FFRF denounces Secretary Hegseth’s sectarian attack on ‘godless’ Americans

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is slamming Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent overtly sectarian and inflammatory remarks.

In his headline address at the National Religious Broadcasters 2026 International Christian Media Convention in Nashville, Tenn., Hegseth railed against what he called the “Godless left,” praised “Western Christian” values and declared, “We are not in woke we trust, we are in God we trust.” He celebrated the Trump administration’s ban on transgender service members, mocked diversity initiatives and climate policy as “worship to a false God,” and asserted that protecting various policy priorities “is not political – it is BIBLICAL.”

FFRF is warning that such rhetoric from the nation’s top civilian defense official dangerously undermines the constitutional principle of government neutrality toward religion.

“The secretary of defense swears an oath to the Constitution — not to a bible, not to ‘Western Christian’ ideology, and not to any particular theology,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Labeling millions of Americans, including service members, as ‘godless’ and ‘foreign’ because they do not share his religious views is divisive, un-American and profoundly inappropriate.”

Hegseth’s remarks come after he invited Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson to lead a Pentagon prayer service. Wilson’s church has espoused extreme positions, including criminalizing homosexuality and repealing women’s right to vote.

“Hosting sectarian worship services inside the Pentagon is already among the most serious First Amendment Establishment Clause violations we’ve seen in recent memory,” notes FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line. “Now, Secretary Hegseth is using the authority and platform of his office to advance Christian nationalist rhetoric and openly disparage nonreligious Americans — a deeply troubling abuse of constitutional power.”

The First Amendment guarantees that the government may not favor religion over nonreligion or one religion over another. The U.S. military serves — and is made up of — Americans of every faith and of none. Many service members identify as atheist, agnostic or nonreligious. Many others belong to minority faiths.

“When the defense secretary declares that policy disagreements are ‘biblical’ rather than political, he sends a message that religious doctrine, not constitutional governance, is driving decision-making at the Pentagon,” adds Line. “That alienates non-Christian service members and signals that their full participation in military life may be contingent on religious conformity.”

Hegseth’s speech also featured partisan culture war rhetoric targeting transgender Americans and dismissing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Defense secretaries have traditionally avoided overt political commentary to preserve the military’s reputation as a nonpartisan institution.

“The military exists to defend a secular Constitution that protects freedom of conscience for all,” Gaylor emphasizes. “It is not a vehicle for advancing Christian nationalist ideology or attacking Americans who do not subscribe to it.”

FFRF calls on the Defense Department to reaffirm its commitment to religious neutrality and to ensure that official communications and events do not promote or endorse sectarian religious views.

“The Constitution does not recognize ‘Western Christian’ citizenship and second-class ‘godless’ citizenship,” Gaylor concludes. “Our armed forces must defend the rights of all Americans equally — believers and nonbelievers alike.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org

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FFRF and allies disappointed in 5th Circuit ruling on La. 10 Commandments law

The Freedom From Religion Foundation and allied groups are disappointed in a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling today that it is premature to determine the constitutionality of a Louisiana law requiring public schools to permanently display a government-approved, Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. 

The decision vacates a federal district court’s November 2024 preliminary injunction in Rev. Roake v. Brumley, which prevented the defendant state officials and school boards from implementing House Bill 71. In its ruling, the appeals court held that the Roake lawsuit was premature because the scriptural displays had not yet been posted in the children plaintiffs’ classrooms, so it “cannot yet know . . . how the text will be used.” The court acknowledged, however, that “nothing in today’s narrow holding prevents future as-applied challenges once the statute is implemented and a concrete factual record exists.”

Represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the ACLU, ACLU of Louisiana, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel, the plaintiffs in Roake v. Brumley are a multifaith group of nine Louisiana families with children in public schools. The organizations representing the plaintiffs issued the following statement in response to the decision:

“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would, if left in place, will unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district where they must challenge each individual school district’s displays. Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights. But this fight isn’t over. We will continue fighting for the religious freedom of Louisiana’s families.”

