Texas school district cancels prayer event, caving to pressure from out-of-state group



A Texas school board planned a prayer marathon in the lead-up to the new school year. The prospect that educators, parents, and students would voluntarily appeal to an unspecified higher power for safety and wisdom ahead of the fall semester proved too much to bear for one activist group from out of state.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation appears to have successfully pressured the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District into canceling the event and agreeing to refrain from proposing something again online in the future.

In the revisionist history on the FFRF's website, the group alleges that "most social and moral progress has been brought about by persons free from religion," making no mention of the atrocities secular regimes have been wont to commit ever since the French Revolution.

The group further boasts that the irreligious have been, in modern times, "the first to speak out" in support of euthanasia, abortion, contraception, and sterilization.

Extra to promoting the separation of state and church, championing the legality of eugenicist practices, and advocating for LGBT dogma to be peddled in schools, the group has taken on an evangelical role: "to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism."

The group appears particularly hostile to public prayer, havingcharacterized it as "unnecessary, ineffective, embarrassing, exclusionary, divisive or just plain silly."

On July 25, the Burnet CISD shared a now-deleted post on Facebook that read, "Join us beginning tomorrow as we pray to the first day."

The post assigned different schools and groups within the district, from custodial staff to parents and guardians, a different day to voluntarily pray, starting July 26 and running until August 16.

Samantha Lawrence, a legal fellow at the FFRF, apparently caught wind of the marathon and penned a letter to Superintendent Keith McBurnett on July 27, claiming a "concerned complainant" had flagged the event.

Lawrence suggested that the optional prayer event — which did not appear to specify a style or method of prayer, a corresponding creed, or an object of the transcendent appeals — displayed "clear favoritism towards religion over nonreligion by promoting and encouraging prayer."

"The District serves a diverse community that consists of not only religious students, families, and employees, but also atheists, agnostics, and those who are simply religiously unaffiliated," wrote Lawrence. "By promoting prayer, the District sends an official message that excludes all nonreligious District students and community members."

The FFRF activist demanded that the Burnet CISD "cease promoting prayer and refrain from doing so in the future," as well as remove the post from its Facebook account.

Hemant Mehta of the Friendly Atheist newsletter highlighted how this was neither a lawsuit nor a threat.

Nevertheless, the school complied, reported the Washington Times.

In an Aug. 3 statement, the FFRF noted that McBurnett had written back, "The Facebook post has been removed, and the district will refrain from posting anything similar in the future."

Annie Gaylor, the co-president of the FFRF, celebrated the capitulation, writing, "We're glad that school officials are taking action to uphold constitutional neutrality."

"A school district does not need to pray for their students and staff. It needs to focus instead on providing a secular education free from religious indoctrination," added Gaylor.

Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch appears to be of a different mind.

In a June 2022 decision, where the Supreme Court ruled a high school football coach had a constitutional right to pray at the 50-yard line after his team's games, Gorsuch wrote, "Respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse republic — whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field, and whether they manifest through the spoken word or a bowed head."

TheBlaze reached out to McBurnett and Burnet CISD Board President Earl Foster for comment, but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

It remains unclear whether educators, students, and parents will continue their prayer marathon, albeit without the official sanction or direction of elements of the district.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Deion Sanders Shouldn’t Shy Away From His Faith, And Neither Should Any Other Christian

The Freedom From Religion Foundation wants to stop Colorado head coach Deion Sanders from praying with staff and players before team meetings.

Atheist group's complaint leads to end of loudspeaker prayers before HS football games in Alabama county



A complaint from the Freedom from Religion Foundation — a national atheist activist group — has led to the end of loudspeaker prayers at high school football games for one Alabama county, WBRC-TV reported.

What are the details?

The FFRF said it received complaints last fall about the issue and sent a letter to Jefferson County Schools saying prayers before games — specifically pointing out contests at Gardendale High School and Pinson Valley High School — are inappropriate and unconstitutional, the station said.

With that, the FFRF said the school district's attorney responded saying that after the superintendent met with principals, the district administration won't allow prayer at football games or any school-sponsored events, WBRC reported.

"I think some people treat it as, 'Oh, they just don’t want to hear prayer. They don’t like that Christians exist.' It has nothing to do with that. It truly is just that public schools are a neutral place. They should be neutral with regard to religion,” Chris Line, an FFRF staff attorney, told the station.

What did the school district have to say?

