Happy 2025 Birthday to Terry J. Erdmann!
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Happy birthday to Terry J. Erdmann!
Terry J. Erdmann is an author and publicist. A graduate of UCLA, Erdmann resides in Southern California with his wife, Trek editor, licensing liaison and fellow author Paula M. Block.
Check out the Terry J. Erdmann credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Terry J. Erdmann’s work on Amazon.com
Freethought Radio – August 7, 2025
We announce a great victory from the Arkansas courts blocking the state from displaying the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. After reporting state/church news in California, West Virginia, Iowa and West Point Military Academy, we hear the Tom Lehrer song “I Got it from Agnes” and the “1919 Influenza Blues” by Essie Ray Jenkins. Then, we listen to the talk given at the Scopes Trial Centennial last month by Brenda Wineapple, author of Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial that Riveted a Nation.
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FFRF excoriates Trump admin’s anti-science assaults on public health and environment
The Trump administration continues to wreak havoc on public health and the environment.
“Health” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. deplorably announced this week that he will end mRNA contracts for flu and Covid vaccinations. Health and Human Services declared “a coordinated wind-down” of mRNA projects at the government’s biodefense agency. Contracts will either be altered or canceled, affecting nearly $500 million in mRNA-related projects, including some focusing on creating an H5N1 bird flu vaccine.
“The mRNA-based coronavirus vaccines are a marvel of scientific ingenuity and the culmination of years of U.S. investment in medical research that literally saved millions of lives,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It’s tragic and untenable that a fanatic like Kennedy is being allowed to quash the use of one of the biggest breakthroughs in medical research history.”
Laughably, the HHS announcement claimed this destruction of medical research is in the name of “safety” and “ethical grounding.”
The American Medical Association and physicians across the country are holding their collective breath about whether Kennedy will remove all the panelists of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, just as he earlier removed all the members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy fired all 17 members of the vaccine task force, replacing them with some known vaccine skeptics. The AMA sent Kennedy a letter late last month urging him to retain the 16 panelists on the preventive services committee, pointing out how vital their role is in making care recommendations and determining what treatment insurers must cover.
Meanwhile, the dismantlement of environmental protections continues apace at the so-called Environmental Protection Agency. Last week, EPA Secretary Lee Zeldin proposed to repeal a watershed scientific finding enabling the federal government to regulate greenhouse gases.
“In effect,” reports the New York Times, “the EPA will eliminate its own authority to combat climate change.” A 2007 decision by the Supreme Court affirmed the authority of the EPA to regulate greenhouse cases that threaten public health and welfare, paving the way to the EPA’s landmark 2009 endangerment finding. The EPA is openly and recklessly flouting its responsibility to follow the law and the science.
This action comes after the dismissal last spring by the EPA of hundreds of experts and scientists who had been tasked with completing the federal government’s congressionally required analysis on climate change and how it’s affecting the United States. The National Climate Assessment has been published every few years since 2000.
Just this week, the EPA announced it may claw back $7 billion reserved for the Solar For All program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which the administration froze in February. The Southern Environmental Law Center has admirably announced, “We will see them in court.”
President Trump has also called for the elimination or major overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which would leave many Americans vulnerable to weather-related disasters worsened by climate change. Zeldin has placed business over environmental stewardship, dismissing environmentalists as wanting to “bankrupt the country.”
Under the preamble of our secular Constitution, the federal government is required to “promote the public welfare.” The Trump administration, to state the obvious, is doing the opposite in line with the Christian nationalist anti-science agenda of Project 2025.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation urges its members, the public and lawmakers to vigorously protest these and all other measures that endanger public health and the future of our planet.
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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Federal workers get new guidance on religious expression under Trump administration
KWTX (Waco, TX)
By Raphael Roker
The post Federal workers get new guidance on religious expression under Trump administration appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
School District Bars Prayer Events on School Grounds
Decision Magazine
By Staff
The post School District Bars Prayer Events on School Grounds appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Battle Over Ten Commandments in Public Schools Heats Up Nationwide
Charisma Magazine
By James Lasher
The post Battle Over Ten Commandments in Public Schools Heats Up Nationwide appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond” Review by Thespacereview.com
Thespacereview.com has added a new review for Jonathan Klug and Steven Leonard‘s “To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond”:
Science fiction’s role in shaping the Space Age has long been appreciated. Countless scientists and engineers have cited the inspiration provided by science fiction novels, movies, and TV shows to pursue careers in the industry and work on spacecraft, launch vehicles, and other technologies linked to those accounts. But besides that inspiration—and, of course, entertainment—is there anything else science fiction can offer?
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DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of August 7, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
“Star Trek: Picard: Firewall” Review by Selimpensfiction.com
Selimpensfiction.com has added a new review for David Mack‘s “Star Trek: Picard: Firewall”:
A woman walks into a bar and inquires of the Fenris Ranger therein how she herself might join the rangers. This is how David Mack’s Star Trek Picard: Firewall opens. The novel bears some comparison to Una McCormack’s Star Trek Picard: Second Self, which I wrote about previously. Like Second Self, the audio version of Firewall is narrated by January LaVoy, the extraordinary narrator of a thousand voices. Her Kathryn Janeway is so authentic you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d brought in Kate Mulgrew to speak the part. Not only can she pull off many voices, but LaVoy is an amazing actor who delivers a full gamut of emotions.
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New Star Trek Book: “To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond”
To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond by Jonathan Klug and Steven Leonard has been added to the Star Trek Book Club!
