Coming soon in the Central Florida Freethought Community

May 15, 1 PM - David Silverman and Richard Carrier

 

David  is the President of American Atheists and he will talk about his recently released first book  Fighting God.  Pick up a copy at the event.  Richard is an author, historian, and debater. His talk is entitled  " Ancient Science and Christian Fascism."  He will have books available for sale as well.

This event is at our usual  venue, the Univers ity Club of Winter Park in the larger of the two halls so there will be plenty of room.

As with all our monthly events this is a free event. However with significant expenses related to these fantastic speakers, please consider a $10 donation at the door.

June 4 - Reason Rally 2016 - Washington, D.C.

One of the most amazing events the freethought movement has ever seen was the Reason Rally in 2012. CFFC and other Florida freethought groups and members will board planes, trains, and automobiles to be there this year along with tens of thousands of other freethinkers for Reason Rally 2016. Here is a recent summary from our parent organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation with all the details you need for your trip. See you there!

June 19 - Anna Eskamani, Director of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida

Anna is a powerhouse of activism. Planned Parenthood is fortunate to have such a passionate advocate for women's rights working for them. Anna will join us and talk about the ongoing assault from the Religious Right and what is being done to hold them off. This is one of the most important state/church fights underway. Come out and learn more about it with us.

Find CFFC events on  Facebook  and  Meetup.

Local or regional news that matters to you!

Sacred Cross in Secular Florida Park...Lawsuit Filed

The Freedom From Religion Foundation and the American Humanist Association have filed suit in Pensacola seeking removal of a long-standing 25 foot tall Christian cross in the city's Bayview Park.  Check out the cross on Google Street View here .  Read the press release from FFRF here and AHA here . And here is local news coverage from the Pensacola News Journal  and video at WEAR-TV. 

Our allies in the panhandle have a lot of state/church challenges. This is just one of the low-hanging fruits to address. We will keep you posted, but keep in mind litigation can take many months--years even.

Dis-Fellowshipped from the Christian Athletes   

In Hillsborough County (Tampa, FL), the CFFC recently uncovered and reported "one of the worst violations by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes that [FFRF has] ever dealt with" according to FFRF attorney, Andrew Seidel. An ex-con has been roaming the campuses with the presumed permission of administrators and coaches. He has been praying with and preaching to students--not just students who are participating in student-led Christian clubs, but all students on multiple sports teams at numerous campuses throughout the county. To read the entire complaint from FFRF, click here. Here is the coverage from The Friendly Atheist Blog.

Hillsborough County schools have been awash in religious infiltration for quite a while and the media has been paying attention. For a list of issues prepared by the School Board itself along with some solutions underway, click here.  Raw Story coverage here and local news coverage here .

If you are interested in getting involved in online activism with the CFFC to ensure the FCA and other "student-led" organizations follow the rules, be in touch with us via our Contact page.

Bathroom Battles Raging in Florida

Have you ever wondered if the people in the public restroom with you are the same gender that you are? Neither have we, but apparently there is some unfounded fear on the part of the Religious Right that allowing transgender people to use the restroom of their choosing (the one the rest of us would expect them to use) will end up in violence.

As is often the case, they have it exactly backwards.  When a transgender person uses the restroom--the one God intended--violence should be expected due the presumption that the person is likely of the opposite sex. However, there are no known cases of any violence committed by transgender men or women as a result of them using the bathroom they choose.

Recently, Anita Staver, of Liberty Counsel threatened to take a gun into bathrooms at  Target in response to their policy change which allows transgender employees and customers to use the bathroom they choose. We already know Anita is anti-choice, but these types of threats tell us we have a lot of work to do before we have "liberty and justice for all." 

There were T arget  protests (by a total of six) Mt. Dora residents  on Saturday. Fortunately for protesters there was a Chick-fil-A restaurant and a Hobby Lobby nearby so they didn't have to call it a day once the morning coffee was digested.

Our friends at Equality Florida made the trek to M arion County Schools last week to speak out during a vote to ban transgender students from using the bathroom they want to use. As you might have expected from the Ocala area, love didn't win this time.

In national news on the same issue, the US Department of Justice has indicated that the recently passed North Carolina ban on local transgender bathroom legislation is a violation of the Civil Rights Act. Now, the US Department of Transportation is considering whether it prevents North Carolina from being eligible to receive federal funding. 

The needle is moving in the right direction--even if by force now and then.

National Day of [exclusively Christian] Prayer

Are You Unequally Yoked?

Deconverting when you're married to another believer can be a minefield. When do you tell your spouse? How do you tell your spouse? How do you deal with any children? Do you keep going to church? Not to mention issues with in-laws, finances, social situations, etc.

If you are a non-believer married to a believer email us at [email protected] and we can connect you to others in your situation for support and encouragement.

Stay Informed and In Touch

Baccalaureate programs are religious services that include prayer and worship. Schools and staff may not plan, design, or supervise baccalaureate programs. This includes using public school time, newsletters, equipment, email, or other resources to promote or invite students and their parents to baccalaureates.

 

Watch your local public schools for this and the rest of  Florida's Dirty Dozen .