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

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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.

Star Trek: Gateways: Voyager: No Man’s Land Book Review

IDW Publishing’s Star Trek creative teams discuss The Last Starship & Red Shirts at SDCC!

DHS is using the Bible to promote ICE, claiming ‘righteous’ fight against immigrants

Religion News Service
By Fiona André

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Garland County schools navigate Act 573 amid legal uncertainty

The Sentinel-Record (Hot Springs, AK)
By Brandon Smith

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—The Seeds of Salvation Comic Trailer

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.

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Star Trek: The Last StarShip Comic Trailer

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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Star Trek “I, Q” is a must read for Q fans!

Happy 2025 Birthday to Robert Blackman!

(no image available)

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

The post Judge dismisses Oklahoma Dept. of Education’s lawsuit against atheist group appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

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.

The post Sept. 14th, 2025 – FFRF Co-President Dan Barker to Speak Virtually to ACCRA Atheists (Ghana, West Africa) appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Star Trek: Red Shirts Comic Trailer

Star Trek Wins at the 2025 Hugo Awards!

The Hugo Award winners were announced on August 16 by Seattle Worldcon 2025, the 83rd World Science Fiction Convention. The winners are: Best Novel The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey; Hodderscape UK) Best Novella The Tusks of Extinction, Ray Nayler (Tordotcom) Best Novelette ”The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea”, Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s 9-10/24)…

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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Star Trek TNG “Before Dishonor” is a Wild Ride!

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

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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

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

Captain Kirk Battles the Borg in New Comic Book ‘Star Trek: The Last Starship’ | Exclusive

“Star Trek: The Last Starship” is a new comic series that brings Captain Kirk back from the dead and this time he’s dealing with the Borg.

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

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Secular organizations ask federal agency to cancel new religious expression guidelines

Religion News Service
By Adelle M. Banks

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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

Off Panel #506: Trench Warfare with Heather Antos (Video Edition)

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.

Buy From Things From Another World
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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.

The post Secretary Duffy should remove religious painting from Merchant Marine Academy appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

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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OK Senator Dusty Deevers Spars With Freedom From Religious Foundation Over Bill To Ban Pornography

Protestia
By Staff

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Atheists attack the Army

SRN News
By Staff

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‘Pornography Must Be Banned’—SBC Pastor and OK State Senator Dusty Deevers Spars With Freedom From Religion Foundation

ChurchLeaders
By Dale Chamberlain

The post ‘Pornography Must Be Banned’—SBC Pastor and OK State Senator Dusty Deevers Spars With Freedom From Religion Foundation appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Pete Hegseth sparks huge backlash after reposting vile video of pastors saying women shouldn’t vote

Irish Star
By Hannah Broughton

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Pete Hegseth accused of supporting the removal of women’s right to vote with just seven words

Indy100
By Liam O’Dell

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DTI Treklit Investigation for the week of August 12, 2025

Here’s a look at the books printed this week in the past.

FFRF sounds alarm over Christian nationalist Doug Wilson’s influence in D.C.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is raising the alarm over the deepening influence of Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson at the highest levels of American political power.

A new church affiliated with Wilson’s extremist Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) has recently opened its doors just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The building is owned by the Conservative Partnership Institute, a right-wing organization co-led by Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff. Attending the inaugural service was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Soon after, Hegseth tweeted “All of Christ for All of Life” — the official motto of Wilson’s movement — in response to a CNN segment titled, “Doug Wilson’s Crusade for Christian Domination in the Age of Trump.”

“This is not a fringe movement anymore,” warns FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “This is part of a well-funded scheme to turn our secular nation into a theocracy  — and it’s more than concerning to see Wilson gain traction at the heart of the U.S.  government.”

A  self-described theocrat, Wilson has called for the repeal of women’s right to vote, the criminalization of homosexuality and the subjugation of women. His churches and affiliated schools forbid women from voting in church decisions, promote rigid patriarchy and teach a revisionist version of history that excuses and minimizes the horrors of slavery. For decades, this patriarch operated from the margins in Moscow, Idaho, but now he is extending his reach to D.C.

In a blog post announcing the church plant, titled “A Mission to Babylon,” Wilson explained the reasoning and timing behind his decision to open a church in the nation’s capital: “We believe that there will be many strategic opportunities with numerous evangelicals who will be present both in and around the Trump administration.” Wilson refers to D.C. as “Babylon,” a depraved city in the bible, in the post. Wilson’s timing is concerning, as President Trump initiates a federal takeover of the nation’s capital by exaggerating D.C. crime and other problems.

Wilson’s growing influence is reflected in Hegseth’s monthly Pentagon prayer services, the first of which was led by the pastor from Hegseth’s CREC-affiliated church. In a statement to CNN, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said: “The secretary is a proud member of a church affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. The secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson’s writings and teachings.”

Wilson’s church has already benefited from political allies. In May, the Department of Justice intervened on behalf of Wilson’s church in Troy, Idaho, suing the town after it denied a zoning application due to traffic concerns.

Wilson’s ultimate goal is “achieving a Christian theocracy across the globe, to facilitate the second coming of Christ.” It’s a goal he ludicrously believes is 250 or so years away, which involves ushering in the “second coming of Christ.”

“Contrary to Wilson’s propaganda, the United States is not a Christian nation. It’s a secular democracy where religion may not dictate law or policy,” adds Barker. “Yet Wilson’s ideology is finding a foothold at the highest levels of government. That isn’t religious freedom — it’s religious takeover.”

Wilson’s power grab makes it all the more important to hold public officials accountable when they promote sectarian religious ideologies at the expense of the Constitution. The creeping normalization of Christian nationalism poses a direct threat to democracy, pluralism and freedom of conscience.

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 anti-blasphemy op-ed published in Wyoming’s second-largest newspaper

The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle is the latest newspaper to publish an op-ed from FFRF Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens calling for an end to state-level blasphemy laws.

“Wyoming Statute § 1-29-106 says that the state’s libel laws do not authorize the publication of ‘blasphemous or indecent matter,’ creating potential civil liability for publications that are deemed ‘blasphemous,’” Dollens begins his piece in the Cheyenne newspaper. “Wyoming is one of just six states still having anti-blasphemy laws, alongside Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.”

While Wyoming may be more lenient on blasphemy than the other listed states, Dollens explains that the existence of such a provision still creates problems:

To be clear, Wyoming does not criminalize blasphemy, as some states still do. There’s no jail time, no fines, no active censorship. But the word “blasphemous” remains in the statute code — an outdated law from a time when criticizing religion was seen as dangerous or immoral.

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, the unconstitutional law remains on the statute books, just like Wyoming’s blasphemy reference remains in the legal code 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 Wyoming residents 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.

The piece concludes with a call to action, urging states to continue on a path towards progress by rejecting unnecessary laws: “For Wyoming, the solution is clear. Repeal the state’s blasphemy law and bring its statutes in line with established Supreme Court precedent. Doing so costs nothing, harms no one, and reaffirms the state’s commitment to both religious liberty and freedom of expression for all.”

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. Dollens has had similar columns recently published in prominent Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Michigan media outlets also calling for the repeal of blasphemy laws in these states.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members nationwide, including members in Wyoming. 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.

The post FFRF anti-blasphemy op-ed published in Wyoming’s second-largest newspaper appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Preview of “Star Trek: Lower Decks #10”

Here’s a preview of Star Trek: Lower Decks #10 by Tim Sheridan which is due to be released this Wednesday on August 13, 2025 at your local comic shop and digital retailers:

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.

Two Pennsylvania news organizations publish FFRF op-ed urging end to state blasphemy law

FFRF Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens has written an op-ed that has been published in both the PenLive Patriot-News newspaper and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Here’s a fascinating piece of Pennsylvania history most people don’t know: The state still has an anti-blasphemy law on the books that dates back to the 1700s,” Dollens begins. The state is one of just six states with anti-blasphemy laws on the books, including Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming. “These outdated statutes originate from America’s colonial era, before the U.S. Constitution, when church and state were entangled and religious orthodoxy was enforced by law.”

Dollens continues, detailing the malicious usage of the law, and its concerning underpinnings for residents of these six states:

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.”

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, to this day, the unconstitutional law remains on the statute books.

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 Pennsylvanians 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.

Even conservative evangelical politicians agree that blasphemy laws are wrong. In 2020, U.S. Senator 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 non belief. It passed unanimously in the Senate and was also approved in the House by a vote of 386–3.

That kind of rare, overwhelming support shows that protecting religious expression, including the freedom to question or reject religion, is a shared American value across party lines.

It’s also worth noting that faith-based religious liberty advocates, including the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, support repealing blasphemy laws. They recognize and acknowledge what the founders believed: true religious freedom requires the freedom to criticize, question, reject religion and speak freely without fear of censorship or punishment.

The piece concludes with a call to action, urging states to continue on a path towards progress by rejecting unnecessary laws: “Complete the constitutional work the federal court began in 2010. Repealing the state’s blasphemy law would bring its legal code in line with established precedent and reaffirm its commitment to both religious liberty and freedom of expression for all.”

You can read the full op-ed through either of the available sources.

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 1,300 members in Pennsylvania. 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 Terry J. Erdmann!

(no image available)

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.

The post Freethought Radio – August 7, 2025 appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

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.

More Worf Fun with “Starfleet Academy” 2 & 3.

“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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Star Trek Gold at the Flea Market!

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

The post Arkansas Ten Commandments law blocked in some schools by district court appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

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

The post Federal judge bars Arkansas public schools from displaying the Ten Commandments appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

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

The post Federal judge stops Arkansas from posting Ten Commandments in public schools appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

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.

The Roddenberry Archive: The Further Adventures of James T. Kirk

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Kids Books

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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SDCC 25: ‘Star Trek: The Next Frontier’ unveils a new era of Trek comics

Star Trek had a heavy presence at San Diego Comic-Con this year, closing out with IDW Publishing revealing a new slate of Trek comics.