As a literature of ideas, science fiction has proven to be a powerful metaphor for the world around us, offering a rich tapestry of imagination through which to explore how we lead, how we think, and how we interact. To Boldly Go assembles more than thirty writers from around the world—experts in leadership and strategy, senior policy advisors and analysts, professional educators and innovators, experienced storytellers, and ground-level military leaders—to help us better understand ourselves through the lens of science fiction
Each chapter of To Boldly Go draws out the lessons that we can learn from science fiction, drawing on classic examples of the genre in ways that are equally relatable and entertaining. A chapter on the burdens of leadership by Ghost Fleet author August Cole launches readers into the cosmos with Captain Avatar aboard the space battleship Yamato. In another chapter, the climactic Battle of the Mutara Nebula from The Wrath of Khan weighs the advantages of experience over intelligence in the pursuit of strategy. What does inter-species conflict in science fiction tell us about our perspectives on social Darwinism? Whether using Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to explore the nuances of maritime strategy or The Expanse to better understand the threat posed by depleted natural resources, To Boldly Go provides thoughtful essays on relevant subjects that will appeal to business leaders, military professionals, and fans of science fiction alike.
The book is currently scheduled to be published on September 30, 2021
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Judge blocks Ark. Ten Commandments rule, says it ‘injects’ religion into school
Straight Arrow News
By Evan Hummel & Lauren Keenan
The post Judge blocks Ark. Ten Commandments rule, says it ‘injects’ religion into school appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Arkansas Ten Commandments law blocked in some schools by district court
K-12 Dive
By Anna Merod
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The Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial isn’t done shaping America
Baptist News Global
By Tyler Hummel
The post The Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial isn’t done shaping America appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Federal judge bars Arkansas public schools from displaying the Ten Commandments
USA Today
By BrieAnna J. Frank
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Pennsylvania’s blasphemy laws are unconstitutional and must be repealed | Opinion
PennLive Patriot News (Mechanicsburg, PA)
By Mickey Dollens
The post Pennsylvania’s blasphemy laws are unconstitutional and must be repealed | Opinion appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Judge Blocks 4 Districts From Enforcing Arkansas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Classroom
Edge Media Network
By Andrew Demillo
The post Judge Blocks 4 Districts From Enforcing Arkansas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Classroom appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Federal judge stops Arkansas from posting Ten Commandments in public schools
Baptist News Global
By Jeff Brumley
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Trump Administration Permits Bibles And Crosses In Federal Workplaces
Govima
By Olukayode Oke
The post Trump Administration Permits Bibles And Crosses In Federal Workplaces appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
How to Join Winbox MY as an Agent and Earn Commissions Easily
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“Star Trek: Omega #1” Review by Comicsxf.com
Comicsxf.com has added a new review for Christopher Cantwell and Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing‘s “Star Trek: Omega #1”:
Well, the universe is back to normal, the pre-Nemesis status quo has been firmly established, and all of Kelly, Lanzing and Cantwell’s toys are ready to go back into their plastic packaging to be re-sealed and kept mint in box for their dates with their various destinies.
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Groups warn Ark. schools not to implement judicially blocked 10 Commandments law
Photo by Taylor Flowe
Four organizations have sent a letter to public school superintendents across Arkansas warning them not to implement an unconstitutional state law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library.
The letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the ACLU of Arkansas, the ACLU and the Americans United for Separation of Church and State notifies superintendents of yesterday’s federal court decision in Stinson v. Fayetteville School District No. 1, which ruled that Act 573 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 Act 573.”
Earlier this year, a group of seven multifaith and nonreligious families with children in Arkansas’ public schools filed suit in Stinson, asserting that Act 573 violates the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The four organizations that sent today’s letter also represent the plaintiffs in Stinson and issued the following statement regarding the letter:
“Arkansas school districts must not comply with Act 573. A federal court has already ruled that the statute is “obviously 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 HB 71 would violate this obligation and could result in litigation being filed against school districts that do so.”
Read the full letter to superintendents here.
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FFRF to Army Secretary: Remove West Point crest from bibles
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to rescind his recent directive requiring the U.S. Military Academy to place West Point’s official crest on bibles in the Cadet Chapel. This is a move that violates the constitutional principle of state/church separation and sends an exclusionary message to nonreligious and non-Christian cadets.
“Stamping West Point’s official insignia on one religion’s so-called sacred text sends a clear and inappropriate message of government support,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The Army has no business branding bibles with its emblem, anymore than it should place its emblem on a Quran or Richard Dawkins’ ‘God Delusion.’”
Driscoll justified the move in a statement to Fox News, describing why a decision by the Biden administration against affixing the crest was “far-left politics” and claiming that emblazoning West Point’s name on bibles is necessary to uphold “Duty, Honor, Country.” FFRF’s letter strongly rebukes that claim, noting that religious neutrality is not a partisan act but a constitutional and ethical obligation under the First Amendment. FFRF warns that this kind of symbolic alignment with religion fuels the rise of Christian nationalism in the military and erodes public trust in the military’s fairness and professionalism.
“Cadets come from all walks of life. Many are Christian, yes, but many others are Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, atheist, agnostic, humanist, or otherwise unaffiliated,” writes FFRF legal counsel Chris Line. “Your recent public statement not only fails to acknowledge this pluralism, it actively promotes a Christian nationalist vision of the military that is antithetical to American constitutional values.”
FFRF notes that 43 percent of Gen Z youth are religiously unaffiliated. “West Point needs to catch up with the changing demographics,” adds Gaylor.
Judicial Watch, the right-wing legal group that filed the original Freedom of Information Act request regarding the crest’s removal that helped prompt the reversal, celebrated the move as a victory, proclaiming, “The U.S. Army and West Point can’t go wrong in honoring God.”
FFRF urges Driscoll and the military leadership to recognize that true patriotism is not measured by religious affiliation. The U.S. military must serve all Americans, not just those who adhere to a majority faith. West Point’s motto is “Duty, Honor, Country.” None of those values is served by religious favoritism.
