News Release Archive
'Tis the Season for Religious Right Bullies
December 19, 2005 An ill-spirited public relations gimmick contending Christians are being persecuted in December is being "spun" by the likes of Jerry Falwell, Bill O'Reilly, Fox News Channel, the rightwing Liberty Counsel and American Family Association ...
Freethought Sign Returns to Wisconsin Capitol for Tenth Year
December 2, 2005 The Freedom From Religion Foundation's gilt "Winter Solstice" sign is back in the first-floor rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol for the month of December ...
FFRF Challenges "Faith-based" Prison Ministry
November 8, 2005 A state-funded fundamentalist Christian prison ministry program ("God pod") in a women's prison in New Mexico is being challenged in federal court by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a state/church watchdog ...
FFRF Announces Impressive Line-Up for Upcoming Orlando Convention
October 12, 2005 A leading voice in public interest law, Nan Aron, President of the Alliance for Justice, will join the roster of impressive speakers and honorees at the upcoming annual convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Orlando, Fla., the weekend of Nov. 11-13 ...
Department of Education Suspends Alaska Bible College Funds
October 10, 2005 Federal funds of $435,000 earmarked for Alaska Christian College, as well as remaining funds from a previous federal grant, were suspended on Oct. 7 by the U.S. Department of Education, as a result of a federal lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation ...
Call to FFRF Annual Convention in Orlando Nov. 11-13
October 6, 2005 Plan a balmy vacation or get-away freethought weekend around a timely mix of speakers, honorees and activities at the Freedom From Religion Foundation's 28th annual convention in Orlando, Fla., on the weekend of Nov. 11-13, 2005 ...
FFRF Calls Red Mass "Conflict of Interest"
October 3, 2005 The Freedom From Religion Foundation has written President George W. Bush and Chief Justice John Roberts requesting that they "absent themselves" in the future from Red Masses. ...
FEMA Church Give-Away Sets Egregious Precedent
September 28, 2005 The watchdog Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national association of freethinkers working to keep church and state separate, is protesting the announcement of an unprecedented change in policy by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to retroactively "reimburse" churches and religious groups for helping evaucees of hurricanes Katrina and Rita ...
FFRF Protests Bush's Prayer Proclamation
September 8, 2005 Pres. George W. Bush has announced a useless proclamation, to declare Friday, Sept. 16 as a "national day of prayer" in remembrance of the victims of Hurricane Katrina ...
FFRF Legal Win: University of Minnesota Drops Faith/Health Course
September 6, 2005 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation, which sued the University of Minnesota in federal court on March 25 over the university's involvement in a "faith health consortium" and proposed "faith/health leadership" course, has won a complete victory ...
Watchdog Foundation Blasts Promotion of "Operation Blessing" by Federal Agency
September 2, 2005 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to immediately remove "Operation Blessing" from its list of endorsed charities to donate cash to for victims of Hurricane Katrina ...
Hurricane Relief Needs People Power, Not Prayer
August 31, 2005 Is anything more useless than prayer in the face of a catastrophe? Prayers certainly didn't stop Hurricane Katrina. Yet Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco is beseeching all Louisianans to pray today ...
Alaska School Funding a Religious Boondoggle
August 19, 2005 The Freedom From Religion Foundation's federal lawsuit over public funding of Alaska Christian College received a boost when the Department of Education sent an official there in July to investigate how the grants have been used ...
Creationist Wolf in Cheap Clothing
August 5, 2005 Are we surprised when a president known more for his faith than his intellect advises us that creationism should be taught in public schools? ...
Church Politicking Has Turned Religion into Confirmation Issue
August 2, 2005 Boosters of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts went on an immediate offense to discourage an examination of his personal Roman Catholic convictions and how they might affect his Supreme Court votes ...
University of Minnesota Withdraws from Minnesota Faith Health Consortium after FFRF Lawsuit
July 21, 2005 The University of Minnesota, after being sued on March 25 by the national Freedom From Religion Foundation, has withdrawn its membership in the Minnesota Faith Health Consortium ...
FFRF Receives 4-stars From Charity Navigator
July 8, 2005 Charity Navigator has awarded a 4-star rating to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is so far the only state/church organization to receive such a rating ...
"Anyone Who Values Religious Liberty Should be Troubled"
June 28, 2005 The Supreme Court's contradictory decisions yesterday on the constitutionality of Ten Commandment markers on public property, instead of resolving three decades of legal disputes, serve only to confound the public, foster case-by-case mischief, and ensure continuing legal battles. ...
Texas Commandments Decision Creates Mischief
June 28, 2005 Instead of resolving nearly three decades of legal divisiveness over Ten Commandments monuments on public property, the Supreme Court, in issuing two contradictory rulings on June 27, set the scene for more confusion and bitter legal battles ...
State/Church Watchdog Group Protests "Day of Prayer" Proclamations, Asks Governors to Balance with "Day of Reason"
May 4, 2005 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's largest freethought (atheist/agnostic) membership group, which works to keep church and state separation, has called on the nation's governors to issue proclamations to balance the National Day of Prayer ...
FFRF Sues Department of Education over Massive Federal Funding of Non-degreed, Non-accredited Alaska Bible College
April 22, 2005 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation, a freethought association working to keep church and state separate, filed a federal lawsuit on April 21 against the Department of Education's massive federal funding of Alaska Christian College in Soldotna, Alaska...
Freedom From Religion Foundation Protests Wisconsin Governor's Executive Order to Lower Flags This Week to "Grieve" for Pope
April 5, 2005 The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation expressed "dismay" over Wis. Gov. Jim Doyle's executive order to lower flags this entire week to mark the death of Pope John Paul II...
The Pope Has No Vestments
April 4, 2005 The public is being treated to fawning eulogies, blow-by-blow descriptions of Catholic rites and rituals, and uncritical propaganda following the April 2 death of the pope...
Freethought Watchdog Group Sues over Faith-based Funding of Minnesota Faith Health Consortium at University of Minnesota
March 29, 2005 Public funding of the Minnesota Faith/Health Consortium is being challenged in a federal lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation...
Playing Political Football
March 21, 2005 The United States as a Christian-permeated culture is in deep denial about death. Consequently we deny the dying and terminally ill the right to die with dignity, often inflicting needless suffering and pain, or a nightmare existence in limbo, upon the helplessly ill...
FFRF Appeals to 7th Circuit over Right to Challenge Creation of White House "Faith-based" Office
March 16, 2005 The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis.-based national state/church watchdog group that has taken the lead in successful challenges of the "faith-based initiative," is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit to reinstate its legal challenge...
Landmark Decision: Health & Human Services Ordered to "Vacate" Faith-based Funding of MentorKids USA
January 12, 2005 The Department of Health and Human Services was ordered yesterday for the first time by a court to "vacate" funding of a faith-based group...
Foundation Considers En Banc Appeal in 7th Circuit Decision on Ten Commandments
January 7, 2005 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation is planning to ask the entire panel of the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to review a hostile decision handed down this week by a 3-judge panel...
Foundation Files Strong Friend of the Court Brief Against Texas-Endorsed Ten Commandments Display
January 7, 2005 The national Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a strong friend of the court brief before the U.S. Supreme Court, in support of Thomas Van Orden's challenge of a Ten Commandments monument on capitol grounds in Texas...
Watchdog Freedom From Religion Foundation Challenges HHS Faith-based Grant to Emory University
January 3, 2005 The Freedom From Religion Foundation's broad lawsuit filed last year over Cabinet-level faith-based funding under Pres. Bush's initiative now includes a challenge of a 3-year grant from Health & Human Services to Emory University...