Ironically, Dan Barker’s Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an organization that was established in the USA; a country premised upon the context of freedom of religious expression.
The FFRF is an Atheist watchgod groups which functions, as Atheism does as a whole, as an anti-Christian support group. They make a living by playing the victimized minority card and thus, seek donations to file lawsuits about everything from “In God We Trust” on our currency to Nativity scenes on government property. Oddly, they do not seem to sue the US government for the paining “The Apotheosis of Washington” within the US Capitol Building; apotheosis means that good ol’ Georgie became a god. They do not sue Nashville, Tennessee for having the “Athena Parnthenos” which features a 42 foot tall statue of the Greek false goddess Athena on the city government owned Centennial Park (and noted it on their city government owned official website).
But this is because the Dan Barker’s Freedom From Religion Foundation is not only anti-Christian but is a neo-Pagan religious cult.
1) They positively affirm the non-existence of gods without proof.
2) They promulgate the observance of Pagan holidays.
The FFRF represents celebrity New Atheists who positively affirm God’s non-existence.
Anne Nicol Gaylor is the principal founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation which is now run by her daughter Annie Laurie Gaylor and her husband Dan Barker. Anne Nicol authored this statement:
“There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world.”
As per Annie Laurie, this is no mere slogan or motto but, in fact, a maxim of the FFRF. The FFRF has, for example, have placed these words in the form of a ten commandments-like stone figure, placed alongside of ten commandments statues.
The issue is that they positively affirm (meaning that they claim to actually know) that “There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell” and also that “There is only our natural world.” Yet, they have not proved any of these things.
These are “faith” based beliefs. As per the Encarta Dictionary a maxim is “a succinct or pithy saying that has some proven truth to it” and “a general rule, principle, or truth” (emphasis added).
Ergo, since a positive affirmation of the non-existence of gods is the maxim of the FFRF and the hold to the maxim by “faith”; the FFRF is a religious cult.
As Mayor Vincent J. “Buddy” Cianci, stated regarding the ACLU suing to have a nativity “scene removed from government property:
“They’re just jealous because they don’t have three wise men and a virgin in the whole organization.”
Well, likewise, the FFRF once posted a statement on the first-floor rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol which stated:
“At this season of the Winter Solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world.
Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”
They subsequently stated:
“people have been celebrating the winter solstice long before Christmas. We see Christianity as the intruder, trying to steal the holiday from all of us humans.”
—Jon Nicholas, Reverence And The Nativity Scene
Thus, the promulgated the celebration of the solstice—and did so on government property; perhaps they should sue themselves.
Last year, 2013 AD, the purchased very expensive bill boards (with donated money which could have gone to people in need) that stated:
“Keep Saturn in Saturnalia”
Of course, these sorts of statements are meant to be anti-Christian. The latter to counter “Keep Christ in Christmas” and the former to counter Christmas in general. They suppose Christmas to have something to do with Saturnalia, which it does not; see the book Christmas is Pagan and Other Myths by J. P. Holding (which I reviewed here).
Ergo, whether they take it seriously or not, the fact is that they are actively promulgating the observance of the solstice and Saturnalia and are thus, neo-Pagans.
And, actually, Atheism as a whole neo-Pagan as they seek to redirect awe in the creator to awe in the creation under the guise of science; see Atheism Spirituality for evidence of this.
To reiterate:
Since the FFRF positively affirms the non-existence of gods without proof; they are a religious cult.
Since they actively promulgate the observance of the solstice and Saturnalia; they are neo-Pagans.
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