Action Alert Archive
URGENT: Oppose Okla. “Day of Prayer”
After months of downplaying COVID-19 and refusing to implement a mask mandate to curb its spread, Gov. Kevin Stitt is now calling on citizens to “fast and pray” for victims of the pandemic.
Tell Gov. Stitt that establishing an “Oklahoma Day of Fasting and Prayer” is an unacceptable religious use of his public office and to instead embrace science and reason-based policy to combat the pandemic.
Not only is it an abuse of power for Stitt to use his public office to promote his personal religion, it is unnecessary and divisive at a time when we need to come together to combat this public health crisis.
Click on the red “Take Action” link below to use our automated system to call or email Stitt’s office to oppose his prayer proclamation. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most effective. For best results, be concise and polite.
More »URGENT: Pass the ROE Act in Massachusetts!
The Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering Amendment 759, which would remove medically unnecessary barriers to abortion care and improve access for reproductive health care throughout the state. Please tell the Senate Ways and Means Committee to include Amendment 759 — known as the ROE Act — in the final budget.
The amendment would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to make their own reproductive health decisions without court intervention. Furthermore, Amendment 759 provides care for later pregnancies in cases of lethal fetal diagnosis.
Read FFRF's official testimony.
As a secular nation, our laws related to health care, including reproductive health care, should reflect science. Amendment 759 is a bold and important step toward providing medically accurate and science-based reproductive health care for the women of Massachusetts.
Please contact Michael Rodrigues, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, and urge him to ensure that Amendment 759 remains in the final budget.
More »National State/Church Call-In Day: Stop Judge Barrett!
As you know, the U.S. Senate is rushing to confirm Amy Coney Barrett, an ideologue who would threaten the separation of state and church, for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is co-hosting a National State/Church Call-In Day today! Please call your senators and ask them to oppose this confirmation!
Barrett, a Christian Nationalist, is a dangerous choice because she believes that the government can, and indeed must, promote religion. Her confirmation to the court would give this fringe view a clear majority.
She has shown support for the argument that employers, based on their religious beliefs, can deny required benefits like birth control coverage. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she voted to exempt religious organizations from bans on large gatherings. She has criticized long-standing precedent that prevents public schools from forcing prayer on students.
The separation of church and state is at risk. We need our high court to protect the rights of everyone. We should only confirm a justice whose record demonstrates she will respect this fundamental First Amendment principle.
Barrett’s personal religious beliefs aren’t relevant. Her position on the separation of state and church is. And unfortunately for all Americans, that position appears to be open hostility. Read FFRF’s full report here.
Please take action — call your senators and ask them to oppose the confirmation of Barrett today!
More »VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Help FFRF stop Barrett
Many of you have contacted FFRF to say you want to do more to stop the confirmation process of Amy Coney Barrett. FFRF supporters already have made hundreds of phone calls and sent thousands of emails to Senate offices, so we have another option for you: Making Patch-Through Calls, working with one of our allied partners: National Equality Action Team - NEAT.
To sign up: go here.
If you join this program, you’ll automatically be able to call favorable constituents in critical states (North Carolina, Iowa, Maine etc.), explain why Barrett must be stopped, then immediately and automatically connect the constituent with their senators’ offices. It’s just like phone banking that many of you have done before, and it allows citizens to take direct and immediate action.
Once you have signed up for a shift, NEAT will send you more information via email about online training, which takes about 20 minutes to complete. You’ll learn how to use the auto dialer and scripts for the campaign. After you have completed the training, NEAT will send you the log-in information for the autodialer. NEAT also has a telephone number you can call or text if you need help during this process.
This is one of the most effective advocacy tools you can use. Senate offices pay close attention to phone calls. You can help motivate and inspire fellow citizens to take an easy and effective action to make sure all of our voices are heard during the Supreme Court nomination.
Can you join this campaign? If so, go here.
P.S. You will be working with NEAT, an allied organization. This is not a project FFRF is managing, but we are helping to sponsor and promote it.
More »Vets & ‘atheists in foxholes’ only: Tell Dept. of Defense to stay secular
NOTE: This action alert is only for U.S. veterans, active military members or employees of the Department of Defense. Everyone else, please disregard — unless you can forward to a nonbelieving vet or military member.
The Department of Defense has requested input on how the U.S. military can improve in terms of “diversity and inclusion in the armed forces.” Please consider taking a moment to share your experience as a nonreligious service member and any thoughts you have on how the military could do better to accommodate nonbelievers and to keep our military secular.
Following national protests against systemic racism, the Department of Defense announced a multistep process to address diversity and inclusion concerns. The first step is an anonymous “crowdsourcing” brainstorm of the problem and possible solutions, conducted by the DoD Board on Inclusion and Diversity. We urge you to participate in this process now, as the deadline for comments is next week. Please tell the board that in addition to addressing racial inequality, it should take the opportunity to address any instances of the military unconstitutionally promoting religion that you may have encountered.There are two ways to submit comments to the Board on Inclusion and Diversity:
First, it has set up a website for this purpose, which you can access here.
NOTE: You must enter your Common Access Card (CAC) number in order to comment. The Defense Department promises that comments will be anonymous, although FFRF cannot independently verify that this promise will be kept.
Second, if you are uncomfortable with the above method but are eligible to submit a comment, send your comment to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will compile comments received and submit them to the Board without any identifying information. All comments must be received by the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 14, to ensure we can forward them to the board.
More information about this effort is available here. Thank you for taking the time to stand up for “atheists in foxholes” and for helping to uphold our secular Constitution.
More »Action Alert! Nominee Barrett will end same-sex marriage, sees law as tool to “build Kingdom of God”
If Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court, it initiates the final stage of a Christian Nationalist takeover of the high court. A supermajority will be free to undo so many of our hard-won rights.
Barrett is an immediate threat to same-sex marriage across the country. Just this week, multiple Supreme Court justices openly stated their willingness to overturn the court’s 2015 decision on same-sex marriage, Obergefell v. Hodges. Barrett is on the record, during a 2016 lecture, criticizing this landmark decision. She praised the feverish dissent of Chief Justice John Roberts, and will surely join him in overturning Obergefell at the first opportunity.
To protect this hard-fought right and so many others, it is essential that Americans stand up and oppose the confirmation of this Christian Nationalist nominee.
Barrett’s short tenure on the 7th Circuit has been marked by decisions that confirm she is a religious ideologue and judicial activist. She has proven hostile to abortion access, has expressed her view that the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade and the Affordable Care Act (stripping health care potentially from millions of Americans) and has supported the Christian Nationalist’s supremely cruel crusade against immigration. Barrett has stated publicly that she believes public schools can impose prayer on students and that her job as a lawyer is to “build the Kingdom of God.”
Read FFRF’s full report on Amy Coney Barrett.
This religious zealotry and blatant disregard for our secular Constitution disqualifies her from service on the Supreme Court. It is all on the line. Now is the time to speak up.
Protest the rush to hold hearings during the election process and tell your senators to oppose the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most effective.
More »Louisianans: Vote “No” on Louisiana Amendment 1
The Freedom From Religion Foundation urges you to vote “no” on Louisiana Amendment 1 on the November election ballot. Louisiana Amendment 1 is an anti-science, anti-woman measure that would leave women in the state seeking abortion without any legal support. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion would then become automatically illegal in Louisiana.
Efforts to pass Louisiana Amendment 1 have received strong support from religious organizations, including Louisiana Baptists, the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Louisiana District Council of the Assemblies of God, which have encouraged their churches and ministries to advocate on behalf of this amendment.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation urges you to reject this demand by religious groups to dictate and deny women’s health care by voting “no” on Louisiana Amendment 1. Stand up for science, reproductive health care, and the separation of state and church by voting “No” on Louisiana Amendment 1 on the November ballot.
MORE INFO:
A secular nation’s reproductive laws should be rooted in evidence-based science, not religion. And the evidence shows that abortions are extremely safe. In fact, risk of major complications related to abortions is less than 1 percent. A 2020 study found that 99 percent of women who received an abortion did not regret their decision. In fact, a recent study found that women denied an abortion reported significantly higher anxiety symptoms and lower self-esteem and life satisfaction levels than women who received abortion care. Seventy-five percent of Americans say they want to keep in place the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade, and most Americans expect abortion to be legal in the next 30 years.
More »Coloradoans: Vote “No” on Proposition 115
The Freedom From Religion Foundation urges Coloradoans to vote “no” on Proposition 115 on the November election ballot. Proposition 115 is an anti-science, anti-woman measure that would prohibit abortions after 22 weeks gestation with only very narrow exceptions.
Efforts to pass Proposition 115 have received strong support from the Catholic Church. Colorado Springs Bishop Michael J. Sheridan, Pueblo Bishop Stephen J. Berg, and Auxiliary Bishop of Denver Jorge Rodriguez have said that Proposition 115 is one of “the most important political objectives of Colorado Catholics.”
Meanwhile, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, an organization consisting of diverse religious groups that works toward human rights, equality, and opportunity for all, has issued a letter condemning Proposition 115. In the letter, nearly 130 faith leaders derided religious groups that “use their interpretation of their religion as a justification” to infringe on the rights of others, including abortion rights.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation agrees and urges Coloradoans to reject this invitation of religion to dictate women’s health care.
MORE INFO:
A secular nation’s reproductive laws should be rooted in evidence-based science, not religion. And the evidence shows that abortions after 22 weeks are extremely rare, making up just one percent of abortions. They are already difficult to obtain and require costly, multi-day treatment. The reasons for an abortion later in pregnancy can include medical concerns like fetal anomlies and to protect the health of the pregnant person.
Abortion is a nonreligious issue. A Pew Research Study found that 59 percent of Colorado residents believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, including 37 percent of Evangelical Protestants. However, a small but vocal group continue to create division on women’s health care. The organization behind the measure, Due Date Too Late, organized by the issues committee Coalition for Women and Children, joins many Christian Nationalist organizations in Colorado that seeks to codify their religious beliefs by denying crucial health care to women.
Stand up for science, reproductive health care, and the separation of state and church by voting “no” on Proposition 115 on the November election ballot.
More »URGENT: No confirmation until after inauguration!
President Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett — a religious fanatic and darling of the Religious Right — to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court would be a disaster for our nation’s future. This nomination is not only an insult to the memory of Ginsburg, who dedicated her life to equal justice under the law, but it is an overt act to erase everything she stood for.
Barrett’s confirmation would put everything at risk, including state/church separation, reproductive rights, environmental protection and LGBTQ equality. We have no time to waste. Please contact your senators immediately to oppose Barrett’s confirmation.
Read FFRF’s full statement on why Barrett, if confirmed, would complete the Christian Nationalist takeover of the high court for more than a generation.
WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
- Email and call your senators. Please feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages and phone calls are always the most effective.
- Share information about Barrett’s record and about what’s at stake on social media.
- Urge five people you know to also call their senators to oppose this confirmation.
- Support the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Join if you are not currently a member; if you are, please consider a donation to FFRF’s Legal Fund.
Will your senator will be decisive in SCOTUS vote?
Your senator may play a decisive role in the vote on a nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. We believe with sustained pressure, the senators listed below can be swayed to delay the confirmation until after the inauguration. If you are a constituent of theirs, please click on their name to be connected to their offices.
The loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg from the Supreme Court puts everything we are working for at risk. Our right to a secular government. Environmental justice. Abortion rights. LGBTQ equality. Everything is on the line — and we cannot let up pressure now.
Many senators have already pledged to vote for a nominee before one has even been named — a complete abdication of their duty to vet the nominee before the person is appointed to a lifetime seat on our nation’s highest court. These senators need to hear from their constituents that this flagrant disregard for their responsibility to the American people will not go unanswered.
All legislative offices keep a tally of calls they receive on every issue. Calling and making your position known does make a difference. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most impactful way to reach your lawmakers.
TAKE ACTION!
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue
More »Take Action! Call senators to postpone SCOTUS vote
Our right to a secular government. Reproductive freedom. Racial justice. LGBTQ equality. The survival of our environment. Our health care. All of this — and so much more — is on the line.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to go forward with a confirmation hearing to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg shortly after news of her death on Friday. We must fight back.
Voters across the country have already started casting their ballots to determine who will nominate a justice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. Voters are energized and know what’s at stake. The Senate needs to let the people decide and not consider a SCOTUS nominee until after the inauguration.
Please call your senators today to demand that a new justice not be confirmed until after the inauguration in 2021. Please call — calls are more effective than emails.
This is a fight we can win. But we must keep up sustained pressure. If you’ve emailed your senators, give them a call today. If you’ve already called, call again and reiterate your demand. There is too much at stake to sit this one out.
All legislative offices keep a tally of calls they receive on every issue. Calling and making your position known does make a difference. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most impactful way to reach your lawmakers. If the phone lines are busy, try looking up the phone numbers of your senators' local offices and call there. (Our automated system cannot currently provide these numbers.)
More »Call your senators: No new SCOTUS appointment before inauguration
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death is an incalculable loss for our country. Her work and advocacy as an attorney charted the path for gender-based civil rights litigation. As a Supreme Court justice, she remained a stalwart defender of the separation of state and church.
To preserve RBG’s outsized legacy, we cannot allow the Senate to rush through her replacement before 2021, even more so when Americans across the country have already started voting on who will nominate the next justice.
Please call your senators to demand that a new justice not be nominated and confirmed until after the inauguration in 2021.
Turn the collective sorrow we feel at the loss of this champion into activism. Harness your dismay and do what RBG always did, what she never stopped doing: Fight. Fight like your rights depend on it. Fight like your country depends on it. Everything is at stake. Our right to a secular government. Roe v. Wade. Racial equality. LGBTQ equality. Our Earth. Our health care. Our health care is at risk in the middle of a pandemic that has killed 200,000 Americans.
Call both your senators right now to tell them not to vote on a replacement for RBG before the election. If your senators have announced their intent to do the right thing, call to thank them, tell them to stand strong, tell them to do more. Tell them to delay. Thank you!
More »Tell your Senators: Pass the Scientific Integrity Act
When the House of Representatives passed the third COVID-19 relief bill (HEROES Act) in May, it included a critical bipartisan provision called The Scientific Integrity Act. Unfortunately, that relief bill is dead in the Senate. So we need your help to pass S. 775, the Scientific Integrity Act.
This act would shield government scientists and their work from political influence. The legislation makes it more likely that the experts who work on our behalf can investigate public health and environmental threats and share their work directly and honestly with the American people.
Read more on the Scientific Integrity Act.
The importance of legislation that protects the independence of scientific research has never been more apparent. Please take a few moments to contact your U.S. senators and urge them to support the Scientific Integrity Act (S. 775).
More »Take Action! Tell Vt. lawmakers to pass reproductive health care bill
The Vermont Legislature is currently considering a bill that would advance reproductive health care in the state.
Can you take a few moments to contact your state lawmakers and urge them to support H. 663, which will increase access to contraceptives in health insurance programs and in educational settings?
Given the alarming growth in religiously affiliated medical services in the United States, it is crucial that the government protect and expand access to essential reproductive health care services.
If passed, H. 663 would ensure that initiatives to provide coverage for outpatient contraceptive and birth control services, including voluntary sterilizations, would be implemented consistently across insurance plans, including Medicaid, in Vermont. Additionally, H. 663 would require school districts to make condoms freely available to students in secondary schools.
