Freedom From Religion Foundation Runs Full-Page Anti-RFRA Message In NYT

The above message ran in Sunday's New York Times.

Pat Robertson Has The Air Force Sadz

Pat Robertson is denouncing the Air Force for caving to "one little Jewish radical" and dropping its "so help me God" oath requirement. That Jewish radical, Mikey Weinstein, responds at Friendly Atheist: "Pat Robertson is to human dignity and sanity and integrity and character what dog shit is to a fine French restaurant on the menu." Snork!

Tony Perkins Vs Penn State

Responding to complaints from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Penn State has reportedly removed Gideon bibles from its campus lodging. Tony Perkins is ever so pissed. Via press release:

In a wild misrepresentation of the Old Testament, FFRF claims the Bible calls for "killing nonbelievers, apostates, gays, 'stubborn sons,' and women who are not virgins on their wedding nights." According to the Foundation's bullies (none of whom bothered with the actual context of the Scripture they're distorting), the Bible is "inappropriate" and "obnoxious" reading material that shouldn't be available in "state-run lodges." Penn State eagerly complied, snatching the books from rooms and relegating them to the library -- without taking the time to actually look up the law on the subject.

As Alliance Defending Freedom has said countless times, "Federal cases have consistently affirmed private citizens' rights to share religious literature at public schools." But instead of relying on the Constitution or the courts to inform its decisions, Penn State is placing its trust in an anti-Christian, agenda-driven arm of the political Left. "The decision to remove Bibles from individual guest rooms was made following questions from the Freedom From Religion Foundation," the Director of Strategic Communications explained. "It raised our awareness, and we took the opportunity to review our hotel practices. We wish to be respectful of all religions, and also of those who have differing beliefs, yet we still want to make the publication available to those who desire to read it while staying with us."

According to Perkins, Penn State has an obligation to offer bibles to the tax-paying public, who are "forking over $282 million a year" to the school.

In Today's New York Times

The Freedom From Religion Foundation published the above message in a full-page New York Times ad today. Full-screen version here.

Ron Reagan: I'm A Lifelong Atheist And I'm Not Afraid Of Burning In Hell

WISCONSIN: Vandal Crumples Atheism Sign At State Capitol Building

The Freedom From Religion Foundation reports that a vandal tried to crumple the above sign at the Wisconsin Capitol Building in Madison. The FFRF posted their message to counter an Easter display erected by the Concernstipated Women. They have posted an additional message next to the sign:

Why is this sign so mutilated? Somebody, presumably somebody who disagreed with our message, tried to destroy our sign. Apparently, this person believes the Capitol is a public forum for Christianity only. If you don’t think religious messages should be displayed on government property, join the club! We don’t think they should be, either. But as long as religious groups use the Capitol to proselytize, FFRF has a right to respond to their message. Religion is divisive. It belongs in churches, not the State Capitol. Keep religion out of government.

After attempting to destroy the sign, the vandal was chased by security guards but eluded capture.

Freedom From Religion Foundation: Boycott Hobby Lobby Over SCOTUS Suit

Atheists Strike Back In Times Square

Mediaite reports:

Responding to a Times Square digital billboard taunting atheists over the existence of God, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is blaring a message of its own. Earlier this week, the evangelical group Answers in Genesis bought ad space in New York City’s tourist-congested Times Square, as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles, proclaiming, “To all of our atheist friends: Thank God you’re wrong.” FFRF responded, on the very same billboard, with former Saturday Night Live cast member Julia Sweeney exclaiming, “OMG, there is no god!”

The billboard wraps around the building's corner. The top image is the full message.

FFRF Slams "Lord's Prayer" Student

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has issued a statement about the South Carolina public high school student who recited the Lord's Player during his valedictorian address.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is placing the blame for a string of problematic religious violations in Pickens County schools, Pickens S.C., upon its prayerful Board of Education. [snip] "The valedictorian who so insensitively inflicted Christian prayer on a captive audience at a secular graduation ceremony is a product of a school district which itself has set an unconstitutional example by hosting school board prayer," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. It appears that valedictorian Roy Costner IV, 18, was protesting a decision by the district to stop scheduling invocations and benedictions at graduations, possibly as a result of FFRF's complaints. FFRF will continue to monitor the situation.

Family Research Council tool Tony Perkins fires back:

Gaylor lists of string of abuses by the school district -- among them: the description of a new head football coach as a "Christian." To the chagrin of the atheists, the school district says it has no plans to take action against Costner for exercising his freedom of speech and religion. My question is: when will the adults show the same courage as these young people, who are saying no to repression by this radical minority? The response of the audiences in every one of these incidents is very telling. They all stand and applaud like a repressed people yearning to breath free. It's time for all of us to breath free!

Texas Cheerleaders Win Court Battle

A Texas court has ruled that public high school cheerleaders may display banners which claim that God wants their team to win.

District Judge Steve Thomas Wednesday ruled that the Kountze Independent School District cannot prevent the displays. The controversy began when the cheerleading squad at Kountze High School was ordered by the superintendent to stop displaying the banners. The order came after the district received a letter on September 17, 2012 sent by the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation. The letter said the group was acting on behalf of someone who wished to remain anonymous. Some of the cheerleaders, with help from the Plano, Texas-based Liberty Institute, filed a lawsuit against the school district after the ban went into place, saying since they make the banners on their free time and pay for the supplies, they are merely exercising their freedom of speech.

Atheist Group Sues Congress To Remove "In God We Trust" From Currency

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a lawsuit demanding that "In God We Trust" be removed from all US currency. 

The plaintiffs' claim that the motto is offensive and forces atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, freethinkers and skeptics to bear a religious message they don't agree with, and are thus forced, when using U.S. currency, to make a false declaration regarding their religious views. According to Dan Barker, co-president of the Wisconsin-based FFRF, a nonprofit organization that represents atheists and agnostics, the majority of Americans believe the motto sends a religious message out to everyone who collects or uses U.S. currency.

"[In God We Trust] is indeed considered to be a religious phrase," Barker said in an interview with The Christian Post on Thursday. "The message belongs in churches, private institutions and can be shared by missionaries. But who is the 'we' representing, if not all of us trust in a God?" Barker believes that recent survey responses show one out of every five Americans is not a believer, and the motto is forcing nonbelievers to proselytize for monotheism when they travel overseas and exchange U.S. currency for local money.

This has been tried tree times before. "In God We Trust" was added to currency in 1864 during the Civil War.  In 1956 it replaced "E Pluribus Unum" as the official motto of the United States during the height of the Cold War as a slap against communism. The phrase is thought to have originated in the fourth (never sung) stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner.