FFRF awards $17,950 in prize money to 2025 high school essay winners
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is proud to announce the disbursal of $17,950 in scholarship money to the winners of the 2025 William Schulz High School Essay Contest.
College-bound high school seniors were asked to write a personal persuasive essay based on this prompt: “To do good is my religion. Write a first-person essay that asserts why ‘doing good’ is not dependent on religious belief.”
FFRF awarded 11 top prizes and 10 honorable mentions. (FFRF seeks to distribute essay scholarship monies to a higher number of students, so ties — such as eighth place in this contest — are not regarded in the typical tie fashion, where, in this instance, ninth place would be skipped.)
Winners are listed below, including the college or university they are currently attending and the award amount.
FIRST PLACE
Shaurya Bhartia, UC-Berkeley, $3,500.
SECOND PLACE
Benjamin Meerson, UC-Berkeley, $3,000.
THIRD PLACE
Ian Klimox, Yale, $2,500
FOURTH PLACE
Patrick Le Febvre, University of Connecticut, $2,000.
FIFTH PLACE
Alice Giambalvo, Texas A&M, $1,500.
SIXTH PLACE
Noelle Kim, California Institute of Technology, $1,000.
SEVENTH PLACE
Dong En Wu, Marquette University, $750.
EIGHTH PLACE (tie)
Kiera Robinson, Nova Southeastern University, $500.
Kennedy Cordle, North Carolina A&T State University, $500.
NINTH PLACE
Callum Wilford, University of Florida, $400.
TENTH PLACE
Chauntel Berry, Rochester Institute of Technology, $300.
HONORABLE MENTIONS ($200 each)
Isabella Cassells, Coastal Carolina University.
Ariana Delgado, University of Texas-El Paso.
Jayden Fernandez-Morales, University of California-Riverside.
Caleb Forehand, East Carolina University.
Anna Izquierdo, Colby College.
Jocelynn Malone, Heidelberg University (Ohio).
Eden Sterk, University of Florida.
Aliani Timmons, Carnegie Mellon University.
Sophia Wang, University of Florida.
Josiah Wiegrefe, Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
The high school contest is named for the late William J. Schulz, a Wisconsin member and lifelong learner who died at 57, leaving a generous bequest to FFRF.
FFRF warmly thanks FFRF’s Lisa Treu for managing the minute details of this and FFRF’s other annual student competitions. And we couldn’t judge these contests without the help of our volunteer and staff readers and judges.
FFRF has offered essay competitions to college students since 1979, high school students since 1994, grad students since 2010 and one dedicated to students of color since 2016. A fifth contest, open to law students, began in 2019.
Read the essays in the August issue of Freethought Today.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Freethought Radio – August 28, 2025
We are not backing down in our lawsuit challenging the Ten Commandments in Texas public schools, in spite of the Texas Attorney General’s warning that he won’t back down from posting them. After covering state/church news in Texas, Arkansas, Minnesota and Colorado, we hear Rachel Maddow’s warning about authoritarianism. Then, we speak with April Ajoy, author of the book Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding A True Faith.
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FFRF urges Calif. school district to stop coaches from leading students in prayer
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has taken issue with football coaches in the Monrovia Unified School District unconstitutionally pushing their religion onto student-athletes.
A district parent reported that two Monrovia High School football coaches have regularly led student-athletes in prayers on the field before football games. The parent states that the practice has potentially taken place for at least several years. Additionally, FFRF learned that the coach-led prayers made the complainant’s child “uncomfortable,” but that they do not dissent or sit the prayers out for fear of retaliation from the coaches.
“Public school coaches cannot constitutionally lead their teams in prayer or promote their personal religious beliefs to student-athletes,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence has written to the district.
It is unconstitutional for public school employees to direct students to partake in religious activities or to participate in the religious activities of their students, FFRF emphasizes. Here, both coaches allegedly have a pattern and practice of leading student-athletes in prayer before football games while acting in their official capacities as coaches.
Student-athletes are especially susceptible to coercion. When coaches lead the team in prayer, students, such as our complainant’s child, will no doubt feel that participating in that prayer is essential to pleasing the coaches and being viewed as a team player. Putting student-athletes in that position is not only unfair but also violates their First Amendment rights.
Needlessly inserting religion into the school’s football program marginalizes student-athletes who are nonreligious or members of minority religions, as well as those who simply do not believe in public prayer. Nearly half of Generation Z members (those born after 1996) are nonreligious, so this likely represents a number of students on the Monrovia High School football team.
To protect the First Amendment rights of students, FFRF is urging Monrovia USD to investigate the matter and ensure that the coaches are no longer allowed to lead student-athletes in prayer or push their personal religious beliefs onto students.
“Public school districts cannot require students to pray to play,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said. “The Constitution gives students the right to be free from religious indoctrination while at school. The district must respect that by stopping these coaches from forcing their athletes to pray.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 5,400 members and two chapters in California. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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FFRF urges State Department to intervene in Moroccan blasphemy case
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling on the State Department to take urgent action in the case of a Moroccan feminist and human rights activist who faces up to five years in prison.
In a letter sent Wednesday, Aug. 27, to the U.S. Office of International Religious Freedom Director Daniel Nadel, FFRF urged the State Department entity to press Morocco to immediately release Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar, drop blasphemy charges against her, and repeal its repressive blasphemy and apostasy laws. Lachgar, who is battling cancer and is scheduled to undergo urgent surgery in September, is currently being held in harsh prison conditions that endanger her health, with her trial scheduled for next week. Her lawyers are requesting her temporary release.
Lachgar, an atheist who works as a psychologist, was arrested after posting a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt that reads “Allah is lesbian.” She is accused of “insulting Islam,” while those who have threatened her with rape and death online remain free.
“This stark double standard highlights the systemic discrimination, persecution and violence faced by dissidents in Morocco under the guise of ‘protecting religion,’” FFRF Co-President Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor have written to the State Department.
“We’ve known Betty for at least a decade,” Gaylor adds. “She is utterly courageous in her campaign to secularize Morocco, and it is frightening to see her endangered simply for speculating harmlessly about the love life of deities.”
FFRF stressed that blasphemy laws are relics of the Dark Ages that violate basic human rights of free speech and freedom of conscience. Morocco is a signatory to international human rights treaties that guarantee these freedoms. FFRF reminds the Office of International Freedom that a resolution calling on the State Department to prioritize the global repeal of blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2020.
“True religious freedom by definition must include the right to dissent,” the letter notes. “No one should ever face government-imposed penalties for speaking for or against a religion, a sect, dogma or religious imagery.”
The letter calls on the Office of International Religious Freedom to:
- Publicly call for the immediate release of Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar.
- Press the Moroccan government to drop all blasphemy charges against her.
- Condemn Morocco’s criminalization of apostasy, blasphemy and same-sex relationships under its penal code as violations of fundamental freedoms.
- Place Morocco under greater scrutiny until it repeals laws that punish individuals for exercising freedom of conscience and expression.
“As FFRF has long pointed out, blasphemy is a victimless crime — but blasphemy laws create many innocent victims,” FFRF’s letter states.
Lachgar is a co-founder of the Mouvement Alternatif pour les Libertés Individuelles (MALI) and has long campaigned for women, LGBTQ+ people, youth and nonbelievers in Morocco. Her trial is scheduled to continue next week.
“By taking a strong and public stand, your office can help save the life and liberty of a courageous activist while reaffirming the United States’ commitment to religious freedom for all,” FFRF concludes.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Barbara Hambly!
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Happy birthday to Barbara Hambly!
Barbara Hambly is a fantasy author, drawn to the genre after reading The Wizard of Oz at an early age. She has written for Star Trek, Star Wars, and Beauty and the Beast, as well as her own original stories. She lives in California with her dogs, cats, and lizards.
Born in San Diego, California, she earned a masters in Medieval History at the University of California in 1975 and studying in Bordeaux, France. She works in various other genres including mystery/detective fiction and horror. She was married to the late George Alec Effinger, a science fiction writer.
Check out the Barbara Hambly credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Barbara Hambly’s work on Amazon.com
DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of August 28, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
Chiles v. Salazar (2025)
On August 26, 2025, FFRF filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in a case challenging a Colorado state law that banned conversion therapy for minors. This case arose after licensed therapist Kaley Chiles sued state officials in September 2022, alleging the conversion ban violated her First Amendment rights. Chiles identified as a Christian who wanted to provide counseling services and alleged the ban violated her free speech rights and asked to block enforcement of the law. However, Chiles did not claim to practice minor conversion therapy and made it clear in her own arguments that she has no desire to do so.
FFRF’s brief argued in part that Chiles had no legal standing to sue. She argued that she may be wrongly perceived as having violated the law if a minor client were later to “change” their sexual orientation or gender identity. This kind of speculation and conjecture is insufficient to establish legal standing. The brief also argued that this case is yet another where religious parties have been permitted to concoct fake controversies that seek to make the law reflect their personal beliefs. The brief documented how religious litigants have developed a pattern of fabricating legal controversies where none exists. It also underscores that the Supreme Court has not hesitated to deny standing to FFRF or other secular litigants who seek judicial relief that might negatively impact religious interests, but that religious plaintiffs conspicuously have not faced similar limitations.