The appeals court’s opinion today does not address the lawsuit Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District that challenges a similar law in Texas, Senate Bill 10. The court, sitting en banc, heard oral arguments in both cases on Jan. 20.

The plaintiffs’ counsel is exploring all legal pathways forward to continue the fight against this unconstitutional law. 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

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March 11, 2026 – Sammi Lawrence to Participate in Panel at University of Wisconsin Law School (Madison, WI)

Sammi Lawrence of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) will participate in a panel and networking event hosted by the Women Law Students Association at the University of Wisconsin Law School on Wednesday, March 11th.

The event will bring together attorneys and current law students for a discussion on authenticity and identity in the legal profession. Panelists will share insights from their professional experiences, addressing how personal values, background, and identity intersect with legal practice, as well as offering guidance to students preparing to enter the field.

The program will begin at 12:00 p.m. and will be held in person at the University of Wisconsin Law School. The event is open to current law students and participating student groups.

FFRF regularly engages with student organizations and academic institutions to support conversations  about constitutional principles, professional ethics, and the role of personal conviction in the practice of law.

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March 25, 2026 – Sammi Lawrence to Address Freethinkers of Colorado Springs at University of Colorado Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs, CO)

Sammi Lawrence of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) will present to the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs and their guests on Wednesday, March 25th, at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

Lawrence’s presentation will focus on combating Christian Nationalism in public education, examining how religious ideology is influencing public schools. The talk will address the importance of community advocacy in defending secular public education.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in person at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. It is open to members of the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs and their invited guests.

FFRF regularly works with local chapters and community groups across the country to educate the public about nontheistic viewpoints and to uphold the constitutional separation of state and church.

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FFRF warns against preferential treatment for religious groups in HHS addiction funding

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has raised the alarm after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services formally invited faith-based organizations to apply for federal addiction and behavioral health funding.

According to statements from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, faith-based organizations that meet “evidence-based addiction recovery standards” are encouraged to apply for federal grants. SAMHSA and the Administration for Children and Families, which together oversee more than $138 billion in grants, have emphasized “full participation” by religious groups pursuant to President Trump’s February 2025 executive order directing agencies to facilitate the active involvement of faith-based entities in government programs. These moves follow remarks by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that the administration is “bringing faith-based providers fully into this work.”

Such shenanigans clearly reveal a theocratic tilt.

“Taxpayer-funded public health programs must be secular, science-based and free from religious coercion,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Addiction recovery is a medical and public health issue, not a vehicle for government-sponsored evangelism.”

FFRF stresses that while religious organizations are not categorically barred from competing for public funds, the Constitution requires strict neutrality. Federal funds may not be used to advance religion, and beneficiaries must never be subjected to religious pressure, proselytizing or discrimination as a condition of receiving services.

The Trump administration has already revoked prior safeguards that required faith-based providers to offer referrals to secular alternatives when clients objected to the religious nature of services. It has also affirmed that religious organizations may use religious criteria in hiring, even when operating taxpayer-funded programs.

“That combination is deeply troubling,” says FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott. “When you remove referral protections and allow religious discrimination in hiring, you create a system where vulnerable people seeking addiction treatment may have nowhere to turn but religious programs that do not respect their beliefs or their rights.”

FFRF notes that direct government funding cannot subsidize religious worship, instruction or proselytization. And the government may not favor religious providers over secular nonprofits.

“Federal health dollars should expand access to proven, inclusive treatment,” Gaylor adds. “They must not be diverted into programs that impose religious doctrine, exclude qualified staff based on faith, or deny medically accurate care.”

FFRF is monitoring HHS implementation of this initiative and will take action if constitutional safeguards are violated. The organization urges Congress and federal agencies to ensure that all addiction recovery funding remains evidence-based, nondiscriminatory — and firmly grounded in the separation of state and church.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

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Freethought Radio – February 19, 2026

FFRF Communications Director Amit Pal and FFRF Multimedia Producer Leo Costello break down the latest state-church headlines, including troubling rhetoric at the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance led by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Then, historian Chris Cameron explores the freethinkers of color who helped build a powerful tradition of Black secularism in America.

