The Freedom From Religion Foundation’s 48th Annual Convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C., held Oct. 16-19 was a vibrant reminder that reason and constitutional principles have the power to move hearts as well as stir activism. From Friday’s opening anthem to Saturday night’s standing-room-only finale, the weekend brought together more than 500 secular activists, scholars and performers for two inspiring days of education, laughter and solidarity.
Friday: Freethought and facts
After a late afternoon reception on Thursday, the formal program opened Friday as Dan Barker led the crowd in “Die Gedanken Sind Frei,” the historic 15th-century freethought anthem. FFRF Events Manager Sadie Pattinson kept the energy high with a spirited roll call of the 43 states (plus Washington, D.C.) represented. Matthew Krevat, president of FFRF’s Triangle Chapter in North Carolina, provided a brief pitch on how to find FFRF chapters across the nation. Herb Silverman, president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America, gave a short South Carolina welcome,“Being an Atheist in South Carolina,” blending humor with reflection on decades of activism in the Bible Belt for representation and secular government. He received the 2025 “Freethinker of the Year” Award. FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker followed with their annual “Highlights of the Year,” celebrating major legal victories, FFRF’s significant scholarship program and other outreach and FFRF’s record number of over 42,000 current members. The Godless Gospel singers — Candace Gorham, Cynthia McDonald and Mandisa Thomas — joined Barker for the first of three songs, performing “It’s Only Natural.” Their soulful harmonies turned the ballroom into a celebration of joy without religion.
Defending rights and democracy
The first major award of the weekend, the Henry Zumach Freedom From Fundamentalist Religion Award (otherwise known as the “FFRF” Award), honored the Center for Reproductive Rights, with Nancy Northup, president and CEO, accepting the $50,000 ally award on behalf of the center. In “Defending Today, Building for Tomorrow,” Northup traced the global rollback of reproductive freedoms since Dobbs v. Jackson and proclaimed: “Each vote is a story of courage and conscience. Each ballot cast is a reminder that no matter how fierce the opposition, the majority of Americans do stand for reproductive freedom.”
Author and investigative journalist Katherine Stewart followed with “Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.” Drawing on her powerful new exposé, “Money, Lies and God,” Stewart connected dark money, religious lobbying and authoritarian politics, warning, “The concrete is being poured — but it hasn’t hardened yet.” She urged secular Americans to build coalitions and defend democracy at every level.
FFRF’s legal team — represented by Legal Director Patrick Elliott, Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell, Senior Counsel Sam Grover and Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence — then reported on FFRF’s major legal advocacy, including the 10 lawsuits FFRF has filed in the past year to protect the separation of church and state. State Policy Manager Ryan Dudley and Governmental Affairs Director Mark Dann summarized FFRF’s important growing legislative advocacy.
Oklahoma state Rep. Mickey Dollens, who also serves as FFRF’s regional governmental affairs manager, subsequently introduced his F.O.R.W.A.R.D. framework, a practical guide to citizen-driven political change emphasizing: Facts, Opportunity, Rights, Workforce development, Accountability, Respect and Democracy. His upbeat approach drew a standing ovation. Next, FFRF honored Dr. Maggie Carpenter, who is under extradition by the state of Louisiana for prescribing medication abortion to a patient there, with the Forward Award for her courage and achievements, broadcasting an exclusive interview between Dr. Carpenter and Annie Laurie.
The evening featured a chance to socialize at dinner and was followed by the sharp wit of musical satirist Roy Zimmerman, who set the stage for one of the convention’s most anticipated speakers: Mary L. Trump. Receiving FFRF’s Emperor Has No Clothes Award, the psychologist and bestselling author of “Too Much and Never Enough” examined the psychology of authoritarianism and the emotional manipulation fueling Christian nationalism.
“We must refuse at every step along the way to be silenced,” she said. “We must continue to resist no matter the cost and we must reject wholesale their strategy.”
Trump’s candor and humor brought the crowd to its feet before she signed books and chatted with attendees at length during a dessert reception.
Saturday: Youth, activism and ‘No Kings’
Saturday began with FFRF’s nontraditional tradition of a Non-Prayer Breakfast — including a tongue-in-cheek “Moment of Bedlam” instead of a moment of silence — and another rousing performance by the Godless Gospel of Barker’s “Let’s All Give Thanks.” (“Not to religion, not to a god, but to the people who’ve made the world a better place for me and you.”)
Then the day’s celebration of student activism began.
Bailey Harris, a 19-year-old college student, received the $5,000 Diane & Stephen Uhl Memorial Out of God’s Closet Award for her fun children’s books on science. “We are the universe made conscious,” she told the audience.
Eli Frost, an 18-year-old college student and winner of the $5,000 Beverly & Richard Hermsen Award, shared how he persuaded his Minnesota school district to move graduation out of a megachurch. “Walking that stage in a secular space,” he said, “was one of the best moments of my life.”
Essayists and top winners in one of FFRF’s five essay competitions for students — Jaianah Hightower, Gabrielle Williams and Mekah’E LeClair — read powerful and poignant essays on the dangers of white Christian nationalism and the resilience of marginalized communities.
Rafida Bonya Ahmed presented the Avijit Roy Courage Award, memorializing her husband killed for his atheism by Islamists in 2015, to Mubarak Bala, president of the Humanists of Nigeria, who joined virtually from Germany. Having endured five years of imprisonment for “blasphemy,” Bala spoke movingly on the right to criticize.
Writer Chrissy Stroop, honored as Freethought Heroine, followed with “Emptying Pews, Evangelicals and the Fight for American Democracy.” “Use cooperation where we can, stay away from coercion,” she said. “And let’s help get there by bringing counternarratives there.”
Secular governance and the battle for democracy
After lunch, the Godless Gospel returned to open the afternoon sessions with a joyful rendition of “Life Is Good,” followed by FFRF’s Third Annual Secular Legislative Panel. Moderated by Ryan Dudley and state Rep. Mickey Dollens, the panel featured Kansas state Rep. Heather Meyer, Minnesota state Rep. Andy Smith and Vermont state Rep. Monique Priestley. Each nonreligious state legislator shared stories of resisting religious extremism in statehouses and the importance of transparency, science and inclusion in policymaking.
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie then received the Clarence Darrow Award for his clear-eyed writings on democracy and secular governance. The bronze award is a miniature of the statue FFRF erected in front of the Scopes Trial courthouse in Dayton, Tenn., and fittingly, it was handed to him in person by the sculptor Zenos Frudakis. In his spellbinding address, Bouie traced how Christian nationalism shapes political identity and voter behavior.
“I found myself in recent months really going back to the founding vision, not because it’s perfect, not because it’s not without flaw, but because it still stands for something significant and still stands for something meaningful, and the Declaration in particular stands for something significant and stands for something meaningful,” he said.
Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky, co-author of “How Democracies Die,” closed the afternoon with a sober yet hopeful talk, “The Great Abdication: America’s Descent into Authoritarianism.” He warned that the United States is not immune to authoritarianism but praised civic organizations like FFRF as essential guardrails. “Democracy survives,” he said, “when citizens organize to defend it.”
The group ended the afternoon session with an impromptu “No Kings” photo-op on the day of the “No Kings” rallies around the country.
Celebration, laughter, and a call to action
Saturday evening opened with appreciation. Annie Laurie Gaylor thanked the staff, volunteers, captioner Norma Miller and the AV crew led by Bruce Johnson, before the ever-popular “Clean Money” drawing — featuring vintage U.S. bills printed before “In God We Trust” was added.
Comedian, actor and SiriusXM host John Fugelsang closed the convention with his trademark fusion of humor, history and social commentary. Quoting from his new bestseller “Separate Church and Hate,” Fugelsang took aim at hypocrisy within Christian nationalism.
“The only way to follow both Donald Trump and Jesus,” he quipped, “is if you’ve never read either of their books.”
Blending humor and moral clarity, he called for an alliance between progressive believers and atheists: “We need the Christians who actually follow Christ and we need the atheists who actually follow ethics.”
The ballroom rose in a standing ovation as Fugelsang ended with a benediction fit for a secular congregation: “Whether you pray to God or pray to Google or pray to your morning coffee, we are all being called right now, not to convert each other, we are called to protect each other.”
A weekend to remember
Over a weekend, FFRF’s 48th Annual Convention showcased the full spectrum of secular activism — from young science authors and global human-rights defenders to investigative journalists and comedians with a conscience. The message was clear: The fight for state/church separation is inseparable from the fight for democracy itself.
Attendees left Myrtle Beach energized, inspired and ready to carry the freethought flame forward — proof that reason, empathy and a good sense of humor are the true pillars of a free society.
This is the (edited for space) speech given by Ed Larson at the Scopes Trial Centennial convention in Chattanooga, Tenn., on July 19. He was introduced by convention emcee Leighann Lord. (To watch the speech, go to ffrf.org/scopescon. To see photos from the event, go to ffrf.us/scopespics.)
Leighann Lord: When I bring on our next speaker, in the absence of the physical presence of John Scopes or William Jennings Bryan or Clarence Darrow, the best person to have at a centennial conference celebrating the Scopes Monkey Trial, is the guy, like capital T, capital G, The Guy.
He won a Pulitzer Prize in history for his book, “Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion.” He’s also the author of “Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory” and coauthor of “The Essential Words and Writings of Clarence Darrow.” He holds the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law and is a professor of history at Pepperdine University.
He’s taught for 20 years at the University of Georgia, where he chaired the history department. He has served as a visiting professor at several universities, including Yale Law School, Stanford Law School and the University of Melbourne. And he recently published “American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery and the Birth of a Nation, 1765 to 1795.”
Long story short, he literally wrote the book. And that’s why Professor Ed Larson is the winner of this conference’s Clarence Darrow Award.
