Volokh Conspiracy: The invaluable Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)

In the future, I may blog more often about the activities of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE):

The mission of FIRE is to defend and sustain individual rights at Americas colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and sanctity of consciencethe essential qualities of individual liberty and dignity. FIREs core mission is to protect the unprotected and to educate the public and communities of concerned Americans about the threats to these rights on our campuses and about the means to preserve them.

I am proud to join the Board of Directors of this invaluable organization. The press release is here.

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Volokh Conspiracy: The invaluable Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)

'Atheism is not a religion' says US mayor after city fined $100k for barring atheist exhibition

Screenshot/WJBK-TV

The group Freedom from Religion should be allowed to erect an atheist stand in Warren city hall, like this prayer station.

A US city and its mayor have been fined $100,000 for refusing to allow an atheist "reason station" to be erected next to a Christian "prayer station" in its city hall.

The action against Warren, the largest city in Macomb County in the state of Michigan, and its mayor, James R Fouts, was brought after a resident Douglas Marshall sought permission to erect the reason station to reflect his own belief in reason and free thought "as an alternative" to God".

Fouts personally turned down his request, arguing that the annual Nativity scene, the prayer station in the atrium and the annual day of prayer in front of city hall were allowed because of the constitutional right to freedom of religion.

He said the atrium was open to all religions but Marshall's group, Freedom from Religion, which had objected to all the religious events at city hall, was not a religion. "It has no tenets, no place of worship and no congregation."

The mayor wrote: "To my way of thinking, your group is strictly an anti-religion group intending to deprive all organized religions of their constitutional freedoms or at least discourage the practice of religion. The City of Warren cannot allow this."

The prayer station is run by the Pentecostal Tabernacle Church of Warren. Those manning it hand out pamphlets and offer to pray and debate with people.

Marshall wanted the opportunity likewise to hand out literature about atheism and have philosophical debates with passers-by.

The suit was brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

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'Atheism is not a religion' says US mayor after city fined $100k for barring atheist exhibition

Dr. Marilyn Gewacke (CSETI) & Diane Saunders interviewed on Conscious Evolution Radio, 20.2.2015 – Video


Dr. Marilyn Gewacke (CSETI) Diane Saunders interviewed on Conscious Evolution Radio, 20.2.2015
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Dr. Marilyn Gewacke (CSETI) & Diane Saunders interviewed on Conscious Evolution Radio, 20.2.2015 - Video

New MUSE Instrument Sees Farther Than Hubble Telescope | Video – Video


New MUSE Instrument Sees Farther Than Hubble Telescope | Video
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New MUSE Instrument Sees Farther Than Hubble Telescope | Video - Video

US-Poland Joint Military Drills: East European NATO members seek assurances as Russia flexes muscle – Video


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Troops from the United States 2nd Cavalry Regiment joined Polish forces for a joint military training exercise in Drawsko Pomorskie. The US troops were joined by the Polish 12th Mechanized...

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US-Poland Joint Military Drills: East European NATO members seek assurances as Russia flexes muscle - Video

Moscow Dismisses NATO Allegations of Russia Conducting Large-Scale Nuclear Drills – Video


Moscow Dismisses NATO Allegations of Russia Conducting Large-Scale Nuclear Drills
Make Sure to Subscribe to the New J.KNIGHT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLrtqd5qxC_f1lOnrybpnA Moscow on Thursday dismissed NATO #39;s allegations that Russia conducts ...

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Moscow Dismisses NATO Allegations of Russia Conducting Large-Scale Nuclear Drills - Video