JD Vance’s anti-Trump essay from 10 years ago republished amid US's 250th birthday celebration

Magazine invites readers to judge Vance’s ‘assessment’ of Trump, whom he called ‘cultural heroin’ during first term…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/05/atlantic-republishes-jd-vance-trump-essay

 

Grad student essay contest 2024 — 1st place: Ashley M. Wojcik - Freethought Today

"… By holding Christianity over the rights of not only marginalized communities but our nation as a whole, Christian nationalism perpetuates systemic inequality, destroys our nation's most cherished principles of equality and justice for all, and increases suffering and alienation of many who do not wish to participate or live our lives by that belief system. Therefore, Christian nationalism poses not only a grave threat to our personal freedoms, but to the future of our democracy. There are many of us who have come to grips with the idea that while we love our country, our country does not love us..."

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/free/grad-student-essay-contest-2024-1st-place-ashley-m-wojcik/ 

 

Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) 2022 Student Essays Winners - YouTube

Three of FFRF's student essay winners joined us at FFRF's 2022 National Convention to read their essays. The three winners who joined in us San Antonio are Marcus Brown, Caleb Buell and Ethan Haight.

https://youtu.be/I6OydQnHrg0

Why did women vote for Hitler? Long-forgotten essays hold some answers

The rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party in the 1930s came on the back of votes from millions of ordinary Germans – both men and women. But aside from a few high-profile figures, such as concentration camp guard Irma Grese and “concentration camp murderess” Ilse Koch, little is known about the everyday women who embraced the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, known more commonly as the Nazi Party. What little data we do have on ordinary Nazi women has been largely underused, forgotten or ignored. It has left us with a half-formed understanding of the rise of the Nazi movement, one that is almost exclusively focused on male party members. https://theconversation.com/why-did-women-vote-for-hitler-long-forgotten-essays-hold-some-answers-134481

Thomas W. Jendrock Student Activist Award: Wisconsin student ‘empowered by atheism | Freethought Today

Matthias Chan wrote a blog, narrating his journey to agnostic atheism, after doing classwork at the Center for Religion and Global Citizenry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is also posted at the center’s website.....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-37-no-02-march-2020/thomas-w-jendrock-student-activist-award-wisconsin-student-empowered-by-atheism

First place — Grad student essay contest: Skylar Christensen | Freethought Today

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” This passage at 2 Timothy 3:16 may, at first glance, appear to be benign compared to the homophobia in Leviticus or the sexism in Genesis and elsewhere in the bible. A short examination shows that it could be the most pernicious verse in the bible. This passage and others like it give the bible’s most destructive passages their epistemic authority and their rhetorical force. ....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-09-november-2019/first-place-grad-student-essay-contest-skylar-christensen

Therrin Wilson: Reason, not religion, gave me a path out of poverty | Freethought Today

My mother raised me as a Baptist Christian. We attended bible studies every Thursday and church service every Sunday. Church provided a welcoming environment for us to connect with the wider African American community and I was a devout, young believer. Outside of church, however, my mother and I encountered a barrage of struggles, with chronic homelessness at the top of the list.....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-09-november-2019/therrin-wilson-reason-not-religion-gave-me-a-path-out-of-poverty

Honorable mention — Persons of color essay contest: Jamiah Hawkins | Freethought Today

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/honorable-mention-persons-of-color-essay-contest-jamiah-hawkins

Honorable mention — Persons of color essay contest: Kenneth Gonzalez Santibanez | Freethought Today

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/honorable-mention-persons-of-color-essay-contest-kenneth-gonzalez-santibanez

Seventh place — Persons of color essay contest: George Olea-Romo | Freethought Today

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/seventh-place-persons-of-color-essay-contest-george-olea-romo

Honorable mention — Persons of color essay contest: Raimundo Farmer | Freethought Today

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/honorable-mention-persons-of-color-essay-contest-raimundo-farmer

Honorable mention — Persons of color essay contest: Jessie Garcia | Freethought Today