Read FFRF’s testimony to the House Committee on Human Services in favor of H. 663.
Click on the red “Take Action” link below to use our automated system to contact your Vermont legislators. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. For the most impactful message, personalize the note.
More »Take action! Oppose theocratic judicial nominee
The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote later this week on the nomination of Toby Crouse to be a federal judge in Kansas. If confirmed, Crouse will be a federal judge for life. Please take a moment to tell the members of the committee to oppose Crouse’s nomination.
Crouse has a disturbing history that includes defending discrimination toward LGBTQ by Christian businesses, fighting against contraceptive care for women, supporting religious exemptions to general laws regarding the pandemic and supporting Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s voter suppression efforts, all while serving as solicitor general of the state of Kansas.
MORE INFORMATION
While serving as Kansas solicitor general, Crouse has been consistently on the wrong side of cases while influencing litigation on behalf of the state. These cases show a clear pattern of disparagement of the principles of state/church separation and equal treatment while promoting favoritism toward members of the religious majority. There is no reason to think that Crouse would set his biases aside when ruling on similar cases from the bench.
In Arlene’s Flowers Inc. v. Washington, Crouse’s office joined a brief defending a discriminatory florist who refused service to an engaged couple simply because they are gay. The florist cited a religious objection to gay people getting married.
In Little Sisters of the Poor St. Peters & Paul Home v. Pennsylvania, Crouse signed Kansas onto a brief defending a government action designed to allow businesses to deny contraceptive care to their employees based on the employer's absurd claim that filling out a one-page exemption violates religious beliefs.
Earlier this year, Crouse’s office argued that churches must be exempted from bans on large gatherings because of religious freedom, even though such an exemption threatens the health of the entire public. This unworkable and dangerous standard shows a badly unbalanced view of religious liberty compared to all other rights, including the rights of others to be safe.
While working in private practice, Crouse defended Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach against challenges to his efforts to restrict Kansas voters from participating in the voting process. After becoming solicitor general, Crouse continued to work to oppose voter rights and to promote voter suppression. As FFRF has argued before, ensuring robust voter rights is a secular issue. Secular voters sharply increased their share of the U.S. electorate in recent elections, and that trend must continue in order to stem the tide of Christian Nationalism and to support a strong separation between state and church.
Please help FFRF oppose the confirmation of this Christian Nationalist-style nominee by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Click on the red "Take Action" link below to use our automated system and our suggested talking points below. For the biggest impact, write your own succinct and courteous talking points.
More »Take Action! Religious tradition is no justification for violating human rights
The Congressional Freethought Caucus — a group of U.S. representatives fighting for secular values on Capitol Hill — endorsed a critical piece of legislation last week.
The Stop FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) Act would expand the scope of current anti-female genital mutilation laws in the United States. Crucially, the bill specifically states that performing this procedure as part of a custom or ritual provides no legal defense.
In addition to the traumatic and often lifelong physical and emotional pain this procedure inflicts, girls and women who have it inflicted upon them are at risk for dangerous infections and cysts. Infants born to women who’ve been forced to undergo the procedure have a higher risk of dying. The practice has no medical benefit and is based solely on barbaric religious or cultural traditions that have no place in modern American society. Regardless of religion or tradition, female genital mutilation is a violent and horrific human rights violation. The United States must be a leader in the global effort to outlaw and eradicate this barbaric practice.
Please contact your U.S. representative and urge them to co-sponsor the Stop FGM Act. Click on the red “Take Action” link below and follow the prompt provided to connect with your representative. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most effective way to reach your elected officials!
More »Tell Congress: Pass the Do No Harm Act
When the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in Bostock v. Clayton County in June, which upheld civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans, we celebrated the historic victory. But we also issued a dire warning: The court’s opinion left the door wide open for religion to be used as license to discriminate because of the infamous Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
Since then, the Supreme Court has allowed religious plaintiffs to use their religion to kick millions of women off birth control coverage, in defiance of the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate, and permitted them to skirt civil rights employment protections with impunity.
When it was passed into law nearly 30 years ago, it was hoped that RFRA would 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.
Please take a few minutes to contact your lawmakers and urge them to pass the Do No Harm Act. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points below. Personalized messages are always the most impactful!
More »Sign the petition: Slain Indian freethinkers (including FFRF honoree) need justice
Seven years after Indian freethinker and FFRF honoree Narendra Dabholkar was murdered by Hindu extremists, the investigation into this crime has stalled. Three other rationalists have been murdered quite certainly by the same Hindu fundamentalist group and still the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation has taken no swift action.
It only takes a moment to add your name — and signatures from outside of the country make a huge difference, spotlighting the international implications of this case.
Dabholkar founded Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), an organization dedicated to fighting superstition and spreading rationalism in India. MANS was last year’s recipient of FFRF’s Avijit Roy Courage Award in memory of Dabholkar. Dabholkar, a medical doctor by training, spent more than 20 years as the face of the rationalist movement in India. The pressure that built after his heinous killing led to the passage of an anti-superstition bill in his home state of Maharashtra.
The Indian government needs to act immediately to bring to justice the masterminds behind these killings and protect other social activists from similar violence. Thank you!
More »Tell N.H. reps: Protect reproductive health care
New Hampshire Gov. Christopher T. Sununu vetoed H.B. 685, a bill requiring insurance plans that cover maternity benefits to provide coverage for emergency and elective abortion services. Called the Reproductive Health Parity Act, the bill would protect against barriers to abortion care access.
Despite the fact that it passed both the Senate and House, Sununu vetoed H.B. 685, claiming that it would "take away the freedom of choice for those employees and employers who object to being forced to partake in or provide abortion services."
The religious beliefs of individuals should not interfere with someone else's health care access and coverage. Please take a few minutes to contact your state lawmakers and insist that they override this veto. Click on the red “Take Action” link below. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most effective way to make an impact on your lawmakers.
More »Tell HUD: Don’t enable religious bigotry
A recently proposed rule by the Department of Housing and Urban Development would allow shelters to “establish a policy that places and accommodates individuals on the basis of their biological sex, without regard to their gender identity,” permitting explicit discrimination against transgender individuals.
HUD needs to hear overwhelming opposition to this inhumane policy, which panders to bigotry in the name of religious freedom.
Religion plays a major part in anti-transgender discrimination, as it does in many such historical patterns, FFRF underscores in its official comment opposing this proposed rule. The voices openly calling for the right to discriminate against transgender individuals almost invariably cite “religious freedom” as a justification. Catering to these bigoted demands not only endorses such discrimination, but also endorses a particularly vile religious belief in violation of our entirely secular Constitution’s requirement that religion and government remain separate.
Read FFRF’s full statement on the proposed rule.
HUD is accepting public comments on this proposal and it is imperative that we take action to make sure this doesn’t become law.
STEPS TO COMMENT:
Click on the red "Take action" link below, which goes to the official comment page.
You can also view the rule’s page here.
Fill out the corresponding comment form. We have provided suggested talking points below. Feel free to copy and paste the suggested message. Personalized comments are most influential.
Make sure your comment includes this RIN Number: 2506-AC53
SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS
I strongly oppose HUD’s proposed rule to permit housing shelters to discriminate based on gender identity. Not only is this a callous policy decision, it will jeopardize the health and safety of transgender homeless Americans — people who already face discrimination on multiple fronts and desperately need government support. One in five transgender persons in the United States has experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. This cruel HUD rule would only further compound such bigotry.
This rule is undeniably motivated by a distorted definition of religious privilege, which impermissibly places the weight of the government behind the oppressors rather than the oppressed, allowing shelters receiving federal funds to turn away an individual simply because they are transgender, or because a shelter worker thinks they might be transgender based on their appearance.