After reporting state/church victories and complaints in California, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington, Texas and Arkansas, we speak with Mother Jones national correspondent Kiera Butler about her article, God’s “Blank Check”: Christian Zionists Are Pouring Billions of Dollars Into Israeli Extremism.
FFRF learned of multiple instances of Action Church representatives being granted access to public school students and facilities for religious activities, specifically the Lake Howell High School football team and the Winter Springs High School women’s lacrosse team. FFRF was also told that the head coach of Lake Howell was unconstitutionally leading student-athletes in prayer and participating in religious activities, with students being involved in official school-sponsored religious events. Posts on the Action Church’s official Facebook page, Action Church Pastor Eddie Rivera’s Facebook page and the official Lake Howell Silverhawks Football page showed unconstitutional entanglement between Action Church and Lake Howell High School’s athletics program.
Action Church is an evangelical Protestant ministry whose mission is “to reach people where they are and connect them to everything God has for their life.” The Action Church Facebook page had a history of posting about its involvement in district sports, such as a post on Aug. 29 showing Pastor Rivera with the Lake Howell High School Football Team in locker rooms following a game, and a post from Aug. 19 showing Action Church hosting a meal for the football team in the school’s cafeteria with the coach’s participation, reading, “Thank you Lake Howell High School for the continued partnership. Pastor Eddie Rivera prayed over the team as the season began. Go Silver Hawks!” This reflected a pattern of posts by Action Church from May 2023, August 2024 and May 2025 showing a similar meal being held in the school for the football team, with the same coach present.
FFRF was determined to keep students safe from coercive participation in religious rituals at a public school.
“The district should seek to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all student-athletes, not just those who subscribe to a preferred sect of Christianity,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for the district to offer religious leaders unique access to student-athletes in order to indoctrinate them and lead them in prayer, FFRF emphasized. The district cannot allow its athletic programs to be used as recruiting grounds for churches. Public schools may not show favoritism toward nor coerce belief or participate in religion by allowing a church to preach to and convert student-athletes. The district displayed clear favoritism toward religion over nonreligion and Christianity above all other faiths when it specifically invited representatives of Action Church to host events in Winter Springs High School and Lake Howell High School and to pray at students and staff members. FFRF additionally pointed out that the entanglement of churches and coach-led prayer in the district’s athletics program needlessly marginalized students and families who are non-Christian. Twenty-seven percent of adult Floridians have no religious affiliation and the trends show that the youngest Americans are less likely to be religiously affiliated than older Americans, with 43 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds having no religious affiliation.
FFRF’s letter, thankfully, saw the district take corrective action.
The staff counsel for the district emailed FFRF confirming that principals of both Lake Howell and Winter Springs have been informed about the constitutional concerns that arose due to the Action Church social media posts. In turn, both principals addressed the matter with Action Church and their coaches, with the counsel confirming that the Lake Howell coach had been retrained on engagement with religious groups.
FFRF is pleased to see the district take such initiatives.
“Coaches may not coerce their athletes into praying to play in district sports,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “This was a blatant violation of the Constitution and a strong case for why infusing religion into school sports is always a losing practice. We are happy to see our work to protect students’ rights continue to be successful.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 2,000 members and a chapter in Florida. 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 Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking a Colorado school district to immediately halt its unconstitutional funding of an explicitly Christian school that claims to be a public institution.
In a letter sent to Superintendent Peter Hilts, FFRF attorneys Samantha Lawrence and Charlotte Gude explain that the School District 49 is unlawfully providing public funds to Riverstone Academy — a self-described “public Christian school.”
Riverstone Academy, which calls itself “the first public Christian school in Colorado,” openly proclaims that it “blends strong academics with classical values, hands-on trade-based learning, and a Christian foundation to help students grow in both knowledge and character.” The Colorado Department of Education has already warned the district that funding Riverstone would violate both the U.S. and Colorado constitutions.
“The district is unconstitutionally giving public funds to a Christian school in direct violation of the First Amendment,” the letter states. “The district’s actions signal an undeniable preference for Christianity over all other religions and nonreligion.”
FFRF’s letter cites decades of U.S. Supreme Court precedent affirming that public schools may not promote religion, provide religious instruction or financially support sectarian institutions. As the Supreme Court made clear as far back as Everson v. Board of Education (1947), “The government cannot … contribute tax-raised funds to the support of an institution which teaches the tenets and faith of any church.”
Lawrence and Gude further point out that the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Carson v. Makin and Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue — often invoked by Christian nationalists seeking public funds — do not apply here. Those cases involved parents’ private decisions to direct state tuition assistance to religious schools, not a public school district directly funding a sectarian “public” school.
“Here, the district is directly funding Riverstone Academy’s religious endeavors: teaching students to believe in Christianity and teaching subjects through an exclusively Christian lens,” FFRF’s letter explains. “Giving public funds to Riverstone Academy violates the Establishment Clause, while refraining from publicly funding this sectarian school would do no harm to the school’s Free Exercise rights.”
In addition to the federal violation, the letter underscores that the district is also running afoul of the Colorado Constitution, which unambiguously prohibits sectarian instruction in public schools and forbids any public funds from supporting schools controlled by religious denominations.
“The Colorado Constitution could not be clearer,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “No sectarian tenets shall ever be taught in public school — yet that’s exactly what is happening here.”
FFRF is urging School District 49 to immediately cease all funding to Riverstone Academy and to affirm its commitment to the constitutional separation between state and church.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 1,400 members and a chapter in Colorado. 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 latest episode of the “We Dissent” podcast takes a look at the long history of how Ten Commandments displays have been kept out of public schools.
On Episode 47, FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and Americans United Legal Director Rebecca Markert break down the strong history of courts rejecting government attempts to display the Ten Commandments in schools. They explain the seminal 1980 case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court cases that have since reinforced that precedent, and the growing number of states passing blatantly unconstitutional laws that force public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
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!
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award
Donte, Clark Atlanta University Donte is a freshman at Clark Atlanta University pursuing a dual degree in physics and robotics engineering with a concentration in robotic systems. His fascination with circuits began in childhood and grew into a passion in high school through robotics club leadership, a summer program in embedded systems, and an internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab where he co-created a fall detection device. These experiences cemented his career goal of building reliable systems that serve communities, particularly the Black community, while mentoring younger students from similar backgrounds.
An atheist since childhood, Donte came to secularism by choice and persistence. Free from pressure to conform to religion, he embraced self-determination and the belief that effort — not faith — builds the future. For him, secularism provides freedom from external expectations and a foundation for stability through education and community. His activism has included challenging Christian remarks from administrators, speaking out against stereotypes in class, and supporting classmates facing bias or exclusion. These experiences taught him that activism often begins with small, everyday acts of courage.
FFRF is deeply grateful to Cliff Richards, who phoned FFRF shortly before his death to set up the Cliff Richards Memorial Scholarships to aid freethinking students, expressing special interest in aiding marginalized students.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award
Sariyah, North Carolina A&T State University Sariyah is a student at North Carolina A&T State University, graduating in May 2026, and a leader in a new generation of creative professionals. She is preparing for a career in experiential marketing, a path forged by her entrepreneurial experience as a campus hairstylist and her work in digital brand strategy. Her long-term aspiration is to run her own business, creating opportunities for others while continuing to travel and mentor.
Sariyah identifies as agnostic. From an early age, she questioned Christianity, the most common religion in her community, and resisted pressure to participate in church. She recalls avoiding sleepovers that required attending church services the next day and laughing off teasing from peers who labeled her an atheist. At her HBCU, she has sometimes struggled to find like-minded individuals, but she remains grounded in her authenticity and secular outlook. She defines her beliefs by independence and reason, not by adherence to doctrine.
As a Black woman who does not conform to religious expectations, she is senior class treasurer in the Student Government Association, and helps coordinate large-scale events that bring together students. As marketing director for Aggies Abroad, she promoted study abroad opportunities that expose students to new cultures and perspectives. Travel has been important in shaping her worldview, showing her that life is broader than any single religious framework.
FFRF is deeply grateful to Cliff Richards, who phoned FFRF shortly before his death to set up the Cliff Richards Memorial Scholarships to aid freethinking students, expressing special interest in aiding marginalized students.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Al Luneman Student Activist Award
Rafael, Western Illinois University Rafael is a student at Western Illinois University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics, graduating in July 2026. He previously earned an Associate of Science from Moraine Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Illinois Springfield. His academic goals include earning a Ph.D. in physics and a master’s in engineering. He plans to pursue a career as a researcher and instructor at a government institution while serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Long term, he hopes to run for the school board and local office to defend secular values and protect students’ First Amendment rights.
Rafael identifies as agnostic, a conviction he embraced at 19 after questioning his Roman Catholic upbringing. Influenced by authors such as Carl Sagan and Dan Brown, he began a process of deconstruction that led to living authentically without religion. He now openly identifies as a nonreligious and is a gay soldier in the U.S. Army National Guard, recognizing the importance of visibility in traditionally Christian-normative environments.
As a first-generation Mexican American and gay man, Rafael understands the tensions that arise when religious traditions dominate cultural expectations. Rafael has been deeply engaged in secular activism, co-founding an SSA chapter at the University of Illinois Springfield and organizing discussions on queer and nonreligious identities. At Western Illinois University, he revitalized the SSA chapter, represented the school at Secular Spring Break, and served as treasurer of Unity, WIU’s oldest LGBTQ+ organization. Looking ahead, he plans to secure official recognition for WIU SSA, expand programming with events like Graveyard of the Gods and a Winter Solstice celebration, and grow student participation in national projects. His activism and academic pursuits reflect a dedication to critical inquiry, community building, and the defense of secular values.
FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Al Luneman Student Activist Award
Ava, Manalapan (N.J.) High School Ava is a high school student at Manalapan High School in New Jersey, graduating in 2026. She plans to study psychology and neuroscience, aiming for a career at the intersection of science and empathy through clinical work, research or community-based mental health support. Her long-term goal is to reduce stigma around mental illness and expand equitable access to care through evidence-based practice.
Identifying as agnostic and culturally Jewish, Ava established and leads the Secular Student Activists club at her school, organizing meetings and awareness efforts on secularism, science education, mental health, and state/church separation. This year, Ava plans to expand her club’s programming with events, collaborations, and guest speakers while continuing to publish on secular values and mental health. She hopes to remain engaged in secular and humanist organizations in college and contribute to civic efforts like voter registration.
FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Al Luneman Student Activist Award
Dustin, Lincoln Memorial University Dustin is a student at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, pursuing a Juris Doctor degree with an expected graduation in 2028. With academic interests in constitutional, employment, Title IX and civil law, Dustin plans to practice in Tennessee and beyond, focusing on supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking and other forms of abuse. Dustin also hopes to contribute to law review work on Establishment Clause issues and legal strategies for holding institutions accountable for systemic failures.
Identifying as nonreligious, Dustin’s experiences as a student complainant deepened their appreciation for secular advocacy in protecting religious liberty. Since 2017, Dustin has been active in addressing Establishment Clause violations in public schools and government offices across Tennessee and neighboring states. They have collaborated with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU, American Atheists and the American Humanist Association to push for accountability and uphold constitutional protections. These experiences reinforced their belief that free exercise of religion is a constitutional protection — not a tool for government actors to impose beliefs on others — and strongly influenced their decision to pursue a career in law.
FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
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.
Bookmark this page to see updated post-convention highlights!
The 2025 Freedom From Religion 48th Annual National Convention took place on October 16-19 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Watch this page for updates on convention awardees, videos, and speeches.
HERB SILVERMAN – “Being an Atheist in South Carolina”
Herb Silverman, who will give a welcoming address, is president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America. He served as president of the Secular Coalition through December of 2012 and again from December 2014 to June 2017. Born in Philadelphia, Herb received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Syracuse University and is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the College of Charleston.After an eight-year battle, Herb won a unanimous decision in the South Carolina Supreme Court, which struck down South Carolina’s religious test requirement. He founded the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry in Charleston, S.C., and is founder and first faculty advisor to the College of Charleston student Atheist/Humanist Alliance. He has written “Candidate Without a Prayer, An Autobiography of a Jewish Atheist in the Bible Belt” as well as “An Atheist Stranger in a Strange Religious Land.” Herb is a recipient of the American Humanist Association Lifetime Achievement Award and SCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
FFRF HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Co-Presidents
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
Matthew Krevat, President, Triangle Chapter of FFRF
GODLESS GOSPEL SINGERS
Candace Gorham, LCMHCS, is a licensed professional mental health counselor. A former ordained minister turned atheist-humanist activist, she is a member of The Secular Therapist Project and The Clergy Project. Candace is the author of “The Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religion — and Others Should Too” and “On Death, Dying, and Disbelief.”
Cynthia McDonald is a social worker in Chicago who authors a blog called freedmenhealthandwellness.com, which speaks on the social determinants and health of Black Americans who descended from chattel slavery. Sher is a regular host on the “Non-Prophets” and “Women Atheist Unload.”
Mandisa Thomas is the founder and president of Black Nonbelievers ands has appeared on “CBS Sunday Morning,” CNN.com and in Playboy, The Humanist and JET magazines. She’s featured in the documentaries “Contradiction” and “My Week in Atheism.” She was FFRF’s 2019 Freethought Heroine.
NANCY NORTHUP – “Defending Today. Building for Tomorrow”
Nancy Northup is president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a global human rights organization whose game-changing litigation and advocacy work have transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments and human rights bodies. The Center has played a key role in securing legal victories in the U.S., Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe and at the U.N. on issues including access to life-saving obstetrics care, maternal health, contraception and safe abortion services, as well as the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage. With offices in Colombia, Kenya, Switzerland and the U.S., the Center has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in over 60 countries. Nancy graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and received her J.D. from Columbia Law School. She is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Brown University recognizing her achievements as an attorney and global reproductive rights leader. She has held adjunct appointments at NYU Law School and Columbia Law School, and taught courses in constitutional and human rights law. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Nancy was previously the founding director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, where she litigated voting rights, campaign finance reform, and ballot access cases. From 1989 to 1996, she served as a prosecutor and Deputy Chief of Appeals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Prior to that she was a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.
KATHERINE STEWART – “Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy”
Katherine Stewart, who received FFRF’s 2024 “Freethought Heroine” Award, has been covering religious nationalism and the assault on American democracy for more than 15 years. Her most recent book “Money, Lies and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy” (February 2025) joins her earlier powerful investigations: “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism” and “The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children.” She writes for The New York Times opinion, New Republic and many other periodicals. “The Power Worshippers” was acquired by producers Rob and Michele Reiner, who subsequently based their documentary feature film, “God & Country” (2004) on the book.
FFRF LEGAL HIGHLIGHTS
Patrick Elliott, FFRF Legal Director Liz Cavell, Deputy Legal Director Sam Grover, Senior Litigation Counsel Sammi Lawrence, Staff Attorney
FFRF LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan Dudley, State Policy Manager Mark Dann, FFRF Governmental Affairs Director
MICKEY DOLLENS – “The Citizen’s Guide to Political Change”
Mickey Dollens is the regional government affairs manager at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, where he fights to uphold state/church separation and protect religious freedom for all. Based in Oklahoma City, Mickey continues to push back against religious extremism in government, efforts to weaken direct democracy, and policies that deepen economic inequality. At FFRF, he works to ensure that lawmakers prioritize reason over religion and that public policy is shaped by constitutional principles—not religious doctrine. He is the author of “The Citizen’s Guide to Political Change: How to Win with Ballot Initiatives and Defend Direct Democracy.”
MARY L. TRUMP
Mary L. Trump received FFRF’s “Emperor Has No Clothes Award,” reserved for individuals who “tell it like it is” about religion. She’s a trained clinical psychologist and has authored two books, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” and a new memoir, “Nobody Will Ever Love You.” She holds a PhD from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies and taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology, and developmental psychology. She lives with her daughter in New York.
BAILEY HARRIS – “A Nightmare on Creationist Street”
Bailey Harris, 19, a second-year college student, received the “Out of God’s Closet” Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial Student Activist Scholarship of $5,000. Bailey is the author of the Stardust series of science books for young readers, which she began at age 8. The series includes beautifully illustrated children’s books that present sound science in a manner accessible to young readers and pre-readers. “My Name Is Stardust” was released in 2017 and has sold thousands of copies worldwide. Follow-ups “Stardust Explores the Solar System” (2018) and “Stardust Explores Earth’s Wonders” (2019) present concepts of astronomy, geology, biology, and principles such as the Big Bang and evolution. Just released is “Stardust & Friends: Darwin’s Journey.” Bailey has appeared on iHeartRadio’s “The Public Library Podcast,” where she spoke to host Helen Little about the importance of books and learning in her life. She won a previous 2018 FFRF convention award.
ELI FROST – “Advocating For Change in Chaska, Minnesota”
Eli Frost, 18, received the Beverly and Richard Hermsen Student Activist Award of $5,000. Eli is a passionate graduating senior at Chaska High School who is in the National Honor Society and Key Club. He will be attending Minnesota State University in Mankato in the fall, where he’s planning to major in political science and potentially attend law school to become a politician. His ultimate aim is to use his political influence to bring positive change, particularly by standing up to Christian nationalist politicians and promoting respect and kindness for all people—not for religious rewards, but because it’s simply the right thing to do. For several years, he’s worked tirelessly to move his school district’s graduation ceremonies away from a discriminatory megachurch. Through petitions, school board meetings, and engaging with local media and advocacy organizations like FFRF, Eli successfully pushed the district to change the graduation venue to a more inclusive, secular location.
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY WINNERS
Jaianah Hightower, 20, placed fifth in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Assay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color and read her winning essay, “Just Existing is Resistance.” By 15, “I knew I would become and OB/GYN.” She’s a junior pursuing a bachelor of science degree at Morgan State University.
Gabrielle Williams, 19, placed third in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color, received a $2,500 cash scholarship for her essay titles “Unholy Alliance: When Nationalism Wears a Cross.” She was her high school valedictorian in Stewartstown, Pa. She’s a sophomore at Howard University.
Mekah’E La Clair, 20, won first place in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color, earned a $3,500 scholarship. A member of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, she’s an artist who creates cartoons and is in her junior year of college, majoring in digital art and animation at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.
MUBARAK BALA – “The Right to Freethought and Criticizing Ideas”
Mubarak Bala is a human rights activist and president of the Humanists of Nigeria, who was arrested in 2020 for posting comments on Facebook deemed insulting to Muhammad. Mubarak Bala spent a year in detention before being sentenced to 40 years in prison. An appeals court later reduced his sentence to five years. He was released in 2024, but is still under sanction in Nigeria. Mubarak Bala’s case drew international attention by many groups, including FFRF, calling for his release and for the repeal of blasphemy laws. Mubarak Bala received FFRF’s Avijit Rou Courage Award, accepted remotely.