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 FFRF to Army Secretary: Remove West Point crest from bibles appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“Late Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era” Review by Lessaccurategrandmother.blogspot.com
Lessaccurategrandmother.blogspot.com has added a new review for Adam Kotsko‘s “Late Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era”:
Adam Kotsko is a philosopher of, I guess, at least some repute, but I know him best for two things. One, he wrote a really sharp piece about the college literacy crisis, one that I actually assign in my 101 classes and students tend to respond to really well. Second, he is a prolific poster on Reddit, usually on the “Daystrom Insitute” subreddit, which is devoted to highly detailed analysis of Star Trek. (You might think this would be my jam, but after about a year of subscribing I left the sub because 1) they are too much focused on producing convoluted in-universe theories, and 2) they don’t allow jokes!)
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August 13th, 2025 – Join FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, Secular Humanist Society of Peru (Santiago de Surco, Peru)
The Secular Humanist Society of Peru invites you to a powerful evening of critical reflection and open dialogue as part of Café Humaniste, a global event series by Humanists International.
Join us on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at the Lima Central Tower for an exploration of The Sodalicio Case—one of the most significant religious abuse scandals in Latin America. The evening will feature a keynote by Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, followed by a roundtable discussion with journalists Pedro Salinas, Paola Ugaz, and José Enrique Escardó Steck—all key voices in uncovering the truth.
Event Schedule:
-
- 7:00 PM – Reception
- 7:30 PM – Opening Lecture: Dan Barker
- 8:20 PM – Roundtable: The Sodalicio Case
- 9:50 PM – Book Signing with Pedro Salinas (The Truth Made Us Free)
Registration is required and space is limited to 90 attendees. Secure your spot here.
Open to the public; DNI required for entry.
This event offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the journalists and activists who have challenged institutional religious power and advocated for justice. Don’t miss it!
The post August 13th, 2025 – Join FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, Secular Humanist Society of Peru (Santiago de Surco, Peru) appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Court blocks Arkansas law requiring 10 Commandments in every public school
In a victory for religious freedom and church-state separation, a federal district court has issued a preliminary injunction in Stinson v. Fayetteville School District No. 1 prohibiting the school district defendants from implementing an Arkansas law that requires all public schools to permanently display a government-chosen, Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library.
In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Brooks held that Arkansas Act 573, due to take effect on Aug. 5, “is plainly unconstitutional” under both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.
Ruling that the law would lead to unconstitutional religious coercion of the child plaintiffs and interfere with their parents’ rights to direct their children’s religious education, Judge Brooks explained:
“Students receiving instruction in algebra, physics, engineering, accounting, computer science, woodworking, fashion design and German will do so in classrooms that prominently display (the King James version of) the Ten Commandments. Every day from kindergarten to 12th grade, children will be confronted with these Commandments — or face civil penalties for missing school.”
The decision also sounds 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.”
“Act 573 is a direct infringement of our religious-freedom rights, and we’re pleased that the court ruled in our favor,” says Samantha Stinson, who is a plaintiff in the case along with her husband, Jonathan Stinson. “The version of the Ten Commandments mandated by Act 573 conflicts with our family’s Jewish tenets and practice, and our belief that our children should receive their religious instruction at home and within our faith community, not from government officials.”
“We are delighted that reason and our secular Constitution have prevailed, and that children will be spared this unconstitutional proselytizing,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “Our public schools exist to educate, not to evangelize a captive audience.”
“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” says Heather L. Weaver, senior counsel for the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. “The 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.”
“The ruling is a victory for Arkansas families and for the First Amendment,” says John Williams, legal director for the ACLU of Arkansas. “The court saw through this attempt to impose religious doctrine in public schools and upheld every student’s right to learn free from government-imposed faith. We’re proud to stand with our clients — families of many different backgrounds — who simply want their kids to get an education.”
“The decision will ensure that Arkansas 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 strong message across the country that the government respects the religious freedom of every student in our public schools.”
“We are heartened by the 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 decisions as to whether and how they engage with religion.”
The preliminary injunction, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, prohibits the school-district defendants, including Fayetteville School District No. 1, Springdale School District No. 50, Bentonville School District No. 6, and Siloam Springs School District No. 21, from “complying with Act 573 of 2025 by displaying the Ten Commandments in public elementary- and secondary-school classrooms and libraries.”
Represented by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel, the plaintiffs in Stinson v. Fayetteville School District No. 1 are a group of seven multifaith and nonreligious Arkansas families with children in public schools.
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Golden Corral suspends Preacher Appreciation Sundays promotion after alleged complaint from resident
WVNS 59 News (Ghent, WV)
By Cameron Gunnoe
The post Golden Corral suspends Preacher Appreciation Sundays promotion after alleged complaint from resident appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Judge blocks 4 districts from enforcing Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments in classroom
AP News
By Andrew Demillo
The post Judge blocks 4 districts from enforcing Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments in classroom appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Court Blocks Arkansas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Every Public School Classroom and Library
ACLU
By Staff
The post Court Blocks Arkansas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Every Public School Classroom and Library appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Federal judge issues injunction keeping Fayetteville schools from enforcing Ten Commandments law
Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette (Fayetteville, AR)
By Daniel McFadin
The post Federal judge issues injunction keeping Fayetteville schools from enforcing Ten Commandments law appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Jefferson County, Illinois Relocates Ten Commandments Monument Following Lawsuit
Atheism Daily
By Staff
The post Jefferson County, Illinois Relocates Ten Commandments Monument Following Lawsuit appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
A New Threat For Federal Workers: Being ‘Persuaded’ About Their Religion
HuffPost
By Nathalie Baptiste
The post A New Threat For Federal Workers: Being ‘Persuaded’ About Their Religion appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Texas pastors poised to wield political power after IRS says churches can endorse candidates
Fort Worth Report (Fort Worth, TX)
By Marissa Greene
The post Texas pastors poised to wield political power after IRS says churches can endorse candidates appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #1” Review by Fanbasepress.com
Fanbasepress.com has added a new review for Robbie Thompson‘s “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #1”:
Just in time for the all-new third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+, IDW released a new series of adventures for Captain Pike and the Enterprise crew. Written by Robbie Thompson with art by Travis Mercer, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation takes place sometime after the first episode of season three.