Do not allow federally funded agencies to discriminate based on a person’s gender identity. Do not allow this rule to become law.
More »ACTION: Vote for smallest possible “IGWT” on new Mississippi state flag
In June, the Mississippi Legislature finally voted to remove the Confederate battle flag from its state flag. Unfortunately, state lawmakers rammed through a provision that any new design must include the divisive religious phrase, “In God We Trust.”
The “Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag” is now considering five final designs and are asking people to cast their vote before the commission makes its final decision in November. Anyone can vote. Please take a few moments to cast your vote for Option 5, which has the smallest “In God We Trust.”
FFRF and Mississippi members actively protested the mandate requiring this exclusionary phrase on the new flag design. It unquestionably should not be included at all. But, if it has to be there, we should do all we can to make sure it’s as small and unobtrusive as possible.
More »TAKE ACTION: Tell your state rep to oppose bill favoring religious nonprofits
The California Assembly is considering a bill that unconstitutionally favors churches and religious nonprofits over secular nonprofits. Please take a moment to tell your representative to oppose this bill in its current form.
The bill, S.B. 899, would allow religious nonprofits to turn their land into low-income housing without going through environmental impact reviews and other regulations normally required for such a project. However, secular nonprofits are not offered the same streamlined process unless they are an “independent institution of higher education.” Giving legal preference to religious nonprofits over secular nonprofits violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the “No Preference” clause of the California Constitution.
S.B. 899 also lacks anti-discrimination provisions to protect those who eventually live in church-owned low-income housing. The state can and should require that any nonprofit taking advantage of this provision abide by anti-discrimination laws, including assurances that churches, as landlords, will not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
While it is commendable for California to incentivize nonprofits to utilize their extra land to provide much-needed low-income housing, it must do so in a way that does not give unconstitutional preference to religion over nonreligion, or allow for state-sanctioned discrimination.
Please use our automated system to contact your representative and ask them to oppose S.B. 899 unless it is amended to fix these two flaws. You can use our suggested wording below, but for better impact you should write your own message. For maximum effect, follow up your email with a phone call to your representative on this important matter.
More »Oppose ‘IGWT’ on Trinity County public property
The Trinity County Board of Supervisors recently voted to place “In God We Trust” in its public meeting room in Weaverville, Calif. After being contacted by constituents who oppose this, Supervisor Jeremy Brown has asked the board to reconsider this vote at its next meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Please contact the board and let them know your opposition to placing “In God We Trust” on a government building, asking them to ensure that Trinity County residents are not subject to government-sponsored proselytizing.
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.
Read FFRF’s letter to the board of supervisors opposing the “In God We Trust” display.
Click on the red “Take Action” link below to be connected to the Trinity County Board of Supervisors contact form. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points below. Personalized messages are always the most effective way to engage lawmakers!
TALKING POINTS
As an area resident, I urge the board to reconsider its previous vote and not display “In God We Trust” on its property. The motto is inaccurate and exclusionary. Not only is requiring this to be displayed on public buildings inappropriate as it violates the constitutional principle of state/church separation, the phrase itself is not representative of Trinity County community members, many of whom do not believe in the Christian god. Thank you for your time and attention to this concern!
More »
State/church victory in Massachusetts
You spoke — and your legislators listened.
Last month, we asked you to tell the Massachusetts Legislature to pass H. 4606, a bill seeking to outlaw female genital mutilation and allow survivors to bring civil action against perpetrators.
After many of you called and wrote your elected officials, we are happy to report that Gov. Charlie Baker has signed H. 4606 into law. Female genital mutilation is now illegal in Massachusetts. Crucially, the law specifically states that performing this procedure as part of a custom or ritual provides no legal defense. This is a huge win for state/church separation — and your support and action played a vital role.
We need to work further and end the misuse of religion to protect perpetrators of abuse and discrimination, but this victory is proof that making our secular voices heard is critical to effectively hold our lawmakers accountable.
Thank you for taking action!
More »Tell your reps: Murder of American citizen in Pakistan for blasphemy shows need to repeal barbaric laws
Pakistan’s horrific anti-blasphemy law has claimed another victim — this time an American citizen from Illinois. Please take a moment to urge your federal representatives to take a stand against blasphemy laws around the globe.
Last week, Tahir Ahmed Naseem was shot dead during a hearing regarding accusations that Naseem violated the country’s law prohibiting blasphemy. The killer reportedly confessed that he targeted Naseem because of his alleged blasphemy.
Pakistani’s blasphemy law carries the possibility of a death sentence, and Naseem’s murder is only the latest in a long line of deaths connected to this law. Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in conservative Muslim Pakistan, with unproven allegations leading to dozens of attacks since 1990.
In 2017, the Pakistani government sent text messages to millions of Pakistanis warning them against sharing "blasphemous" content online, with instructions on how to report blasphemous messages to the government. Instead of repealing its horrific blasphemy law, or at least condemning vigilante attacks connected to it, the government has encouraged civilians to take action to enforce the law.
Pakistan’s blasphemy law is not unique. Ireland only repealed its blasphemy ban in 2018, and many other countries still have similar bans on the books. Pakistan is merely one example showing why these laws have no place in a modern, free society.
Blasphemy is a victimless crime and, as Bertrand Russell said, “Every great idea starts out as blasphemy.”
For several years, Congress has failed to pass proposed bipartisan resolutions calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. Please take a moment to contact your elected representatives and ask them to protect the rights of freethinkers worldwide by condemning blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws.
More »Tell your rep: Remove Hyde Amendment from federal appropriations bill
Rep. Ayanna Pressley has just introduced a crucial proposal to remove the Hyde Amendment from a major federal appropriations bill and ensure that abortion care is accessible for all.
The Hyde Amendment, inserted decades ago by ultra-Catholic Rep. Henry J. Hyde, restricts federal funding for abortion, rendering women on Medicaid ineligible for abortion coverage even if the procedure is recommended by a doctor or if the pregnancy compromises the woman’s health.
Read more.
Hyde’s long history of anti-choice legislation was vocally driven by his fear of “God’s punishment.” He said:
“I believe in a merciful God, I believe in a just God, and I would be terrified at the thought of having to explain at the final judgment why I stood unmoved while Herod’s slaughter of the innocents was being reenacted here in my own country.”
This rule is plainly based on Hyde’s own dogmatic religious beliefs and abandons the safety and autonomy of some of the most vulnerable Americans. Please contact your representative and urge them to support Rep. Pressley’s amendment and remove the Hyde Amendment from the current appropriations bill.
More »Tell Gov. McMaster: NO taxpayer money for private schools
The S.C. governor’s office recently announced that of the $48 million of taxpayer funds that Congress entrusted to its discretion for COVID-related education relief as part of the CARES Act, it will be allocating $32 million to unaccountable, private (mostly religious) schools through a program called Safe Access to Flexible Education. At a time when underfunded public schools are grappling with the enormous pressure to teach kids safely this fall, it is unconscionable for South Carolina to divert this taxpayer money to private education.
Read FFRF’s statement for more information.
A circuit court judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking this transfer of money, BUT that could be overturned in court next week. Gov. Henry McMaster must hear the outrage from his constituents and taxpayers about this egregious violation of the separation between religion and government.
Please contact McMaster TODAY and tell him to follow South Carolina law and ensure this money goes only to secular public services.
WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
1. Click on the red “Take Action” link below to use our automated system to email or call McMaster’s office. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
2. Protest this on social media, making sure to tag the governor’s office.
3. Write a letter to the editor of your local South Carolina newspaper, calling out this neovoucher scheme.
More »Tell Nebraska lawmakers: VOTE NO on abortion ban
In the middle of a global pandemic and a national health care crisis, anti-choice politicians continue to push through cruel legislation banning abortion.
