I haz a priez!

February 25, 2011 • 10:03 am

The Freedom from Religion Foundation informs me that I haz been selected to receive the “Emperor Has No Clothes Award” at their 2011 convention in Hartford, Connecticut.

Co-run by Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, the FFRF, as you probably know, does lots of good work, especially in the legal realm, enforcing the Constitutional mandate for separation of church and state.  Last year they got a federal judge to declare the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional (I still find that amazing); sadly, the Obama administration has appealed the ruling, and the issue is still in the courts.

The FFRF also does all kinds of outreach, especially on campuses, and runs Freethought Radio, the freethought radio show that’s broadcast nationally (you can hear it every Saturday from 11 am to noon). And the FFRF has more than 16,000 members.

The EHNC award is designed to celebrate “‘plain speaking’ on the shortcomings of religion by public figures”, and comes with some dosh, transportation to the meeting in Hartford this October 7-9 (where I’ll give a 30-minute talk), and, most important, this lovely and LOLzy statue of an emperor en déshabillé:

The statue is made right here in Chicago—by the same people who make the Oscar statue! The only thing it’s lacking is the Kazezian rude Gnu-child, mocking the emperor with shouted forced laughter and morally repugnant incivilities.  Previous recipients include many of my atheist heroes and pals, including Christopher Hitchens, Dan Dennett, Peter Singer, Richard Dawkins, and George Carlin.  I’m immensely honored to be among them.

p.s. Yes, I am aware of the other recipients!

74 thoughts on “I haz a priez!”

  5. Bravo! And well earned. I’ve forgotten where I found the link to your site, back around August last year, about a month after we lost our beloved kitteh to a neurological disease, but I’ve enjoyed the many informed and informing posts by you and others here ever since. And, of course, the many kitteh posts are an added delight.

    Well done!

    Reply

  6. Gratz. Also, does he really have little t-rex arm, or is that just the angle of the photo? Also, I think he should loose the leaf. We’re all pro-science here. We can handle a little anatomy. /pun-splosion

    Reply

    1. You mean “lose”. “Lose the leaf”, not “loose the leaf”, unless you’re wishing a horrible leaf blower incident upon us all.

      Also, I don’t think I can handle “a little anatomy”. I was an English major, and then I became a management consultant, and now I’m doing the best I can, not any of which ever involves anatomy, except rarely, and then there’s champagne.

      Reply

        1. Yes?

          Oh, shucks, then.

          That would not be me.

          But now you are an award winner. There is a line forming somewhere. I wish I was in it.

          Reply

  15. DUDE I CAN’T BELIEVE NO ONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU A STATUE OF A GOLDEN GNU MADE FROM MELTED EARRINGS

    would be so awesome

    Reply

      1. The awesome overwhelmed both my caps lock and my punctuation keys.

        Srsly, I would donate an earring. I don’t have any, but I’d go get one.

        Reply

  17. So maybe thus was your other motive, apart from a desire to live a wretched immoral life and secret hostility against your old man?
    Congratulations! I hope I can make it this year.

    Reply

    2. Now why would they want to needlessly upset their supposedly plebeian readers? Such events should not even be promoted in the public arena.

      Reply

  26. I’d like to offer my congratulations, too. And this seems a good moment to thank you for your brilliant blog. Wise, witty, informative and entertaining. It’s a delight.

    Reply

  29. Well-deserved! And thanks for all the work you did to achieve a prize like this.

    (And a figure of Danish origins, or at least the original story by H.C.A.)

    Reply

  31. Congratulations! I cannot wait to read Rosenau’s post on how the FFRF is wrong confused and silly for giving you the award instead of an intellectual giant like himself.

    Reply

  33. Congratulations, well deserved indeed. I too really enjoy your blog, which covers so many great topics like science, music, cats, and gnus. However, footwear is not my thing so would you consider trading your boots for some golf clubs 🙂

    Reply

  34. I generally dislike knic-knacs, but I’d love to have me some of that naked emperor trophy.

    What, I have to EARN it? Nuts.

    Congratulations to you, sir. This award was never more deserved by its recipient.

    Reply

      1. Quite. Jerry is into evidence based clothing…

        The award couldn’t be better deserved or better timed given the recent Emperor-themed STFU post by what’s her name…

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  42. Well deserved!! Another proud member of FFRF, here. Modern-day heros.

    Maybe if some of us make it to the convention, we could put our screen names on our nametags?

    Reply

  44. I don’t suppose anyone will bother to point out that the constitution does NOT promise the “seperation of church and state.” It simply says that the state will no enforce or promote one belief over another.

    Reply

    1. That’s right! It only counts if the EXACT colloquial wording for the concept is in the Constitution!

      Also the weatherperson never promises it will rain. They simply say it will get wet outside.

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  47. You paraphrased the Establishment Clause, but you didn’t paraphrase the Free Exercise Clause that follows it.

    And you wrote “simply” as if Supreme Court decisions in these matters should be straightforward. One of my favorite things about the US is the Supreme Court having a policy of recording dissenting opinions. What causes dissenting opinions — liberal bias?

    Reply

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