Sarah Huckabee Sanders Defends Christ Ahead of Christmas

Townhall
Joseph Chalfant

The post Sarah Huckabee Sanders Defends Christ Ahead of Christmas appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

FFRF member brings solstice display to Conn. park

The Freedom From Religion Foundation celebrated the Winter Solstice in Shelton, Conn., thanks to a volunteer who puts up the annual solstice sign.

Over the weekend, FFRF member Jerome Bloom (pictured) erected FFRF’s annual Winter Solstice placard in Huntington Green park. It reads:
At this season of the Winter Solstice,
Let reason prevail.
There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth & superstition that hardens hearts & enslaves minds.

FFRF is pleased to see the banner return to the park for another year, a “ritual” that began in 2016. FFRF and Bloom filed a lawsuit against the city of Shelton and its mayor after the city denied the initial request to put up the solstice sign. The case resulted in a victory for the freethinking viewpoint to be permitted alongside all the other winter displays.

FFRF points out that the Winter Solstice, which occurred on Sunday, Dec. 21, is “the real reason for the season” and was celebrated for millennia in the Northern hemisphere with festivals of light, evergreen decorations, feasts and gift exchanges, long before Christians crashed the party.

“FFRF is glad to see a tradition continued, especially after the hard work we put in nearly a decade ago to ensure that all viewpoints are allowed space in the park,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “We rejoice that freethinkers in Shelton, Conn., are allowed the chance to celebrate in public just as folks with religious perspectives are.”

Almost a third, 31 percent, of Connecticut residents are “atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular,” slightly higher than the national average of the religiously unaffiliated at 29 percent.

FFRF thanks Bloom for his continued dedication to setting up the Solstice banner — ensuring there’s space in a Connecticut town for the secular viewpoint.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is the largest national association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics) with almost 42,000 members all over the country, including more than 500 members in Connecticut. The organization works to protect the constitutional separation between religion and government.

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Gov. Sanders doubles down on unconstitutional official Christmas sermon 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation says Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ response to its letter protesting her unconstitutional Christmas closure proclamation shows her flagrant disregard for state/church separation.

The national constitutional watchdog contacted her last week on behalf of its Arkansas membership to note that her proclamation to close government offices on Friday, Dec. 26, had crossed a constitutional line — not for giving workers a four-day holiday but because of its inappropriate theological content. Sanders stated as fact that “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born in a humble manger” on what she called “the first Christmas,” that he suffered “for the sins of all mankind” and rose again “to sit at the right hand of the Father,” that “we give thanks for the arrival of Christ the Savior, who will come again in glory” and that “state employees may spend this holiday with their families giving thanks for Christ’s birth” by the closure of state offices on Dec. 26.

FFRF asked Sanders to rescind the proclamation and refrain from issuing sectarian proclamations in the future. Sanders’ response to FFRF’s letter is a troubling affirmation that she views the governor’s office as a platform for preaching rather than as a position of trust bound by constitutional limits and respect for a religiously diverse public.

In her response, Sanders explicitly rejected the constitutional obligation of religious neutrality, asserting that it would be “impossible” for her communications as governor to remain neutral on matters of religion and insisting that Christmas must be officially framed as a celebration of the divinity of Jesus Christ. She further concluded her letter by proselytizing to FFRF’s Legal Counsel Chris Line, telling him that “Christ is with you,” that Jesus “loves you,” and that Jesus “died for your sins.”

“This is precisely the problem,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The governor is not speaking as a private citizen or pastor. She is invoking her authority as governor to declare Christian beliefs as truth and to preach them directly to government employees and Arkansans of all faiths and none — and even to FFRF employees!”

Ironically, in her response, Sanders writes, “I will end by saying that you missed the point of my proclamation. It was not to browbeat readers with Christian doctrine, but rather to point to the humility of Christ’s birth and to. …[K]now that Christ is with you, that He loves you, and that He died for your sins just the same as He did for mine and everyone else’s.”

Comments FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line: “State offices are not churches, and gubernatorial proclamations are not sermons.” Adds Line, “Gov. Sanders’ response demonstrates exactly why the Establishment Clause is so important. It’s meant to prevent the government from favoring one religion or officially preaching religious doctrine to our diverse citizenry.”