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DTI Treklit Investigation for the week of August 5, 2025
Here’s a look at the books printed this week in the past.
“Star Trek: A Singular Destiny” Review by Treknews.net
Treknews.net has added a new review for Keith R.A. DeCandido‘s “Star Trek: A Singular Destiny”:
We’ve been following Star Trek novels for a few years, and it feels like there’s an endless frontier of stories to explore. We love knowing there’s always a new adventure waiting in the vast literary universe of this franchise we know and cherish. The most recent book to come to our attention is one that serves as a sequel to the landmark Star Trek: Destiny trilogy. Star Trek: A Singular Destiny, published in 2009 and authored by Keith R.A. DeCandido, is kind of like The West Wing for Star Trek, in that it proves to be an enjoyable read for fans eager to delve deeper into galactic politics instead of thrilling action scenes.
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Star Trek Book Deals For August 2025
This month’s ebook deals have landed with 18 books on sale for $1.99 each, books that have never been on sale are in bold:
The sale is back! Lots of repeats this month, but boy howdy am I happy to see this list show up again. What will you be buying?
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
“Inspired Enterprise” Review by Thespacereview.com
Thespacereview.com has added a new review for Glen E. Swanson‘s “Inspired Enterprise”:
In spring 1967, only a short time after the devastating Apollo 1 fire, Leonard Nimoy, who played Mister Spock on Star Trek, visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland where he was greeted enthusiastically by NASA employees. Although demoralized over the tragic deaths of the astronauts, many at NASA were fans of Star Trek and thought of the Enterprise and its crew as the NASA of the future, a positive future of humans exploring the stars. This is one of the many connections that the show had to NASA at the time that is recounted in a new book by my friend Glen Swanson.
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Trump admin says federal workers may proselytize
Baptist News Global
By Jeff Brumley
The post Trump admin says federal workers may proselytize appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Just how ‘high and impregnable’ is the wall between church and state in the US?
Crikey
By Charlie Lewis
The post Just how ‘high and impregnable’ is the wall between church and state in the US? appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
‘God, Why Me?’: Why Deion Sanders Never Asked That While Battling Cancer
Religion Unplugged
By Bobby Ross Jr.
The post ‘God, Why Me?’: Why Deion Sanders Never Asked That While Battling Cancer appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Trump seems to want a tent revival — in the federal workplace
Salon
By Amanda Marcotte
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This ‘topsy turvy’ Trump order will make your work life a living hell: columnist
Raw Story
By Adam Nichols
The post This ‘topsy turvy’ Trump order will make your work life a living hell: columnist appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
FFRF will fight Calif. school board’s costly attempt to revive prayer lawsuit
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is fighting back against a California school board that is improperly seeking to resurrect a closed civil rights case.
The Board of Education of the Chino Valley Unified School District is attempting to end a court injunction that prohibits board members from opening their public meetings with prayer. FFRF, a national state/church watchdog, secured decisive court decisions against unconstitutional religious practices by the Chino Valley School Board, winning before a federal district court in 2016 and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2018. FFRF will fight the board’s motion in court.
“Rather than focus on educating students, it is unfortunate that the Chino Valley Board remains intent on pushing evangelical Christianity on district students and residents,” comments FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “The move to reopen this case is going to cost taxpayers again when the district loses yet again.”
In a closed session vote on Feb. 20, the board authorized Advocates for Faith and Freedom to try to reopen FFRF’s landmark lawsuit. This move is an attempt to overturn FFRF’s appeals court victory and well-established legal precedent against government-sponsored religious ritual at school board meetings.
The board filed a motion to reopen the case on July 31, arguing that the injunction issued in 2016 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California should be lifted. The board incorrectly claims the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District means that the legal basis for the district court order no longer exists.
FFRF filed suit in 2014 on behalf of 22 local students, parents and employees unhappy to be subjected to the board’s routine lengthy practice of opening meetings with sectarian prayer, bible reading and proselytizing. In 2016, a U.S. district court ruled in FFRF’s favor, a decision unanimously upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2018, affirming that the board’s actions violated the First Amendment. As a result, the school district was ordered to pay more than $275,000 in FFRF’s legal fees.
The court ruling unequivocally condemned the board’s blatant promotion of Christianity. Then-Board President James Na routinely injected religion into official statements, once urging attendees who “do not know Jesus Christ to go and find Him,” after which another board member closed the meeting by reading Psalm 143. The appeals court noted that these prayers “typically take place before groups of schoolchildren whose attendance is not truly voluntary and whose relationship to school district officials, including the board, is not one of full parity.” The court further emphasized that the board’s practice was discriminatory toward secular residents.
Despite this clear ruling, current Board President Sonja Shaw mischaracterized FFRF’s legal challenge as “intimidation tactics” and an “example of overreach.” She claimed that holding the board accountable was a matter of “activist groups bully[ing] [them] into silence.”
Barker responds: “No child or parent should feel pressured to participate in religious activities at school board meetings. That conduct is bullying and inappropriate.” He adds, “The Chino Valley Board’s decision to revisit this case is an alarming attempt to revive unconstitutional practices that remain firmly prohibited by precedent relating to prayer at school events.”
The board’s move seems designed to promote Christian nationalism, which is the false notion that the United States is a Christian nation giving privileges to certain believers. Such Christian prayer excludes the 33 percent of Californians who are atheist, agnostic or do not identify with a particular religion and the additional 9 percent who identify with non-Christian religions.
The board’s latest move is a troubling effort to defy longstanding constitutional protections and reintroduce religious coercion into public meetings. FFRF remains steadfast and committed to ensuring that Chino Valley residents, regardless of belief or nonbelief, are free from school board-imposed religious ritual and proselytizing. The state/church watchdog will file a forthcoming response to the board’s motion and seek to keep the injunction in place.
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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“Star Trek Adventures: Second Edition: Exploration Guide” Review by Trekcentral.net
Trekcentral.net has added a new review for ‘s “Star Trek Adventures: Second Edition: Exploration Guide”:
Hot on the heels of the Technical Manual, which was available in PDF format back in March, but only launched this month in print. Modiphius has another supplement for Star Trek Adventures game masters and players to feast upon. Today, we’re looking at the Star Trek Adventures 2E Exploration Guide. This time, we’re taking a deep dive into another core component of Star Trek as a franchise, and of Starfleet as an institution. Exploration.
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August 3rd, 2025 – FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliot to Speak to the Lake Superior Freethinkers (Duluth, MN)
Join FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott for a compelling discussion on recent threats to the constitutional separation of state and church. Elliott will shed light on how religious organizations are advancing their agendas through the courts and legislation—particularly efforts to insert religion into public schools.
The talk will examine key legal cases and the growing influence of Christian nationalism, as well as the work FFRF is doing to protect secular government and First Amendment freedoms.
This free, in-person event is open to the public. No RSVP is required.
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Susan & Tilly Bridges on Strangenewpod.com discussing “Voyager: Homecoming”
(no image available)Susan & Tilly Bridges was recently featured on Strangenewpod.com to discuss Voyager: Homecoming:
On this special bonus edition of Strange New Pod, Julian and Girafe are thrilled to be joined by the writing duo behind Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming, the upcoming IDW comic series hitting shelves this fall! Please welcome Susan and Tilly Bridges!
Check out the Susan Bridges author page to view other sightings and a full list of books!
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Detroit newspaper publishes FFRF op-ed denouncing blasphemy law
FFRF Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens has had a piece published in the Detroit News decrying the state’s still-standing blasphemy law.
“Michigan is one of only six states that still have archaic anti-blasphemy laws, alongside Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wyoming,” Dollens writes. “These kinds of antediluvian statutes often harken back to America’s colonial era, before the U.S. Constitution, when church and state were entangled and civil rights were routinely curtailed.”
Dollens highlights the dangers that Michigan residents may face if this law is not struck down:
You might assume statutes like this are forgotten “blue laws” never enforced in modern times. But in Pennsylvania, enforcement 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 Pennsylvania statute says corporation names are not allowed to be “blasphemous.” A federal district court ruled that the enforcement of the state’s blasphemy statute violated the First Amendment. And yet, the unconstitutional law remains on the books, just like Michigan’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 citizens that legislators think their 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.
Even conservative evangelical politicians agree that blasphemy laws are wrong. In 2020, U.S. Sen. James Lankford introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. The resolution condemned foreign governments that jail or persecute individuals for religious speech and nonbelief. It passed unanimously in the Senate and was also approved in the House by a vote of 386–3. Such rare and overwhelming support demonstrates that protecting religious expression, including the freedom to question or reject religion, is a shared American value that transcends party lines.
Faith-based religious liberty advocates agree. Groups such as the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty support repealing blasphemy laws. They understand what the Founders believed: True religious freedom requires the freedom to criticize, question, reject religion and speak freely without fear of censorship or punishment.
“Repeal the state’s blasphemy law and bring Michigan in line with constitutional principles,” the piece concludes, urging reason to prevail over a dogma-fueled law.
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 1,100 members in Michigan. 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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Freethought Radio – July 31, 2025
Incursions of Christian nationalism at the federal and state level are increasing, and we are fighting back. We report a quick legal victory removing a Ten Commandments monument from an Illinois county courthouse. Then, we remember the lives of two precious freethinkers who died this month: long-time FFRF member Dick Hewetson, an Episcopal priest turned gay/atheist activist, who died at age 95; and satirical songwriter Tom Lehrer (“Vatican Rag”), who died at age 97.
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Bill Krause on Vinividiscripsi.com discussing “Star Trek Modeling”
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Bill Krause was recently featured on Vinividiscripsi.com to discuss Star Trek Modeling:
Before we dive in, a note: today’s post shifts toward model-building and sci-fi—in particular, the ever-expanding world of Star Trek, another interest of mine. It’s a different kind of creativity, but still one that reaches for something beyond ourselves: vision, story, and beauty that stirs the imagination.
Check out the Bill Krause author page to view other sightings and a full list of books!
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Massachusetts paper publishes FFRF op-ed urging blasphemy law repeal
FFRF Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens has been given space in the Massachusetts newspaper Telegram & Gazette to urge the repeal of an archaic anti-blasphemy law.
“Until 1697, [blasphemy] was punishable by death, and later by branding the blasphemer’s tongue with a hot iron,” Dollens writes. “To this day, you can still be fined $300 or jailed for up to a year for ‘willfully blaspheming the holy name of God.’”
Dollens details the problems that have resulted from anti-blasphemy laws — and how Massachusetts has a chance to fix it:
Massachusetts is one of just six states that still have archaic anti-blasphemy laws on the books, alongside Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wyoming. This antediluvian statute dates back to America’s Colonial era, before the U.S. Constitution, when church and state were entangled and Puritan orthodoxy was enforced by law.
You might assume statutes like this are forgotten “blue laws” never enforced in modern times. But in Pennsylvania, enforcement 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 Pennsylvania statute says corporation names are not allowed to be “blasphemous.” A federal district court ruled that the enforcement of the state’s blasphemy statute violated the First Amendment. And yet, the unconstitutional law remains on the books, just like Massachusetts’ law remains today.
