including, but not limited to, a course on the Hebrew Scriptures and Old Testament of the Bible, a course on the New Testament of the Bible, and a course of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament of the Bible and the New Testament of the Bible.”
The bills were introduced by self-proclaimed exorcist and state Rep. Kim Daniels, a Christian evangelist who has thanked God for slavery and has minimized the horrors of the Holocaust because “the Jews own everything.”
While politicians often claim that these laws are intended to teach the bible in the context of U.S. history, we know their true agenda is to abuse their access to young and impressionable children and indoctrinate them with religious orthodoxy. Besides the obvious bias in requiring classes on one specific set of religious texts and no others, public school bible classes have been tried across the country and have invariably ended up unconstitutionally promoting religion.
Mandatory bible class bills are unnecessary, inappropriate and expose public schools to potentially costly legal battles when the line between state and church is inevitably breached. Please use our simple, automated system to urge your legislators to stop these bills. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Washington: Tell your legislators to protect children by repealing faith-based exemptions
Two bills have been introduced in the Washington House and Senate that would repeal faith-based healing protections for parents who choose not to seek medical attention for their children based on their religious beliefs. Currently, Washington has a law that protects these parents from legal charges even if their children die as a result of this negligence.
The two companion bills, HB 1376 and SB 5749, aim to remove this exemption as it relates to “criminal mistreatment of children and vulnerable adults.”
The law currently states that: “It is the intent of the Legislature that a person who, in good faith, is furnished Christian Science treatment by a duly accredited Christian Science practitioner in lieu of medical care is not considered deprived of medically necessary health care or abandoned.”
If these two proposed bills are passed, this language will be removed and children will no longer be at risk of death because of the state sanctioning their parents’ dangerous religious beliefs. Please ask the members of both the House and Senate committees reviewing these bills to support them. The Washington Legislature collects comments on proposed bills on their website. Click on the links below to access the comment page for the corresponding body and click on the green button on the right side of the page that reads "comment on this bill."
TALKING POINTS
As a Washington constituent, I am urging you to support HB 1376/SB 5749, which will remove faith-based healing exemptions for parents whose religious beliefs and subsequent medical neglect result in their children’s death.
Currently, practitioners of religions that discourage seeking medical attention can claim an explicit exemption from liability for their children’s health, even if their child dies as a result of this neglect. This is unacceptable. Elected officials have an obligation to pass laws that protect the most vulnerable among us, including children.
Allowing parents to dodge responsibility for the health and well-being of their children based on their religious beliefs is an affront to the rights of children. Please support HB 1376/SB 5749. Thank you.
More »Please resist 'In God We Trust' on public buildings
The Missouri Legislature is considering two bills that would require every government-owned building to display “In God We Trust.” We need your help to ensure that Missouri residents are not subjected to government-sponsored proselytizing.
These two bills, HB 1712 and HB 1294, are part of the nationwide legislative push Project Blitz, which seeks to inject state legislatures across the country with a whole host of religious bills. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties, imposing the theocratic vision of a powerful few on We The People.
While politicians claim that these laws are intended to showcase the national motto or inspire patriotism, it is clear that their true purpose is to peddle religiosity to a captive audience. These laws are about advancing the Big Lie that the United States was “founded on God” or Christianity, dismantling the wall between religion and government. The motto "In God We Trust" is inaccurate, exclusionary, and aimed at brainwashing American schoolchildren into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
These bills are currently in the early stages, so it’s critical that lawmakers hear opposition from constituents to stop both bills in their tracks. Please use our simple, automated system to contact your representative and ask that they reject this thinly veiled attempt to inject religion into our public schools. Feel free to use or adapt the talking point provided.
More »URGENT: Tell Arizona lawmakers to reject anti-LGBTQ sex education bill
A dangerous, religiously motivated bill would restrict age-appropriate sex education and ban discussions of LGBTQ people in Arizona public schools. We need your help to stop this.
State Sen. Sylvia Allen has proposed SB 1082, which would remove the word “homosexuality” from all public school teaching materials and forbid schools from teaching sex education to students under the age of 12. Allen, a conservative Christian who has previously called for mandatory church attendance and recently warned colleagues about the “browning of America,” is also the chair of the Senate Education Committee.
This infiltration of church dogma into public school classrooms endangers the health of students exposed to it. It is wildly irresponsible to codify a religious worldview that erases LGBTQ youth and censors public schools from providing age-appropriate sex education.
This proposed legislation is scheduled for a hearing by the Senate’s Education Committee tomorrow — Tuesday, Jan. 14. It is critical that members hear your opposition to this arcane bill. If you are able, please attend tomorrow’s meeting and speak out in opposition to this bill.
If you are not able to speak in person, please use our simple, automated system to contact the members of the committee and let them know that these proposals are not aligned with Arizona values. Click on the red “Take Action!” button below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
Senate Education Committee Hearing
Day: Tuesday, Jan. 14
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: SHR 1
Tell Nebraska gov. to rescind call to “pray to end abortion”
Last week, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a proclamation to mark Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as a “Statewide Day of Prayer to End Abortion.” Ricketts declares that it is “right and fitting that the citizens of the state of Nebraska are urged to pray for an end to abortion.” It’s critical Ricketts hears from you — his constituent — that these draconian religious views do not align with the popular will of Nebraskans.
The Nebraska government has no business — and no power — to tell citizens when or whether to pray, much less what to pray about.
The proclamation treats a constitutionally protected right — a right the U.S. Supreme Court recognized in Roe v. Wade — as though it were unlawful. It wrongly declared that “Nebraska is a pro-life state.” In fact, more Nebraskans — 50 percent — think abortion should be legal in all or most cases than think it should be illegal (46 percent). Ricketts is abusing the power of his office to erroneously declare a minority religious view to be official state policy.
FFRF sent a letter of complaint to Ricketts last week urging him to get off his knees and instead get to work to protect established constitutional principles as his oath of office demands of him.
Here’s how you can object:
- Click on the red “Take Action” link below to contact Ricketts’ office by email or phone to urge him to rescind this proclamation. Calls are the most effective method of getting the attention of elected officials. Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
- Tweet Gov. Ricketts (@GovRicketts) with a message about your opposition.
- Consider writing a letter to the editor against this in your local paper.
Please resist N.M. “In God We Trust” bill
The New Mexico Legislature is fast-tracking a bill that would require all public buildings and license plates in the state to display “In God We Trust.” We need your help to ensure that New Mexico residents are not subjected to government-sponsored Christian proselytizing.
HB 115 is part of the nationwide legislative push, Project Blitz. Project Blitz seeks to inject state legislatures with a whole host of religious bills, imposing the theocratic version of a powerful few on We The People. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties — those things we cherish most about our democracy, and now must tirelessly defend.
While politicians claim that these laws are intended to showcase the national motto or inspire patriotism, it is clear that their true purpose is to peddle religiosity to a captive audience. These laws are about advancing the Big Lie that the United States was “founded on God” or Christianity, dismantling the wall of separation between religion and government. The motto “In God We Trust” is inaccurate, exclusionary and aimed at brainwashing American schoolchildren into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
Please use our automated system to contact your representative and ask that they stop this bill in its tracks.
More »New Jersey: Please tell legislators to eliminate vaccination religious exemptions
The New Jersey Senate is poised to pass a piece of legislation eliminating religious exemptions from vaccine requirements for public school students.
Many states, including New Jersey, allow parents to claim a religious exemption from regulations that require they vaccinate their children. When parents choose not to vaccinate, it not only compromises the health of their own children, but also jeopardizes the “herd immunity” for those who cannot receive vaccinations for health reasons.