This brief was drafted by Staff Attorney Nancy Noet.
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FFRF effectively protests state rep’s religious letter to S.C. schools
(Click photo to enlarge)
The Freedom From Religion Foundation effectively reacted to protect South Carolina students’ First Amendment rights after a state representative touted Christianity in a letter included in a school district’s graduation materials.
A concerned Spartanburg School District One parent reported that on May 20, students graduating from Landrum High School received a senior packet assembled by the school, which contained a letter from South Carolina state Rep. Josiah Magnuson. This letter featured evangelistic statements, such as “Be mindful to acknowledge and honor the omnipotent Person who our Founders sacredly named in the Declaration of Independence as Nature’s God, the Creator, the Supreme Judge of the World, and divine Providence,” and “By building your faith in Christ you can stand firm to meet the unknown and overcome every obstacle.” This letter also quotes Proverbs 9:10 (“The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding”) before saying, “I urge you to read and meditate on His Word.”
FFRF emphasized the disrespect toward students coming from an elected official via this overtly religious letter.
“Public schools may not show favoritism toward or coerce belief or participation in religion,” FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Kyle J. Steinberg wrote to the district. “By distributing a religious letter from a state representative to all graduating students, the district displays blatant favoritism for religion over nonreligion, and Christianity above all other faiths.”
High school graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime event that students spend over a decade working toward and distributing a proselytizing letter to graduating students marginalizes those students and families who are not religious, FFRF pointed out. As much as 37 percent of the American population is non-Christian, with 30 percent of those nonreligious. Additionally, at least a third of Generation Z members (those born after 1996) have no religion, with a recent survey revealing almost half of them qualify as religiously unaffiliated “Nones.”
Thankfully, FFRF’s words of reason connected with the district.
After FFRF’s letter, Superintendent Mark Smith confirmed via email that he had taken action regarding the issue: “I have already had a phone conference with a concerned parent about this situation and I explained to this parent our new processes that we will implement this school year to make sure all graduation materials that are distributed to students have been properly vetted and approved by school administration.”
FFRF is pleased to learn that the district will work from now on to prevent students’ rights of conscience from being trampled on.
“The inclusion of a proselytizing letter is already an egregious violation, but the fact that it came from a public official just adds insult to injury,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “The district has a responsibility to keep students safe from outside figures wishing to indoctrinate them into religion. We sincerely hope the district will know better than to allow such a lapse of judgment in the future.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members nationwide, including more than 300 members in South Carolina. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Federal judge strikes down Minnesota’s sensible “faith statement” ban for PSEO schools
Friendly Atheist
By Hemant Mehta
The post Federal judge strikes down Minnesota’s sensible “faith statement” ban for PSEO schools appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Texas AG Demands Schools Display Ten Commandments Even After Judge’s Injunction
Common Dreams
By Brad Reed
The post Texas AG Demands Schools Display Ten Commandments Even After Judge’s Injunction appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Out Today: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #1”
Out today: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #1“, by Robbie Thompson.
Here comes a Lovecraftian horror the likes of which the crew of the Enterprise has never seen before! Christine Chapel is itching for a real adventure. So, when an opportunity to reunite with her old scientist friend Jinare for research on the planet Poilant crops up, Chapel is excited to finally do what Starfleet does best: explore strange new worlds. However, when the Enterprise arrives in Poilant’s space, the crew cannot make contact with Jinare or any of her researchers. Chapel, Una, Spock, La’An, and Scotty beam down, and they are greeted by… nothing… no one… and no signs of what caused their disappearance, only a robot named D6 who urges them to descend into the planet’s depths in search of his friends. But there’s more than scientists lurking in the watery abyss. Ancient life-forms and behemoths await-and they might mean more adventure than even Chapel can handle.
Buy From Things From Another World
Buy on Amazon.com
Buy On Books-A-Million.com
Sept. 6, 2025 – FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliot to Speak on Threats to Church/State Separation (Minneapolis, MN)
Faith-based groups are ramping up efforts to gain power and influence by undermining the First Amendment, warns the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). To shed light on these developments, Patrick Elliott, FFRF’s Legal Director, will present an upcoming talk to the HumanistsMN, examining the growing threats to the separation of state and church at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 3 p.m.
Elliott will outline how religious organizations are pursuing lawsuits and lobbying for legislation aimed at injecting religion into public schools and public life. His presentation will highlight what he calls a “power grab” by Christian nationalist movements, as well as recent high-profile cases that illustrate the risks to constitutional freedoms.
The event will also spotlight the legal and advocacy work that FFRF is doing nationwide to defend secular government and protect individual rights. This is a free event open to the public.
To see the event page, and to learn more about HumanistsMN, visit their website.
The post Sept. 6, 2025 – FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliot to Speak on Threats to Church/State Separation (Minneapolis, MN) appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
FFRF learned that a minister from a local Church spoke at an Elementary School FCA meeting. (September 2025)
Kentucky —
FFRF learned that a minister from Cleaton Baptist Church spoke at the March 13 meeting of the South Muhlenberg Elementary School FCA meeting. Photos of the event showing the minister speaking with children were posted to the South Muhlenberg Elementary School official Facebook page with the message, “We’d love to see even more kids join us next time!” Additionally, the page posted photos from the April 24 meeting of the South Hulhenberg Elementary FCA which show a different adult speaking about “the story of Zacchaeus,” and reminding students that “Jesus knows us, sees us, and loves us just as we are.”
“Absent the Equal Access Act, which does not apply to elementary schools, the Establishment Clause prohibits religious clubs, because elementary students are too young to truly run a club entirely on their own initiative with no involvement from school staff or outside adults, and school employees may not organize a religious club for students,” FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Kyle J. Steinberg wrote to the district. In response to FFRF’s letter, Hulenberg County Public Schools Superintendent Contessa Orr emailed FFRF, writing, “I can confirm that there are currently no FCA clubs utilizing elementary school property.” Orr also confirmed that the situation FFRF wrote about initially had been dealt with in an appropriate manner.
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FFRF reminded a Kentucky school system that student athletes must not be coerced into religious “team building” exercises. (September 2025)
Kentucky —
FFRF reminded the Logan County Schools system in Russellville, Ky., that student athletes must not be coerced into religious “team building” exercises.
FFRF learned that the Logan County High School’s boys baseball program was permitting a Fellowship of Christian Athletes “character coach” to deliver religious talks to the baseball team every Wednesday during official team activities. While the FCA claims that character coaches teach “values” and not religion, the values the character coaches preach are based in evangelical Christianity, and FCA is an explicitly religious organization. The official Logan County Cougar Baseball Facebook account additionally posted a screenshot depicting the FCA representative presenting to the baseball team on what appeared to be school property.
“Any claims that students aren’t pressured to participate in the character coach talks are naive at best, and the FCA’s own website states coaches can require student-athletes to participate in character coach activities,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
After receiving FFRF’s letter, the district sought legal counsel from English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley LLP to review the situation. Attorney Michael A. Owsley reported that the character coach was present to facilitate player-initiated and player-led discussions and team building exercises, but failure to be present and participate in the pre-practice team-building exercises did not result in punitive measures against players. However, due to FFRF’s concern, Owsley reminded the district’s baseball coach and athletic director that these pre-practice team building and character coaching sessions must remain entirely secular and voluntary for baseball players to attend. “It is never the intention of anyone in the district to promote one religion over the other,” Owsley wrote. “The district encourages and wishes all of its students feel valued and free to express his or her own beliefs, and to reach those beliefs on their own.”
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High School soccer, basketball, baseball and softball programs in Tennessee, were permitting FCA “character coaches” to deliver religious talks to the teams. (September 2025)
Tennessee —
FFRF received a report that the Richland High School softball program and the Giles County High School soccer, basketball, baseball and softball programs in Pulaski, Tenn., were permitting FCA “character coaches” and other adult FCA leaders to regularly attend sports practices to deliver religious talks to the teams. The FCA organization involved in Giles County, Southwest Middle TN FCA, has direct statements of their Christian faith on their website homepage.
Several social media posts demonstrated the involvement of FCA character coaches with various athletics programs within the district, such as posts naming specific character coaches for specific teams that discussed “sharing the hope and love of Jesus.” Posts stretched back as far as 2020, indicating that the district had a years-long pattern and practice of routinely permitting FCA character coaches to enter school property and proselytize to captive audiences of young student athletes, regardless of whether the students were all voluntary FCA members or not.
“Here, it is clear that both Richland and Giles County high schools have crossed the constitutional line by allowing these FCA ‘character coaches’ to entangle the schools’ athletic programs with Christianity,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district. “These individuals are inappropriately leading entire teams in prayer and delivering religious talks to them.”
After FFRF sent the district a letter, School Board Attorney Timothy P. Underwood responded on behalf of the district. Underwood confirmed that the district director of schools met with Underwood to discuss the contents of FFRF’s letter as well as the social media posts proving FCA representatives interacted with district student athletes.
“It is our goal, before the commencement of any athletic events during the upcoming school year, to meet with our coaches directly and confirm they understand the legal requirements and their duties as coaches,” Underwood wrote. “Based on that discussion, my client will continue to monitor all extracurricular activities to confirm that no religious belief, or non-belief, is being promoted by the school system.” Underwood additionally invited FFRF to reach out if any further concerns were to arise regarding the district.