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State Charter School Board says no to Ben Gamla Charter proposal

Southwest Ledger (Lawton, OK)
By M. Scott Carter

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FFRF op-ed in Madison paper scrutinizes religiously inclined Wis. voucher program

Freedom From Religion Foundation Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne dissects Wisconsin’s nearly 30-year-long “voucher experiment” in an op-ed published in the Madison newspaper.

“Nearly half of all private school students in Wisconsin now receive a taxpayer-funded school voucher, according to Wisconsin Watch,” Jayne writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. “And almost all voucher schools in Wisconsin are religiously affiliated, according to the state Department of Public Instruction.”

The piece continues with a detailed history lesson on Wisconsin’s voucher program — and how it’s failed FFRF’s home state:

Wisconsin’s modern voucher era began in 1989 with the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, initially restricted to nonreligious private schools. This swiftly changed in 1998, when enrollment surged after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled, by a narrow margin, that expanding the program to include religious schools was not state-sponsored religious education. At the time, supporters assured the public that safeguards such as parental choice and opt-out provisions would prevent constitutional entanglements.

Nearly 30 years later, those assurances ring hollow.

The “choice” taxpayers are funding is largely a myth, because many Wisconsin families don’t live near a private school that shares their religious beliefs (or lack thereof). But those same families are now routinely taxed to fund religious instruction, precisely the kind of government involvement in religion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent.

Voucher defenders often point to a provision in Wisconsin law allowing parents to opt their children out of religious instruction. In theory, this is meant to preserve neutrality.

But in practice, it likely has almost no effect because parents typically choose to send their children to private schools in large part because of the school’s religious instruction. Though no data is publicly available on how often religious opt-outs occur, it makes sense that parents would avoid placing their children in an environment where they would be seen as religious outsiders.

These ineffective safeguards matter because constitutional violations do not disappear simply because participation is voluntary. When the state overwhelmingly directs public funds for religious instruction, it impermissibly advances religion.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s increasingly permissive jurisprudence on vouchers does not change the underlying principle: Compelled taxpayer support of religious instruction is deeply divisive and corrosive to pluralism. That’s why the primary author of the First Amendment, James Madison, denounced even “three pence” of taxes going to support teachers of the Christian religion, in his famed “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments.”

Wisconsin’s voucher program also has consequences beyond the separation of state and church. As vouchers expand, they siphon resources from public schools that serve the vast majority of students and that are required to educate every child, regardless of disability, religion or background.

Voucher schools can discriminate in their admissions. Private schools lacking a public mission may well reject “difficult” students, such as those with special needs, leaving public schools with fewer resources to serve more students who require extra resources. Adding salt to the wound, the statehouse had the temerity to reimburse private schools for 90 percent of special education costs, while giving public schools less than 50 percent.

To conclude the piece, Jayne admonishes Wisconsin officials for the voucher experiment and emphasizes the need for the state to focus on public schools: “Instead of foolishly funding two separate school systems (one public, secular and accountable, the other private, sectarian and with almost no accountability for the more than $600 million in tax money it gets annually), Wisconsin needs to re-earn its reputation as an educational leader. It needs to reinvest in public schools and their unifying mission.”

The full op-ed is placed behind a paywall. Please consider supporting the local news website, Madison.com, to access the full article.

This column is part of FFRF’s initiative to engage with pertinent national and state issues and spread the messages of freethought and nontheism to a broader audience.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a Madison-based national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including over 1,800 members and two local chapters in Wisconsin. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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Atheist group claims school violated students’ rights after rapper ‘quotes Bible’ at assembly

Christian Post
By Ian M. Giatti

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The anti–Project Blitz: How the KPOP Act fights Christian Nationalism in public schools

Friendly Atheist
By Hemant Mehta

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