This bill, N.J. A. 3818, would improve the state’s ability to combat infectious diseases by removing the possibility of religious exemption from mandatory vaccines for children in public schools and day cares. For the past month, religious groups have flooded the state Capitol in opposition to this bill, claiming that “God wouldn’t give them anything they can’t handle.”
It is critical that we counter the influence of anti-science religious zealots, whose dangerous rhetoric has caused very serious and preventable infectious disease outbreaks in numerous states across the country. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the reported individual cases of measles in the first five months of 2019 surpassed the total cases per year for the past 25 years. The states that see the highest incidences of the disease are those with the most relaxed exemption laws.
The New Jersey Senate is scheduled to vote on A. 3818 on Monday, Jan. 14. Please stand up for this common sense bill that will protect New Jersey residents from the dangerous implications of others people’s religious dogma. Please use our simple, automated system to ask your senator to support A. 3818 and feel free to use or adapt the provided talking points.
More »URGENT: Please resist “In God We Trust” in schools bill!
The Indiana Legislature is fast-tracking a bill that would require public schools in the state to display “In God We Trust” in every classroom and library. We need your help to ensure that young, impressionable students aren’t subject to religious proselytization.
SB 131 is part of the nationwide legislative push, Project Blitz. Project Blitz seeks to inject state legislatures with a whole host of religious bills, imposing the theocratic version of a powerful few on We The People. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties — those things we cherish most about our democracy, and now must tirelessly defend.
While politicians claim that these laws are intended to showcase the national motto or inspire patriotism, it is clear that their true purpose is to peddle religiosity to a captive audience. These laws are about advancing the Big Lie that the United States was “founded on God” or Christianity, dismantling the wall of separation between religion and government. The motto “In God We Trust” is inaccurate, exclusionary and aimed at brainwashing American schoolchildren into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
Please use our automated system to contact members of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development and ask that they stop this bill in its tracks.
More »Tennessee: Oppose discriminatory adoption policy
The Tennessee Legislature is considering a bill that would allow taxpayer-funded child-placing agencies to discriminate based on religion — and we need your help to stop it.
TN SB 1304 would prohibit the state from taking any action against a child-placing agency that declines to facilitate adoptions conflicting with the agency’s “religious or moral convictions.” If passed, the law would allow these agencies the right to refuse services to, among many other groups, LGBTQ families and children.
This bill is part of Project Blitz, a Christian fundamentalist nationwide push that seeks to inject state legislatures with a whole host of religious template bills, imposing the theocratic vision of a powerful few on We The People. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties — those things we most cherish about our democracy, and now must tirelessly defend.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, there were more than 440,000 children in foster care in the United States in 2017. Some 50,000 of these children will be adopted every year through the child welfare system, while another 20,000 will “age out” of the system before being adopted. Allowing agencies to turn away parents looking to adopt, on the basis of their religion, is both morally reprehensible and puts further financial burden on an already strained child-welfare system.
The health and care of a child should be the only factor that an agency and its employees consider when looking to place a child in a foster care or adoptive family — not advancing the bigoted agendas of those promoting discrimination at the expense of children in need.
Please use our simple, automated system to ask your state senator to reject this harmful bill. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below, follow the prompt provided, and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »ILLINOIS: Urge Effingham mayor to remove religious display on public property
After receiving a complaint from a local resident, FFRF wrote to Effingham, Ill. Mayor Mike Schutzbach urging him to remove a prominent mural of a Latin cross from city-owned property. The mural is located along the path between the Effingham High School sports complex and the remainder of the Effingham High School campus.
This letter has generated pushback from community members advocating for the unconstitutional religious display to remain on government property. More than 14,000 people have signed an online petition titled “Let the Cross Stay” and an event titled “Standing Up for Jesus” was planned for last weekend. Read more here.
It is patently inappropriate for a government-owned mural to prominently feature a religious display. It is especially inappropriate when the display is located where it will predominantly be viewed by public school children and staff moving across their school’s campus. We need your help to counter the religious pushback. Please contact Mayor Mike Schutzbach and urge him to ensure that this religious iconography is removed from city property.
Mayor Mike Schutzbach
(217) 342-5300
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you are an Effingham-area resident, please indicate so in your message.
TALKING POINTS
Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided
As a secular Illinoisan, I urge the city of Effingham to remove the Latin cross mural from city property. It is unnecessary and divisive and makes nonbelievers and non-Christians feel politically ostracized in their own community. It also proselytizes a captive audience of public school students.
The religious significance of the Latin cross is unambiguous and indisputable. Continuing to allow a mural of a Latin cross alongside the American flag on city property send a clear message: patriotism and religiosity are interrelated and that anybody who doesn’t adhere to those beliefs is not a full and favored community member.
Thank you for your time.
More »Tell Gov. Wolf to veto church funding
The Pennsylvania Legislature is rapidly advancing a budget bill that includes giving $7 million of state funds to two Philadelphia churches for religious projects. Fortunately, the governor has the power to veto these provisions. Please use our automated system to tell Gov. Tom Wolf to keep state dollars secular.
The proposed budget would give $2 million to Grace Baptist Church of Germantown in Philadelphia, an active house of worship and ministry. The budget would also give $5 million to Bible Way Baptist Church in Philadelphia. This church’s stated goal is to transform communities of West Philadelphia “into Christian Communities,” and the church has many ministries, including three “community ministries.”
It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for the state to force taxpayers to pay for these church projects. However, this funding is difficult to stop once it is approved, so it is essential that you make your voice heard now by asking Wolf to “line item” veto these awards and save taxpayers $7 million that can be used to benefit everyone in Pennsylvania rather than just Christians.
More »Please support the repeal of religious exemptions from vaccination requirements
Facing zealous opposition from religious anti-vaccination protesters, the New Jersey Legislature has postponed a final vote on a bill that would end religious exemptions from vaccine requirements for students.
Many states, including New Jersey, allow parents to claim a religious exemption from regulations that require they vaccinate their children. When parents choose not to vaccinate, it not only compromises the health of their own children, but also jeopardizes the “herd immunity” for those who cannot receive vaccinations for health reasons.
A new bill, S. 2173, would improve the state’s ability to combat infectious diseases by removing the possibility of religious exemption from mandatory vaccines. Religious groups have flooded the state Capitol in opposition to this bill, claiming that “God wouldn’t give them anything they can’t handle.”
It is critical that we counter the influence of anti-science religious zealots, whose dangerous rhetoric has caused very serious and preventable infectious disease outbreaks in numerous states across the country. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the reported individual cases of measles in the first five months of 2019 surpassed the total cases per year for the past 25 years. The states that see the highest incidences of the disease are those with the most relaxed exemption laws.
Please stand up for this common sense bill that will protect New Jersey residents from the dangerous implications of others people’s religious dogma. Please use our simple, automated system to ask your representatives to support S. 2173 and feel free to use or adapt the provided talking points.
More »Please oppose new HHS rule permitting taxpayer-funded discrimination
The Trump administration is continuing its relentless attacks on civil rights with a new rule that would allow recipients of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funding to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals in the course of their taxpayer-funded services.
Particularly distressing is the fact that this proposed rule will allow adoption and foster child-placement agencies to refuse to help LGBTQ children and parents. This rule permits HHS to choose safeguarding bigoted practices over supporting needy children.
The proposed rule change would remove LGBTQ anti-discrimination protections from its basic grant recipient requirement based on an organization’s alleged religious beliefs. Besides the fact that organizations do not possess religious beliefs to exercise — humans have religious beliefs, not companies — Americans should never be forced to fund discrimination, which is precisely what happens when taxpayer funds are awarded to an entity that uses the funds to discriminate. HHS is requesting public comments on this proposed rule change and it is important that it hears from you in opposition.