WBRC said it received the following statement regarding the issue from Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Walter B. Gonsoulin:

“A recent press release featured the Jefferson County Board’s response to a complaint about opening football games with a public prayer at two of its high schools. The complaint was administratively resolved at the school level, and not as a result of formal Board action or any newly adopted Board policy. That resolution was based on the Board’s legal obligations that have been established by binding court precedent. However, the Board’s adherence to those rulings should not be understood as a rejection of students’ religious rights and liberties in the school setting. The Jefferson County Board of Education remains firmly committed to respecting and protecting those rights and liberties in every way permitted by the Constitution and laws of the United States.”

Not the first time

The Freedom from Religion Foundation is well known for blocking religious activity at public schools — and this isn't the first time it has tackled prayer at high school football games.

In 2019, the FFRF demanded that officials with a Missouri high school stop their football coaches from praying with players.

Also that year, an FFRF complaint led to ban on school-sponsored prayer before football games at another Alabama high school — Opelika High School — with a moment of silence replacing it. However, students recited "The Lord's Prayer" on their own.

Praying at high school games leads to debate in Jefferson Countyyoutu.be

Atheist activists want Bible verse scrubbed from sheriff's office wall — but sheriff refuses to back down



If the Freedom from Religion Foundation thinks it can pressure Sheriff Jody Greene into scrubbing a beloved Bible verse from his office wall, Greene is telling the atheist activist group that it has sorely underestimated his resolve.

"Just look at where our society is headed," Greene wrote Monday on the Columbus County, North Carolina, Sheriff's Office Facebook page. "It is time, past time, to stand up. So let me be clear, I will not waiver [sic] on my stance and Christian beliefs."

What's the background?

FFRF representatives said "a concerned citizen" told them Greene had the verse, Philippians 4:13 — "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" — prominently displayed in his office in Whiteville, which is about 115 miles south of downtown Raleigh, the News & Observer reported.

Greene has an "obligation to provide all citizens with an environment free from religious endorsement by removing this exclusionary display," the FFRF said in a Dec. 14 news release, the paper reported.

What's more, the FFRF is demanding the verse be taken off the wall — and is hinting at legal action if its demand isn't met, the News & Observer said.

“The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office must serve all citizens equally, whether Christian or non-Christian,” FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor added in the release, the paper noted. “A blatantly Christian message in a law enforcement division sends a message of exclusion.”

How did the sheriff respond?

In addition to telling the FFRF he won't comply with its demands, Greene also wrote on his Facebook post that the Bible verse display "was paid for with private funds, not with county funding. The verse is one of my favorite Bible verses, and it seemed fitting for all the adversity I have had to endure. It is very motivational to me and my staff. Here at the Sheriff’s Office, we work hard in everything that we do. Before we execute a search warrant, or any service that puts our people in immediate harms [sic] way, we ALWAYS go to the Lord with a group prayer. ALWAYS!"

Image source: Columbus County (North Carolina) Sheriff's Office

He added: "I was raised in church. I have been in law enforcement for over thirty years. My training taught me to value God, family, and my country. Going back to the Bible verse, I have taken many pictures with that Bible verse in the backdrop with not a single issue, but now that we are going into an election year, it is an issue. How absurd! It seems to me we have a few sheep in wolves [sic] clothing. That’s all. This is a political ploy. Some want a person that they can control. Companies spend thousands of dollars on motivational classes, to come up with motivational slogans. My motivation comes from the greatest motivational speaker of all times, Jesus Christ."

What does the FFRF have to say about Greene's refusal?

Chris Line, an FFRF staff attorney, said he was disappointed by the sheriff’s refusal to remove the Bible verse, WECT-TV reported.

“Right on the front page of the Sheriff’s Office’s website, it says, ‘We are dedicated to protecting the innocent and safeguarding lives and property, while always respecting the constitutional rights of others,'" Line told the station.

He added to WECT that "it is a shame that the Sheriff’s Office isn’t willing to live up to that, and instead they are choosing to violate their citizens’ constitutional rights by brazenly endorsing Christianity. The Sheriff’s Office serves all citizens regardless of belief or nonbelief, and this display alienates all of Columbus County’s non-Christian residents."

Anything else?

Columbus County Attorney Amanda Prince wouldn't comment to the station in regard to the legality of the Bible verse display: "I cannot give you a legal opinion regarding this matter."

Hobby Lobby creates Bible-based July 4 ad — and atheist activist group responds by creating web page attacking it



Christian-owned craft chain Hobby Lobby got itself in hot water with atheists and other leftists earlier this week after it ran a Bible-based Independence Day ad in newspapers nationwide, Faithwire reported.

What did the ad say?

