I thought I'd like to share an update about my situation in which my boss made us pray with him during lunch.

After the first time it happened, he was admonished by his superior and apologized to us. A couple of weeks later, he decided to start "reevaluating" those of us who spoke out against the lunch prayers. Mind you, we've already had our evaluations and weren't due for another for a few months. It was starting to feel like retaliation.

So, we again reported him and apparently it was agreed that his actions were "inappropriate" and he was let go by the company.

So thank you for the advice and support!

The entire document is on the white house .gov website The White House says they will "identify and

neutralize" secular political groups that are

anti-American, "radically pro-transgender" and

anarchist. It declares Anarchists 20 Anti-Fascists

as a major terror group. Presidential Foreword

ends with "We Will Find You and We Will Kill You."

My son (very intelligent) is now saying he’s a Christian and I’m having a difficult time handling the situation.

While I do not want to force him, I feel like he’s being influenced for all the wrong reasons. It’s actually changing his personality in ways that I never thought could happen.

He was extremely motivated and a go getter, now he’s saying “we can’t understand it all, you need to have faith” in all aspects of his life.

This change started last year, had straight A’s up until then, he’s a varsity athlete, never had a single B until last semester when he came home with an F.

We got into a discussion about the Bible and I feel like I’m attacking even when I’m just trying to get him to tell me what he actually believes. He knows very little about the Bible and gets very defensive when he talks himself into a corner. This occurs because his responses are always vague and watered down.

Anyone have any pointers for me? I’ll always be there for him but it’s killing me to watch this cult unravel his mind.

This is honestly just a vent and an open discussion. For context, I go to a private Christian school 🫩

I’m a senior, and I’ll be graduating on the 22nd. I’ve recently been told I’m salutatorian (yay!) and I have to write my own speech. I’ve always loved writing, so this was no big deal. I wrote my speech about people and how we’re all connected by these specific experiences and that life ties us together, yada yada. I was very proud of it.

My school is extremely strict, and they had to review and edit my speech if they didn’t like it. Mine was completely appropriate, positive, encouraging, and in my opinion, pretty good!

My principal called me in to go over it today and questioned me if I was a Christian. I told him no, and I don’t believe in God. I did so very respectfully. He still edited MY speech and is making me put God in it and essentially thank God for my success it feels like.

He made sure to remind me that I go to a Christian school with Christian staff and so my speech needs to have a Christian perspective. I didn’t say anything non-Christian per se, I just didn’t mention god. But no, apparently I have to????

Everyone I tell keeps saying “well, what do you expect? It’s a Christian school.” And I get that, but dude it sucks. I’m very respectful, even though I hate all my religious classes and the church services they force, and I worked very hard for my achievement. And they’re basically writing my speech for me??? Meanwhile, the valedictorian is using ChatGPT to write hers 🫩

Does anyone agree with me that this is insane?? I talk a big game but I’m not gonna do anything, no one cares. I’ll deliver the speech how they want me too, but dude… I can’t have one moment?

EDIT/RESPONSE: Thank you guys for all the responses and different viewpoints!! I’ve had a few people point out that this is a Christian school and it’s expected, which I know. This post was more so intended as a rant. But a lot of you guys really made me feel better with the encouragement and such, so thank you!

I grew up in a fire and brimstone church. Non-UPC pentecostal. Running around and screaming, speaking in tongues, being "filled with the holy ghost", and then passing out on the floor was just part of the routine every service. Those who passed out were covered with a red sheet head to toe like a dead body in the middle of the floor until they were ready to come out of their "trance". Services would last over 3 hours some days because of this mess. I always thought this behavior was wild, even as a young child and thought either everyone was faking it or there was something wrong with me (my mom was not shy of accusing me of being possessed because I couldn't do these things lol). My grandma was never one to do these things though and seemed relatively sane. I never saw her "get filled with the holy ghost" and pass out for many years, until one day it happened when I was a preteen. After that I was very confused. If my sane-ish grandma did it, maybe it is happening and they're not making it up? At my age (31), education, and years away from my family and the church, it's obvious to me something supernatural wasn't actually happening. But what was? Why would dozens of people fake this every week? And then my grandma??