Click here to read FFRF’s full comment opposing the proposed rule change.
The public comment period on these HHS rules is open until Thursday, Dec. 19. Please join FFRF in opposing this dangerous rule change allowing for the elimination of civil rights protections for LGBTQ people. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below. You will be taken to the regulations.gov comment page where you can then fill out the prompt provided. Comments must be identified by RIN 0991-AC16. It just takes a minute or two for your voice to be heard.
TALKING POINTS
I strongly oppose the Department of Health and Human Services proposed rule change (RIN 0991-AC16) allowing taxpayer-funded entities, such as adoption and foster care agencies, to discriminate based on their so-called religious beliefs.
Besides the fact that organizations do not possess religious beliefs to exercise — humans have religious beliefs, not companies — Americans should never be forced to fund discrimination, which is precisely what happens when taxpayer funds are awarded to an entity that uses the funds to discriminate.
The department should be working toward serving more children and families in need rather than catering to discriminatory religious organizations.
More »OHIO: Please urge your legislators to oppose dangerous anti-choice bill
The Ohio Legislature has introduced a draconian bill that would require doctors to perform a medically impossible procedure or risk being charged with “abortion murder.”
H.B. 413 would outlaw abortion outright. It defines a fertilized egg as an “unborn child.” Additionally, the bill mandates doctors to “reimplant an ectopic pregnancy into the woman’s uterus” — a procedure that does not exist.
An ectopic pregnancy is a dangerous condition in which an egg is fertilized outside the uterus, rendering the pregnancy unviable and a potentially life-threatening emergency for patients. According to Dr. Chris Zahn, vice president of practice activities at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, reimplantation of an ectopic pregnancy is “not physiologically possible.”
This dystopian proposal would charge doctors who perform abortions and patients as young as 13 who have an abortion with “abortion murder,” punishable by life in prison. This bill endangers the lives of patients by restricting the medically necessary procedures doctors are able to perform. It also obliterates the fundamental freedom to abortion care protected by Roe v. Wade. Although laws criminalizing abortion are currently unenforceable, such laws would immediately spring into effect if Roe were to be overturned.
The only organized opposition to legal abortion is religious in nature, predicated on the religious concept of “ensoulment,” thereby making reproductive rights a state/church matter. Please contact your lawmakers today and urge them to strongly oppose H.B. 413. Click on the red “Take Action!” button below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »URGENT: Tell your senators to oppose anti-choice judicial nominee Sarah Pitlyk
A divided Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced a patently unqualified, ideologically extreme Trump nominee for the federal bench to the full Senate for a vote. The Senate will vote on Pitlyk TODAY, Wednesday, Dec. 4, and your legislators need to hear your voice in opposition to her confirmation.
Pitlyk has no trial experience, which is why the American Bar Association rates her as “unqualified” to be a judge. She is the fifth Trump administration nominee to receive this “unqualified” rating — the lowest rating a nominee can receive and virtually unheard of in other presidents’ judicial nominees.
Pitlyk is professionally unqualified for the role, but is ideologically aligned with the Trump administration’s Christian Nationalist agenda. Pitlyk has spent much of her legal career working to restrict women’s access to safe and legal abortions. She has equated hormonal contraceptives to abortion in an amicus brief arguing Hobby Lobby’s right to deny basic health care based on religious beliefs in defiance of the Affordable Care Act and has defended six-week abortion bans, as well as other draconian views on reproductive care.
Just yesterday, it was reported in the Huffington Post that she also opposes infertility treatments and surrogacy, stating that “surrogacy is harmful to mothers and children, so it’s a practice society should not be enforcing.”
Pitlyk has spent the last two years working at the Thomas More Society, a law firm dedicated to fighting for causes of the Religious Right, especially anti-choice cases motivated by Catholic religious dogma. Trump is willing to sacrifice the quality of the judiciary to ensure that judges are opponents of women’s health care.
Today, Dec. 4, the Senate will decide whether Pitlyk should be awarded a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. Currently, nearly one in four seats on U.S. appeals courts is filled by a judge nominated by Trump. The Senate is set to confirm a record 180 appointments to the federal bench by the end of this year. The Trump administration’s unprecedented number of appointments to the federal bench will reshape the judiciary for decades to come. It is critical that your senator hear your opposition to Pitlyk and similarly unqualified nominees.
Please use our automated system to contact both of your U.S. senators and ask them to oppose Pitlyk’s confirmation.
More »Tell your state senator to oppose bill that threatens secular Ohio public schools
Yesterday, the Ohio House of Representatives passed HB 164, the so-called “Student Religious Liberties Act.” This bill is designed to embolden public school employees to abuse their position by pushing religion on their students. We have a chance to stop this bill while it’s in front of the Ohio Senate, and we need your help.
FFRF’s Strategic Response Team testified in opposition to HB 164 in May, and the bill languished in the state House since then, until it got a surprise vote yesterday. Please consider taking a moment to use our automated system to contact your state senator and ask them to oppose HB 164. Click the red “Take Action!” link below. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
MORE INFO
HB 164 states that public schools may not “penalize or reward a student based on the religious content of a student’s work.” Federal and state law already provide this protection, meaning this law is redundant at best. However, some teachers will wrongly understand this to mean that they may not punish students who substitute their religious beliefs for an actual, secular lesson. For instance, students might refuse to study evolution based on their religious notions, and will point to this law to argue that giving them less than full credit would be punishing them for their religious beliefs.
The bill also singles out student religious events that public school employees often illegally participate in. For example, the bill mentions See You At The Pole, an annual prayer event that is meant to be just for students, but in practice adults, including school employees, often organize and take part in the event. This bill will give school employees the false impression that they are allowed to promote and participate in student religious events like this, which will subject public schools to legal liability.
Ironically, by jeopardizing students’ rights to a secular public school system, HB 164 would harm students’ religious liberty under the guise of promoting exactly that.
More »Please take action TODAY to help defeat theocratic federal judicial nominee
Tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 14, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke to a lifetime position on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
It has been widely reported that the American Bar Association declared VanDyke “unqualified” to be a federal appellate judge. Beyond that damning conclusion, though, VanDyke also has a history of promoting the teaching of creationism in public schools, a practice the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional in 1987.
Please use our automated system to contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and tell them that unqualified theocrats do not deserve a lifetime appointment as federal appellate judges.
MORE INFO
According to an Alliance For Justice’s report, VanDyke published an article while he was at Harvard arguing that “intelligent design,” a version of religious creationism, is supported by enough evidence that it ought to be taught in public schools. In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7–2 that teaching intelligent design in public schools violated the Establishment Clause. As a 9th Circuit judge, VanDyke cannot be relied on to defend even this most basic tenet of secular public education.
Further, in the same paper VanDyke allegedly committed academic misconduct by egregiously misquoting Harvard biology Professor Richard Lewontin, adding an erroneous word to a Lewontin quote that reversed its meaning, giving the impression that Lewontin supported VanDyke’s advancement of intelligent design when in fact he denounced it. Legal scholar Brian Leiter described VanDyke’s conduct as “scholarly fraud.” This shows a willingness to sacrifice the truth in order to push a conservative religious agenda, a terrible trait for a federal appellate judge.
More »Urge Wisconsin lawmakers to reject Christian Nationalist resolution
This Tuesday, the Wisconsin Assembly will consider A.R. 16, “recognizing Thanksgiving week as National bible Week.” Please take a moment to urge your state representative to oppose A.R. 16 and to stand up for the constitutional separation between state and church.
The resolution “encourages us to read the bible,” but why should the government promote the Christian bible? Why encourage citizens to read a book that condemns our LGBTQ brothers and sisters to death? Why ask citizens to peruse a book that promises eternal torture and torment for them if they happen to exercise their religious liberty and not worship Jesus?
This resolution nefariously conflates patriotism and theocracy to advance Christian Nationalism. Tell the Assembly to recognize that opposing theocratic declarations like a National Bible Week is patriotic. Tell them to stand up for our godless Constitution. Follow the red “Take Action!” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
MORE INFO
The bible week resolution resembles a mashup of two resolutions in the Christian Nationalist Project Blitz handbook, one recognizing “Christian Heritage Week” and the other recognizing the “importance of the bible in history,” (as if there’s any danger that Americans will forget about Christianity or the bible). But this particular resolution is actually part of an older Christian Nationalist push.
Like other opportunistic insertions of Christian Nationalism throughout American history, National Bible Week has its roots in a moment of national fear: Dec. 7, 1941, the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. To stand up and challenge any resolution in the wake of such an attack would have been seen as unpatriotic. But in reality, dedicating a week to one particular religious book directly contradicts the fundamental American principle of keeping state and church separate.
Read FFRF’s full statement here.
More »
Tell your senators to oppose anti-reproductive rights judicial nominee Sarah Pitlyk
Photo: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
A divided Senate Judiciary Committee recently voted to advance a patently unqualified, ideologically extreme Trump nominee for the federal bench to the full Senate for a vote. The Senate will vote on Sarah Pitlyk on Monday, Nov. 4, and your legislators need to hear your voice in opposition to her confirmation.
Pitlyk has no trial experience, which is why the American Bar Association rates her as “unqualified” to be a judge. She is the fifth Trump administration nominee to receive this “unqualified” rating — the lowest rating a nominee can receive and virtually unheard of in other presidents’ judicial nominees.
Pitlyk is professionally unqualified for the role, but is ideologically aligned with the Trump’s administration’s Christian Nationalist agenda. Pitlyk has spent much of her legal career working to restrict women’s access to safe and legal abortions. She has equated hormonal contraceptives to abortion in an amicus brief arguing Hobby Lobby’s right to deny basic health care based on religious beliefs in defiance of the Affordable Care Act and has defended six-week abortion bans as well as other draconian views on reproductive care.
Pitlyk has spent the last two years working at the Thomas More Society, a law firm dedicated to fighting for causes of the Religious Right, especially anti-choice cases motivated by Catholic religious dogma. Trump is willing to sacrifice the quality of the judiciary to ensure that judges are opponents of women’s health care.
Next Monday, Nov. 4, the Senate will decide whether Pitlyk should be awarded a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. Please use our automated system to contact both of your U.S. senators and ask them to oppose Pitlyk’s confirmation.
More »URGENT: Oppose extremist Steve Menashi’s confirmation to appeals court
Last month, we asked you to help us oppose the lifetime appointment of yet another conservative ideologue, former White House counsel Steven Menashi to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Menashi is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow, so please take a moment to voice your opposition to his confirmation one more time today.
Menashi has a long history of undermining equality for women and LGBTQ Americans, as well as a history of inflammatory rhetoric surrounding religious issues. We need your help to stop his confirmation in the U.S. Senate.
Menashi has adopted the rhetoric of the Family Research Council — whose stated purpose is “to advance faith, family and freedom in public policy and the culture from a Christian worldview” — erroneously calling Plan B (emergency contraception) “an abortifacient.” In 2015, he called religious exemptions from civil rights laws and the inclusion of religious groups in publicly funded programs “victories” for religious liberty. He called the president of People for the American Way “hysterical” for opposing state funding of religious schools.
As a White House lawyer, Menashi has worked closely with Senior Advisor to the President Stephen Miller on advancing Trump’s draconian immigration policy. He also acted as Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ right-hand man in policies to undermine protections for sexual assault survivors, students of color and victims of fraudulent for-profit colleges.
Perhaps most troubling is Menashi’s refusal to answer questions about many of his past opinions in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His silence suggests that he would abuse a lifetime appointment to the federal bench to advance his personal dogmatic beliefs.
Please use our simple, automated system to contact your senators and urge them to oppose Menashi’s confirmation to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Click on the red “Take Action!” button and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
Take action now to oppose federal funding of religious private schools
We have the opportunity to thwart a unique federal handout to religious schools.
Last week, a new U.S. Senate bill was introduced that would permanently fund the Washington, D.C., voucher program, the so-called Opportunity Scholarship program, which is the only federally funded voucher program in the country. This bill, S. 2682, would fund federal tax dollars directly into religious private schools and privately run charter schools, at the expense of D.C. public schools. Please take action today to voice your opposition to this scheme.
S. 2682 has a surprising sponsor in prominent senior California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Many are unaware of Feinstein’s support of private religious vouchers. This is likely due to her personal experience attending a private Catholic high school, where, she reportedly said, classes on Catholic doctrine helped her answer the “big questions.” She now says, “I am religious in my thinking.”
This bent toward religious thinking has led to Feinstein and anti-public education zealots like Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson becoming strange bedfellows. The bill is currently in front of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which is ironically holding a subcommittee hearing on Wednesday entitled “Rise of the Zombies: The Unauthorized and Unaccountable Government You Pay For.”
The U.S. Senate needs to know that Americans do not want to be forced to fund private religious education. Please use our automated system below to email and call your senators and urge them to oppose S. 2682.
MORE INFO
FFRF vigorously opposes any public funding of private schools, which are disproportionately religiously affiliated. It is deeply irresponsible and unconstitutional for Congress to force the D.C. voucher program on students. The program has proven unsuccessful, poorly managed and unaccountable to taxpayers. Research on voucher programs has found that they tend to worsen academic achievement of participatory students. The D.C. voucher program in particular has demonstrated serious oversight problems in its repeated failure to meet the accountability standards.
Secular public schools are the backbone of our American democracy — and its commitment to a government free from religious indoctrination. Public schools unite a diverse range of ethnic and religious communities, fostering tolerance and intellectual expansion. Public schools, unlike private schools, are entirely inclusive and equally serving to all students of all cultural and religious, or nonreligious, backgrounds.
The D.C. voucher program allows religious schools to discriminate against students on criteria such as gender, thus funding discrimination that would be illegal in a public school setting.
It is especially concerning to FFRF that even though private schools participating in voucher programs receive public funding, they do not abide by federal civil rights laws, and do not adhere to religious freedom protections guaranteed to public school students under the First Amendment. They do not face the same public accountability standards that all public schools must meet. Taxpayer money must not be used to fund schools that do not promise to protect the civil rights of students, or to indoctrinate.
More »Oppose extremist Steve Menashi’s confirmation to appeals court
The Trump Administration is expediting the confirmation of yet another conservative ideologue, former White House counsel Steven Menashi, to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Menashi has a long history of undermining equality for women and LGBTQ Americans, as well as a history of inflammatory rhetoric surrounding religious issues. We need your help to stop his confirmation in the U.S. Senate.
Menashi has adopted the rhetoric of the Family Research Council — whose stated purpose is “to advance faith, family and freedom in public policy and the culture from a Christian worldview” — erroneously calling Plan B (emergency contraception) “an abortifacient.” In 2015, he called religious exemptions from civil rights laws and the inclusion of religious groups in publicly funded programs “victories” for religious liberty. He called the president of People for the American Way “hysterical” for opposing state funding of religious schools.
As a White House lawyer, Menashi has worked closely with Senior Advisor to the President Stephen Miller on advancing Trump’s draconian immigration policy. He also acted as Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ right-hand man in policies to undermine protections for sexual assault survivors, students of color, and victims of fraudulent for-profit colleges.