Yesterday, Nebraska L.B. 814 was pulled out of committee for consideration by the Senate. If passed, it would ban a procedure (known medically as dilation and evacuation or D&E) that is commonly used in second-trimester abortions. Doctors who perform this procedure would be punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
D&E procedures are evidence-based and medically preferred for second-trimester abortions. According to the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, D&E procedures result in the fewest complications.
The bill codifies into law beliefs not based on science or morality, but on religion and so-called holy books. The Christian Right has been and remains the primary opponent to women’s reproductive rights. Additionally, just like all similar bans before, politicians know this will be struck down in court. Certain lawmakers, however, continue to waste taxpayer time and money passing these bills just to score points with their religious base.
Please take a moment and demand that your state legislators vote “no” on this bill. Nebraska lawmakers are filibustering to kill this bill, and it is critical that they hear support from secular voices. Even if your state senator is anti-choice, they need to hear from opposing voices. Political offices keep a record of calls and emails received in support or opposition of each bill. Even when the Religious Right has a grip on political offices, it is critical that we don’t let them falsely claim a mandate on issues like this.
More »Tell Santa Rosa County: Keep ‘IGWT’ off official property
Santa Rosa County, Fla., is considering a proposal to adopt “In God We Trust” as the official county motto, adding the religious phrase to the county seal as well as every county vehicle and building. The commissioner advancing the proposal responded to a question about the exclusion of atheists by saying:
“I am keenly aware that it is impossible to do anything in my position that will be favored by everyone. My core values and beliefs stem from my faith, and my faith in Christ is what gets me through dark times.”
We need you to tell Santa Rosa County lawmakers that “In God We Trust” has no place on any county property, including buildings, vehicles or the official seal.
This proposal and others like it are thinly veiled attempts to peddle religiosity and equate patriotism with piety. They 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 Americans into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
The Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners has a meeting this Thursday, July 23. Please share your opposition by contacting the Board of Commissioners:
Mailing Address
6495 Caroline Street
Suite M
Milton, FL 32583
Phone
850-983-1877
Email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TALKING POINTS
As a local resident, I oppose the proposal to adopt “In God We Trust” as the official county motto and to place the religious phrase on the county’s official seal, vehicles, and buildings.
The motto “In God We Trust” is inaccurate, exclusionary and aimed at brainwashing Americans into believing that our nation is a theocracy. Not only is the proposal to include this on county property unnecessary, the phrase itself is not representative of Santa Rosa County citizens.
The board’s time would be better spent addressing any number of actual pressing issues in our county rather than pandering to the Religious Right and creating unnecessary rules that force religion on our citizens under the garb of patriotism. Please oppose this measure.
More »Tell lawmakers: Outlaw female genital mutilation in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Legislature is slated to pass a crucial bill (H. 4606) that will outlaw female genital mutilation and allow survivors to bring civil action against perpetrators. Crucially, the bill specifically states that performing this procedure as part of a custom or ritual provides no legal defense.
In addition to the traumatic and often lifelong physical and emotional pain this procedure inflicts on women, girls and women who have it are at risk for dangerous infections and cysts. Infants born to women who have had it have a higher risk of dying. The practice has no medical benefit and is based solely on barbaric religious traditions that have no place in modern American society. Regardless of religion or tradition, this practice is a violent and horrific human rights violation, and Massachusetts must not be complacent in allowing it to occur.
After a federal ban on female genital mutilation was recently declared unconstitutional, many states are banning the practice, and you can take action today to make sure Massachusetts is next on the list. Please contact your state senator and urge them to vote yes on H. 4606.
More »Tell your senators: Public money shouldn’t fund private (mostly religious) schools
The Trump administration is once again exploiting the current global crisis, using the next COVID-19 relief bill, to expand its school voucher agenda and subsidize religious schools.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has announced plans to divert taxpayer money to private (almostly exclusively religious) schools if public schools are not able to safely open for in-person education.
Congress must intervene to stop the Trump administration from taking advantage of the pandemic to defund our public education system at a time when public schools face huge expenditures to improve safety and access.
Please contact your senators TODAY and urge them to demand that the next COVID-19 relief package includes provisions to bar public money from going to private schools.
DeVos’ assault on public education, which she once referred to as a “dead end,” is rooted in her personal interest in promoting religious schools. This betrayal of the secular public school system was thoroughly aired during her confirmation hearing, but she was nevertheless confirmed by the same senators who are now considering giving her this sweeping power to undermine public school funding. Please help sound the alarm on this attempt to force American taxpayers to bankroll religious education.
WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
1. Click on the red “Take Action” link below to use our automated system to contact your senators today. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most impactful!
2. Contact your senators on social media and share your opposition to Trump and DeVos’ latest attempt to use the next COVID-19 relief bill to divert public funds to religious schools.
More »
Urge Rehoboth Beach officials to stand their ground against Knights of Columbus
In 2018, the city of Rehoboth Beach, Del., made the commendable decision to avoid the appearance of exclusionary religious preference by no longer allowing St. Edmond’s Church to place a Nativity scene prominently on public property.
The Knights of Columbus, a self-proclaimed “Catholic fraternal organization,” is now suing the city, alleging that it has the constitutional right to force the city to display and endorse its religious message. The city is under no obligation to allow private groups to erect unattended displays on public property, and it shouldn’t be compelled to by special interest religious groups.
Please take a few minutes to contact Rehoboth Beach Mayor Paul Kuhns and urge the city to continue to stand firm and protect the rights of all citizens. Rehoboth Beach is home to citizens with a wide variety of religious and nonreligious backgrounds. All of these residents should feel welcome in their community.
Contact Information for Mayor Paul Kuhns:
Mailing Address
Mayor Paul Kuhns
City of Rehoboth Beach
229 Rehoboth Avenue
P.O. Box 1163
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Phone Number
(302) 227-6181
Email Address
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Talking Points
As an area resident, I want to thank the city of Rehoboth Beach for its decision to stop allowing the display of a Nativity scene on public property. As a secular community member, it is essential to me that the government does not privilege religious groups and maintains a welcoming environment for all, regardless of religious beliefs. The city’s decision to not include a Nativity scene in its holiday display ensures that no group is privileged or excluded. I urge you to continue to stand in favor of inclusion and acceptance for all residents. Thank you for your time.
More »
URGENT! Ask TN gov to veto nation’s most restrictive abortion ban
In the middle of the night yesterday, the Tennessee Legislature passed one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the country, effectively outlawing the procedure in your state. Please contact Gov. Bill Lee and demand that he veto this unconstitutional bill.
S.B. 2196/H.B. 2263 criminalizes doctors who perform abortions after six weeks and restricts the reasons patients can seek an abortion. This bill also includes insidious language to restrict access at multiple points during the pregnancy, even when the courts inevitably find this six-week ban unconstitutional.
After weeks of ensuring constituents this abortion ban was not on the table for discussion this term, conservative lawmakers introduced and passed this 60-page bill in the midnight hours of Thursday night, in a closed Capitol, without any input from constituents. This anti-democratic act cannot go unprotested.
Six-week abortion bans, also commonly misrepresented as “heartbeat bills,” are a favorite of the anti-choice Religious Right, intended to outlaw abortion after an embryonic pulse (not heartbeat) can be detected (as early as five weeks). Most women do not even know they are pregnant that early, which is, of course, the point.
The bill codifies into law beliefs not based on science or morality, but on religion and so-called holy books. The Christian Right has been and remains the primary opponent to women’s reproductive rights. Indeed the “architect” of the “fetal heartbeat” bill runs an organization called “Faith2Action” which seeks to impose one religious viewpoint on all citizens.