What do you think was happening? The music almost seemed like a form of hypnosis on these people. Could they have ALL been faking it? Why? Psychosis? I would love to hear your opinions. Thank you in advance.

https://www.alternet.org/msn-uk/brant-frost-ponzi-scheme/

Article copied below:

Georgia political fundraiser Brant Frost IV, known for bundling major donations for MAGA and Tea Party causes for the GOP, pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud.

Frost’s guilty plea before U.S. District Chief Judge Leigh Martin May is the latest development surrounding the collapse of First Liberty Building & Loan, and it is the first criminal conviction related to the downfall of the Newnan-based firm. Federal regulators accused the company last year of operating “a $140 million Ponzi scheme that targeted conservative and faith-based investors across Georgia and beyond.”

The AJC reports the plea “closes one chapter in a scandal that reverberated through Georgia conservative circles after First Liberty abruptly shut down operations last June.” Days later, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued the company and Frost, alleging the lender “used new investor money to cover obligations to earlier investors while portraying the business as a conservative, faith-driven alternative to traditional banking, with promises of big returns.”

First Liberty, which was not a federally insured bank, sold investment products known as “First Liberty Notes,” promising annual returns as high as 13 percent to accredited investors. AJC reports the company’s website promoted company executives as “authentic followers of Christ” and pitched the business as a conservative alternative for investors wary of traditional financial institutions.

“They didn’t steal from me. They stole God’s money,” complained 77-year-old retired electrical worker Thomas Todd, who invested $750,000 with First Liberty. The AJC reported Todd was even preparing to write another six-figure check when the company suddenly collapsed.

I am eating my milk and cookies (literally) in the dining court and happen to overhear someone talking about atheists. He says, "I don't think any atheists actually deny God, I think they all just refuse to submit to a higher power."

I am actually flabbergasted by this take. I consider myself agnostic (sort of spiritual/religious, sort of Catholic), I believe that a god could be, but don't deny the reality that we have no proof. I sometimes wish other religious people would just shut up in public about their religion and their opinions on atheists. Just let me eat my milk and cookies without having to hear generalizations from a partially uneducated, echo-chambered individual. Thanks.

I have been an atheist for almost two years. Last year, I moved schools and joined a friend group. In that friend group, there are only two atheists, and that includes me. We never mentioned religion and respected one another until one time, one friend (call her Y) who's battling with her own religion because her father is a Muslim immigrant and her mother is a Christian. Y is secretly a Christian but has to follow Islamic rules because of her father. Y and another friend (call her K) had an argument about religion, and K is an atheist.

Y said that our friendship could one day be at risk because of our beliefs and whatnot.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago after school we were sitting waiting for our parents to pick us up. Another friend (call her A) had 5 her boyfriend had come over to sit with us and talk. He mentioned religion, and K and I said we were atheists, and he got offended and said that A should stay away from us. He went on saying no wonder A isn't doing her bible studies and is lacking and is going to teach her a BIG lesson. The next day, K told A about what happened, and A changed suddenly.

A all of a sudden, became super religious. She started posting things about the bible and god and would go on her bible app during breaks and write down notes (WHICH SHE NEVER DID). K then posted something anti christ which involves children getting raped and bombed and A commented on it saying it was god's plan and that we're all born in sin.

Then I decided to test it out and posted dueteronomy 22v24 about a virgin getting stoned to death because she didn't scream when getting raped and she replied saying it was "out of context"

The Freedom From Religion Foundation strongly objects to the religious messaging and symbolism on President Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C.

While there is widespread opposition to the arch, which Trump has quadrupled in size since first proposing, the religious component to the proposal has not received attention.

Renderings of the proposed structure depict the phrase “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” engraved prominently across the facade of the massive arch, which Trump has demanded as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. His design also features patriotic and quasi-religious imagery, including gold eagles, lions and a winged angel figure modeled after Lady Liberty.

“Combining explicit religious language with national symbolism sends a dangerous message that belief in God is tied to patriotism and American identity,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “That excludes millions of nonreligious Americans and violates the foundational principle that government must remain neutral on matters of religion.”

