29th Annual FFRF Convention Honorees & Speakers
Photography by Brent Nicastro
FFRF Goes to San Francisco
Almost 600 freethinkers, representing 32 states, attended the 29th annual national convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in San Francisco on Oct. 6-8, 2006. The convention, held at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway Hotel, was the Foundation's largest convention to date.
Speakers and honorees included: Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith and the new Letter to a Christian Nation; Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism; biomedical researcher Richard Sloan, author of Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine; Wafa Sultan, named "Freethought Heroine"; Phil Paulson, receiving the premiere "Atheist in Foxhole" Award (read his speech on page 6); cartoonist Mike Keefe, receiving a "Freethought in the Media Tell It Like It Is" Award; Mikey Weinstein, named a "Champion of the First Amendment," and Julia Sweeney, receiving the "Emperor Has No Clothes" Award. Julia performed her riveting one-woman play, "Letting Go of God," to conclude the event.
Warm thanks to San Francisco host Dick Hewetson, a Lifetime Member and longtime FFRF Board Member, and to the local volunteers from the Gay and Lesbian Atheists and Humanists, organized by Dick, as well as to other volunteers.
Illinois FFRFer Ted Utchen asking a question of a speaker
Comedian Julia Sweeney receiving the "Emperor Has No Clothes" Award
Welcome to FFRF Convention 06
FFRF staffers Lynn Lau, Nora Cusack and Jackie Nesbitt registered about 600 participants.
Foundation co-president and staff musician Dan Barker opening the convention with the traditional freethought anthem, "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" (Thoughts Are Free).
Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-president, welcoming convention attendees and thanking them for making the 2006 convention FFRF's largest convention to date.
That's hardworking Ed Susterich, FFRF Executive Council member, manning the "chances" table, with volunteer help. Freethinkers purchased tickets giving them a chance to win "clean," pre-"In God We Trust" currency. Turn to the back page to see the winners of this year's drawing.
FFRFers are readers! Members line up to have books autographed by speakers Sam Harris and Richard Sloan on the opening night, Oct. 6.
Let Them Eat Cake . . .
The traditional cake reception on the opening night offered many selections.
An attentive ballroom of nearly 600 atheists, agnostics and other freethinkers from around the nation.
Honoree Julia Sweeney, whose "Letting Go of God" play was called "searing and bracingly funny," and like "a bucket of cold water for all supernatural belief systems" by The New York Times (Oct. 24, 2006).
"Moment of Bedlam"
Lots of noise was created during the traditional "Moment of Bedlam" during the Non-Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 7.