CHRISSY STROOP – “Emptying Pews, Evangelicals, and the Fight for American Democracy”
Chrissy Stroop received FFRF’s 2025 “Freethought Heroine” award. Raised evangelical in the Indianapolis area and Colorado Springs, Chrissy Stroop was sent to culture-warring Christian schools that demonized queerness, abortion and anything viewed as “liberal.” She earned a Ph.D in modern Russian history from Stanford University, which she put to use as both a classroom instructor and a senior research associate with the University of Innsbruck’s Postsecular Conflicts project that investigated international right-wing networks. A former weekly columnist for openDemocracy and a frequent contributor to Religion Dispatches, Stroop is now a full-time writer and speaker with bylines in Foreign Policy, Playboy, The Boston Globe, Political Research Associates, and other outlets. Her newsletter, The Bugbear Dispatch, explores American politics and society through the lens of an ongoing moral panic of which Stroop, as an out transgender woman, is a primary target. She is also a cofounder and co-owner of the intersectional feminist outlet The Flytrapand (with Lauren O’Neal) coeditor of the essay collection “Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church.”
THIRD ANNUAL SECULAR LEGISLATIVE PANEL
Rep. Heather Meyer represents District 29, Overland Park, in the Kansas House of Representatives. She was appointed in 2021 and re-elected in 2024 to a two-year term. She is also a social worker, mom of two, Kansas first openly bisexual legislator, and an agnostic.
Rep. Andy Smith was elected in 2022 and is serving his second term in District 25B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A small-business owner, he is co-chair of the Minnesota Health Plan Caucus. He has a B.A. in theology from Moody Bible Institute and a M.Div. in theology from Wistminster Seminary.
Rep. Monique Priestley is serving her second term as a Vermont state Representative (Orange-2), focusing on consumer protection. She has received recognition for he impactful legislative leadership, including EPIC’s National Champion of Freedom Award in 2024. She identifies as an atheist and humanist.
JAMELLE BOUIE – Clarence Darrow Award
Jamelle Bouie, who received FFRF’s Clarence Darrow Award, is a columnist for the New York Times where he covers history and politics. In addition, he co-hosts the Unclear and Present Danger podcast on the political and military thrillers of the 1990s. Jamelle was formerly chief political correspondent for Slate magazine. He began his career at The American Prospect magazine and also spent time as a writer for The Daily Beast. Jamelle has also contributed essays to volumes such as “Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019” and “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story.” In 2021, he received the Hillman Prize for Opinion & Analysis Journalism and in 2024 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Science. Jamelle attended the University of Virginia, where he graduated in 2009 with degrees in political and social thought, and government.
STEVEN LEVITSKY – “The Great Abdication: America’s Descent into Authoritarianism”
The David Rockefeller professor of Latin American Studies and of government is director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. He is Senior Fellow at the Kettering Foundation and a Senior Democracy Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations. Steven is co-author (with Daniel Ziblatt) of “How Democracies Die,” a New York Times bestseller, and “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point.”
JOHN FUGELSANG – “Separation of Church and Hate”
John’s been murdered on CSI, interviewed 2 Beatles on separate continents in the same week, and famously once got Mitt Romney’s advisor to call Governor Romney an ‘etch a sketch’ on CNN. Actor, comedian & broadcaster John Fugelsang hosts ‘Tell Me Everything” weekdays on SiriusXM Insight #121, and has interviewed everyone from Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Yoko Ono to Stanley Tucci, Rita Moreno and Carl Reiner. He recently performed in “The Bill of Rights Concert” alongside Lewis Black & Dick Gregory, which aired on AXS. He’s also appeared at Montreal’s “Just for Laughs” Festival, HBO’s U.S Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos for ABC and Bill Maher called him “one of my favorite comedians.” He recently performed in “The Bill of Rights Concert” alongside Lewis Black & Dick Gregory which aired on AXS. He’s also hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos for ABC and Bill Maher called him ‘one of my favorite comedians’. His new film “Dream On,” examining the American Dream, features 200 interviews in 55 cities including 17 states. His new book, just out, is “Separate Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is pleased that Clark County Public Schools staff members in Winchester, Ky., will cease violating the right of their students to be free from religious coercion.
A concerned district parent informed FFRF that their child returned home from Baker Intermediate School with a Gideon bible on May 22 of this year. Gideons International is “an evangelical association that equips and mobilizes Christian business and professional men, along with their wives, to share God’s word.” Reportedly, the school’s assistant principal entered the student’s classroom to distribute bibles on the last day of school.
“To respect students’ and parents’ First Amendment rights, the district must ensure its staff members cease distributing religious literature to students,” FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Kyle J. Steinberg wrote to the district. “It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for the district to allow its staff members to distribute religious materials to students. The district cannot allow its schools to be used as recruiting grounds for religious missions.”
Bible distribution in public schools needlessly marginalizes all students and families who do not practice Christianity, FFRF pointed out. Data show that 37 percent of the U.S. population is non-Christian, including the almost 30 percent of Americans who are nonreligious. Additionally, at least a third of Generation Z members (those born after 1996) have no religion, with a recent survey revealing almost half of them qualify as religiously unaffiliated “Nones.”
Thankfully, FFRF’s work made an impact on the district.
Rebecca G. McCoy, an attorney for the district, confirmed that the district has understood its responsibility to students’ rights. “The district is committed to ensuring that school faculty will not be distributing bibles and other religious literature to students,” she recently responded in a letter.
FFRF is always glad to see students’ right of conscience come out on top.
“Religious instruction should be the province of parents, not our public schools, and young and impressionable students have a right to be free from religious coercion,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “Students do not need their last day of school to be commandeered by their assistant principal’s religious agenda.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Kentucky. 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 Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.
FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.
Al Luneman Student Activist Awards
Dustin, Lincoln Memorial University
Dustin is a student at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, pursuing a Juris Doctor degree with an expected graduation in 2028. With academic interests in constitutional, employment, Title IX and civil law, Dustin plans to practice in Tennessee and beyond, focusing on supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking and other forms of abuse. Dustin also hopes to contribute to law review work on Establishment Clause issues and legal strategies for holding institutions accountable for systemic failures.
Identifying as nonreligious, Dustin’s experiences as a student complainant deepened their appreciation for secular advocacy in protecting religious liberty. Since 2017, Dustin has been active in addressing Establishment Clause violations in public schools and government offices across Tennessee and neighboring states. They have collaborated with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU, American Atheists and the American Humanist Association to push for accountability and uphold constitutional protections. These experiences reinforced their belief that free exercise of religion is a constitutional protection — not a tool for government actors to impose beliefs on others — and strongly influenced their decision to pursue a career in law.
Ava, Manalapan (N.J.) High School
Ava is a high school student at Manalapan High School in New Jersey, graduating in 2026. She plans to study psychology and neuroscience, aiming for a career at the intersection of science and empathy through clinical work, research or community-based mental health support. Her long-term goal is to reduce stigma around mental illness and expand equitable access to care through evidence-based practice.
Identifying as agnostic and culturally Jewish, Ava established and leads the Secular Student Activists club at her school, organizing meetings and awareness efforts on secularism, science education, mental health, and state/church separation. This year, Ava plans to expand her club’s programming with events, collaborations, and guest speakers while continuing to publish on secular values and mental health. She hopes to remain engaged in secular and humanist organizations in college and contribute to civic efforts like voter registration.
Rafael, Western Illinois University
Rafael is a student at Western Illinois University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics, graduating in July 2026. He previously earned an Associate of Science from Moraine Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Illinois Springfield. His academic goals include earning a Ph.D. in physics and a master’s in engineering. He plans to pursue a career as a researcher and instructor at a government institution while serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Long term, he hopes to run for the school board and local office to defend secular values and protect students’ First Amendment rights.
Rafael identifies as agnostic, a conviction he embraced at 19 after questioning his Roman Catholic upbringing. Influenced by authors such as Carl Sagan and Dan Brown, he began a process of deconstruction that led to living authentically without religion. He now openly identifies as a nonreligious and is a gay soldier in the U.S. Army National Guard, recognizing the importance of visibility in traditionally Christian-normative environments.
As a first-generation Mexican American and gay man, Rafael understands the tensions that arise when religious traditions dominate cultural expectations. Rafael has been deeply engaged in secular activism, co-founding an SSA chapter at the University of Illinois Springfield and organizing discussions on queer and nonreligious identities. At Western Illinois University, he revitalized the SSA chapter, represented the school at Secular Spring Break, and served as treasurer of Unity, WIU’s oldest LGBTQ+ organization. Looking ahead, he plans to secure official recognition for WIU SSA, expand programming with events like Graveyard of the Gods and a Winter Solstice celebration, and grow student participation in national projects. His activism and academic pursuits reflect a dedication to critical inquiry, community building, and the defense of secular values.
FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.
Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Awards
Sariyah, North Carolina A&T State University
Sariyah is a student at North Carolina A&T State University, graduating in May 2026, and a leader in a new generation of creative professionals. She is preparing for a career in experiential marketing, a path forged by her entrepreneurial experience as a campus hairstylist and her work in digital brand strategy. Her long-term aspiration is to run her own business, creating opportunities for others while continuing to travel and mentor.
Sariyah identifies as agnostic. From an early age, she questioned Christianity, the most common religion in her community, and resisted pressure to participate in church. She recalls avoiding sleepovers that required attending church services the next day and laughing off teasing from peers who labeled her an atheist. At her HBCU, she has sometimes struggled to find like-minded individuals, but she remains grounded in her authenticity and secular outlook. She defines her beliefs by independence and reason, not by adherence to doctrine.
As a Black woman who does not conform to religious expectations, she is senior class treasurer in the Student Government Association, and helps coordinate large-scale events that bring together students. As marketing director for Aggies Abroad, she promoted study abroad opportunities that expose students to new cultures and perspectives. Travel has been important in shaping her worldview, showing her that life is broader than any single religious framework.
Donte, Clark Atlanta University
Donte is a freshman at Clark Atlanta University pursuing a dual degree in physics and robotics engineering with a concentration in robotic systems. His fascination with circuits began in childhood and grew into a passion in high school through robotics club leadership, a summer program in embedded systems, and an internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab where he co-created a fall detection device. These experiences cemented his career goal of building reliable systems that serve communities, particularly the Black community, while mentoring younger students from similar backgrounds.