The ad image featured a child running with an American flag on green grass under a blue sky with the words "One nation under God" superimposed on the image along with a reference to Psalm 33:12: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." – Psalm 33:12 https://t.co/wxCmPuRq1D https://t.co/yIoZU7326z

— Official Hobby Lobby (@HobbyLobby) 1625422981.0

Faithwire said the full-page ad included quotes from American founders, U.S. lawmakers, and Supreme Court justices — and that most of the quotes point to America's religious roots and ties to Scripture.

In addition, there's a small-print message at the bottom of the ad offering an invitation to interested readers to become Christians.

"If you would like to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, visit Need Him Ministry at www.chataboutjesus.com," the message states. "To download a free Bible for your phone, go to www.mardel.com/bible."

Faithwire said Hobby Lobby also shared the ad across its social media channels.

Atheist group pushes back

But upon catching wind of the newspaper advertisement, atheist activist group Freedom From Religion Foundation actually created a rebuttal web page blasting Hobby Lobby's ad. The web page is titled, "In Hobby Lobby We DON'T Trust."

The FFRF web page appears to use the quotes seen on the Hobby Lobby ad and then lets readers click on the quotes to read rebuttals.

"Do these quotes prove we are a Christian nation? Click them to find out," the FFRF instructions state.

'Dominionist propaganda'

As you might imagine, the FFRF wasn't alone in its criticism of the ad.

Faithwire pointed to a tweet from David Weisman — a U.S. Army veteran who is a "former Republican" and "former Trump supporter" and current "liberal Democrat" — that reads, "I find your statement of [sic] America should be lead [sic] by Christians to be asinine and unconstitutional. Shame on you."

The outlet also noted a tweet from another critic who called Hobby Lobby's ad "dominionist propaganda":

Full page of dominionist propaganda in this morning’s @BostonGlobe courtesy of @hobbylobby.… https://t.co/InCD7CHkVT

— Kim Leonard (@kimleonard) 1625416980.0

Faithwire said it reached out to Hobby Lobby for comment and will update its story if a representative responds.

Rev. Franklin Graham has his say

But the Rev. Franklin Graham on Tuesday defended the chain in a Facebook post:

"Hobby Lobby is being attacked for running some beautiful full-page newspaper ads on July 4. The ad was titled 'One Nation Under God' and included the Bible verse, 'Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord' (Psalm 33:12). These positive advertisements have outraged enemies of God's Word such as the Freedom from Religion Foundation. I hope this exposure for their ads, even though it was intended for harm, will actually allow even more people to read the message and appreciate what Hobby Lobby's owners, the Green family stand for. I thank God for the Green family, their Christian-run business, and their strong public stand for the Word of God and biblical values. Let them know you stand with them in the comments below."

Graham's message of support has attracted about 31,000 comments as of Friday afternoon. One of them reads, "Thank you, Hobby Lobby! I stand with you as we stand with God!"

(H/T: Pure Flix Insider)

Atheist 'Grinches' bully Kansas school to drop annual Operation Christmas Child project; school caves to demands



Operation Christmas Child is an annual program operated by Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse. Every year, Americans fill millions of shoeboxes with toys, clothing, toiletries, and other necessities for children around the world.

Liberty Middle School in Pratt, Kansas, had been a part of that program before and was set to participate again this year, Christian Headlines reported.

That is until the Freedom From Religion Foundation — an atheists group known for harassing communities and schools that do not adhere to the organization's absolutist stance on the separation of church and state — heard about it and sent a letter to the school district demanding that the school abandon its chartable efforts with Operation Christmas Child immediately.

In the letter to Superintendent Tony Helfrich, FFRF staff attorney Christopher Line claimed that a "concerned staff member" had contacted the organization to complain about "many egregious constitutional violations" at Liberty Middle School, including participation in Operation Christmas Child.

"Our complainant also reports that Principal Ryan Creadick has directed staff members to arrange for the school to participate in 'Operation Christmas Child,' which is a charity project sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, which describes the program as a 'shoebox ministry,'" Line wrote, insisting that the school "cease participation in Operation Christmas Child."

FFRF's letter said the charitable event was bad news for the school because it is sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, which the atheist group decried as a "pervasively sectarian religious organization." According to FFRF, by being involved with Operation Christmas Child, the school is essentially "employ[ing] school staff and resources to convert people to Christianity."

School gives in

Upon receiving the letter, the Superintendent Helfrich caved and abandoned the annual Christmas charity.

FFRF touted its victory on its website Friday, and highlighted a statement of defeat from Helfrich.

"Regarding our students' participation in 'Operation Christmas Child,' we are discontinuing that effort upon learning that its mission is more sectarian in nature than we realized," the superintendent wrote in a letter to the organization.

The atheist group, acting as though it had uncovered some nefarious plot by Graham and his team, preened that it was "pleased that it was able to educate the school district about the true purpose of Samaritan's Purse — and that the district officials were quick to see the light."

"A lot of these groups rely on school authorities being ignorant about their mission," FFRF co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said. "We appreciate how swiftly the district discontinued the fundraising after our alert."

But should the school have sidelined Operation Christmas Child?

HillFaith, a Christian website geared toward U.S. congressional staff, said Wednesday that it asked First Liberty Institute's Jeremy Dys if Liberty Middle School's involvement with Operation Christmas Child would have been protected by the First Amendment.

"The reality is that Samaritan's Purse is a social welfare organization. They exist to care for those in need — in the greatest of need across the world. Just because they are religious is no reason to exclude them from public," Dys told HillFaith.

"Excluding an organization just because it is religious is the the very type of religious intolerance the First Amendment abhors," Dys added. "FFRF and other Grinches would rather kids be denied the opportunity to care for kids who have nothing at Christmas than put up with the religious mission of Samaritan's Purse."

Group Sues Over ‘So Help Me God’ Voter Oath In Alabama

The group filed the suit on behalf of 4 Alabama citizens

Atheists demand GOP senator stop posting Bible verses on Twitter. Senator responds: 'Their request is denied.'



An atheist group is going after a Republican senator over his repeated posting of Bible verses on social media and demanding that he stop with his "sermonizing."

The undeterred lawmaker sent a message to the group this week: get bent.

What's all this now?

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy (R) has tradition of posting scripture to Twitter and Facebook on weekends. Here are his verses from the last three weekends in August:

"And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."- Psalm 9:10
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.)1597593744.0
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when y… https://t.co/XUv1vQlttN
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.)1598277749.0
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be tr… https://t.co/y4jxEAWyn3
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.)1598801302.0

Naturally, this upset the radical Freedom From Religion Foundation activist atheist organization.

The group claimed that a "concerned Louisiana resident contacted FFRF" to report the senator's regular offense of posting verses to social media. FFRF posted on item on its website, accusing Cassidy of violating "the spirit of the First Amendment" with his actions and insisting that he "cease sermonizing" on social media:

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking a U.S. senator to cease sermonizing on his official social media accounts.

A concerned Louisiana resident contacted FFRF to report that every Sunday, bible verses are posted to Sen. Bill Cassidy's official government Facebook page.

When a government official uses his elected office, including governmental platforms such as an official Facebook page, to promote his personal religious beliefs, he violates the spirit of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution[.]

In an August letter to the senator, FFRF's co-presidents, Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, told Cassidy that he needed to "refrain from posting messages that proselytize or endorse religion on [his] official government social media accounts" because such postings, they said, are a violation of the separation of church and state.

According to Gaylor and Barker, Cassidy's actions "needlessly alienate" his constituency and a third of Americans:

As a senator, you represent a diverse population that consists of not only Christians, but also minority religious and nonreligious citizens. Religious endorsements made in your official capacity send a message that excludes the 35 percent of Americans who are not Christian, which includes the 26 percent who identify as nonreligious. These messages needlessly alienate the 1 non-Christian and nonreligious citizens you represent, turning them into political outsiders in their own community.

It would be entirely possible, of course, for you to send uplifting and motivational messages to your constituents without ostracizing a significant portion of those you represent. By couching your sentiments in exclusively religious terms, and by quoting exclusively from one religion's holy book, you unnecessarily exclude a significant portion of the community. Regardless of your intent, this social media post sends the message to your minority religious and nonreligious constituents that their participation in the political process is less valued than that of their Christian counterparts.

The duo closed their letter requesting that Cassidy remove all of his religious posts from his government social media accounts and to "avoid making similar posts in the future."

How did Cassidy respond?

Sen. Cassidy offered his response to FFRF's demands in a tweet Tuesday afternoon.

"The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded that I stop sharing Bible verses with you," he wrote. "The left won't bully me into canceling Christianity."

"Their request is denied," he concluded.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded that I stop sharing Bible verses with you. The left won’t bully m… https://t.co/UIAu4FjeZW
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.)1598984530.0

FFRF responded Wednesday by advising Cassidy to "cool it on all the religion" and calling him "unconstitutionally stubborn" while labeling his response to their demands as "obstinacy."

Gaylor said the senator "is willfully misunderstanding the issue," but she did not indicate whether her organization planned to take any future steps to stop the senator's sharing of scripture.

(H/T: Pure Flix)