Please take a moment and demand that Lee veto this bill. Regardless of the outcome, it is critical that he hears opposition to this measure from secular voices. Political offices keep a record of calls and emails received in support or opposition of each bill. Even when the Religious Right has a grip on political offices, it is critical that we don’t let them falsely claim a mandate on issues like this.
More »Tell Gov. Reeves to veto IGWT bill
Please tell Gov. Tate Reeves that “In God We Trust” has no place on an official state seal.
In March, we asked you to oppose S.B. 2131, a bill that would put “In God We Trust” on the Mississippi secretary of state’s official seal. Yesterday, the Legislature passed this bill and it’s headed to Reeves’ desk to be signed into law. Ask him to veto S.B. 2131.
This bill and others like it are thinly veiled attempts to peddle religiosity and equate patriotism with piety. They 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 Americans into believing that our nation is a theocracy.
Please use our simple, automated system to urge Reeves to veto S.B. 2131. Click on the red “Take Action” link and follow the prompt provided. Regardless of the outcome, it is critical that Reeves hears opposition to this measure from secular voices. Political offices keep a record of calls and emails received in support or opposition of each bill. Even when the Religious Right has a grip on political offices, it is critical that we don’t let them falsely claim a mandate on issues like this.
More »Tell Gov. Polis to approve bill removing religious favoritism in school vaccine law
Gov. Jared Polis will soon consider S.B. 20-163, a bill that aims to protect Colorado communities by making it more difficult to receive vaccine exemptions based on religious beliefs.
This bill has passed both chambers of the Colorado Legislature, and will be on Polis’ desk soon, so please take a moment today to speak in favor of requiring religious parents to follow the same vaccine rules as nonreligious parents. You can use or adapt our talking points below, or create your own.
MORE INFO
This bill would:
1) Require that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment develop a standardized form and submission process for those seeking a non-medical exemption to school vaccination requirements on the basis of religious or personal belief. This would oblige any person seeking a non-medical exemption to submit either a certificate of completion of an online education module, or a certificate of non-medical exemption that has been signed by an appropriate medical professional.
2) Require that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment annually evaluate, and if necessary update, the state’s immunization practices, including examining the best practices and guidelines recommended by the advisory committee on immunization practices.
3) Create a vaccinated-children standard where each school would have a student population vaccination goal of 95 percent. Additionally, this standard would require that schools annually publish and distribute to parents, legal guardians and students information on their vaccination and exemption rates.
4) Require medical professionals authorized to administer vaccinations to submit data on their immunization, medical exemption and non-medical exemption rates to the state’s immunization tracking system.
More »URGENT: Tell Gov. Reynolds to veto anti-abortion bill
In the final hours of the just-concluded legislative session, Iowa lawmakers passed an unnecessary and burdensome bill that will further inhibit abortion access in the state.
In the middle of the night on Saturday, the Iowa House added a waiting period provision onto an existing bill, and the Senate worked overnight to pass it into law just after 5 a.m. Sunday.
This so-called “waiting period” law will require patients seeking abortion services to visit a clinic for an unnecessary appointment 24 hours prior to their procedure. This means patients, many of whom must travel long distances to access services, must spend more time and money to access this constitutionally protected procedure. Additionally, adding this waiting period can delay abortion care, intensifying the risks associated with the procedure and drastically increasing its cost.
Laws intended to curb access to abortion of course clash with Supreme Court decisions that have recognized a woman’s right to choose, but they also restrict the personal decisions of all, based on the religious beliefs of the few. This is an abhorrent violation of our rights of conscience.
This last-minute maneuver to undermine reproductive freedom for Iowans cannot go unanswered. Please contact Gov. Kim Reynolds and urge her to veto this bill. Click on the red “Take Action” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
More »Tell Gov. Wolf to veto $7 million headed for Baptist coffers
Gov. Tom Wolf will soon consider a state budget that includes a huge handout to two churches. Fortunately, Wolf has the power to veto this misappropriation of taxpayer funds without vetoing the entire budget. We need lots of voices to make sure the governor sees this problem and fixes it.
Wolf could sign this budget momentarily, so please take a moment to help us protect your rights and those of other Pennsylvania taxpayers by contacting the governor today. You can use our suggested talking points below, or create your own.
MORE INFO
The Pennsylvania budget includes a $2 million allocation to Grace Baptist Church of Germantown, and another $5 million to Bible Way Baptist Church in West Philadelphia.
Although the $2 million in taxpayer funds for Grace Baptist Church are for a harmless-sounding “Community Center,” the church actually describes that “Christian center” as a “ministry” that regularly hosts bible studies among other programming. Public money will fund a ministry within a ministry.
Bible Way Church’s overtly religious “vision” is to use the church to “transfor[m] the Carroll and Cathedral Park Communities of West Philadelphia into Christian Communities.” Bible Way’s “purpose” is to “prepar[e] disciples to make an impact for the Kingdom of God everywhere! Matthew 28:19–20.”
The Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees that no one can “be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent.”
With customary wit, Benjamin Franklin explained that government support of religion reflects poorly on the churches: “When a Religion is good, I conceive that it will support itself; and when it cannot support itself, and God does not take care to support, so that its Professors are obliged to call for the help of the Civil Power, ’tis a Sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.”
Let the faithful voluntarily support their churches if they so choose. To involve the state in such personal decisions violates the religious liberty of all. Please help FFRF defend this bedrock American principle.
More »Tenn: Oppose four bad bills! And support one great bill!
The Tennessee Legislature is set to act on four awful bills, and one excellent one. We need your help to stop the Christian Nationalist legislative agenda and promote laws based on science and reason.
4 bad bills
The bad bills would:
1. Make the bible Tennessee’s official state book (SB2696/HB778).
2. Burden schools with unnecessary rules and require mandatory release time for religious classes. (SB2473/HB2542)
3. Punish gender transition as child abuse (SB2215/HB2576).
4. Ban transgender student athletes from sports (HB1572/SB2077).
All of these bills are rooted in conservative religious ideology and intended to elevate Christians to a favored status. FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor published an op-ed condemning the bible-as-the-state-book bill that contains many talking points and should be linked or sent to your legislators. The then-governor, Bill Haslam, vetoed a similar bill in 2016.
The mandatory release time bill is unnecessary and burdensome. It’s meant to encourage and promote the idea of release time — letting children leave class to get religious instruction. This always leads to bullying, division, peer pressure and other problems. This would also force schools to bus kids to and from the instruction (though the parents would have to reimburse the school for the cost).
The two anti-trans bills are bigotry rooted in religion — attempts to other-ize children and punish people who don’t fit into categories foisted on us by an ancient book of fairy tales.
1 good bill
The good bill that we want you to support is a comprehensive sex education bill (SB2583/HB2434) that would “provide students with medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education that teaches students about abstinence, contraception, consent and how to develop healthy relationships and communication skills.” Amen to that.
Please take a moment to contact your state lawmakers and make known your positions on this slate of bills. Click on the red “Take action” link below and follow the prompt provided. Feel free to use or adapt our talking points.
More »Oppose confirmation of unqualified ideologue to appeals court
Please take a moment to oppose the confirmation of an unqualified political ideologue, Cory Wilson, to a lifetime seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate hearing was Wednesday, May 20, and your senators are expected to vote on this nomination soon.
Wilson is a Mississippi state court judge, a position he has held for barely a year. He previously served in the Mississippi Statehouse, where his Christian Nationalist views and push to weaponize religious freedom brought him to the Trump administration’s attention. He approves giving broad religious-based exemptions to discriminate against others.
The 5th Circuit is one step below the Supreme Court and Wilson lacks the experience and temperament for such an important position.
For more details, read FFRF’s statement opposing Wilson.
Please use our fast and easy automated system to contact your senators and urge them to vote “NO” on Wilson’s confirmation. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always most effective.
