Freedom From Religion Foundation – Page 8

Montana Christmas Festival Goes on Despite Atheists’ Threats

Dec 11, 2013JerryChristmas, Religious FreedomAlliance Defending Freedom, Christmas, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty, War on Christmas

A Montana school recently received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the ACLU threatening possible legal action if the school’s choir members were permitted to voluntarily participate in a community Christmas celebration at a local church.

The school has rightly decided to ignore the threat and let students join in the festivities.

From Alliance Defending Freedom:

“Schools should not have to think twice about whether they can allow choirs to participate in community Christmas events,” said Litigation Staff Counsel Rory Gray. “Courts have unanimously allowed students to sing Christmas carols at school. Nothing changes when they sing the same Christmas songs at a community festival instead. We commend the districts for rightly ignoring the baseless threats delivered by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.”

This latest action by the ACLU and the Freedom From Religion Foundation is yet another in a long series of anti-Christmas (and anti-religion) activities by the groups, including:

In addition to past actions by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, Arkansas has also seen its Christmas celebrations targeted by other atheist groups, including unwarranted controversy over a Nativity display at a school in Paragould and an anti-Christmas display sponsored by the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers on the Arkansas Capitol grounds.

Atheists in Florida to Hang Banner Replacing Jesus with Bill of Rights

Dec 4, 2013JerryChristmasChristmas, Freedom From Religion Foundation, War on Christmas

According to the Associated Press, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is hanging a banner in the Florida State Capitol depicting Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Statue of Liberty gathered around a manger containing the Bill of Rights. The banner will read, “Let us also honor the birth of our Bill of Rights, which reminds us there can be no freedom OF religion without having freedom FROM religion in government.”

The banner is part of an effort by the Freedom From Religion Foundation to “counter” nativity scenes on public property. The group has placed signs at state capitols in Illinois and Wisconsin stating there are no gods, no Heaven, and no Hell.

Of course, atheists in Arkansas have set up what many have dubbed a shrine to paganism next to the Nativity scene on the Capitol lawn the past few years.

Atheist groups claim these displays are part of the “public forums” state capitols are establishing, and a public forum means all forms of speech are welcome. Legally, however, there are different kinds of public forums — unlimited public forums and limited public forums.

(more…)

Atheists Angry IRS Granted Them Tax-Exemption

Sep 10, 2013JerryCurrent EventsFreedom From Religion Foundation

The atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation–who has gained notoriety in recent months for repeatedly threatening lawsuits against public officials and local governments who celebrate Christmas or open meetings with prayer–is again at odds with the government–this time over its tax status.

According to BreakPoint, the IRS has given the Freedom From Religion Foundation the same tax-exempt status it gives to churches. FFRF argues they do not want the exemption, because an atheist group is not a religious organization. As the Washington Times notes, the federal government has filed a response stating that Buddhists and Taoists are not theistic either, but they are still religious groups.