An atheist since childhood, Donte came to secularism by choice and persistence. Free from pressure to conform to religion, he embraced self-determination and the belief that effort — not faith — builds the future. For him, secularism provides freedom from external expectations and a foundation for stability through education and community. His activism has included challenging Christian remarks from administrators, speaking out against stereotypes in class, and supporting classmates facing bias or exclusion. These experiences taught him that activism often begins with small, everyday acts of courage.
FFRF is deeply grateful to Cliff Richards, who phoned FFRF shortly before his death to set up the Cliff Richards Memorial Scholarships to aid freethinking students, expressing special interest in aiding marginalized students.
FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.
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.
Get ready for a deep dive at warp speed as they explore everything from Pike’s haunted past and Una’s hidden secrets to Spock, Chapel, and La’An’s tangled emotional web. David opens up about the book’s high-stakes setting above a black hole, the themes of guilt, redemption, and moral sacrifice that drive the story, and how his love of the Mission: Impossible film scores helped inspire the novel’s pulse-pounding rhythm and cinematic flair.
Check out the David Mack author page to view other sightings and a full list of books!
Moments before returning to Earth, the crew of Voyager are betrayed by insurgents hidden on board! With her ship’s deflector dish broken and the ship itself out of her control, Janeway must convince the aliens that Starfleet means them no harm if she’s ever going to get her found family home. If that weren’t enough to handle, there’s a ticking clock to contend with: Tuvok’s disease has accelerated, and he must get home to mind-meld with a family member to cure himself with Fal-tor-voh…before it’s too late!
In today’s episode, a fresh-faced cadet contends with textbook crew dysfunction. But when the local debate bros break out the hooded robes, he finds himself taking political action as well. Are you missing out on cinematic gold by choosing the book over the game? How do you elude the telepath bouncer? And how does Kirk feel about someone else trying to cheat at the Kobayashi Maru? All this and more in Starfleet Academy, the book with the first-person straight shooter.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is pleased to see that the city of Knoxville has heeded its advice in shelving the sale of public land to a religious organization.
A concerned Knoxville resident reported that the city was considering a proposal to sell 12.7 acres of Chilhowee Park to the Emerald Youth Foundation, a religious organization. It’s an explicitly Christian nonprofit whose mission “is to raise up a large number of urban youth to love Jesus Christ and become effective leaders who help renew their communities.”
According to local news, the Emerald Youth Foundation approached the city in 2022 to pitch the sale, which was “a deviation from the city’s usual path on major public projects.” The city allegedly created the project proposal centered around the religious group’s vision, implying that the proposal process was not truly intended to create a fair playing field for potential bidders. The city also allowed Emerald Youth Foundation to lead the appraisal process for the land. The city agreed to let it purchase the park for less than $1 million, and it planned to build a $20 million to $30 million recreational facility on the land.
FFRF urged the city to nix the sale.
“In short, it appears the foundation’s proposed recreation center will be a facility dedicated to supporting its mission of converting Knoxville’s youth to Christianity, even if the facility will be open to nonchurch members,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon. “Regardless of any incidental secular benefits the project may produce, the city will violate both the U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution if it follows through with this public land sale that has clearly been orchestrated to specifically benefit this religious nonprofit in spite of community opposition.”
By selling public land to the Emerald Youth Foundation for below market value and creating a proposal process specifically aimed at it, the city showed clear government favoritism toward religion over nonreligion and Christianity over all others, FFRF emphasized in its letter. The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause requires government neutrality between religions, and between religion and nonreligion, directly forbidding the government from subsidizing certain religious organizations or ministries or dispensing special financial benefits to them.
Thankfully, the pressure on the city has yielded constitutionally favorable results.
According to local news reporting, Councilwoman Debbie Helsley initially planned to introduce a measure to postpone the vote by eight weeks. However, the Knoxville City Council voted 5–4 to remove the Chilhowee Park land sale measure from its agenda, ending the discussion on the matter for the immediate future.
“The proposal to sell the land and disregard community input would have been an egregious endorsement of Christianity by the City Council,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “Allowing for a quick, under-the-table deal to this religious organization would have been an unconscionable giveaway of valuable public land for the benefit of a Christian missionizing organization.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation serves as the nation’s largest association of freethinkers, with 42,000 members and several chapters across the country, including almost 500 members and a chapter in Tennessee, and works as a state/church watchdog to safeguard the constitutional principle of separation between state and church.
In September of 1970, Dick Wood and Alberto Giolitti delivered issue number eight of the Gold Keys Comics Star Trek series. And while it makes no sense in relation fo the series, I do like the image of the captain’s log being transcribed into an actual log book. Though the stardates are still ridiculously wrong.
AARON ROSENBERG is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of the DuckBob humorous science fiction series and the Dread Remora space-opera series, and the co-author of the O.C.L.T. thriller series and the ReDeus modern-day fantasy series, among others. He’s written tie-in novels (including the PsiPhi winner Collective Hindsight for Star Trek: SCE, the Daemon Gates trilogy for Warhammer, Tides of Darkness and (with Christie Golden) the Scribe-nominated Beyond the Dark Portal for WarCraft, Hunt and Run for Stargate: Atlantis, and Substitution Method and The Road Less Traveled for Eureka), children’s books (including an original series, Pete and Penny’s Pizza Puzzles, and work for PowerPuff Girls and Transformers Animated), roleplaying games (including original games like Asylum and Spookshow, the Origins Award-winning Gamemastering Secrets, and sections of The Supernatural Roleplaying Game, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and The Deryni Roleplaying Game), young adult novels (including the #1 bestseller 42: The Jackie Robinson Story, the Scribe-winning Bandslam: The Novel and two books for iCarly), short stories, webcomics, essays, and educational books. He has ranged from mystery to speculative fiction to drama to comedy, always with the same intent—to tell a good story. Aaron lives in New York with his family. You can follow him online at gryphonrose.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/gryphonrose, and on Twitter @gryphonrose.
Check out the Aaron Rosenberg credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Robert “Bob” Ingersoll is a Star Trek writer from Ohio with Tony Isabella. He recently collaborated with Thom Zahler on “‘Til Death” in The Sky’s the Limit.
He is a lawyer by profession, and worked as an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio.
Check out the Bob Ingersoll credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
I got this “Star Trek Classics” collection from Hoopla; it contains three Star Trek: The Next Generation comic stories from the early 2000s, originally published by Wildstorm. The first is Perchance to Dream, a four-issue miniseries; this is set shortly before Star Trek Generations (it even features the film’s mismatched uniforms), with the Enterprise-D coming to a Federation member planet where the aliens have three genders—but the new governor is being attacked by terrorists because she only has one partner, not the traditional two.
Dan Abnett is an English comic book writer and novelist. He has been a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, and also 2000 AD. He has also contributed to DC Comics titles, and his Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 novels and graphic novels for Games Workshop’s Black Library now run to several dozen titles and have sold over two million copies. In 2009 he released his first original fiction novels through Angry Robot books.
Check out the Dan Abnett credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Jonathan Koan and Casey Pettitt speak with Star Trek: Khan writers Kirsten Beyer and David Mack. They talk about the writing process, casting and recording, making it sound like Star Trek, allegory, the mind of a villain, and much more!
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren. D-Calif., explains how California’s Proposition 50 is trying to fight religious-right authoritarianism. Legal Fellow Kyle Steinberg describes FFRF’s new federal lawsuit challenging a religious oath in South Carolina.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of a South Carolina citizen challenging an unconstitutional requirement that poll workers swear a mandatory religious oath.
Jim Reel, the plaintiff, sought to serve his community as a poll worker for the 2024 election. While Reel completed the required online training, he was not allowed to substitute a secular affirmation for a religious oath to finalize his appointment to the position. Due to his sincerely held convictions, Reel is unwilling to swear “so help me God,” because he is an atheist.
The defendants are the interim executive director of the South Carolina Election Commission, the director of voter registration and elections for Greenville County, S.C., and the Greenville County Voter Registration and Elections Board.
The legal complaint charges that the defendants are coercing a statement of belief in a monotheistic deity, thereby denying nontheists or those worshiping more than one deity the right to serve as poll workers. Not only is Reel, as an atheist, barred from becoming a poll worker under this policy, but the rights of other South Carolina citizens who have no religious affiliation (16 percent of the South Carolina population), among others, are also injured. Additionally, the defendants are denying Christians who belong to sects that eschew swearing oaths to a deity, such as some Mennonites, Baptists and Quakers, the right to serve as poll workers.
The South Carolina Election Commission’s official policy, as implemented, violates the rights of the plaintiff and countless others under the First Amendment and Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which bars religious tests for public office, FFRF contends in the complaint filed on Wednesday before the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
In early 2024, Reel phoned the Greenville County voter registration and elections office to ask whether a secular affirmation was available for poll workers in lieu of the religious oath. The office responded that the oath is dictated by statute and that a secular affirmation without “so help me God” would not be accepted.
FFRF sent a letter to the South Carolina Election Commission on Nov. 22 of last year regarding the religious oath required by the statute, noting that Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from requiring any kind of religious test for public office.The director at the time of the commission responded, in part, that “the County Boards must require it to be signed before trained candidates are appointed poll workers.”
The legal complaint requests a permanent injunction (a) prohibiting the defendants from requiring citizens who wish to serve as poll workers to swear “so help me God,” and (b) ordering the defendants to provide a secular affirmation that allows citizens to become poll workers without swearing “so help me God.” Reel is also requesting a declaratory judgment that the defendants have violated, and are continuing to violate, the U.S. Constitution by requiring all poll worker candidates to swear “so help me God” without the option of a secular affirmation. Reel also requests an order awarding him the costs of this action, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, as well as an award of nominal damages from the county board.