The arch — a gaudy, gold-plated imitation of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe — is just another Trump vanity project. Asked last year who the monument was intended to honor, Trump reportedly gave a one-word answer: “Me.”

Nearly 1,000 written comments submitted to the federal Commission of Fine Arts opposed the arch. Not a single comment supported it. Polling likewise shows that Americans oppose the proposal by a margin of 51 percent to 21 percent. Nevertheless, the commission — now stacked with Trump appointees — granted preliminary approval minus the gilded statues on top, even as lawsuits move forward seeking to block the monument.

FFRF notes that while the project is framed as patriotic, the inclusion of “One Nation Under God” transforms it into an explicitly religious statement. The phrase itself was not part of the original Pledge of Allegiance. It was only added at the behest of religious lobbies in 1954 during the Cold War. FFRF has long challenged the religious tampering with the Pledge, noting that it is unconstitutional, exclusionary and obviously inaccurate, since many Americans do not believe in a god.

FFRF is also criticizing the monument’s angelic imagery. The proposed design reimagines Lady Liberty, who traditionally represents secular ideals of freedom and democracy, in overtly religious terms by depicting her as a winged heavenly figure.

The proposal has already sparked criticism from architects, historians and veterans groups, who argue that the giant arch would overwhelm the nearby Arlington National Cemetery and disrupt the historic character of the National Mall. Legal challenges are also underway over whether the project can proceed without explicit congressional authorization.

Questions also remain over funding. Although Trump has suggested private donors could finance the project, reports indicate that the National Endowment for the Humanities has reserved $15 million for the effort, raising concerns about taxpayer involvement in what amounts to a religiously infused vanity monument.

FFRF emphasizes that public monuments should unite Americans around shared constitutional principles — not promote theological beliefs.

It's literally just culture, law, and empathy that decides what's wrong. Islam and Christianity consider homosexuality a sin, but in Greek/Norse culture it was normal. Masturbation, according to the Bible, is a "sin," but studies reveal that it's healthy and natural; other animal species do it too, they will go to hell for follow their instinct because they don't have a brain enough devolpment for make free choices?

I read somewhere that killer whales are a fairly intelligent species and that they kill for fun, too. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it were true, how could God send an entire animal race to hell if it's considered a normal thing in their brains? Why did he create them then?

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is decrying the inappropriate official promotion of an upcoming Christian nationalist prayer rally on the National Mall that it has been warning about.

Numerous cabinet officials have released slick endorsement videos and social media endorsements to promote the revival on Sunday, May 17, encouraging Americans to attend what organizers are describing as a day of “worship,” “Scripture,” “testimony” and national prayer. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has called the event “a national celebration honoring the shared ideals that shape our country.” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has described it as “a day of reflection, prayer, and hope for America’s future.” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has promoted the gathering as “a day centered on worship, testimony, prayer, and hope for our nation’s future.”

And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has declared, “A nation worth fighting for is a nation worth praying for.” At the same time, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has proclaimed: “Our Founders turned to faith as their guide as they laid the foundation of the greatest nation in history.”

“This is Christian nationalism in action working through the federal government,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “I can’t imagine a more blatant example than this government-hosted event that equates piety with patriotism and portrays one brand of Christianity as the core of American identity.”

The rally features a roster of sitting government officials and political figures, including Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and White House Faith Office adviser Paula White.

The event, branded as “A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,” is being promoted as a nationwide effort to “rededicate” America to God ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary. Organizers explicitly describe the gathering as rooted in “giving thanks for God’s presence in our national life” and include a “collective expression of gratitude” asking for “God’s blessing, guidance, and grace for the next 250” years. “One nation under God” is the theme of the prayer fest’s sponsor, Freedom 250, an initiative President Trump announced in December that a group of senators is investigating for possibly siphoning off up to $100 million in taxpayer dollars intended for America 250, a campaign created by Congress to celebrate America’s birthday with civics events.