Perhaps most troubling is Menashi’s refusal to answer questions about many of his past opinions in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His silence suggests that he would abuse a lifetime appointment to the federal bench to advance his personal dogmatic beliefs.
Please use our simple, automated system to contact your senators and urge them to oppose Menashi’s confirmation to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Click on the red “Take Action!” button and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
Tell your U.S. Senators to pass Equality Act
A landmark civil rights bill is stuck in the U.S. Senate and we need your help in passing it.
Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act with bipartisan support amid great fanfare. This bill (H.R. 5) would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to “include sex, sexual orientation and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation.”
The Equality Act would modernize federal civil rights law, correcting the inadequate anti-discrimination laws in many states, where there are no legal anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. In such states, LGBTQ individuals can be fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, denied service from restaurants and stores or refused credit from banks simply because of their identity.
After passing in the U.S. House on May 17, the Equality Act was placed in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it remains. The Judiciary Committee has not even given the Equality Act a hearing. The only organized opposition to the Equality Act is religious in nature, which is why FFRF works so hard to ensure that religious doctrine is not inscribed in U.S. civil laws or social policy.
There is overwhelming popularity for the Equality Act among the public, and U.S. senators need to feel pressure to pass it. Please take a moment to contact your senators in support of the Equality Act and ask them to do what they can so it gets a hearing and vote in the Judiciary Committee. Click on the red “Take Action” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Urge your legislators to support the No Ban Act
The Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations are holding a joint hearing today, Tuesday, Sept. 24, on “Oversight of the Trump Administration’s Travel Ban” and it focuses on one of FFRF’s key legislative initiatives, the No BAN Act.
During today’s hearing, you will hear the importance of correcting President Trump’s ill-conceived travel ban and preventing this sort of outrageous conduct in the future. While this dangerous travel ban is on top of your legislators’ minds, please ask your legislators to support the No BAN Act.
The No BAN Act repeals the president’s existing executive order blocking travel from majority Muslim countries and prevents another baseless, discriminatory travel ban from being implemented again. The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, including those with no religion, and restores the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future travel bans.
The No BAN Act is particularly important to FFRF, which has helped several atheists flee death sentences from Muslim-majority countries, which are targeted by the ban. Just as the Constitution bars a religious test for public office, we believe it also bars a religious test for immigration or citizenship. We know that the ban precedent will ultimately be used against nonbelievers. Please use this opportunity to encourage your Congress members to support the No BAN Act.
Click on the red “Take Action!” link below and follow the prompt. Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
Photo By Eddie Hernandez Photography via Shutterstock
More »Please oppose Penn. ‘In God We Trust’ bill
The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering a bill providing for the display of “In God We Trust” in “classrooms and other areas in public school buildings.” We need your help to ensure that a captive audience of young, impressionable students aren’t forced to view a motto that falsely equates piety with patriotism.
This bill’s first hearing, in front of the House State Government Committee, will take place tomorrow, Tues., Sept. 24. Please contact the members of the committee and urge them to vote no on this unnecessary and divisive measure. If you are able, please attend the hearing and register in opposition of the bill. The meeting is at 9:00 a.m. in Room G50 of the Irvis Office Building in Harrisburg (part of the state capitol complex, this building is located at 450 Commonwealth Avenue).
While politicians claim that these laws are intended to showcase the national motto or inspire patriotism, it’s clear from the bill’s pandering language that their true purpose is to peddle religiosity to a captive audience. The bill approvingly notes that James Pollock, the director of the U.S. Mint who suggested putting the phrase on coins, was known as “The Great Christian Governor” when he was governor of Pennsylvania. This bill is about advancing the Big Lie that the United States was “founded on God” or Christianity, and dismantling the wall of separation between religion and government. The motto “In God We Trust” is inaccurate and exclusionary, and this bill is aimed at brainwashing American schoolchildren into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
The bill, HB 1602, is part of the nationwide legislative push, Project Blitz. Project Blitz seeks to inject state legislatures with a whole host of religious bills, imposing the theocratic version of a powerful few on We The People. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties — those things we cherish most about our democracy, and now must tirelessly defend.
Please click the red “Take Action!” link below and follow the prompt. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Thank Rep. Huffman for standing up to Christian Nationalism
Rep. Jared Huffman, co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, is under fire for standing up to Christian Nationalists — and he needs to hear your words of support.
On FFRF’s national television show “Freethought Matters” that aired last weekend, Huffman pointed out that requiring witnesses to recite “so help me God” during oaths unnecessarily entangles government with religion. Watch Huffman’s other superb remarks on “Freethought Matters.”
The Religious Right has jumped on this interview to mobilize its base and vilify Huffman. The Washington Examiner and Fox News are using FFRF’s interview with Huffman as an opportunity to attack him for his support of secular government.
Can you take a few minutes to thank Huffman for standing up for our community and for all Americans who support the separation of church and state? We need to defend our champions in Congress.
WAYS TO TAKE ACTION:
- If you live in Rep. Huffman’s district (2nd district - California), click here to email or call Huffman’s office in support of his appearance on Freethought Matters. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
- If you are from outside the district, please send your message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will send it on to Rep. Huffman’s office.
- Thank Rep. Huffman on Facebook or Twitter.
TALKING POINTS
I want to thank you for bravely speaking out against Christian Nationalism and standing up for the secular community on FFRF’s TV show, “Freethought Matters.” We need more members of Congress who will champion the separation between religion and government, and we are grateful for your support and representation on Capitol Hill.
Urge Congress to pass the Do No Harm Act today
When it was passed into law nearly 30 years ago, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was purportedly intended to shield those with minority religious beliefs from the domination of the religious majority. Predictably, however, the Religious Right has hijacked this law as an unfettered license to discriminate on behalf of the majority religion.
We need your help in a national effort to restore true religious freedom. Please take action today to support the Do No Harm Act, a common-sense bill that limits the laws that RFRA applies to in order to ensure that religious liberty cannot be wielded as a weapon to discriminate.
For instance, RFRA would no longer allow believers to be exempt from the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Violence Against Women Act, laws that require employers to provide wages and other compensation, or laws that require coverage for any health care item. The Do No Harm Act, if enacted, could undo the damage caused by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision in 2014. That ruling allows employers and for-profit corporations to deny women workers contraceptive coverage on the basis of religious offense.
Religious freedom is already protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Do No Harm Act will bring us one step closer to restoring true equality, by preventing discrimination in the name of religious belief.
Please click on the red “Take Action!” link below and follow the prompt provided. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Take action against proposed rule allowing taxpayer funded religious discrimination
Yesterday, the Department of Labor published a new rule that would allow federal contractors to discriminate against employees based on “sincerely held religious tenets,” putting minority rights in immediate danger.
The proposed rule would allow religiously affiliated federal contractors to discriminate based on an applicant’s religious affiliation and also on whether the employee’s conduct is consistent with the employer’s religious beliefs. In other words, Chrisitan employers can refuse to hire Jews, Muslims and atheists, but Christian employers can also refuse to hire anyone they deem to be a “bad Christian.” This is codified taxpayer-funded discrimination based on religion.
This is particularly concerning for LGBTQ employees and applicants. Anti-gay employers have a long history of disingenuously arguing that they are not discriminating on the basis of someone’s sexual orientation, but only based on their “lifestyle” choices. Allowing religious employers to deny employment based on an employee’s conduct also opens the door to many other forms of discrimination, such as against single mothers/parents, atheists and those of a minority religion.
Nearly one-quarter of employees in the United States work for an employer that has a contract with the federal government. This proposed rule is a dangerous and unconscionable attack on secular and civil rights. Please join FFRF in denouncing this proposed rule. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below. You will be taken to the regulations.gov comment page. Click on the blue button in the upper right corner that reads “Comment Now!” and fill out the prompt provided. It just takes a minute or two for your voice to be heard.
TALKING POINTS
Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided
I strongly oppose the proposed rule changes to OFCCP policy that would allow federal contractors to discriminate against employees based on religious affiliation and also based on whether the employee’s conduct is consistent with the employer’s religious beliefs. This is unconscionable taxpayer-funded discrimination that will put civil rights for vulnerable populations at risk. The Labor Department instead should adopt rules that will protect employees who have a history of suffering discrimination, rather than legalizing such discrimination.
More »Oppose new HHS rules eliminating civil rights protections in health care
In June, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed sweeping rollbacks on non-discrimination regulations under the Affordable Care Act, including those protecting abortion care and LGBTQ patients.
This rule would amend Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability. It is the first civil rights law to prohibit discrimination in health care based on sex. If finalized, the proposed changes, among other things, would:
- Adopt broad “religious freedom” exemptions for health care providers, allowing licensed professionals to deny care based on their personal religious beliefs.
- Allow discrimination based on gender identity and allow health insurance companies to deny coverage to LGBTQ patients.
Dozens of major public health organizations, including the American Medical Association, have denounced these rule changes and advised that the health and well-being of patients would unequivocally be jeopardized by this regressive proposal.
The public comment period on these HHS rules is open until Tuesday, Aug. 13. Please join FFRF in opposing dangerous religious exemptions for health care professionals and the elimination of civil rights protections for LGBTQ people. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below. You will be taken to the regulations.gov comment page. Click on the blue button in the upper right corner that reads “Comment Now!” and fill out the prompt provided. It just takes a minute or two for your voice to be heard.
TALKING POINTS
Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Unfortunately, this cannot be automated since it is an official government page.
I strongly oppose the proposed changes to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, a section that ensures civil rights protections for vulnerable populations in the health care system. I am particularly concerned about the sweeping religious exemptions for medical professionals, allowing for discrimination based on personal religious beliefs that would endanger abortion and LGBTQ patient care. The proposed rule changes will exacerbate existing inequalities by emboldening health care providers to deny care based on their religious beliefs. This is unacceptable.
More »Urge your U.S. Rep. to support repeal of international blasphemy laws
This week, Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. and Mark Meadows, R-N.C., introduced in a bipartisan initiative House Resolution 512, a renewed effort calling for “the global repeal of blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws.” The resolution specifically notes that “secularists” are frequent victims of such laws.
Blasphemy laws are still astonishingly common. More than 70 countries across many regions maintain these archaic rules, punishable by life imprisonment and death, as well as often violent extrajudicial retribution from other citizens. As FFRF has long pointed out, blasphemy is a victimless crime, but blasphemy laws create many innocent victims.
Please urge your representative to support this resolution in the interest of protecting religious minorities and freethinkers worldwide. Promoting secularism and the right to speak critically of religion is a universal win for freedom of speech and religious liberty. Click on the red ‘Take Action’ button below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Tell New Philadelphia Schools to hold firm on removal of 10 Commandments display
Last week, New Philadelphia City Schools in Ohio removed a Ten Commandment plaque from Welty Middle School after FFRF lodged a complaint against the unconstitutional religious display. Districts commonly receive negative pushback from discontented community members after they take down religious paraphernalia in compliance with the First Amendment.
Today, evangelist Franklin Graham took to social media to condemn the decision and to leverage his millions of followers across the country to bully the district into putting the plaque back up on school property.
It is important that secular Americans provide a counterweight to this criticism and commend the district for rectifying this violation. Please contact New Philadelphia Superintendent David Brand to show your support for the removal of the religious plaque.
Click here to send an e-mail to the superintendent.
TALKING POINTS
Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided below
I want to thank you for removing the Ten Commandments plaque from Welty Middle School and protecting the true religious freedom of all students and families in the district. This decision was the right one, and I encourage you to hold firm and keep the plaque off of school property.
More »Support vaccination expansion for minors in D.C.!
The Council of the District of Columbia is considering a good bill that would allow minors of any age to consent to vaccinations that are recommended by the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
This bill, B23-0171, also establishes conditions for demonstrating informed consent including “comprehension of the need for, the nature of, and any significant risks inherent in the medical care.” This would allow minors who can demonstrate informed consent of vaccines to access their desired health care without consent from their parents.
Children are getting caught in the crosshairs of often religiously based, anti-science rhetoric surrounding immunizations and are one of the most vulnerable populations to illnesses preventable by vaccines. This bill would be a positive step in allowing young people to get vaccinated and challenge the onslaught of anti-vaxxer propaganda, which has led to devastating health outcomes in the last several months.
Please urge the D.C. Council to vote yes on B23-0171. Ways to get involved:
1. Attend the public hearing on this measure this Wednesday, June 26, at 11 a.m. at the John A. Wilson Building, Room 500 (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.) Make sure to register in support of the bill.
2. Click on the red “Take Action!” button below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »URGENT: Oppose Kacsmaryk confirmation ASAP
This week, the U.S. Senate will vote on the nomination of anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice extremist Matthew Kacsmaryk to a lifetime federal judgeship in the Northern District of Texas. Kacsmaryk, general counsel at the infamous First Liberty Institute, is a direct threat to the separation of state and church, Roe v. Wade and LGBTQ rights. He is categorically unfit for the federal bench.
Kacsmaryk and First Liberty are the fanatical vanguard of a concerted attempt to redefine "religious freedom" to mean that Americans may deny civil liberties to their fellow citizens on the basis of religion. The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment was not intended to be a weapon to allow religionists to impose their religion on others, but Kacsmaryk is committed to distorting this clause for exactly this purpose.
As Americans concerned with the creeping theocracy of the Religious Right, we must oppose these shocking nominations. All U.S. senators vote on judicial confirmations. In 2017, FFRF members joined a national outcry against disgraced judicial nominee Jeff Mateer, resulting in his nomination being pulled. Whether or not your senators are strong supporters of the separation between church and state, voicing your concerns about bad judicial appointments is worthwhile.
Please contact your senators today and encourage them to vote no on Kacsmaryk’s confirmation. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Please oppose Pennsylvania ‘In God We Trust’ bill
The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering a bill that would permit public schools in the state to display “In God We Trust” in “classrooms and other areas in public school buildings.” We need your help to ensure that young, impressionable students aren’t subject to religious proselytization.
HB 1602 is part of the nationwide legislative push, Project Blitz. Project Blitz seeks to inject state legislatures with a whole host of religious bills, imposing the theocratic version of a powerful few on We The People. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties — those things we cherish most about our democracy, and now must tirelessly defend.
While politicians claim that these laws are intended to showcase the national motto or inspire patriotism, it is clear that their true purpose is to peddle religiosity to a captive audience. These laws are about advancing the Big Lie that the United States was “Founded on God” or Christianity, dismantling the wall of separation between religion and government. The motto In God We Trust is inaccurate, exclusionary and aimed at brainwashing American schoolchildren into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
This bill is currently in front of the House State Government Committee, which will vote on whether or not to advance it. Please contact the members of the committee and urge them to vote no on this unnecessary and divisive measure.
More »Support the Every Child Deserves a Family Act today
The Every Child Deserves a Family Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week with bipartisan support. Please ask your representative to support this bill by adding their name as a co-sponsor.
This bill, known as H.B. 3114, prohibits federally funded child welfare service providers from discriminating against children, families and individuals based on religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or martial status. It is an important step in protecting the best interests of children while the Religious Right exploits every opportunity to implement discriminatory policies disfavoring certain adoptive families due to bigoted religious beliefs.