More »Tell Congress: Stop bailing out churches
We need to ensure that public funding in a congressional COVID-19 relief bill goes to those suffering the severe impacts of the pandemic, instead of underwriting religious activity.
The House of Representatives is slated to pass the HEROES Act this week. The federal government needs to make certain that the constitutional rights of all Americans not to be taxed to support religion is not suspended during a national emergency. Tell your member of Congress to stop bailing out churches with COVID funds.
We know that thousands of unaccountable churches, whose supporters get a tax deduction and which themselves don’t have to publicly disclose their finances, have received COVID funds for explicitly religious purposes. America should not abandon our core values and permit the public funding of religion during the COVID emergency. We fear that allowing the direct funding of churches now will lead to the permanent public funding of religion in the future.
Tell your member of Congress to stop bailing out churches with COVID funds and say no to public funding for explicitly religious purposes.
Click on the red “Take Action” link below and follow the prompt provided. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are the most effective means of attracting the attention of your lawmakers! Don’t delay, the House of Representatives will take a vote on the HEROES Act THIS FRIDAY, May 15.
More »Tell your rep: We need a National Day of Reason, not Prayer
We urge you to join us in calling for a National Day of Reason as an alternative to the congressionally mandated National Day of Prayer.
Introduced by four members of the Freethought Caucus, H.R. 947 would designate May 7 a “National Day of Reason” and recognize the “central importance of reason in the betterment of humanity.”
Please take a moment to ask your representative to support House Resolution 947 establishing a National Day of Reason.
The resolution reads, in part:
Whereas irrationality, magical thinking, and superstition have undermined the national effort to combat the COVID–19 pandemic, and reason is fundamental to creating an effective coordinated response to beat the virus involving the federal government, the states, and the scientific and medical communities;
Whereas America’s Founders insisted upon the primacy of reason and knowledge in public life, and drafted the Constitution to prevent official establishment of religion and to protect freedom of thought, speech, and inquiry in civil society; …
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to invest in reason, science-driven public policy. Many politicians at all levels of government have invoked religion and prayer as a response to this public health crisis in lieu of real action. We need more reason and less prayer in the country; a National Day of Reason, not a National Day of Prayer.
Please use this opportunity to remind your lawmakers that reason and fact-based public policy form our only tenable path forward. Urge them to support H.R. 947. Click on the red “Take Action” link below and follow the prompt provided. Personalized messages are always the most effective!
More »Oppose confirmation of unqualified ideologue to D.C. Circuit Court
Please take a moment to oppose the confirmation of an unqualified political ideologue, Justin R. Walker, to a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Senate hearing is this Wednesday, May 6. It is unfortunate that the Trump administration continues to prioritize packing the federal courts even in these difficult times.
Walker currently sits on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. During his confirmation late last year, he was rated “unqualified” by the nonpartisan American Bar Association, which noted that Walker “lacked any significant trial experience.” Prior to his recent nomination to the circuit court, he had issued only five judicial opinions.
Last month, Walker issued an outrageously sectarian decision granting an emergency restraining order to allow large Christian church gatherings in the Louisville, Ky., area for Easter church services — despite the demonstrated risks of such gatherings spreading COVID-19. His 20-page order was rife with inflammatory language, bible quotes and false history, including the claim that the mayor of Louisville “criminalized the communal celebration of Easter” by including churches in social distancing restrictions on large crowds.
It is unconscionable that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is calling Congress back into session during this public health crisis not to provide relief for those impacted by COVID-19, but to confirm another hyperpartisan judge to carry out this administration’s anti-religious liberty agenda.
Please use our fast and easy automated system to contact your senators and urge them to vote no on Walker’s confirmation. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always most effective.
More »
Take action: Secular public education is at risk in Missouri
The Missouri Legislature is considering two problematic bills that threaten secular public education. Your lawmakers need to hear your opposition.
H.B. 2065, the “Show Me a Brighter Future Scholarship Program,” will give families a tax credit to send their children to private schools. This neo-voucher scheme diverts money away from the already underfunded public education system and puts the most vulnerable students at risk. Private schools, very often religious, are able to deny admission to students for any reason and skirt state-mandated civil rights protections for students. This bill would let them do so on the taxpayers’ dime with no government oversight.
H.B. 1345 allows school districts to offer elective social studies courses on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. 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 inherent bias in requiring classes only on a specific set of religious texts, public school bible classes across the country have invariably ended up unconstitutionally promoting religion.
Both of these bills have passed out of committee and are headed to the full House for a vote. Please urge your Missouri representative to vote no on H.B. 2065 and H.B. 1345 and to reject these theocratic efforts to undermine secular public education.
More »UTAH: Tell lawmakers to reject school voucher-like provision
The Utah Legislature has called a special session to approve a COVID-19 relief package that includes a troubling school neo-voucher provision undermining public education.
Please contact your lawmakers and ask that they not abuse the pandemic response to undercut public education and protections for students with disabilities.
This bill, H.B. 4003, dubiously titled the “Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program,” will give families a tax credit to send their children to private schools. This neo-voucher scheme diverts money away from the already underfunded public education system and puts the most vulnerable students at risk. Private schools, very often religious, are able to deny admission to students for any reason and skirt state-mandated protections for special needs students. This bill would let them do so on the taxpayers’ dime with no government oversight.
According to the Utah Education Association, 95 percent of Utah families choose public schools. Taxpayer dollars must continue to fund the schools that benefit the vast majority of Utah schools and are held to accountability and oversight standards.
Utah voters rejected vouchers by a wide margin (63 to 37) in 2007, and now the Legislature is trying to defy the will of We the People.
Please urge your lawmakers to vote no on H.B. 4003. Click on the red “Take Action” link below. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most impactful!
More »Ask your reps: How are you defending state/church separation during COVID-19?
Atheists are the most politically engaged demographic in the country. Your members of Congress are listening to you and other freethinkers. Right now, members of Congress are holding regular virtual town halls via social media or the telephone. The town halls are an excellent way for secular Americans to directly engage with your senators and representative.
Can you join their next town hall and engage your member of Congress?
Here’s what to do:
1. Sign up for your representative's email list, Twitter, or Facebook.
2. Monitor their communications and find out when their next town hall is (or check their office website for upcoming events).
3. Join the Town Hall and ask a question. For example:
I am a member of the Freedom from Religion Foundation and I want to ensure the separation of state and church. What are you doing to make sure that coronavirus funds are not being used for religious activities?
Let us know about your experience by reporting your experiences here.
Many of you are already engaging with your elected officials. The virtual town halls are a new opportunity where you can make sure your issues aren’t being brushed aside.
Please join your elected official’s next town hall and ask this question:
I am a member of the Freedom from Religion Foundation and I want to ensure the separation of state and church. What are you doing to make sure that coronavirus funds are not being used for religious activities?
More »Pressure your lawmakers to ensure accessibility of vote by mail
American secular voters are becoming a force. Secular voters sharply increased their share of the U.S. electorate to 17 percent by 2018: a massive 55 percent increase. The Freedom From Religion Foundation supports universal voting by mail because we want to see those numbers continue to climb. And that’s why we’re asking you to support it, too. After all, the nonreligious are 26 percent of the U.S. population, so we have secular muscle to flex.
Please contact your members of Congress and ask them to demand universal vote by mail in the next round of COVID stimulus funding. Doing so will save American lives. But vote by mail is also a secular issue for two basic reasons: It’s reasonable and it will help secular voters.
First, it is based on evidence, science, reason and compassion. These should be the basis for public policy. This will allow more people to vote, and to vote safely, even if this pandemic is still ongoing.
