Apparently, Atheists Don’t Have Rights
April 8, 2008
Studies show that many Americans believe that atheists - those who do not believe in, or question the existence of God - don’t share American values. Former President George H.W. Bush once told a reporter, “I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.”
With all this vitriol against Atheism, it’s hardly surprising that Illinois state representative Monique Davis (D-Chicago) said this to an atheist testifying before her committee last week:
This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where people believe in protecting their children.… What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous…
It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! …
You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.
If this were a black man, or a Jew, or even a gay person in the hot seat, the American people would erupt in furious protest. But because the person in question is an atheist, the incident hasn’t received much attention outside of Illinois.
Democracies are there to project the minority as well as the majority. Since when is it acceptable to treat someone this way because of what they believe?
“And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!”
I think that says it all right there. If the beliefs they are teaching their children are so tenuous that they can’t withstand mere EXPOSURE to another to another worldview, that says a lot more about their beliefs than the ones they are so afraid of.
!!!!!!!! Im speechless. And angry. Im going to look at the puppies video again….
Democracies are there to project the minority as well as the majority. Since when is it acceptable to treat someone this way because of what they believe?
Or more precisely, “don’t believe”.
If all the atheists left this country it would leave a gaping hole to be filled by a lot of people who don’t know or understand science and engineering, or any number of other disciplines the god fearing population depends on.
Thank you for helping to promote this important story. Rep. Davis needs to resign. It is people like her who make it so difficult for some of us to be “out” about our atheism.
[...] We live in a time when atheists face discrimination while serving in the military and are told at home that they don’t share ‘real’ American values. [...]