Atheists for Liberty (AFL) is an advocacy educational organization that aims to defend freedoms for atheists and advocates for the separation of religion and government. AFL seeks to normalize atheism, advance individual liberty, and protect freedom of religion, speech, and thought. ¹

Activities

Atheists for Liberty advocates on behalf of the civil liberties of atheists, claiming they are the largest growing demographic in the U.S., through advocacy, education, and activism. AFL envisions an America where non-religious people are common, accepted, and celebrated. ¹

AFL seeks to normalize atheism, preserve free thinking, safeguard secularism, and advance individual liberty. AFL intends to raise awareness about atheism, defend atheists through advocacy, protect religious freedoms and separate religion from government, and uphold the values set forth by the Founding Fathers. ¹

AFL produces a streaming video series and publishes a newsletter, statements, opinion pieces, and news articles to further its educational mission. ² As part of its outreach, AFL puts on exhibitions at national conferences and conventions, hosts a topical weekly Sunday night discussion for its members, and visits colleges as part of its campus tour program. ³ AFL also has state directors in nine states who support individual rights and the separation of religion and government. ⁴

Funding

Atheists for Liberty is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While AFL does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Conru Foundation ($10,000 in 2020) ⁵ and the American Online Giving Foundation ($5,900 in 2022). ⁶

AFL is also funded by membership support. Membership fees range from $1 to $100 per month. ⁷

Financials

Atheists for Liberty has filed the IRS e-Postcard for tax years 2020 through 2023, claiming less than $50,000 in annual revenue. ⁸

Board of Advisors

David Silverman is the chair of the advisory board of Atheists for Liberty. Silverman is a former president of American Atheists and a former executive director of Atheist Alliance International. ⁹

Jillian Becker is a former director of the Institute for the Study of Terrorism. ⁹

Craig Biddle is editor in chief of The Objective Standard, director of education and programs at the Objective Standard Institute, and executive director of the Prometheus Foundation. ⁹

Peter Boghossian is the director of the National Progress Alliance and a founding faculty member at the University of Austin. ⁹

Melissa Chen is a co-founder and board member of Ideas Beyond Borders, editor at Global Conversations, and a contributing editor at Spectator USA. ⁹

Gary Greenberg is a co-founder of both the New York Libertarian Association and the Libertarian Party of New York, for which he served four terms as chair. ⁹

James Lindsay is a co-founder of New Discourses. Lindsay formerly led the grievance studies affair project. ⁹

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar is the founder of Beyond Borders and a fellow at the Elevate Prize Foundation.  ⁹

Yasmine Mohammed is the founder of Free Hearts Free Minds and an advisor at the AHA Foundation. ⁹

Robert Price is a fellow of the Jesus Seminar, the founding editor of The Journal of Higher Criticism, and the host of The Bible Geek podcast. ⁹

Michael Sherlock is the former executive director of Atheist Alliance International. ⁹

Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and a presidential fellow at Chapman University. Shermer is a former columnist for Scientific American. ⁹

Colin Wright is the founding editor of Reality’s Last Stand, a contributing editor of Quillette magazine, and an academic advisor at the Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine. ⁹

Other members of the advisory board include Russell Blackford, William Irwin, Joseph Ford Cotto, Razib Khan, and Gad Saad. ⁹

Leadership

Thomas Sheedy is the founder and president of Atheists for Liberty and is a member of the advisory council of Atheist Alliance International. ⁹

Cherry Teresa is the vice president at AFL. Teresa is a former contributor to the James Randi Educational Foundation’s Swift Blog and Skeptic Ink Network. ⁹

1. “Mission & Values.” Atheists for Liberty. Accessed July 27, 2024. https://www.atheistsforliberty.org/about-us/mission/.
2. “News.” Atheists for Liberty. Accessed July 28, 2024. https://www.atheistsforliberty.org/category/news/.
3. “Campus Tour.” Atheists for Liberty. Accessed July 28, 2024. https://www.atheistsforliberty.org/campus-tour/.
4. “State Directors.” Atheists for Liberty. Accessed July 28, 2024. https://www.atheistsforliberty.org/about-us/state-directors/.
5. Conru Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2020, Part XV, Line 3.
6. American Online Giving Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Schedule I, Part II.
7. “Become A Member.” Atheists for Liberty. Accessed July 28, 2024. https://www.atheistsforliberty.org/get-involved/become-a-member/.
8. “Atheists for Liberty.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed July 27, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
9. “Board of Advisors.” Atheists for Liberty. Accessed July 28, 2024. https://www.atheistsforliberty.org/about-us/board-of-advisors/.