Author Archive: Tom Cara
Tom, who has been a life member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation since 2010, began coordinating efforts for a Chicago area chapter of FFRF in April, 2012. He is a declared atheist whose religious skepticism began during his high school years in the mid-1970's. He is married with two grown children and has worked professionally as an advertising media planner/buyer since 1985 in both the consumer and business-to-business markets. Additionally, Tom has been active with several non-profit organizations/groups, including the Park Ridge Healthy Community Partnership, the Maine (Township, IL) Community Youth Assistance Foundation (MCYAF), as well as working with the “Teens Against Tobacco Use” program of the American Lung Association.
Freedom From Religion Foundation National Convention – 2016
The 39th Annual Freedom From Religion Foundation National Convention will take place Oct. 7th – 9th in Pittsburgh, PA. This year’s line-up of speakers is outstanding, and will include physicist Lawrence Krauss, evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne, philosopher (and one of the “Four Horsemen of New Atheism”) Daniel Dennett and author Susan Jacoby. The convention will […]
FFRF Calls for State/Church Separation in Chicago’s Daley Center Plaza
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its Metropolitan Chicago Chapter have put on display once again a counter to a Catholic “prayer shrine” erected each year in Daley Center Plaza. The religious shrine features a nine foot laser print of Jesus Christ, and a 20 foot Latin cross for the Christian “holy week,” as well […]
2015 Secular Holiday Displays Counter Intrusive Religious Images at Daley Center Plaza in Chicago and North School Park in Arlington Heights
The FFRF Dawkins Scarlet “A” sign is festively glowing in both Daley Center Plaza in Chicago and North School Park in Arlington Heights again this year to offer representation for the rapidly growing non-religious community during this holiday season. Also in Daley Plaza, the FFRF Metropolitan Chicago Chapter has erected its “Founding Fathers Nativity” banner […]
Shelley Segal in Concert! Hosted by the FFRFMCC
Shelley Segal is an artist, activist and explicit storyteller who uses her music not only to express the way she sees the world, but to create the world she wants to see. Desirous of all expressions, she flirts with elements of jazz, folk, pop, blues, reggae and electronica, imparting a pure joy about music and […]
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker Coming to Chicago!
Chicago freethinkers will be treated to a visit from FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. Dan will be in town to promote his new book, “Life Driven Purpose: How an Atheist Finds Meaning.” Come and hear Dan speak at the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago at 10:30am on Sunday, October 25th, 2015. For more information regarding Dan’s […]
Wave 3 of the Chicago FFRF “Out-of-the-Closet” Billboard Campaign Is Now Appearing in Chicago!
The final seven of 21 total billboards created by the FFRFMCC featuring area freethinkers encouraging other non-theists to be more open about their non-belief were erected for another 4-week flight beginning March 4th, 2015 in locations around the north side of Chicago. The campaign began on December 15th, 2014 with eleven individual billboards scheduled for […]
FFRF and the FFRFMCC Launch “Out-of-the-Closet” Billboard Campaign in Chicago!
Local freethinkers from the Chicago area are now being featured in a billboard campaign encouraging other non-theists to more open about their non-belief, and those of moderate religious faith to think more critically about irrational superstitious belief. The campaign began on December 15th, 2014 with eleven billboards running for a 4-week cycle, and featuring advertisements […]
Atheist Churches? A Good Idea–But a Better Name Might be in Order
Submitted by: Tom Cara, President, FFRF Metropolitan Chicago Chapter Copyright: October 8, 2014 The first time I heard the words “Atheist church,” my first reaction was: “Ugh! Why would any atheist want to be associated with that word?” But as critical thinkers, we should never automatically discard an idea simply because it generates a bad […]
FFRFMCC Non-Theist Holiday Displays Erected Again in the Chicago Area!
Once again this year, the non-religious have a voice in the Chicago area countering the religious symbolism widely present on public property during the month of December. On Monday, November 24th, 2014, the FFRFMCC erected their 8 1/2′ high illuminated Dawkins’ Scarlet “A” sign in Chicago’s Daley Center Plaza. Next to that are back-to-back 2 […]
Parsonage Exemption Ruling Now Under Appeal
In one of three FFRF lawsuits against the IRS challenging religious preferential treatment by the federal government, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled on November 22nd, 2013 that the 1954 housing credit allowance given to “ministers of the gospel” is unconstitutional. Under the current provision, ministers of religious faith may use an untaxed portion of […]
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