Freedom From Religion Foundation Membership

Posted on May 1, 2007 by Guest Contributor

According to a recent press release regarding the National Day of Prayer, the Freedom From Religion Foundation said this:

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the largest national association of atheists and agnostics, which reached 10,000 members last month, says public officials should not issue proclamations of prayer or direct citizens to worship.

While they are correct that a “day of prayer” should be sponsored by churches and not the government, my focus is on the membership.

10,000+ members.

That’s incredible. Certainly they were boosted by their recent Supreme Court case, but not only is the FFRF the largest association of atheists/agnostics in the country, it may very well be the largest association of such people in our nation’s history.

American Atheists never had these numbers, even in its heyday.

It’s a testament to the amazing work that FFRF’s co-presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor are doing.

If you’d like to become a member, you can do so here. If nothing else, you should considering requesting a free copy of Freethought Today and at least consider joining.


[tags]atheist, atheism, National Day of Prayer, Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Atheists, Dan Barker, Annie Laurie Gaylor[/tags]

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  • http://bligbi.com KC

    I’ve been a member for a few years now and think it’s one of the best atheists groups around. There’s absolutely no pressure to be a certain kind of atheist. I love the newspaper and look forward to each years essay contest for students. Perhaps it makes me an old fogey but dang – kids sure are more outspoken these days. :)

  • Mriana

    I’m also a member and enjoy their podcasts too.

  • Richard Wade

    Hemant, I joined a few weeks ago immediately after you featured their Supreme Court case on this website. Thanks for doing that. Their newspaper, “Freethought Today” is extensive with a wide variety of well written articles.

  • http://lostintheheartofsomewhere.blogspot.com/ Ian

    Erm. Where does the idea of ‘freedom from religion’ come from. I thought the US Consitution was about Freedom of Religion. How do they come up with that phrase?

    Would it be as equally wrong for a public figure to instruct people NOT to pray? Getting rid of religion from the public square is surely oppresive in the extreme (as extreme as the crazy theocrats who want to enforce religious morality). To enforce secularism is based on the delusion that somehow faith is a private thing that has no place in public. I like Jim Wallis’s statement that “faith may be personal, but it is never private”.

  • valhar2000

    So what was the outcome of this case?

    Ian: The idea of freedom from religion comes from the fact that the Constitution forbids a governmental establishment of religion. And that thing about enforcing secularism is one big juicy strawman.

  • http://lostintheheartofsomewhere.blogspot.com/ Ian

    But there is a big difference between the establishment of a religion and the right not to be exposed to religion. If religion is banished from public it is oppressive – why is that a straw man?

  • Mriana

    Ian, one can not have freedom OF religion unless they can have freedom FROM religion. The phrase freedom of religion is not in the constitution either. What it does state is this:

    Amendment I
    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ~ from http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html#amendmenti

    You can read more on this http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/First_amendment

    As for your other question FFRF answers that too http://www.ffrf.org/nontracts/xian.php

    Isn’t removing religion from public places hostile to religion?
    No one is deprived of worship in America. Tax-exempt churches and temples abound. The state has no say about private religious beliefs and practices, unless they endanger health or life. Our government represents all of the people, supported by dollars from a plurality of religious and non-religious taxpayers.

    Some countries, such as the U.S.S.R., expressed hostility to religion. Others, such as Iran (“one nation under God”), have welded church and state. America wisely has taken the middle course–neither for nor against religion. Neutrality offends no one, and protects everyone.

    So, go ahead and pray, if you wish, just don’t insist others do so.

  • http://friendlyatheist.com Hemant

    So what was the outcome of this case?

    The outcome has not been decided (or released) yet. Expect it sometime early this summer.

  • Karen

    If religion is banished from public it is oppressive – why is that a straw man?

    Who in the world is trying to “banish” religion? All the FFRF is trying to do is prohibit government endorsement or promotion of any one religion or another.

    Freedom of religion allows people to practice and promote any religion they wish.
    Freedom from religion allows those who do not choose to adhere to any religion the freedom to do so.

    Both rights are guaranteed in our Constitution.