| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
30 Nov 2006 03:00:17 AM |
| Object: |
In God We Trust--NOT! |
http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/In_God_We_Trust_NOT__3946.html
In God We Trust--NOT!
by Tommi Avicolli Mecca‚ Nov. 27‚ 2006
Michael Newdow just won’t quit. And I for one am damn glad. An avowed
atheist doctor and lawyer, Newdow first became public enemy number one when
he sued to remove “one nation under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. He
won in his second attempt; his first was rejected because he filed on
behalf of a daughter he didn’t have custody of. That second decision is, of
course, being appealed.
Now, Newdow wants to get rid of the words “in God we trust” from our
currency. His lawsuit in federal court in Sacramento was recently condemned
by a bunch of congress members who filed an amicus brief on the side of
keeping God in the paper and coinage we use to pay for everything from
toilet paper to guns.
“While the First Amendment affords atheists complete freedom to
disbelieve,” the brief from the legislators says, “it does not compel the
federal judiciary to redact religious references in every area of public
life in order to suit atheistic sensibilities.”
Separation of church and state is hardly an “atheistic sensibility.” It’s a
cornerstone of our “democracy.” The very word “God” is a product of a
particular brand of church, in this case Christianity. To place it on money
or within the words of a “Pledge of Allegiance” implies an endorsement.
Just like putting “In Coke-a-Cola we trust.” Replace the word “God” with
“Allah” or “Buddha” or “Ra” and you get what I’m talking about. “God” is
not a neutral term for a belief in some higher power. If it is, then we
should make it clearer by stating: “In a higher power we trust.” Or, to be
more PC, “In a god or goddess, whatever or whoever he, she or it is, we
trust.” Of course, we could simply list every deity from every culture on
this planet. That shouldn’t be more than a few thousand. We could always
print their names in point 2 type. We could issue magnifying glasses with
each bill so that people can read them and be inspired by the fact that we
are deity-fearing people.
As an atheist, I don’t want to see anybody’s supreme being listed on my
money, mentioned in the Pledge or even displayed in swaddling clothes in
some life-size manager on public property. Americans are addicted to
religion. It’s everywhere. President George Bush mentions his deity in his
public speeches. People discuss the god-man on TV all the time, arguing
about who really knows what he says and whether he used Word or AppleWorks
to type the Bible. Preachers blame Katrina, tsunamis and other natural
disasters on this guy in the sky, saying that they are his wrath for gay
marriage and abortion. Schools in some places are forced to teach
“creationism” along with evolution. The Kansas State School Board even
nixed the teaching of Darwin’s theories altogether. Next stop: the Earth is
flat.
Michael Newdow is a breath of fresh air. Not that what he’s doing is so
revolutionary. He’s merely reminding us of a fundamental of our
Constitution: That when it comes to matters of the state, there is no God.
It can’t get simpler than that.
Tommi Avicolli Mecca is a radical atheist, southern Italian, working-class,
queer performer, activist and writer.
***************************************************************
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the US and a couple from overseas as well]
***************************************************************
.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
****************************************************************
USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
****************************************************************
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