While Christmas is a designated federal holiday that states may recognize in a secular and inclusive manner, Sanders has taken advantage of the holiday to instead recite core Christian doctrines as official state speech. She even instructs employees to spend the holiday “giving thanks for Christ’s birth,” which no public official is empowered to do under the secular Constitution. In fact, President Thomas Jefferson famously noted that “civil powers alone have been given to the president of the U.S. and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents.” What Jefferson as president had no authority to do, certainly Sanders has no authority to do as governor. The Arkansas Constitution further bars any interference with the right of conscience or preference given by law for any religious mode of worship.

Sanders paints a picture of herself as a champion of religious diversity by noting that she recently attended a menorah lighting.

“Celebrating a menorah lighting does not excuse using the machinery of government to advance Christian faith over all others in an official proclamation,” Line adds. “True religious freedom means the government does not tell citizens what to believe, whose ‘sins’ were redeemed or which religious story is ‘proper.’”

Arkansas is home to non-Christians as well as Christians, including the 18 percent who are religiously unaffiliated or are atheists or agnostics. Huckabee’s proclamation impermissibly turns bible-believing Christians into insiders and nonreligious and non-Christian citizens into outsiders.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members nationwide, including hundreds of members in Arkansas. FFRF’s purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders turned a holiday email to state employees into a Christian sermon

Friendly Atheist
By Hemant Mehta

The post Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders turned a holiday email to state employees into a Christian sermon appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

OU Called ‘Disgusting’ After Fulnecky Got Her Professor Permanently Fired Over Alleged ‘Religious Discrimination’

International Business Times
By Chelsie Napiza

The post OU Called ‘Disgusting’ After Fulnecky Got Her Professor Permanently Fired Over Alleged ‘Religious Discrimination’ appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

FFRF convinces Ariz. school volleyball team to follow the (constitutional) rules

The Freedom From Religion Foundation called foul on an Arizona volleyball team’s unconstitutional religiosity, which resulted in the Tempe Union High School District’s sports programs complying with the rules. 

A concerned parent informed the state/church watchdog that on Oct. 14, the Desert Vista High School girls’ volleyball coach required players to arrive 40 minutes early for practice to listen to guest speakers. Two of the guest speakers were affiliated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and one guest speaker was affiliated with Jesus Won Apparel, a Christian ministry.

According to FFRF’s complainant:
The speakers discussed their personal relationships with God, how “Jesus spoke to them,” and the importance of faith. At the end of the meeting, shirts were handed out in school colors (blue and gold) that read “Jesus Won” on the front and John 16:33 on the back. Players were told they would wear these shirts as warm-ups for a school game. Attendance was presented as mandatory, and neither parents nor players were told beforehand that the meeting would be religious in nature.

The parent who contacted FFRF reported that this was not an isolated incident, and that the coach “encouraged players to attend FCA faith meetings before school and has shown favoritism towards those who do.” The presence of religion on the team caused anxiety and discomfort for the complainant’s child, who worried about retaliation as a player from the coach for not conforming. The complainant contacted FFRF after contacting the Desert Vista High School principal and administration and receiving an unsatisfactory response. 

FFRF stepped in to support the parent and advocate for student-athletes’ rights.

“When a coach requires an entire team to attend a religious talk and be sermonized before practice, student-athletes will no doubt feel that participating in the religious talk is essential to pleasing their coach and being viewed as a team player,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district. 

Students have the First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination in their public schools, including when participating in school sports. A public school handing out and requiring students to wear shirts with bible verses on them unconstitutionally coerces student-athletes to support, promote and express belief in Christianity during official school activities. This practice loudly proclaims the school’s favored religion for all to see by making players wear it on their backs and forcing students who may not be Christian to wear a message that is offensive to their own religion. It is unrealistic and unconstitutional to put students in the choice of allowing their coach to violate their constitutional rights to maintain good standing in the eyes of their coach and peers, or openly dissenting at the risk of retaliation. Putting students in that position is not only unfair, but also violates their First Amendment rights. Statistically, nearly half of Americans born after 1996 are nonreligious, which likely represents more district students than just the child of FFRF’s complainant.

Despite the efforts of the FCA and Jesus Won Apparel, FFRF ensured that students’ rights won in the end.

After Superintendent Stacia Wilson confirmed that action had been taken to correct the violation, a followup email from Wilson reported that the administration spoke with the coach to reinforce compliance with the Constitution. 

“Wearing the shirts during official game events did not take place and will not be required of any student in the future,” Wilson wrote. “The coach also understands that moving forward, religious speakers are to be left for the venue of FCA.”

In the battle for state/church separation, FFRF is proud to root for students to be free from any religious influence in school-sponsored activities.