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FFRF notified the Smith County School System that Fellowship of Christian Athletes clubs cannot genuinely be run by elementary school students. (September 2025)
Tennessee —
FFRF notified the Smith County School System that Fellowship of Christian Athletes clubs cannot genuinely be run by elementary school students.
FFRF learned that Gordonsville Elementary School and Defeated Elementary School are opening a chapter of the FCA. On March 13, Gordonsville Elementary School’s official Facebook account posted a reminder that there was an FCA meeting that morning in the school library. On March 14, Defeated Elementary School posted photos on its official Facebook from that morning’s meeting of the school’s FCA. Another post from Defeated Elementary School on May 2 contained photos of another FCA meeting and thanked a representative for speaking with the group.
“Religious clubs for students at elementary schools cannot genuinely be student-initiated and student-run, and as such are unconstitutional,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
After FFRF’s letter, the district took action, as FFRF learned from Attorney Robin C. Moore, who assured FFRF that the district was taking the complaint seriously, and would be monitoring policies and procedures to maintain compliance with the law. “The district is currently reviewing the matters raised in your letter to ensure that all school activities and practices align with constitutional and statutory requirements,” Moore wrote. “Smith County School System remains committed to upholding its obligations under the law while supporting a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students and families.”
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FFRF Supreme Court brief asks to dismiss Colo. suit alleging free speech harm
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against a Colorado therapist in her challenge to a state law banning conversion therapy for minors.
Licensed therapist Kaley Chiles sued state officials in September 2022, alleging the conversion ban violates her First Amendment rights. Chiles identifies as a Christian who wants to provide counseling services to adult and minor clients who may question and wish to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity. Although Chiles does not claim to practice minor conversion therapy and makes it clear in her own arguments that she has no desire to do so, she alleges the ban violates her free speech rights and asks to block enforcement of the law against her.
The district court denied the motion, a ruling that the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed and that Chiles has appealed to the nation’s high court. In FFRF’s friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court, the state/church watchdog maintains that Chiles has no legal standing (right to sue).
“A plaintiff must have a sufficient ‘personal stake’ in a dispute to establish legal standing,” FFRF’s brief asserts. FFRF maintains that Chiles does not have standing to challenge Colorado’s minor conversion therapy law “because she has not violated and does not intend to violate the law. Simply put, she has no ‘personal stake’ in the constitutionality and enforcement of a law that does not impact her.”
Plaintiffs do not have legal standing to contest a law when they have only an “imaginary or speculative” fear that a law will be enforced against them, FFRF contends. A legally sufficient injury must be real, not abstract. Chiles’ allegations in this case fall well short of the mark for a legally viable injury. Her allegations show she’s just worried that someone might get the wrong impression that she violated the law if and when a future minor client happens to experience a spontaneous “change” in their sexual orientation or gender identity. This kind of speculation and conjecture is insufficient to establish legal standing.
FFRF’s second central argument is that this case is yet another where religious parties have been permitted to concoct fake cases that seek to make the law reflect their personal beliefs. This problem has become especially troubling in cases in which religiously affiliated claimants attempt to strike down laws and policies that protect the LGBTQIA+ community. “Our courts must stop being complicit in these efforts and must, instead, bar the door to parties who sue to further only their religious faith, not legal rights,” the brief states.
The brief thoroughly documents how religious litigants have developed a pattern of fabricating phony legal controversies where none exist — and are getting away with it at the high court. Although the Supreme Court has not hesitated to deny standing to FFRF or other secular litigants who seek judicial relief that might negatively impact religious interests, religious plaintiffs conspicuously have not faced similar limitations. If the court continues to permit them to do so, religious litigants will continue to construct hypothetical and even insincere legal injuries in support of lawsuits designed to strike down laws and policies that they disagree with — while injuring the rights of others.
“Let’s call it what it is — religious privileging,” comments Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “The courthouse door is being slammed shut in the face of those seeking to uphold the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, while religious entities and plaintiffs seeking to deny religious freedom to others are allowed entry. We urge the high court to ensure equal justice under the law.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is the largest national association of freethinkers, representing atheists, agnostics, and others who form their opinions about religion based on reason, rather than faith, tradition, or authority. Founded nationally in 1978 as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, FFRF has more than 42,000 members, including members in every state and the District of Columbia. FFRF believes that religious ideology threatens access to properly regulated mental health care for LGBTQIA+ minors and places them at risk of grave harm.
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FFRF’s piece published on S.C. news site criticizes state blasphemy law
FFRF State Policy Manager Ryan Dudley has had an op-ed published on a leading South Carolina news site asking for the repeal of a little-known state-level anti-blasphemy law.
“It might surprise many South Carolinians to learn that blasphemy is still punishable by jail time in their state — an absurdity that needs to be remedied,” Dudley begins his column in the South Carolina Daily Gazette. “Under South Carolina code section 16-17-520, it’s a misdemeanor to use ‘blasphemous, profane, or obscene language’ at or near a house of worship.”
Dudley continues the piece by laying out how six states still have anti-blasphemy laws on the books — and the dangers that can arise from their very existence:
You might assume laws like this aren’t enforced anymore. But in Pennsylvania, it happened as recently as 2010. George Kalman attempted to register a film production company named I Choose Hell Productions. State officials rejected his application because state statute says corporation names were not allowed to be “blasphemous.”
Thankfully, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania stepped in. The court ruled that the state’s enforcement of its blasphemy statute violated the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and religion. And yet, that unconstitutional law remains on the statute books, just like South Carolina’s law remains today.
Why? Not because anyone is defending it. Not because it’s needed. But because no one has taken the time to repeal it.
Leaving laws like this in place sends the wrong message. It tells South Carolinians that your rights are conditional, that religious speech is protected, but religious dissent can still be punished.
And it leaves open the possibility that someone could misuse the law again, especially since the U.S. Supreme Court has shown a willingness to rewrite constitutional law in favor of religious litigants.
The piece concludes with a call to action, urging South Carolina to fight back against viewpoint censorship: “For South Carolina, the solution is clear. Repeal the state’s blasphemy law and bring its statutes in line with established Supreme Court precedent.”
You can read the full op-ed here.
This column is part of FFRF’s initiative to engage with pertinent national and state issues and spread the messages of freethought and nontheism to a broader audience.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members nationwide, including more than 300 members in South Carolina. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Geoffrey Mandel!
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Happy birthday to Geoffrey Mandel!
Geoffrey T. Mandel is a production artist and designer who was the scenic artist for Star Trek: Insurrection, the sixth and seventh seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, and the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise. Prior to this, however, he was a production assistant in the art department of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1994 and was also involved in the production of Star Trek Generations. More recently he was a graphic designer on 2009’s Star Trek.
Check out the Geoffrey Mandel credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Geoffrey Mandel’s work on Amazon.com
Columbus County Schools answers religion complaint
The News Reporter (Whiteville, NC)
By Diana Matthews
The post Columbus County Schools answers religion complaint appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Mandisa Thomas on Secular Leadership, Black Nonbelievers, and the Fight for Church-State Separation
The Good Men Project
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen
The post Mandisa Thomas on Secular Leadership, Black Nonbelievers, and the Fight for Church-State Separation appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
DTI Treklit Investigation for the week of August 26, 2025
Here’s a look at the books printed this week in the past.
Last Chance! Star Trek Book Deals For August 2025
Here’s your final chance to grab this month’s ebook deals, there’s 18 books on sale for $1.99 each. Books that have never been on sale are in bold:
Oh, while I have you here, there’s a new subscription service on the site, so if you want to get an email about these sales posts, just find the subscribe button in the sidebar over there –>
Star Trek
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek: 101
Star Trek: 11 Yesterday’s Son
Star Trek: 38 The Idic Epidemic
Star Trek: Dark Victory
Star Trek: Day Of Honor 4: Treaty’s Law
Star Trek: Destiny Book 1: Gods Of Night
Star Trek: Destiny Book 3: Lost Souls
Star Trek: Errand of Fury Book 3: Sacrifices Of War
Star Trek: New Frontier: No Limits (Anthology)
Star Trek: Picard: The Dark Veil
Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope
Star Trek: Spock’s World
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Death in Winter
Star Trek: The Original Series: No Time Like the Past
Star Trek: Titan: Sword of Damocles
Star Trek: VI The Undiscovered Country
‘We Dissent’ dissects health care sharing ministries
The new episode of “We Dissent” tackles the concerning rise of deceptive religious “health care” organizations.
On episode 45, FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and Americans United Legal Director Rebecca Markert are joined by special guest Founder and Principal of Secular Strategies Sarah Levin. Levin talks about health care sharing ministries, a billion-dollar religious industry. The trio discusses what these entities are and are not, and pushes for these organizations to have more transparency.
“We Dissent,” which first aired in May 2022, is a legal affairs show for atheists, agnostics and humanists, offering legal wisdom from the secular viewpoint of women lawyers. The show is a collaboration of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Americans United.
Find previous episodes here, which examine developments affecting the separation of church and state, particularly in the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Past episodes include discussions about court reform, religion behind bars and abortion, and also feature a range of expert guests.
Episodes are available at the “We Dissent” website, YouTube channel, Spotify or wherever your podcasts are found. Be sure to stay up to date with the “We Dissent” podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bluesky.
Tune in regularly at “We Dissent” for compelling legal discussion and insights!
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Federal court ruling undermines Minnesota’s ability to protect students from discrimination
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is disappointed with a federal court ruling striking down Minnesota’s attempt to ensure equal access for high school students in a publicly funded college-credit program.
On Friday, Aug. 22, U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel blocked a 2023 law that prohibited religious colleges participating in Minnesota’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program from requiring students to sign discriminatory faith statements. That law was passed to protect students, particularly LGBTQ+ and non-Christian students, from being forced to pledge adherence to religious dogma in order to take otherwise secular courses.
Two conservative Christian colleges, Crown College and University of Northwestern–St. Paul, sued to overturn the provision, with the backing of the Christian legal group Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The institutions require students to sign statements opposing same-sex relationships and other personal freedoms, such as non-Christian beliefs, as a condition of participation in campus life. Students even had to acknowledge that they “can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Brasel’s ruling highlights that both schools have received sizable reimbursements from the state through the Minnesota program. Since the 2017–2018 school year, Northwestern and Crown have received $33,248,093.18 and $5,751,053.65, respectively, in state funds for providing the Postsecondary Enrollment Options courses — taxpayer money funneled to institutions that openly discriminate against LGBTQ+ and non-Christian students.
FFRF filed an amicus brief in the case urging the court to uphold Minnesota’s protections for students.
“This law is neutral and generally applicable,” explains FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott. “It simply requires that all colleges receiving taxpayer funds treat students equally, regardless of religion, gender, or sexual orientation. No school should get a license to discriminate on the public dime.”
FFRF’s brief argued that Minnesota has a compelling interest in ensuring public funds are not used to subsidize religious discrimination. High schoolers seeking to earn college credit often select institutions based on factors such as location, course offerings or faculty, not religious identity. Forcing students into religious conformity in order to access publicly funded credits violates fundamental principles of equality and church-state separation.
In her ruling, Brasel reasoned that the Faith Statement Ban singled out religious requirements for exclusion. While colleges could still require students to make nonreligious commitments, such as agreeing to abide by an honor code, they could not require students to attest to specific religious beliefs. She concluded that the ban restricted Postsecondary Enrollment Options admissions practices “because of their religious motivation,” citing Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah.
“The court’s ruling dangerously expands the special privileges of religious institutions while undercutting the rights of students,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Minnesota’s law was a common-sense safeguard ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not used to exclude or stigmatize young people. This decision sends the wrong message — that religious schools can impose discriminatory litmus tests while benefiting from public money.”
The state of Minnesota may appeal the ruling. FFRF will continue to support efforts to protect equal access and plans to file a brief with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals if the decision is appealed.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including 900 members and a chapter in Minnesota. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Families ask court to add Conway School District to Ark. 10 Commandments lawsuit
The plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against a new Arkansas law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools have filed a motion to amend their complaint seeking to add the Conway School District as a defendant.
The motion follows Judge Timothy Brooks’ ruling in Stinson v. Fayetteville School District No. 1 earlier this month that Act 573 is “obviously unconstitutional” and the discovery by two families with children in Conway schools that the district had posted scriptural displays in every classroom. As explained in the proposed amended complaint, the plaintiffs’ attorneys sent a letter to every school superintendent in Arkansas on Aug. 5 informing them of the court’s ruling. The letter warned districts against implementation of Act 573 and advised them that even though they were not technically bound by the judicial order prohibiting the religious displays, all districts have an independent legal obligation to respect their students’ constitutional rights. Conway School District nevertheless pressed forward with posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom, infringing the constitutional rights of students and parents. If the motion to amend is granted, the plaintiffs will ask the court to order that the Conway School District remove these unconstitutional Ten Commandments displays.
“Conway School District’s decision to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom, despite a federal court’s ruling that the law is unconstitutional, demonstrates a chilling disregard for the law,” says John Williams, legal director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “We are monitoring all school districts and will not allow them to get away with trampling families’ First Amendment rights.”
In addition to naming Conway School District No. 1 as a defendant in the case, Friday’s motion to amend the complaint also asks the court to approve two new plaintiff families whose children attend schools in the district and are currently subjected to the unavoidable displays in every classroom.
Signed into law in April of this year, Act 573 requires the Ten Commandments to be “prominently” displayed in a “conspicuous place” in each classroom and library at all public elementary and secondary schools across the state. The scriptural displays must be a minimum of 16 by 20 inches in size and the text of the Ten Commandments must be printed “in a size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the room.” The law also mandates that a specific version of the Ten Commandments, associated with Protestant faiths and selected by lawmakers, be used for every display.
On Aug. 4, Judge Brooks ruled that Act 573’s public-school provisions violate both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment and issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the school district defendants from posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms. His decision also sounded the alarm against growing state efforts to “experiment” with government establishments of religion: “Why would Arkansas pass an obviously unconstitutional law? Most likely because the state is part of a coordinated strategy among several states to inject Christian religious doctrine into public-school classrooms.”
The plaintiffs in Stinson are represented by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, with Simpson Thacher Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The post Families ask court to add Conway School District to Ark. 10 Commandments lawsuit appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Happy 2025 Birthday to Chris Roberson!
(Photo by Gage Skidmore)
Happy birthday to Chris Roberson!
Chris Roberson is a novelist and comic book writer from Texas, USA. He is also a publisher, owning and operating MonkeyBrain Books, which publishes non-fiction about speculative fiction.
He began publishing prose works in the late 1990s with the “Clockwork Storybook” group and that led to novels through the 2000s.
Comics titles he wrote include iZombie, Elric: The Balance Lost, Superman, Starborn, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and Memorial.
He wrote the “Brave New World” novella in the Echoes and Refractions collection under the Myriad Universes banner. More recently, he was the writer of the Star Trek – Legion of Super-Heroes comic series from IDW Publishing.
He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up near Dallas, Texas. He attended the University of Texas, Austin. He is married, and has a daughter, and lives in Portland, Oregon.
Check out the Chris Roberson credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Chris Roberson’s work on Amazon.com
Preview of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #1”
Here’s a preview of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #1 by Robbie Thompson which is due to be released this Wednesday on August 27, 2025 at your local comic shop and digital retailers:
Texas Judge Blocks Law Requiring Schools To Display Ten Commandments Inside Classrooms
Latin Post
By Danielle Ong
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Federal judge blocks Texas law mandating Ten Commandments in classrooms
Catholic Vote
By Hannah Hiester
The post Federal judge blocks Texas law mandating Ten Commandments in classrooms appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Texas court halts Ten Commandments mandate for schools
Israel National News
By Staff
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After striking deal with Trump, this BigLaw firm worked with liberal groups to secure pro bono wins in 2 cases
ABA Journal
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The post After striking deal with Trump, this BigLaw firm worked with liberal groups to secure pro bono wins in 2 cases appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
FFRF and others warn Texas schools about 10 Commandments law after court ruling
Four organizations including the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter today to public school superintendents across Texas warning them not to implement SB 10, an unconstitutional state law that purports to require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every elementary- and secondary-school classroom. The letter also advises districts that have already posted the Ten Commandments due to SB 10 to immediately remove the displays.
The letter from FFRF, the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State notifies superintendents of this week’s federal court decision in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, which ruled that SB 10 is “plainly unconstitutional” and prohibited the school district defendants from implementing or enforcing it while the lawsuit continues. The letter explains: “Even though your district is not a party to the ongoing lawsuit, all school districts have an independent obligation to respect students’ and families’ constitutional rights. Because the U.S. Constitution supersedes state law, public-school officials may not comply with SB 10.”
Last month, a group of 16 multifaith and nonreligious families with children in Texas’ public schools filed suit in Nathan, asserting that SB 10 violates the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitutions. The four organizations that sent today’s letter also represent the plaintiffs in Nathan and issued the following statement regarding the letter: “Texas school districts must not comply with SB 10. A Texas federal court has already ruled that the statute is ‘plainly unconstitutional.’ Public-school officials are legally required to protect and uphold the constitutional rights of students and families, including their right to religious freedom under the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment. Implementing SB 10 would violate this obligation and could result in litigation being filed against school districts that do so. Districts that have already posted displays of the Ten Commandments must immediately remove them.”
Read the full letter to superintendents here.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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And finally… thou shalt not indoctrinate
Irish Legal News
By Staff
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It’s time for SC to repeal its blasphemy law
South Carolina Daily Gazette
By Ryan Dudley
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FFRF calls out Homeland Security for using the bible to sanctify deportations
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding that the Department of Homeland Security stop using religion to portray its immigration enforcement activities as divinely ordained.
FFRF has written to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem after the agency posted multiple promotional videos on its official social media accounts in July featuring bible quotes, militarized footage and artwork glorifying “manifest destiny.”
One July 7 video showed helicopters taking off as a narrator quoted Isaiah 6:8: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? … Here am I. Send me.” The video then played a cover of Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” Another DHS video on July 28 showed Border Patrol agents in tactical gear preparing for an operation as the verse Proverbs 28:1 faded onscreen: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
Other DHS materials have invoked “manifest destiny,” posting artwork that celebrates westward colonization and displacement of Native Americans.
FFRF warns that DHS use of scripture in official communications not only violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, but also dangerously suggests that immigration enforcement is morally sanctified.
“Quoting Christian texts to frame immigrants and asylum seekers as ‘wicked’ dehumanizes families who have worked, paid taxes and contributed to our communities,” FFRF legal counsel Chris Line writes to Noem. “If anything is wicked, it is the use of religious propaganda to vilify people who are among the most vulnerable.”
FFRF emphasizes that the bible can be twisted to justify virtually any policy, from compassion to cruelty. Indeed, many verses directly contradict DHS’ messaging, including:
- “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong … you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:33–34)
- “You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native.” (Leviticus 24:22)
- “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)
- “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
“The only purpose of invoking the bible in these propaganda videos is to claim a higher authority than our Constitution,” the letter charges. “The implicit message is: ‘God is on our side.’ That is the age-old rallying cry of holy wars, not democratic governance. In truth, there is no greater authority in our nation than our secular Constitution.”
America’s strength lies in its secular Constitution, FFRF reminds Noem. True religious freedom requires that the government remain free from religious corruption. Keeping religion out of the government is a fundamental American ideal, essential for true religious freedom, and has been a tremendous asset to our society.
Almost 37 percent of Americans are non-Christians, and this includes the nearly one in three Americans who are religiously unaffiliated. DHS is charged with serving all Americans, not just Christians, and must not promote Christian nationalism under the guise of policy.
FFRF is urging DHS to immediately remove all religious content from its communications and training materials, and to affirm its duty to remain neutral on matters of religion.
FFRF has also filed a Freedom of Information Act request to determine how much federal time and taxpayer money went into producing these sectarian propaganda videos. The public has a right to know whether government resources are being used to promote religion rather than to carry out DHS’ secular mission.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Freethought Radio – August 21, 2025
After we cover state/church news around the country, FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover recounts FFRF’s recent victory stopping the Ten Commandments from being posted in Texas public schools. Then, journalist Mary Annette Pember, a citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Wisconsin Ojibwe, describes her new book Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools.
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Texas School Districts Blocking Ten Commandments; Houston Area Tops List
KSST Radio (Sulphur Springs, TX)
By Staff
The post Texas School Districts Blocking Ten Commandments; Houston Area Tops List appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Judge blocks Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms
Courthouse News Service
By Christina Van Waasbergen
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‘Amen’: Judge Puts Texas Ten Commandments Law On Hold
Law360
By Marco Poggio
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Federal judge temporarily blocks Ten Commandments law in some Texas school districts
The Daily News (Livingston County, NY)
By Milla Suradji
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Federal Judge Blocks Texas School Ten Commandments Law
Newsmax
By Brian Freeman
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Ten Commandments law paused in these San Antonio-area districts after judge’s ruling
San Antonio Report
By Xochilt Garcia
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Federal Court Temporarily Blocks Texas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Every Public School Classroom
ACLU of Texas
By Staff
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Costco, pharmacies targeted by organized religious opposition to abortion pill
A coalition of Christian nationalist outfits is claiming credit for Costco’s recent announcement that it will not start carrying medication abortion at its more than 500 pharmacies nationwide.
Bloomberg News reports that a group made up of Inspire Investing, the Christian legal Alliance Defending Freedom and “treasurers and other financial officials” from several states embarked on a campaign last year to pressure Costco. Claiming to represent more than $172 million in ownership of Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons and McKesson, the clique urged these retailers not to start stocking mifepristone. The letter that the group sent was a masterpiece of duplicity, averring that it was merely offering helpful advice on how “trusted retailers” could “stay out of political hot-button issues,” rather than seeking to deny women control of their own bodies. The same alliance is now training its attention on Walgreens and CVS to pressure them to discontinue filling prescriptions for mifepristone. Inspire spokesperson Tim Schwarzenberger brags, “We have this momentum. Now there is a chance to turn to some of the other retailers.”
Costco, on its part, claims that it decided not to dispense mifepristone simply because it hasn’t seen “consumer demand.” That’s perplexing, given that medication abortion accounts for nearly two-thirds of abortions taking place in the United States. Also, mifepristone is widely prescribed off-label to manage miscarriages, which afflict 15–20 percent of all U.S. pregnancies.
For whatever reason, Costco, despite its progressive reputation, has caved on this issue. But the real danger is the Christian nationalist attack on Walgreens and CVS, which do carry mifepristone in states that haven’t outlawed it.
Anti-abortion squads are determined to abolish abortion — and they are not retreating. Whether lobbying for the reinstatement of the 1873 Comstock Act to ban the use of the mails for medication abortion, promoting fetal personhood amendments, introducing outrageous anti-abortion state legislation or harassing pharmacies, they mean business. They are crusaders motivated by their Christian zeal to enforce their dogma on “when life begins” on the rest of us.
The war on reproductive rights is taking a major toll. A dozen states have a full ban on abortion care and seven others severely curtail abortion rights, creating hardship, stress, expense and chaos for hundreds of thousands of Americans a year dealing with unwanted pregnancies, particularly in the South. Miscarrying women are even facing criminal charges in some cases or being denied medical care by fearful medical staff in states with bans.
Physicians, too, are facing charges. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is proud that its 2025 “Forward Award” honoree at its upcoming convention will be Dr. Maggie Carpenter, who co-founded the Abortion Coalition for Medicine in 2023 to support clinicians serving patients with safe, affordable telemedicine abortion care wherever they live. Last December, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fined her more than $100,000 for helping a Texas woman obtain a medication abortion. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has sought to extradite her from New York on criminal charges, his efforts being unsuccessful due to New York’s shield laws.
Whether to continue or end an unplanned pregnancy is a decision that belongs with the pregnant person, not with zealots and their corporate shills, or with pharmacies that should be doing their job and filling prescriptions for legal medicines. Under these extreme circumstances, with women’s rights, lives and futures at risk, Costco’s failure to help ensure access to medication abortion, at least in the states that still allow it, is indefensible. It’s important to let Costco know you’re taking your pharmacy business elsewhere and to support Walgreens’ and CVS’ principled decisions to dispense this health- and life-saving medication.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of August 21, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
DHS is using the Bible to promote ICE, claiming ‘righteous’ fight against immigrants
Religion News Service
By Fiona André
The post DHS is using the Bible to promote ICE, claiming ‘righteous’ fight against immigrants appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Garland County schools navigate Act 573 amid legal uncertainty
The Sentinel-Record (Hot Springs, AK)
By Brandon Smith
The post Garland County schools navigate Act 573 amid legal uncertainty appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Court blocks Texas law requiring 10 Commandments in every public school classroom
In a victory for religious freedom and church-state separation, a federal district court has issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the school district defendants from implementing a Texas law that requires all public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
In his decision in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District today, U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery held that Texas Senate Bill 10, which is due to take effect on Sept. 1, likely violates both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.
Ruling that the law would likely lead to unconstitutional religious coercion of the child plaintiffs and interfere with their parents’ rights to direct their children’s religious education, Judge Biery explained:
“The displays are likely to pressure the child-plaintiffs into religious observance, meditation on, veneration, and adoption of the state’s favored religious scripture, and into suppressing expression of their own religious or nonreligious background and beliefs while at school.”
Represented by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel, the plaintiffs in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District are a group of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Unitarian Universalist and nonreligious families, including clergy, with children in public schools.
“As a rabbi and public school parent, I welcome this ruling,” says plaintiff Rabbi Mara Nathan. “Children’s religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools.”
“It is gratifying to see the federal court honoring our First Amendment, with the wisdom to understand how wrong it would be to impose bible edicts on public students as young as kindergartners,” says Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Religious instruction must be left to parents, not the state, which has no business telling anyone how many gods to have, which gods to have or whether to have any gods at all.”
“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” says Heather L. Weaver, senior counsel for the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. “Today’s decision ensures that our clients’ classrooms will remain spaces where all students, regardless of their faith, feel welcomed and can learn without worrying that they do not live up to the state’s preferred religious beliefs.”
“Today’s ruling is a major win that protects the constitutional right to religious freedom for Texas families of all backgrounds,” says Tommy Buser-Clancy, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas. “The court affirmed what we have long said: Public schools are for educating, not evangelizing.”
“Today’s decision will ensure that Texas families — not politicians or public-school officials — get to decide how and when their children engage with religion,” says Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “It sends a third strong and resounding message across the country that the government respects the religious freedom of every student in our public schools.”
“We are heartened by today’s well-reasoned decision that underscores a foundational principle of our nation: The government cannot impose religious doctrine,” says Jon Youngwood, co-chair of Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department. “This ruling is critical to protecting the First Amendment rights of students and families to make their own determinations as to whether and how they engage with religion.”
The preliminary injunction, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, prohibits the school-district defendants from “displaying the Ten Commandments pursuant to SB 10.”
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“Star Trek III: The Search for Spock: The Making of the Classic Film” Review by Borg.com
Borg.com has added a new review for John Tenuto and Maria Jose Tenuto‘s “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock: The Making of the Classic Film”:
What do you think of when someone mentions Star Trek III: The Search for Spock? For me watching it for the first time in 1984 it was relief.
