The time has finally come for
our day in court. Alex Luchenitser and Bradley Girard, our attorneys from
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, will be in town on Wednesday. Most of our plaintiffs will be there as well, but they will not need to testify. Since there are no facts in dispute, the attorneys from both sides will make opening remarks and then it will be up to the judge to decide the case.
We would love for you to join us if you can, but there are a few things to know:
- Don't bring any electronics--not even a phone. Leave it in the car or at home.
- We are in Courtroom is 6B. The address is 401 W. Central Blvd. Orlando.
- There is a parking lot on Grove Park Drive. The entrance to the courthouse is on N. Division Ave.
- With construction underway, be sure to leave plenty of time to park and find the courtroom.
Stay tuned to our
Facebook and
Twitter feeds for updates on this case. We may not know much on Wednesday, but we will likely have some interviews with local news outlets to share.
Also, we are hosting a
fundraising dinner so we can raise funds for the
Minorities in the Non-Faith Community panel. Significant expenses are involved in bringing three fantastic speakers from out of town and hosting David Tamayo for two more events on Saturday.
- Stephanie Guttormson, Transgender Advocate and Director of Operations for the Richard Dawkins Foundation
- David Tamayo, Founder and President, Hispanic American Freethinkers
- Mandisa Thomas, Founder and President, Black Nonbelievers
This private dinner has limited availability. To participate, just donate $25 or more, meet us for cocktails, order your meal from the menu, and pay your own separate check.
That's it! But there is one catch. Those who donate the most will get to sit near the speaker of their choice.
Click here to reserve your seat and get more information.
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Mark your calendar and set a reminder!
Federal Court to Hear Non-Theist Invocation Case
The attorneys will present the case then it will be up to the judge to decide in the coming weeks.
March with us in the Orlando Pride Parade
Tue, Oct 11 at 7 PM
Discussion Group & Book Club
Discussion topic for this month: The Moral Limits of Technology and Science
Sat, Oct 15 at 7 PM 
CFFC Outdoor Movie Night: Idiocracy
Enjoy a classic freethought film and good company at the first Outdoor Movie Night of the season!
Sun, Oct 16 at 9 AM
CFFC Park Cleanup & "Breakfast"
Join us at our monthly park cleanup event. We'll bring the doughnuts, coffee, water, and tools. You bring the family!
Thu, Oct 20, 12:30 to 3:30 PM 
Minorities in the Non-Faith Community
Panel Discussion begins at 1:30
Thu, Oct 20 at 6 PM
Dinner with the Panelists!
With Stephanie Guttormson,
David Tamayo, and Man
disa Thomas
Sat, Oct 22, 10:30 AM to Noon
El Orgulla de la Ignorancia (In Spanish)
Join us for this event, exclusively in Spanish, before our regular CFFC Event. David Tamayo will discuss The Pride of Ignorance.
Sat, Oct 22, 1 to 3 PM 
CFFC Event: David Tamayo - Cultural Paradox
This month's CFFC Event is on a Saturday. David Tamayo will discuss why it might be unreasonable to have cultural tolerance.
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Orlando Coalition of Reason Events
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Check out all the local freethought community calendars in one place:
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Local or regional news that matters to you!
Last Call to March with Pride
In just a few days, the CFFC is marching
in our first Orlando Pride parade and we have room for more participants. Join us!
Anyone who wants to be in the parade is welcome.
The banner we will carry is in the image above.
Find out more on the
Meetup event page
and on the Facebook event.
CFFC's
40th Secular Invocation
It all stems from a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Town of Greece v. Galloway that permitted sectarian prayers to be part of local legislative meetings. Here's an article which explains exactly why we think it is important to participate at the
Sore Losers
Last year, two private Christian high schools made it to the state championship football game in Orlando. Both teams prayed before the game--with their coaches. This is a right they have as private parochial schools.
However, when the
Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), a state actor which serves thousands of public schools told the schools they couldn't take the microphone at the Citrus bowl, a state facility, the teams were not happy about it.
Read the original story here and here, and then watch the video of them announcing their lawsuit
here
. As of print time,
th
e winning team has not joined the lawsuit.
Bible Removed from Military Clinic
A complaint by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation on behalf of a retired service member was all it took for a
bible to be removed from the waiting area of an Eglin Air Force Base allergy clinic in September. The book now rests in the hospital chapel next to all the rest--where it belongs.
This change would never have occurred if someone hadn't spoken up.
If you ever see something like this at a government facility, it is likely a violation of the Establishment Clause. If you see it at your private doctor's office, ask them if they have a copy of the Koran you can read while you wait instead.
2016 See You At The Pole Violations (in brief)
Every year on the 4th Wednesday in September
And every year we deal with questions and complaints from around the state where adults get involved to promote the event. The details matter and not every case is clear cut, but here are the reports from this year.
Seminole HS
(Seminole) - Teachers (reportedly) told they may participate
St. Augustine HS (St. Johns) - Principal prays with students (Photographed above)
Lake Placid ES
(Highlands) - Non-student club event promoted on school calendar
Green Cove Springs JHS (Clay) - Notice on website invited parents
Venice HS (Sarasota) - Non-student/adult participation photographed
Venice MS (Sarasota) - FCA staff member participation photographed
These are just the cases reported to us. Several schools with violations last year were incident free this year (as far as we know).
Read about the concerns we have with the event from
FFRF attorneys here
.
Are you registered to vote? Do that at the CFFC Event.
Remember, you can vote at any CFFC monthly educational event at the University Club of Winter Park. This month's events are on Saturday, October 22nd.
Need to find your voter status or find your precinct?
Click here.
If you aren't following our
Facebook
and
Twitter
pages, you're missing most of the news that we make happen. Be sure to find us there!
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Teaching creationism or intelligent design in a public school is unlawful.
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Schools cannot prohibit the teaching of evolution.
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Schools may not use a disclaimer before teaching evolution.
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Schools cannot offer "balanced treatment for creation science and evolution science."
Watch your local public schools for this and the rest of
Florida's Dirty Dozen
. And if you see something, say something!
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The Secular Activist
A How-to Manual for Protecting
the Wall between Church and State
by Dan Arel
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CENTRAL FLORIDA FREETHOUGHT COMMUNITY
PO Box 621123, Oviedo, FL 32762
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on the separation of state and church
and
building a thriving secular community in the Greater Orlando area.
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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
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Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.
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