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/honorable-mention-persons-of-color-essay-contest-jessie-garcia

First place — Persons of color essay contest: Nicole Li | Freethought Today

It took me 15 years to realize that I was being systemically and nonconsensually indoctrinated. A decade of Sunday school had failed to instill a flicker of faith in me, and I began to question the legitimacy and pragmatism of “miracle” stories and weekly bible drills. I was sent to youth group as if it was day care, and was expected to blindly accept the lectured dogma. ....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/first-place-persons-of-color-essay-contest-nicole-li

Ninth place (tie) — Persons of color essay contest: Elisa Nicolini | Freethought Today

Contrary to what religious organizations would have you believe, there is much to gain and little to lose by leaving religion. Many freethinkers, especially in the case of people of color from developing countries (such as myself), are raised in organized religion and are indoctrinated into a mindset that promotes the hatred of the reified “other,” including homosexuals, atheists and individuals belonging to other religions. This mindset is extremely pervasive in the fundamentalist Catholicism that is practiced by my Mexican family.....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/ninth-place-tie-persons-of-color-essay-contest-elisa-nicolini

Tenth place (tie) — Persons of color essay contest: Javohn Dyer | Freethought Today

Life as a Jehovah’s Witness (JW) was unique; lead by the Governing Body, a group of eight men who reside in Bethel, N.Y., JW’s version of Mecca. It’s where they create literature that enables child abuse, supports science denial, shunning and the refusal of blood transfusions, the latter causing thousands of deaths, a fact the organization has hidden through lies and gaslighting. ....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/tenth-place-tie-persons-of-color-essay-contest-javohn-dyer

Paging Dr. God for treatment (Third place — High school essay contest: Shiv Shah | Freethought Today)

Diagnosis: Patient presents with active hemorrhage and hemoptysis.
Treatment: Patient has refused treatment on account of “God will save us.”
Diagnosis: Patient has a circular, third-degree burn with recurring sepsis.
Treatment: Patient has refused treatment on account of “God will save us.” https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-06-august-2019/third-place-high-school-essay-contest-shiv-shah

Waiting for God is simply futile (Fourth place — High school essay contest: Thomas Ballinger | Freethought Today)

“Dear God, please help my husband to stop drinking and be a good father. Help me to be a better wife and protect me and the children from his anger.” The walls in our house are thin. I can hear my mom’s prayer and it makes me so angry! What is wrong with her? ....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-06-august-2019/fourth-place-high-school-essay-contest

Blind faith not a capable guide (Fifth place — High school essay contest: Milo Shields | Freethought Today)

Several years ago, I was tutoring a seventh-grader, Madison, in math, when I came across a strategy that I had never seen before. It wasn’t a formula or an equation, but a belief, one that Madison thought would earn her a higher grade than my advice ever could. When I told her that she should probably skim over the study guide on her own to get ready for her test the next day, she responded, “Nah.” I asked, “Why not?” She replied, “I’ll just pray to God and he’ll make sure that I get a good grade.”....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-06-august-2019/fifth-place-high-school-essay-contest

A prayer a day keeps nothing away (Eighth place — High school essay contest: Samuel Talbott | Freethought Today)

Every year in July, my high school’s marching band meets for two weeks to prepare for the upcoming competition season. Lunch is held on site and each day before we would eat, the band’s elected student chaplain would pray that the food be blessed. One day, however, in the summer before my sophomore year, the band directors forgot about the prayer and sent us to lunch without it. ...
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-06-august-2019/eighth-place-high-school-essay-contest-samuel-talbott

FFRF’s student essay competitions offer $72K | Freethought Today

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is pleased to announce its five 2019 essay competitions for freethinking students, including a brand new one this year for law school students. Total prizes to be awarded will be more than $72,000! This year, FFRF has increased both the number of major prizes and the scholarship amounts. ....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-03-april-2019/ffrfs-student-essay-competitions-offer-72k