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Out Today: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Omnibus, Vol. 1”
Out today: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Omnibus, Vol. 1“, by .
Explore never-before-seen adventures of the hit Paramount+ show in this graphic novel omnibus!
First, in The Illyrian Enigma, set between seasons one and two, Una is accused of unlawful genetic modification by Starfleet and Captain Pike sets out in search of evidence that could prove her innocence. But, when Captain Pike and the crew of the Enterprise get caught in the Pryllia colony, home to the illusive Illyrians, the mission objective quickly shifts from gathering evidence to exonerate Una to…breaking out.
Then, in The Scorpius Run set course with Captain Pike and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to the Scorpius Constellation as they become the first Federation vessel to explore this uncharted region of space! In this romp across the stars, the Enterprise crew learn what it truly means to explore the strange and unfamiliar when they lose contact with Starfleet and everything outside the region. After entering a crime lord’s starship competition to save an innocent pilot, the Enterprise jets through a gauntlet of dangerous environments in the unexplored Scorpius sector. But cosmic storms and sentient ship-eating asteroids aren’t the only obstacles the crew will have to survive!
Collects Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—The Illyrian Enigma by Kirsten Beyer, Mike Johnson, and Megan Levens; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—The Scorpius Run by Mike Johnson, Ryan Parrott, and Angel Hernandez; plus two short stories, “Yesterday’s Shadow” from Star Trek #500 by Jody Houser and Vernon Smith and “Facemaker” from Star Trek: Celebrations by Mags Visaggio and Tench.
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FFRF opposes EPA’s dangerous retreat from climate science
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is strongly opposing a proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule that would strip the agency of its ability to regulate greenhouse gases — a move FFRF calls dangerous, anti-science, and part of the Christian nationalist Project 2025 agenda.
Revoking the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, which rightly recognized greenhouse gases as pollutants that endanger human health and welfare, would be disastrous. It would strip the agency of its authority to confront a crisis that scientists overwhelmingly agree is real, human-caused, and catastrophic for both public health and the environment.
“Instead of protecting Americans, this proposal flouts science in favor of the Christian nationalist agenda,” says FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne. “Public policy must be grounded in secular principles that promote the well-being of everyone. The EPA must live up to its name by regulating factors that fuel climate change, not by abandoning its core mission.”
FFRF warns that the proposed rule mirrors the anti-science priorities of Project 2025, which seeks to dismantle environmental safeguards and overturn the Inflation Reduction Act. “One of our nation’s founding principles is that public policy should rest on evidence, not religious dogma,” adds Jayne. “This proposal betrays that principle.”
FFRF points out that nonreligious Americans overwhelmingly support climate action. A Pew Research survey found that 90 percent of atheists acknowledge the reality of climate change, more than any other religious group. “The only afterlife that should concern us is leaving our descendants and planet a secure and pleasant future,” notes FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.
FFRF also criticizes the proposed rule’s nonsensical interpretation of the Clean Air Act, which allows regulation of pollutants that “cause or contribute to” air pollution. The proposed rule excludes air pollutants that endanger people “only indirectly.” This interpretation is directly at odds with the plain language of the statute, which includes pollutants that “contribute to” air pollution. Greenhouse gases, FFRF notes, clearly contribute to global warming regardless of how “well mixed” they are in the atmosphere.
In its official comment to the EPA, FFRF highlights the danger of leaning on cherry-picked anecdotes, such as a flawed Department of Energy draft report claiming the Great Barrier Reef was rebounding, instead of peer-reviewed science. “Instead of relying on such unscientific sources, the EPA should listen to the consensus of the climate scientists whom the current administration dismissed from the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and Science Advisory Board (SAB),” FFRF notes.
FFRF concludes that Americans, religious and nonreligious alike, have a profound stake in strong greenhouse gas regulations and the rule must be rejected.
“Rely on climate scientists rather than on anti-science ideologues,” FFRF emphasizes. “That would produce true consistency, while protecting both the Clean Air Act and the climate it’s meant to safeguard.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The post FFRF opposes EPA’s dangerous retreat from climate science appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
FFRF: Resist Trump’s proposed move to destroy voter access and fair elections
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is denouncing President Trump’s reprehensible announcement that he plans to issue an executive order seizing control of American elections. The national state/church watchdog urges its membership, freethinkers and all Americans who support democracy to resist this proposed shocking abuse of power.
Hours after meeting with strongman Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, Trump claimed that Putin told him, “Your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting,” presumably in reference to the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost. Trump posted a long, rambling message on Truth Social that characterized voting by mail — which a third of voters utilized in the 2024 election — as a “scam” and a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats.
The executive order reportedly would seek to eliminate vote-by-mail and dropboxes, replace voting machines with “federally approved” ones and impose federal oversight over state elections. FFRF has long maintained that “voting is a secular issue,” and strongly supports any measures that make voting more — not less — accessible, including voting by mail.
Fact-checking Trump’s many claims, “PBS News Hour” noted that although Trump claimed the United States is the only nation that allows mail-in voting, at least 34 countries or territories do so, even though it’s usually called “postal voting.” A good number of these nations permit only mail-in voting.
Many constitutional experts have observed, as UCLA election law professor Rick Hasen notes, that “the Constitution does not give the president any control over federal elections.” Article 1, Section 4 gives that power instead to the states, with some oversight in federal elections to Congress.
“Suppressing the vote is the hallmark of dictators, fascists and other authoritarians,” comment Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-presidents. “This threat to destroy fair elections, apparently set up the mechanics to rig elections and deny voter access would be a direct strike against our secular democracy and all voters.’”
They add, “Trump’s actions, if permitted, would destroy our democratic voting process, and deny many Americans the vote and voter access so many of our ancestors worked so hard to obtain.”
FFRF reminds the nation of our original motto, “E Pluribus Unum” (From many [come] one). Never has it been more important for each individual to band together with others by publicly denouncing Trump’s proposed hostile takeover of elections.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which necessarily must join forces with others to protect our democracy in order to function as a state/church watchdog, is monitoring the situation.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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“Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light” Review by Lessaccurategrandmother.blogspot.com
Lessaccurategrandmother.blogspot.com has added a new review for Dayton Ward‘s “Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light”:
It’s so… big! This is the first Destiny-era book to come out after quite a long hiatus, the previous one being almost a year and a half prior (Titan: Fortune of War). Goodbye mass market paperbacks, hello trades! I think this is also the first to make references to Discovery; Georgiou is included among a list of famous explorers. It’s also an important last—this is the last-ever use of the (not my favorite) Rotis Serif TNG logo. (Thank goodness.)
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“Star Trek: The Last Starship #1” Review by Comicsonline.com
Comicsonline.com has added a new review for Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing‘s “Star Trek: The Last Starship #1”:
If you thought IDW’s Star Trek comics were bold before, you ain’t seen nothin yet…
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Robert Blackman!
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Happy birthday to Robert Blackman!
Robert “Bob” Blackman is a Costume Designer who worked on the last five seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the entire run of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. He also worked on Star Trek Generations and designed the Starfleet uniforms introduced in Star Trek: First Contact and subsequently used on Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis. Brought in on recommendation of colleague and friend Durinda Rice Wood, who opted to leave the franchise, his costume work for Star Trek has earned him two Emmy Awards, supplemented with an additional eight nominations.
Blackman was honored by SkyBox International with an individual card entry, no. 17, in their 1993 specialty Star Trek: The Next Generation – Behind the Scenes trading card set . In 2007 he was interviewed for the documentary Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier, which is about the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction, held in 2006 and for which he also filmed a short interview which is available as a supplement to the collectors edition of the auctions catalogue. In the Trek series Blackman was referenced on okudagrams and dedication plaques as Bob Blackman (Starfleet), Bob Blackman (23rd century Starfleet), and R. Blackman in addition to several interviews and articles in Star Trek magazines (listed below).
Check out the Robert Blackman credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Robert Blackman’s work on Amazon.com
Judge dismisses Oklahoma Dept. of Education’s lawsuit against atheist group
The Christian Post
By Michael Gryboski
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Federal judge dismisses Supt. Walters’ lawsuit against Freedom Religion Foundation
KRMG (Tulsa, OK)
By Matt Hutson
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Christian conservative group partners with Texas schools to roll out Ten Commandments classroom displays
The Christian Post
By Staff
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Christian conservative group partners with Texas schools to roll out Ten Commandments classroom displays
Texas AFT
By Staff
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Judge tosses lawsuit filed by Ryan Walters against Freedom From Religion Foundation
The Oklahoman
By Murray Evans
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‘Nothing more than conjecture’: MAGA education chief slapped down by Trump-appointed judge
Raw Story
By Alexander Willis
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“Star Trek: The Last Starship #1” Review by Aiptcomics.com
Aiptcomics.com has added a new review for Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing‘s “Star Trek: The Last Starship #1”:
Boldly charts new territory, delivering a darker, riskier vision of the Federation that feels both raw and refreshingly new.
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DTI Treklit Investigation for the week of August 19, 2025
Here’s a look at the books printed this week in the past.