According to the Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign, there are more than 440,000 children in our foster care system, with over 120,000 of them waiting for a permanent family. Meanwhile, as part of its nationwide legislative push known as Project Blitz, the Religious Right has attempted to inject state legislatures across the country with legislation that protects publicly funded religious adoptive services’ right to discriminate against LGBTQ families and children. The Every Child Deserves a Family Act is a critical step in ending this unconstitutional religious privilege. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Take action to curb child marriage in Louisiana
The Louisiana Legislature has advanced a good bill, SB 172, that would establish a minimum age requirement of 16 for marriage and only allow minors to marry people who aren't more than four years older than them. There currently is no minimum legal age for marriage in the state.
More than 200,000 minors in the United States were married between 2000 and 2015. According to UNICEF, minors who are married are 50 percent more likely to drop out of school. Additionally, early marriage doubles a teenager’s chances of living in poverty and triples the likelihood that he or she will be a victim of domestic violence, compared to married adults. Often, these “child” marriages stem from antiquated and horrifying religious beliefs that compromise the safety of children, but many states, including Louisiana, still allow the practice in order to pacify powerful theocratic constituencies.
Although FFRF would much prefer that Louisiana outlaw child marriage altogether, SB 172 is a step in the right direction. Please urge Gov. John Bel Edwards to sign this bill into law. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »
ACT NOW: Oppose six-week abortion ban!
The Louisiana House is slated to advance a near-total abortion ban bill next week, and your representative needs to hear your opposition.
SB 184, like similar anti-choice bills popping up in states across the country, bans abortion before most women even know they are pregnant, effectively outlawing the procedure altogether.
These so-called “heartbeat bills” of course clash with Supreme Court decisions that have recognized a woman’s right to choose abortion, but they also would restrict the personal decisions of all, based on the religious beliefs of the few. This is an abhorrent violation of our rights of conscience.
Please use our automated system to contact your representative and urge them to oppose this bill. Even if you know how your legislator will vote, their office will tally the calls and contacts received in opposition and support of controversial issues, and it is essential that pro-choice Louisianans make your voice heard so anti-choice reps. cannot claim a mandate. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points below.
More »URGENT: Oppose taxpayer funding of religious ministry & CPCs
The Arizona Legislature is considering legislation that would give $2.5 million to the Human Coalition, a religious ministry and Crisis Pregnancy Center.
If passed, these bills (SB 1547 in the Senate and HB 2759 in the House) would be egregious violations of secular rights. Crisis Pregnancy Centers are religious organizations that pose as medical centers to convince pregnant women against choosing abortion. Numerous studies have shown that these centers often sacrifice sound medical advice and basic ethical standards to spread their religious message. Arizona taxpayers cannot be forced to foot the bill for this deceitful religious mission.
Please use our automated system to contact your legislators and ask that they vote no on these harmful bills and do not allow taxpayer dollars to fund the Human Coalition’s religious mission. Click on the red “Take Action!” button below. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Oppose Project Blitz “religious freedom” bill
The Texas Legislature has flagrantly evaded rules and procedures to revive one of its so-called “religious freedom” bills.
The bill, SB 1978, intends to codify the right to discriminate based on religious beliefs. The bill has been rushed through both chambers of the legislature. Christian nationalists in Texas threw out all the rules in their desperate rush to protect discrimination in the name of god. Now, we need you to contact Gov. Abbott and state your opposition to this bill.
Governor Abbott, who himself has a history of discriminating against minorities and has worked to make Christians a favored, protected class, is likely to sign the bill. But that's no reason to keep silent. Let him know that there are Texans who stand against discrimination, oppression, and Christian nationalism. His office counts contacts in opposition and support of contentious legislation and we can’t allow him to claim a mandate on the issue.
More »Urge California Senate to protect victims of clergy abuse!
The California Legislature is considering a bill, SB 360, that would partially remove the confessional exemption from mandatory reporting laws, holding clergy legally accountable for reporting child abuse.
Currently, under California law, “a clergy member who acquires knowledge of or a reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect during a penitential communication” is not subject to mandatory reporting laws. SB 360 will cut out this exemption when clergy or other church employees confess to child abuse, requiring clergy to protect abused children in their care.
This bill passed out of its Senate committee and is now headed to the full Senate for a vote. Please use our system to connect with your senator and ask that they vote yes on SB 360.
More »ACT NOW: Alabama’s not done turning back the clock on civil liberties
The Alabama Legislature is fast-tracking a bill that would allow state-funded public schools to indoctrinate students as early as sixth grade with bible classes. We need your help to stop this bill in its tracks.
SB 14 is part of Project Blitz, the Christian fundamentalists’ nationwide legislative push to inject state legislatures with a whole host of religious bills. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties — those things we most cherish about our democracy and must tirelessly defend.
While politicians often claim that these laws are intended to teach the bible in the context of U.S. history, we know their true agenda is to abuse their access to young and impressionable children and indoctrinate them with religious orthodoxy. Public school bible classes have been tried across the country and have invariably ended up unconstitutionally promoting religion. Click here to learn more.
This bill has already passed the Alabama Senate and the House Committee on Education Policy and is headed to the full House for a vote. Please use our automated system to ask your representative to vote no on SB 14.
More »Please encourage Gov. Mills to sign two good bills
Amidst a wave of bad bills around the country, it is refreshing to see several good bills land on the desk of Gov. Janet Mills. The Freedom From Religion Foundation commends the Maine legislature for advancing these bills, but we need your help to ensure that Gov. Mills gives the bills the final go-ahead to become laws.
The first bill, L.D. 1025 (H.P. 755), would protect LGBTQ minors in Maine from the barbaric religious treatment deceitfully known as “conversion therapy.” Conversion therapy is a dangerous and discredited practice aimed at altering a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, often basing the “therapy” in religious shame and guilt. Many governmental health organizations have denounced the practice as both physically and psychologically traumatizing. Individuals who endure this so-called treatment are at a higher risk for suicide and depression. Read more.
The second bill, L.D. 820 (H.P. 594), would end insurance discrimination against pregnant women in Maine. Currently, insurance providers are allowed to refuse to pay for treatment based on their religious bias, and this bill would require insurance providers to fund whatever procedure the insured decides to pursue, including abortion. The president of FFRF’s Maine chapter, Tom Waddell, testified in support of this bill earlier this year.
Though seemingly unrelated, both of these bills help to stop dangerous religiously motivated harm to Maine residents. Please use our automated system to urge Gov. Mills to sign both of these bills.
More »URGENT: Tell Alabama gov to veto abortion ban
The Alabama Senate just passed the most restrictive abortion bill since pre-Roe v. Wade. The bill, which amounts to a near total abortion ban with no exception for rape or incest, is now on the governor’s desk. We need you to speak out now.
The right to choose abortion is in more danger than ever. This bill, which would make performing abortion punishable by up to 99 years in prison, is part of the Religious Right’s plot to undermine abortion rights at the Supreme Court. Since Justice Brett Kavanaugh replaced pro-choice Justice Anthony Kennedy last year, anti-choice activists are inching closer and closer to achieving their goal of a post-Roe world.
With Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey expected to sign this bill soon, it is absolutely critical that you speak out in opposition to this harmful attack on abortion rights in Alabama. The governor’s office tallies the calls and contacts received in opposition and support of controversial issues, and it is essential that pro-choice Alabamians make your voice heard so Ivey cannot claim a mandate.
Ways to take action:
1. Please use our simple, automated system to call the governor’s office. Calling is the best way to claim attention. Click on the red “Take Action!” button below, choose the phone icon and follow the prompt. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
2. E-mail the governor’s office. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
3. Contact Gov. Ivey via social media to share your opposition to this bill publicly.
More »Join the movement to pass the Equality Act today!
