Atheist hate-speech in the Washington State Capitol
Apparently the capitol traditionally included a Christmas tree and a nativity scene. There has been all sorts of grumbling about that from the Left in recent years, however, so this year an atheist group was allowed to put up a sign as well. Fair enough.
What is chiefly in contention is the hate-filled content of the atheist group’s sign. They sure will not create much respect for the atheist viewpoint. The sign reads: “Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”
Why insult the vast majority of the population so egregiously? Most people have some religious beliefs even if they don’t go to church. And they are going to be very unimpressed to be told that they have hard hearts and enslaved minds. The atheist group could have put up many other more thoughtful and less insulting messages — such as (say) “If God exists how come nobody can say where he is?” or “If there is a God why does he permit so much suffering?”
Committed Christians do of course have answers to challenges like that but even they do get troubled by such questions at times. And for less religious people, such questions might be decisive.
Clearly, the atheists concerned are just Leftist haters and spewing their hate against Christians is the only thing that really matters to them. They clearly have no interest in “winning friends and influencing people”. But not all atheists are Leftist haters. We read:
“On Friday, some nonbelievers said they had very mixed feelings about the sign. Michael Amini, a University of Washington student and president of the Secular Student Union, says he’s glad to see nonbelievers represented among the Capitol displays. But he doesn’t like the sign’s wording, saying it’s inflammatory and divisive.
“Right now, the atheists are the least trusted minority in the United States,” said Amini, who believes the foundation should spend its time and money trying to show people that atheists are “decent people, rational and sane, with legitimate world views. This sign does not send that message.”
Posted by John Ray. For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS Also, don’t forget your daily roundup of pro-environment but anti-Greenie news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH . Email me (John Ray) here
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Posted by JonJayRay on December 7, 2008 9:11 am
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, Bigotry, Christmas, Church And State, Constitution, News, Representative Government, Secular Humanism, U.S. Constitution, religion
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8 Responses to “Atheist hate-speech in the Washington State Capitol”
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Syndicate Me
I find it amazing that those who don’t have the slightest idea what religion is all about insist they have the answer. Their ignorance of spirituality is displayed for all to see.
If they don’t wish to observe the Christmas holiday, that’s fine with me. But why do they always try to spoil it for those who do.
Dan Barker was a pastor years ago, I am sure he knows what religion is all about. Perhaps you should do some research on the cause he stands for before judgment.
Give me a break!
Hate speech!?
How is this hateful?
“Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”
Hate speech!? It’s not very polite, but it’s hardly hate speech. I can think of hundreds of better phrases to put up that are in support of atheism, but it wasn’t exactly vitriol.
By the way you only posted a quarter of the sign’s message, the entire sign reads:
“At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail.
There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell.
There is only our natural world.
Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”
Another note. The Bible frequently refers to non-believers as having “hardened hearts” and “fools”. Is that hate speech? The Bible is rife with hate speech, genocide, and other atrocities…when will you speak out about that?
As a Christian who lives in Washington state, I must say that I don’t understand all of the uproar. Does anyone seriously believe that a sign posted by an atheist group threatens my faith? If it does, then that faith couldn’t have been much to begin with. On the other hand, the fact that someone sees a need to post such a sign perhaps signals a fear that more and more atheists are coming to believe. Even if that’s not the case, the only way Christians can ever hope to convert atheists is through dialogue. That won’t happen if all we do is yell at them, as Bill O’Reilly seems to be fond of doing.
It certainly is not hate speech. The point is missed by the detractors of the Atheist’s message and one which was well articulated by the governor. Once the state allows one religious view to be displayed on government property you cannot discriminate against other views in the same context.
The clear solution is for the state to remain neutral in regards to religion and not sponsor any one display even if it represents the views of the majority.
Besides Decenber 25 isn’t even the birthaday of Jesus. We are in the end all really celebrating the Winter Solstice which is celebrated in one form or another by almost all cultures of the world. Viva the WINTER SOLSTICE!
It’s not Hate Speech [that concept is PC idiocy] but it is rude, ill-intentioned and, most importantly, useless speech.
I’m a thoroughgoing Atheist myself [including the Socialist and Global Warming cults], but this sign is lunacy, not Reason.
They could have said “Men of Faith and Men of Reason agree that the icy grip of the Longest Night of Winter can be kept at bay by generosity, hospitality and shared hope for a better future. And if it can be effective one night, perhaps it can serve us in other times as well.” That would be a far more effective message than that intolerant, negative claptrap on the sign.
Instead, being standard Lefties, all they could do is show contempt for anyone who dares disagrees with them.