Merged American Atheists unveil Atheist Monument on Gov't property in Florida

[Baylor]

Our friends at American Atheists were behind the erection of the Atheist monument in Starke, Florida. It was strategically placed near a 10 commandments monument.

 

[Frozenwolf150]

Nothing beats a strategically placed erection.

 

[Orphia Nay]

Some Christians took it hard.

"We reject outsiders coming to Florida — especially from outside what we refer to as the Bible Belt — and trying to remake us in their own image," said Michael Tubbs, state chairman of the Florida League of the South. "We do feel like it's a stick in the eye to the Christian people of Florida to have these outsiders come down here with their money and their leadership and promote their outside values here."

http://news.yahoo.com/atheists-unveil-fla-monument-near-ten-commandments-195201537.html

 

[Baylor]

Thanks Orphia. I forgot to put the link in the OP.

 

[383LQ4SS]

I like the idea of an Atheist monument...but I would have preferred the monument carried pro-atheism themes instead of lots of references to anti-Christianity etc.

Seems like it could have been done better.

 

[Aepervius]

I am betting it will be defaced in a few days, and destroyed/removed during the night in a few week.

I also liked that quote in the article showing somebody which don't get "it" at all :

The problem is it's not a fairy tale," Hovind said. "We definitely have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

 

[applecorped]

atheist monuments are idiotic

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The How Dare You! Brigade is out in force, I see.

 

[AlBell]

atheist monuments are idiotic

not if any text is Ebonics

 

[Cleon]

A monument to nonexistence. How interesting.

So we have atheist monuments, atheist churches, a campaign for atheist chaplains...If atheism is to religion like baldness is to a hairstyle, some baldies out there must be buying mousse by the truckload.

 

[Lanzy]

I hope I get to see it before it is destroyed by bigots. A monument to free thinking is not idiotic.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The fun thing is this doesn't break the establishment clause, because it's not promoting any religion.

 

[zeggman]

Some Christians took it hard.



http://news.yahoo.com/atheists-unveil-fla-monument-near-ten-commandments-195201537.html

What a worthless reporter. What does the text on the monument say? I care more about that than I do about what Hovind had to say, or who had their picture taken next to it. The drive-by toilet-seat-flinging was mildly interesting, but I don't think it's more important than the statement the monument itself makes.

The pictures at this site are more illuminating.

"An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that deed must be done instead of prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life instead of escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty banished, war eliminated." - Madeline Murray O'Hare

"When religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, 'tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one." - Benjamin Franklin

"It will never be pretended that any person employed in that service [writing the Constitution] had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the inspiration of Heaven." - John Adams

Plus, I understand, the Treaty of Tripoli and some excerpts from the Bible detailing what justice should afflict those who ignore the advice on the Ten Commandment monument.

I think the atheists did a good job on this one.

 

[mijopaalmc]

I hope I get to see it before it is destroyed by bigots. A monument to free thinking is not idiotic.

Atheism≠Free Thinking

The fun thing is this doesn't break the establishment clause, because it's not promoting any religion.

An "atheist" monument on governement property violates the Establsihment Clause from the same reason that a religious monument on government property violates the Establishment Clause: it gives the appearance of government support for a particular stance of religion. If atheists want equality, they should not be trying to insist that their beliefs about religion (which are not necessarily inherently atheist) deserve special treatment over any other beliefs about religion.

 

[Aepervius]

Atheism≠Free Thinking



An "atheist" monument on governement property violates the Establsihment Clause from the same reason that a religious monument on government property violates the Establishment Clause: it gives the appearance of government support for a particular stance of religion. If atheists want equality, they should not be trying to insist that their beliefs about religion (which are not necessarily inherently atheist) deserve special treatment over any other beliefs about religion.

YOu don't know the reason it was put there to begin with , right ?

1) A religious group put a 10 commandment monument there
2) atheist group sued under establishment clause
3) I don't recall if it was the group or the local city or the judge, but it was declared that the zone is a free speech zone and OTHER religion can put their own monument
4) as a result the atheist put their own monument and invited other religion like hinduism , muslim and so forth to put their own monument too

So your answer is fully ironic since it was the whole point of the atheist group to begin with ! ETA: and to make it more explicit for you , the point of the atheist was that the local authority cannot favor a religion (christianity/10 commandment) over the other.

 

[tsig]

Atheism≠Free Thinking



An "atheist" monument on governement property violates the Establsihment Clause from the same reason that a religious monument on government property violates the Establishment Clause: it gives the appearance of government support for a particular stance of religion. If atheists want equality, they should not be trying to insist that their beliefs about religion (which are not necessarily inherently atheist) deserve special treatment over any other beliefs about religion.

Did you miss the fact that this was put up in response to a ten commandments monument?

 

[Mister Earl]

An "atheist" monument on governement property violates the Establsihment Clause from the same reason that a religious monument on government property violates the Establishment Clause: it gives the appearance of government support for a particular stance of religion. If atheists want equality, they should not be trying to insist that their beliefs about religion (which are not necessarily inherently atheist) deserve special treatment over any other beliefs about religion.

So putting an atheist monument next to a ten commandments monument is somehow asking special treatment? How does that work?

 

[Brainster]

"An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that deed must be done instead of prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life instead of escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty banished, war eliminated." - Madeline Murray O'Hare.

About the drivel I'd expect from her. Is she aware of how many hospitals have been built by churches?

This sort of crap is why I don't consider myself an atheist. I prefer non-theist. The difference between an atheist and a non-theist is simply the lack of hostility towards religion and the religious. As I've said in the past, atheism is the least tolerant religion of all.

 

[tsig]

About the drivel I'd expect from her. Is she aware of how many hospitals have been built by churches?

This sort of crap is why I don't consider myself an atheist. I prefer non-theist. The difference between an atheist and a non-theist is simply the lack of hostility towards religion and the religious. As I've said in the past, atheism is the least tolerant religion of all.

She's dead. Why would you let the opinions of a dead woman influence you?

So you are hostile towards atheists and this makes you better than them?


First you want to make atheism a religion then you want to install Mad Madelene as the pope?

 

[Nay_Sayer]

A monument to nonexistence. How interesting.

So we have atheist monuments, atheist churches, a campaign for atheist chaplains...If atheism is to religion like baldness is to a hairstyle, some baldies out there must be buying mousse by the truckload.

Minus of course the dogma's and invisible [insert thing here] to worship.