FFRF denounces Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick’s threat to expel citizens for not joining prayer
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to retract a recent unconstitutional threat to eject citizens from the state Senate chamber if they do not stand during official prayers.
During the Senate’s Aug. 15 session, Sen. Angela Paxton delivered a Christian invocation “in the name of Jesus, who has saved us, who keeps us safe, and who is coming again.” Immediately afterward, Patrick admonished members of the public gallery who had remained seated: “For those of you who didn’t stand, next time you come to the gallery, you stand for the invocation. It’s respecting the Senate. If you don’t stand for the invocation, I’ll have you removed. We asked you to stand. I’ve never seen a gallery ever have any members in my 17 years of people who refused to stand for the invocation. It will not be tolerated.”
In a letter sent Monday, Aug. 18, FFRF calls Patrick’s directive unconstitutional and discriminatory.
“Citizens have the right to attend legislative proceedings without being coerced into religious observance,” FFRF legal counsel Chris Line writes. “Ordering attendees to stand during a religious exercise is unconstitutionally compelling their participation in religious activity. Conditioning access to government on religious conformity violates the Establishment Clause and the First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion.”
FFRF points out that Patrick himself once walked out of the Texas Senate chamber during its first Muslim prayer in 2007, saying at the time that even standing respectfully would appear to be an “endorsement” of the prayer. This hypocrisy is par for the course for Patrick, who refers to himself as a “Christian first, conservative second.”
The constitutional principle at stake is clear: No official may compel symbolic acts of faith or deference. As the U.S. Supreme Court declared in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943): “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”
“This is supposed to be a country with religious freedom — which necessarily includes freedom from religion — is seeking to impose compulsory, forced prayer, or at least mandatory obeisance to that prayer,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Government officials cannot threaten citizens with expulsion from their own legislature for declining to participate in a prayer they do not believe in and that shouldn’t even be taking place in the first place.”
Gaylor added that such high-handed tactics are un-American and should be denounced by everyone who reveres the Bill of Rights.
Patrick is currently serving as the chair of President Trump’s so-called “Religious Liberty Commission.” Despite its branding, this commission is not about protecting religious freedom — it’s about advancing religious privilege and promoting a Christian nationalist agenda. Like the “Anti-Christian Bias Task Force,” this body aims to erode the constitutional wall between church and state.
The commission’s mandate includes reviewing federal policies for “religious liberty compliance,” proposing regulatory changes and “amplifying the voices of faith leaders” in public policy. The White House’s fact sheet makes clear this is a vehicle for religious influence in government, indicating its mission is “to end the anti-Christian weaponization of government and unlawful targeting of Christians.”
FFRF is urging Patrick to publicly retract his statement and assure Texans that no one will ever be required to stand — or otherwise participate — in prayer in the Statehouse.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 1,800 members and a chapter in Texas. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Sept. 14th, 2025 – FFRF Co-President Dan Barker to Speak Virtually to ACCRA Atheists (Ghana, West Africa)
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is pleased to announce that Co-President Dan Barker will be presenting virtually to the ACCRA Atheists as part of their Reason Rising Monthly Series this September.
Barker’s presentation, titled “From Evangelical Priesthood to Atheism,” will explore themes of humanism, science, human rights, and critical thinking. A former evangelical minister turned leading atheist advocate, Barker brings a unique perspective on the journey from faith to reason.
The event will be held virtually from 5:00–7:00 p.m. GMT (Noon–2:00 p.m. CT).
To learn more about the ACCRA Atheists and their Reason Rising series, please visit the ACCRA Atheists Facebook page.
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Star Trek Wins at the 2025 Hugo Awards!
Our much beloved “Warp Your Own Way” has won yet another award!
“Star Trek: The Last Starship #1” Review by Comicbook.com
Comicbook.com has added a new review for Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing‘s “Star Trek: The Last Starship #1”:
IDW’s new Star Trek comic feels like you’re holding a blockbuster movie in your hands.
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“Star Trek: The Last Starship #1” Review by Ign.com
Ign.com has added a new review for Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing‘s “Star Trek: The Last Starship #1”:
Resurrecting Captain Kirk and charting a bold new future for the iconic franchise.
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Preview of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Omnibus, Vol. 1”
Here’s a preview of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Omnibus, Vol. 1 by which is due to be released this Wednesday on August 20, 2025 at your local comic shop and digital retailers:
Explore never-before-seen adventures of the hit Paramount+ show in this graphic novel omnibus!
First, in The Illyrian Enigma, set between seasons one and two, Una is accused of unlawful genetic modification by Starfleet and Captain Pike sets out in search of evidence that could prove her innocence. But, when Captain Pike and the crew of the Enterprise get caught in the Pryllia colony, home to the illusive Illyrians, the mission objective quickly shifts from gathering evidence to exonerate Una to…breaking out.
Then, in The Scorpius Run set course with Captain Pike and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to the Scorpius Constellation as they become the first Federation vessel to explore this uncharted region of space! In this romp across the stars, the Enterprise crew learn what it truly means to explore the strange and unfamiliar when they lose contact with Starfleet and everything outside the region. After entering a crime lord’s starship competition to save an innocent pilot, the Enterprise jets through a gauntlet of dangerous environments in the unexplored Scorpius sector. But cosmic storms and sentient ship-eating asteroids aren’t the only obstacles the crew will have to survive!
Collects Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—The Illyrian Enigma by Kirsten Beyer, Mike Johnson, and Megan Levens; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—The Scorpius Run by Mike Johnson, Ryan Parrott, and Angel Hernandez; plus two short stories, “Yesterday’s Shadow” from Star Trek #500 by Jody Houser and Vernon Smith and “Facemaker” from Star Trek: Celebrations by Mags Visaggio and Tench.
Judge dismisses lawsuit brought by Oklahoma school chief
Oklahoma Voice
By Barbara Hoberock
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Judge dismisses Ryan Walters’ lawsuit against Freedom From Religion Foundation
Tulsa World
By Curtis Killman
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Judge dismisses Walters’ lawsuit against Freedom from Religion Foundation
Fox 25 (Oklahoma City, OK)
By Alexandra Sharfman
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Judge dismisses OSDE’s lawsuit against Freedom from Religion Foundation
News 9 (Oklahoma City, OK)
By Destini Pittman
The post Judge dismisses OSDE’s lawsuit against Freedom from Religion Foundation appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Secular Organizations Ask Federal Agency To Cancel New Religious Expression Guidelines
ChurchLeaders
By Adelle M. Banks
The post Secular Organizations Ask Federal Agency To Cancel New Religious Expression Guidelines appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Starting in September, Every Texas Public Classroom Must Post Ten Commandments
The Austin Chronicle
By Brant Bingamon
The post Starting in September, Every Texas Public Classroom Must Post Ten Commandments appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Happy 2025 Birthday to Bjo Trimble!
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Happy birthday to Bjo Trimble!
Betty JoAnne Trimble, universally known as Bjo Trimble (maiden name Betty JoAnne Conway) is an artist, writer, and a strong presence in Star Trek fandom. Trimble was one of the major forces behind the letter-writing campaign that saw the original series renewed for its third season. She was also the driving force behind the letter-writing campaign that urged President Ford to change the name of the first space shuttle to Enterprise. Trimble and her husband John also helped set up Lincoln Enterprises, the mail-order company run by Majel Barrett-Roddenberry.
Her only “official” work is the Star Trek Concordance, an episode guide and encyclopedia for The Original Series and The Animated Series, which began as a fandom publication, but was later published by Ballantine Books and endorsed by Paramount. Her fan works include the previously-mentioned encyclopedia and On the Good Ship Enterprise, a humorous work detailing her fifteen-year involvement with the show. Trimble has also written articles for numerous sci-fi magazines, including Starlog (for whom she wrote the Fan Scene column, concerning the fandom phenomena, that ran from issues 33, 1980 through 69, 1983) and the magazines of the US and UK official Trek fan clubs.
Check out the Bjo Trimble credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Bjo Trimble’s work on Amazon.com
BREAKING: Judge dismisses Ryan Walters lawsuit against FFRF
In a big win for freedom of speech, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the Freedom from Religion Foundation by Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters.
The suit, filed on March 31 at the behest of co-plaintiffs Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education, sought to punish FFRF for sending advocacy letters to school districts objecting to religious activity in public schools. The American Civil Liberties Union and its Oklahoma affiliate, which represented FFRF in the lawsuit, filed a motion to dismiss in May, arguing that the suit was a frivolous attempt to silence protected speech.
U.S. District Judge John Heil III, in a decision issued late yesterday, agreed that no harm had come to the Oklahoma Department of Education because of the letters, asking, “In what way are plaintiffs precluded from administering Oklahoma’s public schools because of defendant’s letters?”
The order reads: “Plaintiffs have failed to sufficiently demonstrate standing under the framework. Indeed, the complaint does not allege that it has stopped executing its duties or ceased administration of Oklahoma’s public schools because of defendant’s letters. Nor does the complaint allege that the schools have ceased any policies or practices because of defendant’s letters. For these reasons, the court finds that plaintiffs have failed to show an injury in fact.”