Letting laws like this stay in place sends the wrong message. It tells citizens that their 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.
Thankfully, a Massachusetts lawmaker is working to fix this issue. State Sen. Rebecca Rausch has introduced SB 1251, a bill to repeal the state’s anti-blasphemy statute. The bill has successfully advanced out of its first committee and is now awaiting a vote in the Senate Rules Committee, just one step away from a full Senate vote. Massachusetts lawmakers should support and pass SB 1251 to finally bring state law in line with constitutional protections.
Dollens concludes by showing that religious liberty doesn’t need to be a partisan issue: “Faith-based religious liberty advocates agree. Groups such as the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty support repealing blasphemy laws. They understand what the Founders believed: True religious freedom requires the freedom to criticize, question, reject religion, and speak freely without fear of censorship or punishment.”
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 800 members in Massachusetts. 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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New Star Trek Book: “Star Trek: Defiant #5”
Star Trek: Defiant #5 by Christopher Cantwell has been added to the Star Trek Book Club!
Captain Worf struggles to maintain order among the Defiant’s crew with the addition of two reluctant new recruits, causing friction on board the stolen vessel. And with Klingon adrenaline still surging through Kahless’ veins, the need to find-and stop-him has never seemed so urgent.
The book is currently scheduled to be published on July 5, 2023
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New Star Trek Book: “Star Trek Adventures: Second Edition: Exploration Guide”
Star Trek Adventures: Second Edition: Exploration Guide by has been added to the Star Trek Book Club!
For nearly 60 years, Star Trek
has celebrated exploration as its central theme, using it as a vehicle for storytelling and social commentary in time-honored science fiction fashion.
This Exploration Guide is essential reading for any Star Trek Adventures crew interested in expanding their characters, missions, and campaigns into the final frontier and creating new sectors, worlds, and environments to discover and explore.
Use the wealth of advice and random tables in this book to create original galactic sectors, star systems, planets, and planetary terrains, and then explore those unique locations in your crew’s original Star Trek stories!
The 144-page full-color Star Trek Adventures Second Edition Exploration Guide features:
- New player character options, including two new career paths, 10 new career events, 21 new character talents, and five new options for awards and honors.
- Options for characters who want to possess secret values, talents, or traits that are then revealed throughout a campaign.
- Advice and random tables to create entirely new sectors of space for your player characters to discover and explore.
- Tools to populate those new space sectors with notable star systems and cosmic features, including stars, number of planets, and spatial phenomena.
- Advice and random tables to populate those new star systems with a variety of inner and outer worlds, moons, and ringed worlds for your crew to study, visit, and explore.
- Guidance on exploring planets and planet-like stellar bodies, and nine different planetary terrains: cave systems, deserts, forests, jungles, mountains and hills, plains, swamps, tundra, and water.
- Terrain-specific details and random generators for the terrain types and elements unique to that terrain.
- Random tables designed to help you generate story hooks, advantages, and complications for each terrain type.
- Includes a full-color double-sided poster depicting a 23rd century map on one side and an updated 25th century map on the reverse!
This second edition supplement is compatible with both first edition Star Trek Adventures and the Captain’s Log Solo RPG.
The book is currently scheduled to be published on October 15, 2025
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DTI Comic Book Investigation for the week of July 31, 2025
Here are all the comics printed this week in years past.
FFRF joins 1,000 nonprofits defending Johnson Amendment’s nonpartisan rules
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its legislative arm, the FFRF Action Fund, are proud to be among some 1,000 nonprofit organizations signing onto a public letter calling on President Trump and Congress to champion nonpartisanship and public trust by defending the Johnson Amendment.
“Today, the National Council of Nonprofits, American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Independent Sector, Interfaith Alliance, Public Citizen and other leading nonprofit organizations launched a national sign-on letter addressed to President Trump,” announced the press release from Public Citizen, which helped coordinate the campaign.
“Undermining the Johnson Amendment would do lasting harm to our democracy,” the press release quotes Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of FFRF and president of FFRF Action Fund. “That’s why such a broad coalition — spanning secular and religious organizations, good governance advocates and nonprofits across the political spectrum — is speaking out together.”
The letter to Trump condemns efforts to ignore or weaken the Johnson Amendment. This longstanding federal law prohibits 501(c)(3) nonprofits from using their tax-exempt resources to endorse or oppose political candidates.
“For more than 70 years,” the letter states about the Johnson Amendment, “it has ensured that all tax-exempt charitable nonprofits — including houses of worship — do not become conduits for partisan politics, protecting public trust in religious institutions and preserving the integrity of elections.” The signatories remind Trump that churches and faith leaders already have the right to speak out about political issues in their personal capacity, and even run for office, and can speak out on policy concerns in a nonpartisan manner.
The letter was sparked by a proposed legal settlement involving the Internal Revenue Service and National Religious Broadcasters, in which the IRS shocked the nation by saying that “communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services” do not violate the Johnson Amendment.
At a press conference today announcing the group letter, Guthrie Graves-Persimmons of the Interfaith Alliance cited survey after survey showing that the public, including 98 percent of evangelical leaders, do not want churches to endorse from the pulpit. He pointed out the U.S. Catholic bishops have announced that Catholic parishes will not be endorsing from the pulpit and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has likewise eschewed politics from the pulpit.
Representing the National Council of Churches, Rev. Leslie Copeland-Tune, a Baptist, noted that worshippers consider church a “safe and sacred place” that would be sullied by partisan politicking, and that such actions would damage public trust in clergy.
Rob Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, noted how the overturning of the Johnson Amendment “threatens to be the most catastrophic degradation of campaign finance law since Citizens United.” He warned, “Expect huge amounts of dark money to flow — not just dark money but tax-deductible dark money.”