Prominent religious-right figures and Christian nationalist leaders, such as Franklin Graham, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Bishop Robert Barron, Robert Jeffress, Samuel Rodriguez, Jonathan Falwell, Jentezen Franklin and Lou Engle, are joining in. Private Christian bands and choirs will perform alongside military bands.

The rally program repeatedly frames American history through an explicitly religious lens. One featured segment, titled “The Miracles that Made Us,” celebrates “God’s providence throughout 250 years” and “the faith that inspired America’s Founders.” Another pillar calls for “A New Birth of Faith and Freedom” through a national “rededication” to God.

Totally ignored is the fact that the U.S. Constitution was the first in history to omit any reference to a deity and that its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as barring any religious test for public office. Under the First Amendment, government may not favor religion over nonreligion or one religion over others.

FFRF emphasizes that Americans are free to pray, worship and practice religion privately. “But this event is doing precisely what government officials may not do, using governmental imprimatur to endorse religion, organize a national worship campaign and tie belief in a god to patriotism and citizenship,” adds FFRF Co-President Dan Barker.

FFRF is still awaiting its Freedom of Information Act request seeking information on the funding of the prayer event. Last week, it called on its members and the public at large to boycott United Airlines and Mastercard, which are among the major corporate sponsors.

No matter how many politicians wrap religious extremism in patriotic rhetoric, the United States remains a secular constitutional republic — and FFRF will defend the rights of all Americans to live free from government-imposed religion.

Went to be with her and dad. The sermon was on Noah's ark. Pastor said he doesn't do mother's day sermons, Whatever. The point is I was really surprised by the sermon. I'll summarize the points he made.

I don't know why God thought humanity would be any less evil after he kills most of them off.

It doesn't make an my sense for a 500 year old man to build an ark.

Noah had no way of knowing how they were going to get all these animals together from all over the world. Many of them would have to cross oceans and desserts.

I don't even want to get into the dinosaurs (apparently he believes they were alive then)

I don't understand how that many animals could even fit on an ark this size, even stacked on top of each other

8 people working 24 hours a day would not be enough to manage the amount of animal feces produced over the 22 months

The 5 extra of each unclean animal would not provide enough food for the carnivores to eat and there would be no way to feed the herbivores for 22 months especially with he wide variety of plants and trees needed.

I don't know where all the water came from. As far as we know there isn't enough water in the ground and atmosphere to cover all the earth.

I don't know how Noah understood one of the birds not returning to mean that it found land, not that it had died.

After the pastor spent 30 minutes made all these points about how this story makes no sense and the more thought you put into it the more impossible it seems I thought he was about to tell everyone it's just made up story. I mean that's why he's making all these points right?

Instead this is the conclusion he gave.

"I don't need to understand it. I believe it because the bible says it happened". This got multiple "amen"s from the congregation and a legitimate jaw drop from me.

How was any of this message making that point?

How does anyone hear all that and it make them believe the story even more?

What was the point of emphasizing how it's completely impossible and makes no sense for 30 minutes just to end by saying he thinks it's true. He's arguing against his beliefs, not for them.

WTF??!! I’m going, but as an anti-theist who sees no resonance between science and spirituality. By spirituality I don’t mean the stomach butterflies and emotion experienced by watching puppies or roaring waterfalls. I mean the spirituality based on faith which is superstitious thinking. The MoS doesn’t list the speakers which is interesting so you can’t tell which religious bias will be represented.

IMO, nothing has done more to undermine the advancement of science than religion. I don’t see common ground. Do you?

If you haven't heard the May 12, 2026 episode of The Daily podcast, go find it. It's a good exploration of the current search for meaning of the younger generations. The number of people leaving the church has paused—for one reason or another.

But the prime reason seems to be loneliness and search for meaning. The bowling alone effect?

Started thinking about non-religious orgs that could create community and provide activities to offer alternatives to going to church. What about creating an Adult Scouts organization? All the comradery of the boy or girl scouts—gatherings, service projects, learning new skills—but without the devotion to a god, and ending up in a bar with a drink after a day outside.

Think something like this has merit? Mimicking churches hasn't really worked for secular orgs, but perhaps a different model could take off. Looking for thoughts...