“We are so pleased that Walters’ frivolous lawsuit seeking to muzzle FFRF and our free speech rights was promptly dismissed,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It was an outrageous attempt by a Christian nationalist public official to attack FFRF’s work to uphold the First Amendment. FFRF will continue our vital work to protect the constitutional rights of students and families around the nation, including in Oklahoma.”
“This decision affirms a fundamental freedom: the right to petition the government for change,” says Vera Eidelman, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. “The government has no business suing advocacy organizations for exercising their First Amendment rights, and we are grateful that the court recognized that government actors responding to the public doesn’t qualify as an injury.”
“As we enter a new school year, this judgement reaffirms our right to speak out against school policies and advocate for change,” says Megan Lambert, legal director at the ACLU of Oklahoma. “The right to dissent is now more important than ever, and we remain committed to ensuring that people can continue to advocate for better governance and equity in Oklahoma public schools. The Oklahoma State Department of Education is without the power to silence dissent.”
FFRF thanks the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Oklahoma for their representation. They argued that the lawsuit was a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation” (SLAPP), an abusive legal tactic that seeks to chill expression by saddling defendants with potentially lengthy and expensive litigation in retaliation for protected speech.
The Oklahoma City public radio station provides a good rundown of FFRF’s constitutional activities that raised Walters’ ire.
“In 2023, Prague Elementary stopped broadcasting daily prayer following a letter from the Foundation, and the group says it prevented school staff in Depew from imposing prayer during a Christmas play,” KGOU reports. “In each case, the school districts cited compliance with the First Amendment as their reason for ending the practices. The Foundation is also part of a coalition suing Walters and the state education department over a separate matter — a plan to use taxpayer funds for classroom Bibles and Bible-based instructional materials.”
FFRF and the ACLU are also part of a coalition that opposed a Walters’ statewide email last year focused on a “Mandatory Announcement” linking to a video entitled “Prayer for the Nation.” The email asserted that all Oklahoma schools must play the video for all their students and send it to their parents. The coalition had sent a letter to every superintendent in Oklahoma urging them not to show or disseminate Walters’ prayer video.
The state/church watchdog’s consistent vigil in the Sooner State to protect the constitutional wall of separation clearly got under Walters’ skin — prompting him to get the lawsuit filed.
FFRF celebrates Judge Heil’s clear-eyed judgment revealing the absurdity of the unwarranted legal attack against FFRF.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national educational nonprofit that protects the constitutional separation between state and church and educates about nontheism.
The ACLU of Oklahoma works to secure liberty, justice, and equity for all Oklahomans through advocacy, litigation, and legislation, leading by example and fueled by people power.
For more than 100 years, the ACLU has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all.
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Freethought Radio – August 14, 2025
FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott tells us some breaking good news about a Christian nationalist legal attack against FFRF by Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters. Then, we’ll hear a chilling warning about encroaching Christian fascism by author Katherine Stewart.
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Where Are North Texas Schools Getting Their Ten Commandments Posters?
Dallas Observer
By Emma Ruby
The post Where Are North Texas Schools Getting Their Ten Commandments Posters? appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Secular organizations ask federal agency to cancel new religious expression guidelines
Religion News Service
By Adelle M. Banks
The post Secular organizations ask federal agency to cancel new religious expression guidelines appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Who is Kim Davis? Kentucky Clerk Seeks to Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
Newsweek
By Nick Mordowanec
The post Who is Kim Davis? Kentucky Clerk Seeks to Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Ruling appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Happy 2025 Birthday to Brannon Braga!
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Happy birthday to Brannon Braga!
Brannon Braga was a writer, producer and creator, serving as such on the spin-off television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, as well as on the Star Trek films Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.
Check out the Brannon Braga credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Brannon Braga’s work on Amazon.com
DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of August 14, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
EXCLUSIVE | Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing Talk Star Trek: The Last Starship
The Eisner Award-nominated duo walk us through their upcoming IDW series!
Out Today: “Star Trek: Lower Decks #10”
Out today: “Star Trek: Lower Decks #10“, by Tim Sheridan.
D’Vana Tendi has only just begun to dig herself out of the mountain of student loan debt she owes Ferengi swindlers, and already she’s feeling burnt out. Despite Freeman brokering her a deal, and the help of fellow Lower Deckers, the Ferengi’s demands are becoming more intense and overwhelming by the day. So, Tendi decides to put her Starfleet education to use… and work smarter, not harder.
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Secretary Duffy should remove religious painting from Merchant Marine Academy
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy not to install a sectarian painting in a prominent space in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
In a letter sent Aug. 11 to Duffy, FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor vigorously object to the secretary’s decision to move the painting “Christ on the Water” from the basement chapel to the Elliott M. See Room in Wiley Hall, a space used for mandatory meetings with cadets and staff. The 1944 painting depicts a huge partial figure of Jesus floating over the water next to seamen adrift in a lifeboat.
“Cadets have the right to attend the Merchant Marine Academy without being exposed to prominent Christian imagery placed there at the direction of a high-ranking government official seeking to impose his personal Catholic beliefs on everyone else,” Barker and Gaylor write.
The painting was moved to the chapel in 2023 to resolve a complaint filed by 18 midshipmen, including five Jewish cadets, who objected to being forced to participate in meetings under the gaze of a sectarian image.
Duffy defended the return of the painting to the meeting room during a July 17 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing by asserting, “We have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.” FFRF notes in its letter that this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the First Amendment, which guarantees both the right to freely practice religion and the right to be free from government-imposed religion: “It is an axiom of our nearly 50-year-old organization that, as FFRF’s principal founder Anne Nicol Gaylor put it, ‘There can be no freedom of religion without the freedom to dissent.’ Freedom of religion necessarily requires the government to be free from religion, as our godless and entirely secular U.S. Constitution demands.”
FFRF asserts that the Constitution binds government officials to remain neutral over matters of religion. Placing the pious painting at a prominent location sends a clear message that the Merchant Marine Academy is favoring one particular faith over others, and religion over nonreligion, which is both inappropriate and unconstitutional.
The state/church watchdog points out how exclusionary it is for the federal government to promote Christianity. While nearly a third of adults today have no religious affiliation, 43 percent of Gen Z youth identify as having no religion. With the addition of those adhering to other faiths, fully 36 percent of the U.S. adult population today is non-Christian.
FFRF is urging Duffy to either remove the painting altogether or return it to the chapel, where its religious nature is appropriately contextualized, and to reaffirm the Merchant Marine Academy’s commitment to respecting the First Amendment rights of all cadets.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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FFRF denounces violent arrest in Bangladesh over birthday wish to atheist blogger
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is deploring the brutal mob assault and arrest of 25-year-old Bijoy Debnath in Bangladesh — an appalling act of religious persecution simply because he wished “Happy Birthday” to an atheist in exile.
Debnath, a Hindu resident of Sitakunda municipality (map) in Chattogram district, was attacked on Aug. 9 in broad daylight by a mob of so-called “student protesters” affiliated with the extremist group Tawhidi Janata. His “offense” was sending well wishes to Asad Noor, a Bangladeshi atheist blogger and critic of religious extremism currently living abroad. After viciously beating Debnath, the mob turned him over to police, who then arrested the victim on fabricated “blasphemy” charges instead of prosecuting his attackers.
“This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice that shows how blasphemy accusations are weaponized to crush dissent, target atheists and other minorities and enforce religious conformity,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “No one should face violence, arrest or harassment for showing kindness to a friend, let alone for expressing a secular or dissenting viewpoint.”
This incident comes amid a sharp rise in religious violence in Bangladesh, particularly targeting religious minorities. Since the removal of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister a year ago, anti-Christian violence has surged, with reports from Open Doors documenting that more than 100 families have been pressured to renounce their faith, and at least 36 attacks on Christians or Christian property have occurred. There have also been instances covered in the Bangladeshi media of Hindus bearing the brunt of violence.
The attack on Debnath harkens back to a horrific purge of atheists in Bangladesh 10 years ago, beginning when Avijit Roy, a well-known atheist and Bangladeshi-American, was hacked to death on the streets of Dhaka, with his wife nearly killed. That crime set off a series of horrifying executions of other so-called atheists bloggers, with activists and sympathizers forced to flee Bangladesh. In 2018, FFRF established the Avijit Roy Courage Award in conjunction with his widow, Rafida Bonya Ahmed, also an author and activist. The first recipient was the Bangladeshi gay rights magazine Roopbaan, edited by Rasel Ahmed. FFRF’s Nonbelief Relief Fund has helped several endangered individuals leave Bangladesh. Mubarak Bala, who was recently released from Nigerian prison for the “crime” of blasphemy, will receive the Avijit Roy Courage Award this year at the FFRF convention in October, accepting remotely.
The climate of impunity in Bangladesh unfortunately continues to embolden extremists and further erodes the rights and safety of atheists and non-Muslims.
The State Department and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom need to take swift action to press for the immediate and unconditional release of Bijoy Debnath, protection for him and his family and prosecution of those responsible for the hate-driven assault. And the United States should initiate an expedited review to determine whether Bangladesh meets the criteria for designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act in light of recent such incidents.
FFRF stands with Debnath, Noor and all those persecuted for rejecting or questioning religion. It will continue to advocate for true religious freedom — which can exist only where religion is separated from government — around the world.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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