That there is such broad support, from the public, religious groups and sects of diverse persuasions, and hundreds of other nonprofits, underscores the importance of ensuring that the Trump administration is not allowed to do an end-run on the Johnson Amendment.
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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‘We Dissent’ wraps up remaining Supreme Court decisions
The latest “We Dissent” episode breaks down the last few state-church Supreme Court decisions coming down from the U.S. Supreme Court this judicial term.
On Episode 44, FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and Americans United Legal Director Rebecca Markert explain the final three Supreme Court rulings with huge stakes for true religious freedom. They discuss the court’s continued zeal for religious favoritism in the Catholic Charities, Mahmoud and Skrmetti rulings — the further expansion of exemptions from the law for religious employers, the granting of veto power to ultraconservative religious parents over public school curriculum, and the upholding of state bans on gender-affirming care for minors with gender dysphoria.
“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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VICTORY: Jefferson County, Ill., moves Ten Commandments monument, residents dismiss lawsuit
Following Jefferson County’s removal of a large Ten Commandments monument from the lawn of the county courthouse, the plaintiffs have withdrawn a lawsuit challenging the display. Represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the ACLU of Illinois and the ACLU, a group of religious and nonreligious Jefferson County, Ill., residents filed suit last month in state court, alleging that the religious monument violated Illinois’ constitutional protections for the separation of church and state.
During a meeting in late June, immediately after the lawsuit was filed, members of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners voted to remove the Ten Commandments monument from county property. Earlier this month, the monument was relocated to a more appropriate location, the West Salem Trinity Church in Mount Vernon. In yesterday’s Joint Motion to Dismiss, the county affirmed that “the monument will not return to county property.”
“We’re happy that the county eventually complied with Illinois’ church-state guarantees,” says Hirsh M. Joshi, Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow at the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “It was an honor to help my fellow Illinoisans keep their local government secular.”
“We’re delighted that after we sued, the county acted with alacrity to remove these biblical edicts from the seat of county government,” adds FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “This action shows that Jefferson County understands it has no right to tell residents which gods to worship, how many gods to worship or whether to worship any gods at all.”
Kevin Fee, legal director for the ACLU of Illinois, noted the role that local residents played in the victory: “Our clients showed great courage in coming together and challenging this illegal action by their local elected officials. It is easy to be silent and not speak up. But these brave residents stood up for constitutional values and demanded change.”
Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, applauded the county’s decision: “This is a victory for religious freedom. Although county officials had no business prominently displaying biblical scripture at the seat of local government, we’re glad that they’ve now fixed their constitutional error.”
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.
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Trump Administration Lets Federal Employees Push Religion in Workplaces
Common Dreams
By Brett Wilkins
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Dollens: Blasphemy law needs to be repealed
The Detroit News
By Mickey Dollens
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Trump team loosens restrictions on feds talking religion at work
The Washington Times
By Jeff Mordock
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Trump admin bolsters religious freedom for federal workers
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Trump administration says federal employees can encourage co-workers to “re-think” their religious beliefs
CBS News
By Joe Walsh
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With Christian Civic League support, can Susan Collins claim to be a moderate? | Opinion
The Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME)
By Ray Vensel
The post With Christian Civic League support, can Susan Collins claim to be a moderate? | Opinion appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Le Mars vows to end religious events in schools, unless student-led
Radio Iowa
By Staff
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“Star Trek: Red Shirts #1” Review by Comicsonline.com
Comicsonline.com has added a new review for Christopher Cantwell‘s “Star Trek: Red Shirts #1”:
Star Trek: Red-Shirts is a fresh addition to the world of Trek, filled with wild concepts and interesting (yet expendable) new characters. There are some clear favorite characters, but I wouldn’t get too attached as history has a habit of repeating itself…
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“Star Trek: The Next Generation: Dominion War: Book 3: Tunnel Through The Stars” Review by Deepspacespines.com
Deepspacespines.com has added a new review for John Vornholt‘s “Star Trek: The Next Generation: Dominion War: Book 3: Tunnel Through The Stars”:
In today’s episode, a rare double replicator malfunction forces Picard to bend the knee to some dollar-store Ferengi knockoffs. Meanwhile, Riker sets aside his boner to help a starbase commander with a more important matter of the heart. Is there time for hugs in the middle of war? Is Ro Laren looking for a Canuck-buddy? And is it possible to want to spend more time in a part of a book you also wanted to spend less time in? All this and more in Tunnel Through the Stars, the book that makes Jack a dull boy.
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Happy 2025 Birthday to Wil Wheaton!
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Happy birthday to Wil Wheaton!
Wil Wheaton may be one of the most unusual celebrities of our time. Born into stardom with the movie “Stand By Me”, and then growing up on television as Wesley Crusher on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, Wil was in the spotlight nearly his entire childhood. Instead of burning out as a child star, he left fame behind and became a computer specialist in what Hollywood might consider the middle of nowhere: Topeka, Kansas. Now, Wil considers himself “just a geek”, and both Dancing Barefoot and the forthcoming biography Just a Geek are about his journey in rediscovering himself and coming to terms with what it means to be famous, or, ironically, famous for being previously famous.
Check out the Wil Wheaton credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Find Wil Wheaton’s work on Amazon.com
Iowa district backtracks, bans faith-based groups from holding events on school grounds after complaints
The Heartlander
By Shanxi Omoniyi
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First Liberty Files Briefs Supporting Ten Commandments Displays & Churches That Care for the Homeless
First Liberty
By Jayla Ward & Jorge Gomez
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Le Mars Schools to stop allowing religious events on grounds & Siouxland National Guard may help federal immigration enforcement
Siouxland Public Media KWIT-KOJI (Sioux City, IA)
By Bret Hayworth
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Angry Atheists Pounce After Florida’s New Ed Commissioner Sends Much Needed Message About God and Kids on Day 1
The Western Journal
By C. Douglas Golden
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This Day in Liberal Judicial Activism—July 25
National Review
By Ed Whalen
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Opinion/Guest column: Relegate state’s archaic law against blasphemy to history
Worcester Telegram (Worcester, MA)
By Mickey Dollens
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DTI Treklit Investigation for the week of July 29, 2025
Here’s a look at the books printed this week in the past.
Office of Personnel Management religion-workplace changes shockingly unconstitutional
The Freedom From Religion Foundation deplores as outrageous and unconstitutional a memo the Office of Personnel Management released today that purports to protect religious expression in the federal workplace but encourages outright proselytizing.
“These shocking changes essentially permit workplace evangelizing, but worse still, allow supervisors to evangelize underlings and federal workers to proselytize the public they serve,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “This is the implementation of Christian nationalism in our federal government.”
In an appendix to the memo, this example of permissible conduct is cited: “During a break, an employee may engage another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the nonadherent should rethink his religious beliefs.” It adds, “However, if the nonadherent requests such attempts to stop, the employee should honor the request.”
The memo continues: “Employees may also encourage their coworkers to participate in religious expressions of faith, such as prayer, to the same extent that they would be permitted to encourage coworkers participate (sic) in other personal activities.” It adds, “The constitutional rights of supervisors to engage in such conversations should not be distinguished from non-supervisory employees by the nature of their supervisory roles.”
As an example of acceptable conduct for a supervisor, the appendix states: “On a bulletin board meant for personal announcements, a supervisor may post a handwritten note inviting each of his employees to attend an Easter service at his church.”
While the memo says “unwillingness to engage in such conversations may not be the basis of workplace discipline,” FFRF contends that when a power imbalance is involved, and someone’s job security and promotions are at stake, employees will feel they must go along with the religious conversation or attend that Easter service.
Equally concerning is a section on “Expressions in Areas Accessible to the Public.” Any religious expressions in areas accessible to the public have to be treated in the same manner “as if those expressions are made in areas inaccessible to the public,” the memo states. The memo says bibles, religious artwork, crosses, crucifixes and mezuzahs are allowed for display, meaning if someone serves the public, they apparently may display religious icons in public areas.
Examples of how religious expression may be directed at members of the public include: “A park ranger leading a tour through a national park may join her tour group in prayer. A doctor at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital may pray over his patient for her recovery. A receptionist in a doctor’s office at a VA Medical Center may pray with a co-worker in the patients’ waiting area.”
The only caveat offered in the memo is that such religious expressions should “not occur during on-duty time.” Similarly, an agency may restrict all posters, but if it allows some it must allow religious posters. The memo seemingly would not accommodate atheistic beliefs, saying all beliefs are not covered under Title VII, such as “social, political or economic philosophies, and mere personal preferences.”
An earlier memo directed to heads and acting heads of departments and agencies from Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor cites the Supreme Court’s Groff v. DeJoy decision, saying the U.S. Post Office must meet an “undue hardship” standard or else provide religious accommodation. The memo goes on to elaborately detail telework, religious compensatory time off and many other accommodations.
The Hill reports that the White House Faith Office worked with the Office of Personnel Management to produce the memo. The result is, unsurprisingly, extremely problematic.
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.
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FFRF renews opposition to extremist bible study at highest levels of U.S. government
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is raising a red flag over the resurgence of a bible study group featuring senior U.S. officials, including members of President Trump’s cabinet.
Capitol Ministries, led by Christian nationalist pastor Ralph Drollinger, relaunched its cabinet-level bible study in March. The group holds weekly sessions with members of Congress, senators and high-ranking Trump administration officials, pushing a rigid theocratic worldview under the guise of spiritual guidance. Despite claiming nonpartisanship, the studies aggressively promote far-right policy positions — on immigration, abortion, environmental regulation, criminal justice and more — framed as biblical mandates. FFRF condemns these sessions, which take place inside the halls of government, as an attempt to erode the wall between state and church.
Drollinger’s teachings are clear. He believes elections are “first and foremost a spiritual battle,” that LGBTQ-plus rights are incompatible with Christianity, and that Christian leaders who support marriage equality are “Satan’s pawns.” He has even cited Scripture to justify the Trump administration’s family separation policy. Capitol Ministries exists for one purpose: to influence public policy through fundamentalist religion.
Sponsors of the revived cabinet study include U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, both of whom have used their official positions to invite fellow cabinet members to participate. Drollinger also leads separate weekly sessions for members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, respectively.
FFRF has previously uncovered documents showing that senior Trump officials used government time and resources to organize these bible studies, including a major event hosted at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. In 2023, Drollinger expanded the program to include weekly Zoom-based bible studies with sitting and former governors.
“This isn’t a private devotional group. It’s a publicly connected, politically motivated ministry trying to shape U.S. law to match Drollinger’s theocratic vision,” says FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “When cabinet officials participate, it’s not about faith. It’s about advancing a sectarian, partisan crusade.”
The Constitution prohibits public officials from using their office to advance their personal religious beliefs. When bible studies organized and promoted by high-level officials promote specific political outcomes, they cross a bright constitutional line. FFRF warns that such programs marginalize nonbelievers, religious minorities and anyone who does not share Drollinger’s extremist ideology.
“It’s deeply troubling that someone with Drollinger’s views has unfettered access to the highest levels of government,” Barker adds. “These bible sessions directly influence policies affecting reproductive freedom, LGBTQ-plus rights, science education and environmental protections.”
FFRF urges cabinet members and elected officials to cut ties with Drollinger and disassociate from Capitol Ministries. It will continue closely monitoring these bible study meetings and take any available action to curtail this group’s improper influence on U.S. government policy.
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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