Currently, 30 states have no anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans. At every turn, the Religious Right is exploiting this loophole that exists in current federal civil rights legislation to achieve its vision of so-called religious liberty — the unfettered ability to discriminate under the guise of freedom of conscience.
The House of Representatives is slated to vote this week on the Equality Act, landmark legislation to close this loophole and ensure that the Religious Right can no longer weaponize religious liberty to neglect the civil rights of LGBTQ Americans.
From the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision, which considers businesses denying service to customers based on their sexual orientation, to the newly announced Department of Health and Human Services rules that allow doctors, pharmacists and and other professionals to deny care to patients because of their “sincerely held religious beliefs,” the rights of LGBTQ Americans are under attack by the Religious Right. We need your help to fight back.
Please use our simple, automated system and urge your legislators to support the Equality Act, also known as H.R. 2282 in the House and S. 1006 in the Senate. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided below.
More »Resist Wisconsin’s full-blown legislative assault on abortion
Four anti-choice bills have been introduced by the Wisconsin Legislature, intended to restrict or effectively eliminate access to abortion care in the Badger State. These four bills passed out of committee yesterday and are expected to be voted on in the Assembly next week. We are asking you to take action now.
The first, Assembly Bill 181, cuts Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, despite the fact that federal law already prohibits spending Medicaid money to pay for abortions.
Assembly Bill 180 requires medical providers to tell women seeking a drug-induced abortion that it can be reversed mid-procedure, despite the medical evidence that this isn’t always true.
Assembly Bill 179 requires health care providers to care for a fetus that is “born alive” during an abortion or face a $10,000 fine and up to six years in prison.
Finally, Assembly Bill 182 makes it illegal to abort a fetus based on gender, race and fetal abnormalities or defects.
These bills are all solutions in search of a problem, but the Legislature’s motives are clear. This orchestrated attack on Wisconsin women is yet another callous attempt to undermine women’s reproductive autonomy and restrict their right to make personal, private medical decisions for themselves.
Nearly all of the organized opposition to abortion comes from religious beliefs about life beginning at conception. FFRF has debunked the myth that the bible prohibits abortion, although that is irrelevant. Religious beliefs about abortion, or anything else for that matter, cannot be the foundation of our secular laws.
Please contact your senator and assemblyperson now to urge them to vote no on these anti-choice proposals. Even if you know how your legislator will vote, their offices count opposition and it prohibits them from claiming a public mandate on the issue. It is vital that they hear from you on this issue. Click on the red “Take Action!” button below. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »URGENT: Tell San Jacinto commissioners to remove courthouse crosses
Tomorrow, May 8, the San Jacinto Commissioners are holding a meeting to decide whether or not to respond to FFRF’s complaint about the four large crosses displayed on the county courthouse. A concerned Coldspring resident reported to FFRF that San Jacinto County has the crosses up all year round and even lights the crosses during the holiday season. FFRF Legal Fellow Chris Line wrote to the county and urged them to remove the crosses immediately.
The Latin cross is undeniably the pre-eminent symbol of Christianity, and the county’s permanent display of such religious iconography is unconstitutional. As Chris Line wrote, “No secular purpose detracts from the overall message that the Latin cross stands for Christianity and that the display promotes Christianity.” Click here to read local coverage.
The crosses not only create the undeniable image of government preference of Christianity, but also convey the message to Americans who are not Christian, including the growing 24 percent who are not religious at all, that they are outsiders their own community.
Please contact the county commissioners and urge them to take down the crosses and not expose taxpayers to expensive and unnecessary legal liability by ignoring this request. Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided below.
County Commissioners’ Contact Information:
Laddie McAnally (936) 653-5045
Donny Marrs (936) 628-3267
David Brandon (281) 592-1109
Mark Nettuno (936) 377-2481
TALKING POINTS
As a local constituent, I am urging you to remove the four crosses from the front of the San Jacinto Courthouse. The crosses indisputably amount to an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion. They do not represent me or the growing number of nonreligious and non-Christian Americans.
Please do not open the county’s taxpayers up to expensive legal liability by ignoring the request to remove these crosses. Thank you for your time.
URGENT: OPPOSE bill putting MO state/church plaintiffs in danger
A Missouri House bill, HB 728, would threaten the safety and well-being of plaintiffs involved in state/church separation cases by requiring them to reveal their identity — even in instances where they are the recipients of violent threats. This bill has already passed the Missouri House and we need your help to stop it.
Oftentimes, if FFRF or a similar organization takes a case, we file a protective order to keep the complainants’ identity secret to protect them from retaliation and threats of violence within his or her community. A judge is able to balance the interest of the public right to know the identity of the plaintiff with the potential dangers to that person. HB 728 requires that “the name of the real party in interest” be used “in any action arising under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or under Article I, Section 5 or 7 of the Constitution of Missouri,” unless the party is a minor.
This is a blatant attempt to deter citizens from holding truth to power and filing suit against the Missouri government for state/church violations. It also will, in no uncertain terms, put plaintiffs in danger. At FFRF, we have seen firsthand that it is common for those who sound the alarm on state/church violations to be subject to ridicule, ostracization, bullying and threats of violence. FFRF Staff Attorney Ryan Jayne made this clear in his testimony to the House in February, but it passed the bill anyway.
The Missouri Senate Committee on Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence will discuss this bill at its hearing on Monday, May 6, at 2 p.m. at the Capitol. If you are able to attend the hearing to show local opposition to this dangerous bill, please show up.
Please use our automated system to ask the Missouri House Judiciary Committee to oppose this bill and continue to allow judges to protect plaintiffs from violence and vitriol in cases where it is deemed necessary. Click on the red “Take Action!” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Please attend Mo. House hearing on “In God We Trust” bill
The Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow, April 30, on HB 577, the dangerous Project Blitz bill that would require public schools display “In God We Trust” in a “prominent location.” We need your help to ensure that young, impressionable students aren’t subject to religious proselytization.
HB 577 is part of the nationwide legislative push called Project Blitz, which seeks to inject state legislatures across the country with a whole host of religious bills. It is an unvarnished attack on American secularism and civil liberties, imposing the theocratic view of a powerful few on We The People. “In God We Trust” is inaccurate, exclusionary and aimed at brainwashing American schoolchildren into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
We know you received an action alert on this last week, but Missouri schools are in trouble and we need your help today. If you can, please call. If you cannot call, please email. It is that important.
If you are able, please attend the public hearing TOMORROW Tuesday, April 30 at 9 a.m. in House Hearing Room 5 at the Capitol building in Jefferson City and speak out in opposition to HB 577. Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points below.
More »Please support inclusive textbooks in Illinois public schools
The Illinois Legislature is considering a good bill to ensure that public school textbooks are inclusive and non-discriminatory, and it needs to hear your support.
HB 246 specifies that all approved textbooks must be “non-discriminatory as to any of the characteristics under the Illinois Human Rights Act.” This bill prevents the omission of LGBTQ individuals, along with many other groups whose contributions are often neglected.
Ensuring representative and non-discriminatory material in textbooks is a critical component to safeguarding secular public education. Fortunately, this bill has already passed the Illinois House of Representatives and will soon be reviewed by the Senate Education Committee. The Illinois Senate makes it simple to register your support or opposition to bills. Click on the link provided below and fill out the form provided to voice your support for HB 246. If you would like to add talking points, feel free to use or adapt the ones provided below.
TALKING POINTS
As an Illinois constituent, I support HB 246, which ensures that protected groups are not erased from our public schools’ textbooks.
This bill is a positive step in safeguarding quality, inclusive and secular public education. I encourage the Senate Education Committee to vote in favor of HB 246.
More »