Second, we owe this to the next generation of freethinkers. Studies suggest that this will help younger voters cast ballots. Younger voters are largely secular. Nationally, 38 percent of younger Americans are nonreligious. This includes about 21 percent of younger Americans who are either atheist or agnostic.
The risks of universal vote by mail are not insurmountable, nor can they be compared to the risks of in-person voting during a deadly pandemic. Universal vote by mail will help secular voters. FFRF supports it. Please contact your members of Congress and ask them to support it too.
More »TAKE ACTION: Oppose HUD proposal to weaponize “religious liberty”
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is considering changes to the rules governing how it works with religious organizations. Under the guise of protecting “religious liberty,” this proposal would allow faith-based groups to receive federal funding for various housing programs without complying with nondiscrimination laws.
If this rule is implemented, it will mandate taxpayer-funded discrimination in the name of religious belief. For example, faith-based organizations receiving taxpayer funds through HUD would be allowed to turn away people in need because of a group’s religious objection to a person’s sexual orientation or single parenthood. By funding discrimination in the name of God, the government will be funding religion. The proposed rule also removes protections for HUD beneficiaries who are among society’s most vulnerable: the homeless, the disabled, the low-income elderly. Currently, those who participate in HUD programs can count on their government-funded provider to alert them of any religious affiliation and, if someone objects to receiving a government benefit from a religious organization, this organization must help to find an alternative provider. HUD is trying to remove both of these protections without even attempting to give a justification.
FFRF submitted its own comment opposing this rule today, which you can review here.
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because eight other federal agencies are in the process of implementing similar rules. In February, we asked you to oppose that rush of proposed regulations. Ben Carson’s HUD was late to the discrimination party, so now we are asking you to oppose this rule, as well.
Please take a few minutes to submit a comment on this proposed rule change. Unfortunately, due to the process by which the federal government accepts these public comments, this is not a process we can automate. But if you follow the steps below, we hope to simplify it as much as possible. And your comments count, and could be useful in future litigation as well!
STEPS TO COMMENT:
Click on the red "Take action" link below, which goes to the official comment page.
You can also view the rule’s page here.
Fill out the corresponding comment form. We have provided suggested talking points below. Feel free to copy and paste the suggested message. Personalized comments are most influential.
Make sure your comment includes this RIN Number: 2501-AD91.
All comments are due by Monday, April 13! The Trump administration released a rush of these rules at one time hoping to overwhelm us into inaction. It doesn't want you to comment in opposition, but we do. We must heed every opportunity to hold this theocratic administration accountable for degrading state/church separation.
Suggested talking points:
I strongly oppose HUD’s proposed rule because it unfairly favors taxpayer-funded religious organizations over the people that government programs are intended to help. Individuals shouldn’t be forced to sacrifice their religious freedom or civil rights in order to qualify for basic government-funded services.
The proposed rule will undermine access to critical services for some of society’s most vulnerable citizens, including housing for the elderly and people with disabilities. It removes beneficiary protections for no reason and allows faith-based providers to use their religious beliefs as an excuse to discriminate against recipients and their own employees, while receiving taxpayer funds.
This proposed rule is discriminatory and dangerous. In America, no one’s ability to get vital services should depend on whether they share the religious beliefs of government-funded organizations. Please withdraw this harmful rule in its entirety.
More »Tell DeSantis to rescind church exemption in gathering ban
Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a decision that will cause Floridians to die, because he wants to show how much he loves religion. We at FFRF are outraged — and you should be, too.
Please take a moment to tell DeSantis that churches cannot be exempt from bans on large gatherings.
Read FFRF’s letter to DeSantis here.
Even after the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent letters to the governors of all 50 states explaining that the U.S. Constitution requires that they include religious congregations in any ban on large gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis belatedly issued a prohibitory order that includes an exemption for churches. The church exemption even specifically overrides (or “pre-empts”) local rules to the contrary, meaning that your local officials cannot protect you even if they want to.
According to several news reports, DeSantis has exempted churches from the orders to pacify a few loud Christian Nationalists lamenting the lawful arrest of Rodney Howard-Browne, who had violated local rules prohibiting big crowds.
Allowing large church gatherings is not just a danger to congregants and their families. As we saw in South Korea, and are beginning to see all over the United States, one sizable group can lead to an explosion of infections throughout the entire community. The state of Florida has the ability — and an obligation — to prohibit all non-essential large gatherings. Exempting church services is unconstitutional, immoral and deadly.
Please use our automated system to contact DeSantis’ office to urge him to rescind this exemption. You can use our suggested talking points, but concise personalized messages are more effective.
More »URGENT! Tell Small Business Administration not to bail out churches
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is alarmed that the Small Business Administration will use the pandemic as an excuse to give a massive chunk of taxpayer funds to churches and other houses of worship.
As part of the federal government’s stimulus efforts to fight the coronavirus scourge and to protect American businesses, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is about to enact emergency regulations to determine which organizations will receive federal aid. Please tell the head of the SBA that you expect the constitutional separation between church and state to be followed, even in times of national emergencies, and that you do not want your tax dollars to be used, unconstitutionally, to aid churches or religion.
FFRF and other secular organizations have sent a letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza, expressing our concerns. We’ve asked SBA to follow its ordinary procedures by prohibiting any grants that would go to churches or houses of worship. Read this letter here. LINK
Please take a moment to file a formal comment about SBA’s emergency regulations. You can use the suggested talking points below, or write your own. Personalized, concise messages are the most effective.
You can email the SBA Administrator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or send a letter to:
U.S. Small Business Administration
409 3rd St. SW
Washington, D.C. 20416
TALKING POINTS
As a concerned taxpayer, I insist that my tax dollars be used only to fund secular businesses. In creating emergency regulations pursuant to the CARES Act, or any other form of relief during this time of crisis, please include provisions guaranteeing that funds will not be given to churches or houses of worship, or for any purposes that will advance religion.
We live in a secular democracy, founded on principles of religious liberty that require a healthy separation between state and church. This means that government funds must not be used to advance religion, even during a national emergency. Please respect this provision and only fund secular businesses. Thank you.
More »Tell Gov. Reeves to stop his religious proselytizing
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has repeatedly led prayers and bible studies on his social media page as a supposed means of addressing the coronavirus pandemic. Please take a few moments to tell the governor to stop exploiting our current public health crisis to promote religion from his elected office.
Reeves, in his official capacity, posted some days ago a highly religious message on his Facebook page that contained eight separate prayer requests to Mississippians. The next day, Reeves recorded a Facebook Live video asking Mississippians to pray to cope with the pandemic — and then led them in prayer. The Facebook Live video featured Reeves in front of the American and the Mississippian flags offering two prayers and conducting three readings from the bible. As the video concluded, he exhorted his constituents to “please continue to pray.”
FFRF promptly wrote a letter of complaint to Reeves, calling on him to cease his government proselytizing. He has since continued to post such videos.
While the governor is using taxpayer time to lead bible studies, he is also wielding his power to attempt to close the last remaining abortion clinic in the state.
As one FFRF complainant so eloquently stated:
In The Handmaid's Tale, Gilead was brought about under the cover of catastrophe. Between the continued bible readings by the governor and the threatened clinic closing, Gilead feels close. Mississippi was pretty much a theocracy before this, but he is using it to go all out.
As FFRF pointed out to the governor, he needs to remain cognizant that as the governor of Mississippi, he has taken an oath to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution — an entirely godless and secular document — and is charged with great responsibility over citizens, including those citizens who may not share his personal religious viewpoints. Endorsing religious messages on behalf of the governor’s office excludes these Mississippians, creating needless division along religious lines.
Please use our simple, automated system to ask Reeves to cease these videos and other unnecessary and exclusionary proselytizing. Adhering to a strict separation of church and state offends no one and honors the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Click on the red “Take Action” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. It is always a good idea to personalize your message if possible.
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