“A student’s right to the freedom of conscience at school extends to the volleyball court,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “Telling students that religion takes the trophy undermines their hard work and dedication. FFRF is proud to ensure that school sports stay focused on the lessons that matter: teamwork, sportsmanship and dedication to a goal.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters across the country, including more than 1,000 members and a chapter in Arizona. Its purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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Freethought Radio – December 18, 2025

Celebrating with music and readings, we explain why the Winter Solstice is the true “Reason for the Season.”

The post Freethought Radio – December 18, 2025 appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

‘We Dissent’ analyzes a Supreme Court case on religion in prison

The hosts of the “We Dissent” podcast discuss on the latest episode another difficult Supreme Court case — and the potential consequences of the decision.

On Episode 49, FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and Americans United Legal Director Rebecca Markert take a look at Landor v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court case that will decide whether a Rastafarian inmate who had grown his dreadlocks for 20 years can sue the Louisiana prison officials who handcuffed him to a chair, held him down, and forcibly shaved him in violation of the law. They dive deep on the statute at issue in the case, the legal history leading up to this litigation, and what the oral arguments signaled. Finally, the episode will also take a quick look at the Supreme Court docket. 

“We Dissent,” which first aired in May 2022, is a legal affairs show for atheists, agnostics and humanists, offering legal wisdom from the secular viewpoint of women lawyers. The show is a collaboration of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Americans United.

Find previous episodes here, which examine developments affecting the separation of church and state, particularly in the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Past episodes include discussions about court reform, religion behind bars and abortion, and also feature a range of expert guests.
      
Episodes are available at the “We Dissent” website, YouTube channel, Spotify or wherever your podcasts are found. Be sure to stay up to date with the “We Dissent” podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bluesky.

Tune in regularly at “We Dissent” for compelling legal discussion and insights!

The post ‘We Dissent’ analyzes a Supreme Court case on religion in prison appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

FFRF rebukes Gov. Sanders for Christian proclamation on holiday closure 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling out Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for promoting Christianity through a state proclamation announcing the closure of government offices on Friday, Dec. 26.

FFRF has sent a letter objecting to Sanders’ proclamation, which does far more than announce an administrative holiday closure. It delivers an explicitly theological account of the Christian story of Jesus’ birth, divinity, crucifixion, resurrection and anticipated return “in glory” while instructing state employees to spend the holiday “giving thanks for Christ’s birth.”

“State offices are not churches, and gubernatorial proclamations are not sermons,” writes FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line. “The governor is free to practice her religion privately, but she may not use the authority of the state to promote Christian doctrine as official government speech.”

While states may constitutionally recognize Christmas, a federal holiday, in a secular and inclusive manner, FFRF emphasizes that Sanders’ proclamation crosses a clear constitutional line. Rather than focusing on scheduling or the widely observed secular cultural aspects of the holiday season, the proclamation presents core Christian beliefs as government-endorsed truths.

By issuing the proclamation in her official capacity and distributing it to state employees, Sanders used the power and resources of the state to advance a specific religious viewpoint, in violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The Constitution requires government neutrality toward religion, neither favoring religion over nonreligion nor preferring one faith over others.

Arkansas is home to Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists and many others. A growing number of Arkansans are religiously unaffiliated or non-Christian. When a governor proclaims Christian theology as part of official state business, it sends a clear message that non-Christians are outsiders in their own state or even second-class citizens.

“Sanders further not only has misused the machinery of the state to promulgate her own personal fundamentalist Christian beliefs, but she has the chutzpah to direct citizen worship — that is ordering them to ‘give thanks to Jesus,’ an act no public official in the United States has the authority to do,” comments FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “This is an abuse of power. Despite Sanders’ best efforts, Arkansas is not a Christian theocracy.”

In fact, Gaylor adds, Article II of the Arkansas Constitution explicitly states that no one can be “compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship; … No human authority can, in any case or manner whatsoever, control or interfere with the right of conscience; and no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment, denomination or mode of worship above any others.”

FFRF wants to make clear that it does not object to state offices being closed on Dec. 26 for administrative convenience or to allow employees a four-day weekend. What it objects to is the state’s misuse of its official voice to demand religious observance or to declare Christian mythology as fact.

FFRF is urging Sanders to rescind the proclamation and refrain from issuing sectarian proclamations in the future. All official state communications, FFRF stresses, must remain neutral on matters of religion — as both the state and federal constitutions require.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Arkansas. FFRF’s purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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Reclaiming the Spirit

Blendr News
By Jonathan Harvey and Liam Deboer

The post Reclaiming the Spirit appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.