“Jim Reel, a veteran who wants to continue serving his community as a poll worker, should be congratulated, not barred simply because he is an atheist,” comments FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “This legal challenge seeks to put an end to this discriminatory and blatantly unconstitutional practice.”
South Carolina attorney Steven Edward Buckingham filed the lawsuit, with FFRF attorneys Sam Grover and Kyle Steinberg acting as co-counsel. The case was filed in the Greenville Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization representing more than 42,000 freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and other dissenters from religion), including hundreds of members in South Carolina, that works to protect the separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
The level of censorship in the United States remains at an alarmingly unacceptable level, as PEN America’s recently released banned-books report reveals. We at the Freedom From Religion Foundation are deeply familiar with the awful history of censorship — and the recent trendline is profoundly troubling.
“The group dedicated to free expression counted 6,870 bans during the past academic year,” states a National Public Radio story. “While that’s down from a total of 10,046 bans imposed during the 2023-24 school year, it’s still a sharp rise from the period of 2021-2023, which averaged just under 3,000 incidents of book banning each year, in what it calls a ‘disturbing normalization of censorship’ in public schools.”
“Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country,” the PEN report says. “Never before have so many states passed laws or regulations to facilitate the banning of books, including bans on specific titles statewide.”
The usual suspects lead the list, with Florida, Texas and Tennessee topping this tally. And this year, they’ve been joined by a copycat, as the report points out.
“In 2025, a new vector of book banning pressure has appeared — the federal government,” according to the report. “Since returning to office, the Trump administration has mimicked rhetoric about ‘parents’ rights,’ which, in Florida and other states, has largely been used to advance book bans and censorship of schools, against the wishes of many parents, students, families, and educators.”
Much of the effort, motivated in good part by religion-based prudery, has centered around works that deal with LGBTQ-plus and gender identity issues. Even picture books have been deemed sexually explicit just for including such themes. The report reveals that national conservative organizations coerce or collude with local school officials to get such books banned.
The book-banning is so broad that the titles caught up in the dragnet have sometimes attained stellar reputations. On top of the PEN list are such beloved creations as “A Clockwork Orange” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” And none other than Stephen King is the most banned author.
“There’s a paradox at the heart of contemporary book bans: Americans of all ages are reading fewer books and spending less time engaged in reading for pleasure than they did in past decades,” Andi Zeisler astutely writes for Salon. “It feels as though the organized pressure on school boards and elected officials is a kind of censorious Hail Mary, one last, sustained push to control the physical symbols of a world that has otherwise evolved past the need for pious, moralistic guidance on what young people should open their hearts and minds to.”
Zeisler discloses the unintentional service such efforts are providing to the targeted authors.
“A recent study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and George Mason University looked at more than 1,500 titles that appeared on lists of frequently challenged books between 2021 and 2022, looking for patterns in how removal from school libraries impacted them,” she writes. “Many of the results reflect exactly what you might expect, particularly from teens: the circulation of banned books increased 12 percent, on average, when compared to nonbanned books with similar focus and content.”
However, the negative repercussions for writers most often far outweigh such ironic benefits.
“Authors face the ‘Scarlet Letter’ effect: Having one of their books banned can become justification to challenge or ban their entire body of work,” writes Tabitha Dell’Angelo, an educator and former school board member. “School visits are canceled; future publishing contracts may be jeopardized; creativity is stifled by fear of backlash. The chilling effect spreads.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has been a consistent advocate for freedom of thought. And there’s no true freedom of thought, conscience or even religion, unless our government and its public schools and libraries are free from religion and its control over thought. We are living in fraught times — and need to do all that we can to assert ourselves against such a pernicious phenomenon.
The very notion of “banned books” is anathema to a free society.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members across the country. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, the traditional Secular Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Secular International Online Event will take place at Noon PDT/2:00 PM CDT/3:00 PM EDT. Please register for this event at the following Zoom link:
This event is hosted by David Tamayo, Margaret Downey, and Memo Benumea.
Actor, producer, and director Jon Huertas will deliver an inspiring welcome.
Tamayo will present his recorded farewell visit with the late Hector Avalos, who was a professor of Religious Studies at Iowa State University, a cultural anthropologist, and the author of several books on religion. Avalos was an atheist and advocate of secular humanist ethics.
Dan Barker, the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, will honor the life and work of political cartoonist Steve Benson.
Actor, monologist, and author Julia Sweeney will deliver an appreciation of the life of singer, songwriter, and social activist Jill Sobule.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation will honor the life of Freedom From Religion Foundation Life Member, Dick Hewetson.
Podcaster, author, and public speaker Seth Andrews will honor the life of scientist and professor Abby Hafer.
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
Best Female Hair Adornment
Best Male Hair Adornment
Best Female Face Makeup
Best Male Face Makeup
Best Zoom Box
Best Overall
Sponsors of the event include the Freethought Society, Hispanic American Freethinkers, American Humanist Association, the Center for Inquiry/Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, Black Nonbelievers, Secular Coalition for America, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Please come for a presentation by Dan Barker, CEO of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Dan is a former minister now an atheist and advocate for secularism and church state separation. He will be discussing the current and future efforts and actions of the FFRF and he may give a short talk on his conversion from religion. If you want more detail about him go to ffrf.org or pick up his book “Godless”. This WILL be a fascinating meeting!
The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called “Going to HCCO” and we still like to think of it as our flagship event.
Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk.
Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online on October 11, 2025.
David Dvorkin is an English-born science fiction and horror novelist. He earned a BA in mathematics and physics from Indiana University as well as an MS in mathematics from the University of Houston. He is the father of Daniel Dvorkin, another Star Trek author.
Although born in England, Dvorkin has lived in the USA for many decades. He is a computer programmer, and has worked for NASA, where he was involved in “navigation error analysis” for both the Apollo and Viking programs. He has also written a non-fiction book on the potential of solar energy in the renewables market. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado.
Check out the David Dvorkin credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
The Lower Deckers and Cetacean Ops officers Kimolu and Matt continue their mission to replenish Earth’s population of humpback whales! The krill situation is getting out of control, and the songs they sing are just too good to let them die out. There’s also the pesky situation where Ronald (the last whale!) has to occasionally talk that uptight space probe (whenever it shows up) into sparing the Earth from doom and destruction. But Ronald’s getting on in age and won’t be around forever…so the crew needs to find him a love match, stat, or Earth might face its end.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the largest association of freethinkers in North America, is pushing back against President Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that people cannot be good without God.
Speaking in the Oval Office yesterday about his “America Prays” initiative, Trump said, “There’s no reason to be good,” and claimed that his own motivation for goodness is to “prove to God you’re good so you go to that next step,” referring to heaven. He added that he believes it is “very hard to be a good country” without religion.
“Donald Trump is wrong,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We don’t need religion in order to be moral. Millions of atheists, agnostics and humanists lead good, ethical, compassionate lives every day — not to earn divine reward, but because we care about others and our nation.”
Gaylor noted that the greatest myths U.S. nonbelievers have to overcome is the slander that no one can be good without God, such as found in Psalm 53:1 that declares no atheist can be good. It is unpresidential of Trump to perpetuate this ignorant bias.
FFRF called the comment a classic Christian nationalist talking point that falsely ties morality to piety. Most secular Americans consider morality to be rooted in reason, empathy, and social responsibility — not the fear of punishment or promise of reward.
“The way to be good is to act with the intention of minimizing harm. The avoidance of harm is a natural, not a supernatural exercise,”adds FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, a former evangelical minister who left religion in his 30s and who has written books about morality. “In fact, the divisiveness of religion has led to more harm and violence in the world. To quote my mother, morality is straightforward: If you want to be a good person, be a good person.”
FFRF warns that initiatives like “America Prays,” which encourage publicly sponsored worship, blur the line between personal faith and government neutrality, turning the nearly one-third of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated, as well as non-Christian believers, into second-class citizens. The “America Prays” program is blatant pandering to Trump’s evangelical base — and a defilement of the secular Constitution he has sworn to uphold.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
The entire 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to reconsider a prior ruling by a three-judge panel that had held “plainly unconstitutional” a Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public-school classrooms.
The grant of rehearing en banc vacates the court’s previous decision in Rev. Roake v. Brumley, issued in June by a unanimous three-judge panel. In its ruling then, the court of appeals held that Louisiana’s HB 71 is unconstitutional under longstanding Supreme Court precedent, Stone v. Graham, and explained that “indiscriminately” displaying the Ten Commandments in all public-school classrooms across the state would cause an “irreparable” deprivation of the plaintiffs’ rights under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
The state and school board defendants subsequently petitioned for rehearing en banc, a procedural mechanism that authorizes a full court of appeals to reconsider rulings issued by three-judge panels. With the grant of the petition yesterday, the case will be reheard by all judges currently sitting on the 5th Circuit.
Represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the ACLU, ACLU of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel, the plaintiffs in Rev. Roake v. Brumley are a multifaith group of nine Louisiana families with children in public schools. The organizations representing the plaintiffs issued the following statement in response to the decision:
“The panel’s unanimous ruling last June was well reasoned and correctly followed binding Supreme Court precedent. We believe there is no reason to revisit it. Nevertheless, we look forward to presenting our clients’ case to the entire court of appeals, and we remain confident that the constitutional values and principles at the heart of the First Amendment, which guarantee religious freedom for all students and families, will prevail in the end. We emphasize that the district court’s preliminary injunction order in the Roake case — where the court found that this law is facially unconstitutional — is not disturbed by the 5th Circuit’s decision to rehear the appeal.”
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.
When murder and sabotage imperil the time-sensitive and top-secret mission of a team of civilian scientists, Starfleet deploys Captain Christopher Pike and the Enterprise crew to Kathara Station, a classified research facility located above the accretion disk of a black hole.
Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley soon discovers the station’s director, Valkeya, is hiding secrets—but so is Captain Pike, who many years earlier visited this same black hole on a mission that went tragically wrong, and whose consequences have haunted him ever since.
Caught in the crossfire on the station are Science Officer Spock, Nurse Christine Chapel, and Security Chief La’An Noonien-Singh, whose romantic entanglements old and new threaten to unravel their bonds of friendship.
As enemies converge upon the station, can Valkeya and Pike both atone for the mistakes of their pasts in time to avert a tragedy? With time running out, the survival of Kathara Station, the USS Enterprise, and dozens of innocent lives hinges on their acts of contrition….
FFRF has warned in a letter sent to the board that the program and appointment raise profound constitutional and practical concerns under both the U.S. and Florida constitutions.
Hernando County is the first school district in Florida to appoint a chaplain under a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024. The district selected Martin, a self-identified member of the “Black Robe Regiment” — a Christian nationalist movement that seeks to mobilize pastors for political engagement. The movement’s founder, William Cook, spoke at the “Jericho March” in Washington, D.C., which occurred the night before the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Martin has publicly defended the Jan. 6 rioters, writing: “Truth be told the crime in the capitol that day was the ratification of the theft of the presidency of the United States, but they want you to watch the shiny coin.” He has also written a song, “The Ballad of J6ers,” portraying the insurrection as a “peaceful, patriotic protest.” In addition, Martin has argued that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, has asserted that non-Christians should not be allowed to pray in Congress, and has encouraged parents to pull their children out of public schools.
“Public schools are charged with educating students in an inclusive environment, not providing religious or spiritual guidance or prayer leaders,” FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line writes to the board. “Rev. Martin has openly promoted Christian nationalism and disparaged public education itself. His stated views are incompatible with the religious neutrality required of public schools and threaten to undermine the trust and inclusivity essential to serving Hernando County’s diverse student body.”
FFRF’s letter emphasized that students needing emotional or psychological support must be served by licensed professionals — not clergy with religious and political agendas. Chaplains lack the training, credentials, and neutrality required to provide appropriate care to all students. Allowing clergy into public schools risks coercion, favoritism and litigation.
“Public schools should educate, not evangelize,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “This program is a dangerous step toward turning Florida’s schools into Christian nationalist recruiting grounds, and Hernando County should not be leading that charge.”
FFRF is urging the Hernando County School Board to immediately cease its chaplain policy, remove Rev. Martin from his role, and recommit to protecting the constitutional rights of students.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 2,000 members and a chapter in Florida. 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.
This month’s ebook deals have landed with 20 books on sale for $1.99 – $3.99 each, books that have never been on sale are in bold:
There’s a couple $4 books in here, so if you just buy them all, please watch out for those! This month you can get the entire Genesis Wave story and don’t let the confusing numbering of the Dominion War books fool you, that’s the complete story of what the Enterprise was up to during the Dominion War.
After reporting on state/church news, we hear the song “Friendly Atheist T-shirt” by the Freethought Band of Humanists of Minnesota. Then, we speak with University of Toronto Professor of Religion Kevin Lewis O’Neill about his book, Unforgivable: An Abusive Priest and the Church That Sent Him Abroad.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation once again is proud to be a co-sponsor of the “No Kings II” National Day of Action taking place on Saturday, Oct. 18. Already, there are 2,100-plus events planned in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and internationally.
As freethinker and Founder Thomas Paine wisely pointed out: “In America, the law is king.”
James Madison warned, “It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties.” As a group dedicated to defending the freedoms protected by the First Amendment, FFRF is thoroughly alarmed. Very obviously we cannot be successful in an authoritarian or theocratic nation. To defend our secular form of government, we must also defend democracy.
The “No Kings II” website features a map showing events near you, messaging and many resources, including a host toolkit, and even graphics and signs.
Diane Lydia Carey-Brodeur is an author from Flint, Michigan with over forty novels written in total in her career, which stretches back to the late 1970s. Best known for co-creating Star Trek: New Earth with John J. Ordover, she is one of the most prolific Star Trek authors, with over thirty novels to her name.
She currently resides in Owosso, Michigan with her husband, fellow Trek novelist, Greg Brodeur. Her primary work is owning and managing Falconbane Historic Events and Weddings, but she has also taught English and Business Communications for one of the local schools, Baker College.
Outside of her writing and work, her hobbies include playing the bagpipes, working on historic sailing ships, and motorcycling. She and her family also spend much time rescuing dogs and cats and finding new homes for them.
She also uses the pen names Lydia Gregory and D.L. Carey.
Check out the Diane Carey credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
The FFRF convention guide has been both emailed and mailed to all registrants. It includes the most up-to-date schedule (subject to minor changes), local restaurant recommendations, site maps, and other important travel and event information.
Michael Dismuke writes various supplements for the Star Trek Adventures line of tabletop roleplaying games. He reverse engineers the television shows and movies into amazing gameplay. Writing new adventures and developing modules for fantastic fun and exploration makes him tick. He is also a fiction writer published in Star Trek Explorer magazine, premiering in issue #11 with a story featuring Seven of Nine and Captain Liam Shaw. He is also the writer and creator of Gamemasters, a manga graphic novel featuring kids whose powers are based on the popular gags and games children love.
Check out the Michael Dismuke credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
It’s a race to the top as the anti-Federation spies and the Red Shirts summit the towering antenna on Arkonia 89. The spies seek to escape a transporter disrupter and make it back to their ship with their stolen data, and Raad, Grash, Vesta, and Miller will try to stop them by any means necessary. The climb is made all the more difficult by fire raining from above via a cloaked Warbird captained by a young Romulan and a mysterious Tal Shiar officer.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Lanier, Amiga, and DeMatrio realize a hidden secret about the deceased Cromarty’s base. It just might be their ticket out of this mess alive, but as more lives are senselessly lost, the Red Shirts start to wonder if Starfleet would even care if they made it back at all.
The hearing, billed as the second in an exploration of “religious liberty in education,” was dominated by panels advocating for even more religious privilege rather than protecting true freedom of conscience. It also elevated individuals who have misused their public roles to advance personal religious beliefs.
“This hearing was not about protecting religious liberty,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It was about promoting the Christian nationalist agenda, privileging Christianity in public schools, funneling taxpayer money to religious institutions, and weaponing ‘religious liberty’ to undermine equality.”
The hearing included testimony from Hutz Hertzberg, chief education officer of Turning Point USA’s education arm, who urged teaching young children biblical values to counter what he called “anti-American, woke ideology.” He urged people not to trust the public education system to train children in truth and morals, and advocated for indoctrinating children into the “absolute authority” of the bible.
Commissioner Carrie Prejean Boller urged the commission to take advantage of the current Christian nationalist moment, remarking that “now is the time to build, to put those crosses and nativity scenes back up. We have more rights as Christians than we’ve ever had.”
Former high school coach Joe Kennedy, who turned his government position into a platform for public prayer and was at the center of a Supreme Court case that dangerously eroded the separation of state and church, claimed he was “prosecuted and persecuted” for his religious expression. Kennedy also alleged that peoples’ lives are being overturned by a backlash to faith practices.
Without naming FFRF, Kennedy called out secular groups: “I don’t know a lot about law and liberty, but I know that you’re supposed to advise people on the truth and the facts, and they’re not. They have an agenda, and their agenda is well set and in place, working very well at keeping prayer out of the public square. They’re still doing it. So, that needs to be exposed. And, those lawyers need to be held accountable.”
Virginia teacher Monica Gill described defying a district policy requiring teachers to use students’ preferred names and pronouns, framing her refusal as an act of religious obedience. “God’s truth is more important than my job,” Gill said. “My employer gave teachers a choice: deny truth or risk everything. … I knew that I could not stand in front of my Father in heaven one day and say: ‘My pension plan was more important than your truth.’ I also knew that if I say that I love my students, the only right choice would be to stand in love and truth for them.”
Connecticut teacher Marisol Arroyo-Castro recounted suing her school after administrators ordered her to remove a crucifix she had prominently displayed in front of the students in her classroom.
Commissioner and Christian nationalist Eric Metaxas turned the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment on its head: “The Establishment Clause means that secular religion cannot be established. If your view is opposing or pushing against a biblical or a Christian worldview, if you’re pushing against what you call a religious worldview, you are yourself taking a religious position. And that’s not neutral.”
“Dr. Phil” McGraw, also a commissioner, encouraged using government authority to advance what FFRF considers to be a Christian nationalist agenda: “There has to be a call to action. The most common way to lose power is to think you don’t have it to begin with. We do have power, and we need to rally with that power.”
Other participants represented Hillsdale College (a small, doctrinaire Michigan Christian institution with an outsized influence), the Becket Fund (a far-right Catholic legal outfit) and faith-based schools seeking public funding while demanding the right to discriminate.
All speakers represented only conservative evangelical, Catholic or Jewish perspectives. No nonreligious voices were included despite nearly a third of Americans identifying as nonreligious, many of whom are harmed by government entanglement with religion. Students and families experiencing coercive prayer, favoritism or discrimination were also not invited to participate.
“The First Amendment is supposed to ensure government neutrality — protecting the right to practice religion or no religion at all,” comments FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “This commission already has a foregone agenda to promote conservative Christian faith and encourage its further encroachment into our public institutions.”
FFRF will continue defending the rights of nonreligious Americans and upholding the constitutional wall separating church and state.
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.
Simon Hawke is an American author of mainly science fiction and fantasy novels. He was born Nicholas Valentin Yermakov, but began writing as Simon Hawke in 1984 and later changed his legal name to Hawke. He has also written near future adventure novels under the pen name J. D. Masters and a series of humorous mystery novels. He was the Colorado Writer of the Year, 1992.
As Nicholas Yermakov, his early books were published in 1981-1984 including two Battlestar Galactica novelizations. Since re-launching his career as Simon Hawke in 1984, he has produced a large volume of lighter fiction. Almost all of his books published after 1984 have been either part of a series and/or tie-in novels and novelizations.
His first major work as Simon Hawke was the Timewars series, which recounts the adventures of an organization tasked with protecting history from being changed by time travellers. In the world of the series, many people and events we consider fictional are historical, and vice versa; the action of each book in the series weaves in and out of the events of a famous work of literature. For example, in the first book in the series time travellers contesting the fate of Richard I of England become caught up in Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe.
He has also written a series of humorous murder mysteries which features a young William Shakespeare and a fictional friend, Symington “Tuck” Smythe.
Check out the Simon Hawke credit page to view more updates and a full list of credits!
Join Captain Janeway and the Voyager crew in four tales of adventure and intrigue!
First, in Seven’s Reckoning, a chance encounter with a reptilian alien race draws Seven of Nine and the rest of the U.S.S. Voyager crew into an ancient class conflict that’s on the brink of exploding into all-out war! Set during Star Trek: Voyager‘s amazing fourth season, Seven finds her newfound humanity in conflict with her commitment to the Prime Directive. When she finally makes her choice, will it have the desired result? And will there still be a place for her aboard the Voyager once the dust clears? By writer Dave Baker and artist Angel Hernandez.
Then, in Mirrors and Smoke, it’s 2372. Rebel ship Voyager—captained by Kathryn Janeway, an escaped slave from a brutal Cardassian mining facility—is flung halfway across the universe. Stranded in the Delta Quadrant, Janeway and her ragtag rebel crew are faced with a choice. Find their way home, or quietly forge a new life far away from Klingons, Cardassians, and the Rebellion? Janeway chooses the third option. The Voyager will stay. The Voyager will plunder. The Delta Quadrant will be hers, and she will be its Pirate Queen. By writer Paul Allor and artist J.K. Woodward.
Closing out this omnibus are two short stories, “The Wildman Maneuver” from Star Trek: Waypoint by writer Mairghread Scott and artist Corin Howell and “The Swift Spoke” from Star Trek: Waypoint Special 2019 by Malachi Ward and Matt Sheehan.
Donte is a freshman at Clark Atlanta University pursuing a dual degree in physics and robotics engineering with a concentration in robotic systems. His fascination with circuits began in childhood and grew into a passion in high school through robotics club leadership, a summer program in embedded systems, and an internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab where he co-created a fall detection device. These experiences cemented his career goal of building reliable systems that serve communities, particularly the Black community, while mentoring younger students from similar backgrounds.
Sariyah is a student at North Carolina A&T State University, graduating in May 2026, and a leader in a new generation of creative professionals. She is preparing for a career in experiential marketing, a path forged by her entrepreneurial experience as a campus hairstylist and her work in digital brand strategy. Her long-term aspiration is to run her own business, creating opportunities for others while continuing to travel and mentor.
Rafael is a student at Western Illinois University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics, graduating in July 2026. He previously earned an Associate of Science from Moraine Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Illinois Springfield. His academic goals include earning a Ph.D. in physics and a master’s in engineering. He plans to pursue a career as a researcher and instructor at a government institution while serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Long term, he hopes to run for the school board and local office to defend secular values and protect students’ First Amendment rights.
Ava is a high school student at Manalapan High School in New Jersey, graduating in 2026. She plans to study psychology and neuroscience, aiming for a career at the intersection of science and empathy through clinical work, research or community-based mental health support. Her long-term goal is to reduce stigma around mental illness and expand equitable access to care through evidence-based practice.
Dustin is a student at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, pursuing a Juris Doctor degree with an expected graduation in 2028. With academic interests in constitutional, employment, Title IX and civil law, Dustin plans to practice in Tennessee and beyond, focusing on supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking and other forms of abuse. Dustin also hopes to contribute to law review work on Establishment Clause issues and legal strategies for holding institutions accountable for systemic failures.
Candace Gorham, LCMHCS, is a licensed professional mental health counselor. A former ordained minister turned atheist-humanist activist, she is a member of The Secular Therapist Project and The Clergy Project. Candace is the author of “The Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religion — and Others Should Too” and “On Death, Dying, and Disbelief.”
Cynthia McDonald is a social worker in Chicago who authors a blog called 
Mandisa Thomas is the founder and president of Black Nonbelievers ands has appeared on “CBS Sunday Morning,” 
Nancy Northup is president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a global human rights organization whose game-changing litigation and advocacy work have transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments and human rights bodies. The Center has played a key role in securing legal victories in the U.S., Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe and at the U.N. on issues including access to life-saving obstetrics care, maternal health, contraception and safe abortion services, as well as the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage. With offices in Colombia, Kenya, Switzerland and the U.S., the Center has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in over 60 countries. Nancy graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and received her J.D. from Columbia Law School. She is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Brown University recognizing her achievements as an attorney and global reproductive rights leader. She has held adjunct appointments at NYU Law School and Columbia Law School, and taught courses in constitutional and human rights law. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Nancy was previously the founding director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, where she litigated voting rights, campaign finance reform, and ballot access cases. From 1989 to 1996, she served as a prosecutor and Deputy Chief of Appeals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Prior to that she was a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.
MICKEY DOLLENS – “The Citizen’s Guide to Political Change”
Mary L. Trump received FFRF’s “Emperor Has No Clothes Award,” reserved for individuals who “tell it like it is” about religion. She’s a trained clinical psychologist and has authored two books, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” and a new memoir, “Nobody Will Ever Love You.” She holds a PhD from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies and taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology, and developmental psychology. She lives with her daughter in New York. 
Bailey Harris, 19, a second-year college student, received the “Out of God’s Closet” Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial Student Activist Scholarship of $5,000. Bailey is the author of the Stardust series of science books for young readers, which she began at age 8. The series includes beautifully illustrated children’s books that present sound science in a manner accessible to young readers and pre-readers. “My Name Is Stardust” was released in 2017 and has sold thousands of copies worldwide. Follow-ups “Stardust Explores the Solar System
Eli Frost, 18, received the Beverly and Richard Hermsen Student Activist Award of $5,000. Eli is a passionate graduating senior at Chaska High School who is in the National Honor Society and Key Club. He will be attending Minnesota State University in Mankato in the fall, where he’s planning to major in political science and potentially attend law school to become a politician. His ultimate aim is to use his political influence to bring positive change, particularly by standing up to Christian nationalist politicians and promoting respect and kindness for all people—not for religious rewards, but because it’s simply the right thing to do. For several years, he’s worked tirelessly to move his school district’s graduation ceremonies away from a discriminatory megachurch. Through petitions, school board meetings, and engaging with local media and advocacy organizations like FFRF, Eli successfully pushed the district to change the graduation venue to a more inclusive, secular location.
Jaianah Hightower, 20, placed fifth in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Assay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color and read her winning essay, “Just Existing is Resistance.” By 15, “I knew I would become and OB/GYN.” She’s a junior pursuing a bachelor of science degree at Morgan State University.
Gabrielle Williams, 19, placed third in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color, received a $2,500 cash scholarship for her essay titles “Unholy Alliance: When Nationalism Wears a Cross.” She was her high school valedictorian in Stewartstown, Pa. She’s a sophomore at Howard University.
Mekah’E La Clair, 20, won first place in FFRF’s 2025 David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Black, Indigenous Student of Color, earned a $3,500 scholarship. A member of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, she’s an artist who creates cartoons and is in her junior year of college, majoring in digital art and animation at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.
Rep. Heather Meyer represents District 29, Overland Park, in the Kansas House of Representatives. She was appointed in 2021 and re-elected in 2024 to a two-year term. She is also a social worker, mom of two, Kansas first openly bisexual legislator, and an agnostic.
Rep. Andy Smith was elected in 2022 and is serving his second term in District 25B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A small-business owner, he is co-chair of the Minnesota Health Plan Caucus. He has a B.A. in theology from Moody Bible Institute and a M.Div. in theology from Wistminster Seminary.
Rep. Monique Priestley is serving her second term as a Vermont state Representative (Orange-2), focusing on consumer protection. She has received recognition for he impactful legislative leadership, including EPIC’s National Champion of Freedom Award in 2024. She identifies as an atheist and humanist.
Jamelle Bouie, who received FFRF’s Clarence Darrow Award, is a columnist for the New York Times where he covers history and politics. In addition, he co-hosts the Unclear and Present Danger podcast on the political and military thrillers of the 
John’s been murdered on CSI, interviewed 2 Beatles on separate continents in the same week, and famously once got Mitt Romney’s advisor to call Governor Romney an ‘etch a sketch’ on CNN. Actor, comedian & broadcaster John Fugelsang hosts ‘Tell Me Everything” weekdays on SiriusXM Insight #121, and has interviewed everyone from Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Yoko Ono to Stanley Tucci, Rita Moreno and Carl Reiner. He recently performed in “The Bill of Rights Concert” alongside Lewis Black & Dick Gregory, which aired on AXS. He’s also appeared at Montreal’s “Just for Laughs” Festival, HBO’s U.S Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos for ABC and Bill Maher called him “one of my favorite comedians.” He recently performed in “The Bill of Rights Concert” alongside Lewis Black & Dick Gregory which aired on AXS. He’s also hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos for ABC and Bill Maher called him ‘one of my favorite comedians’. His new film “Dream On,” examining the American Dream, features 200 interviews in 55 cities including 17 states. His new book, just out, is “Separate Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds.”
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, the traditional Secular Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Secular International Online Event will take place at Noon PDT/2:00 PM CDT/3:00 PM EDT. Please register for this event at the following Zoom link:
