Atheists to Protest National Day of Prayer in Middletown, CT on May 3

AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 25, 2012

For more information, please contact:
Dave Silverman, President, 732-648-9333 [email protected]
Blair Scott, Communications Director 256-701-6265 [email protected]
Dennis Paul Himes, Connecticut State Director, 860-454-8301 [email protected] cookhimes.us/aact

ATHEIST CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP TO PROTEST PRAYERS AT MIDDLETOWN TOWN HALL

On Thursday, May 3, 2012, at 12:00 noon, a National Day of Prayer gathering will be held at the Middletown Town Hall in Middletown, Connecticut. The event will be attended by Mayor Daniel Drew in his official capacity. American Atheists, a national atheist civil rights and first amendment public policy organization dedicated to the total separation of church and state, will be protesting the event.

Dennis Paul Himes, Connecticut State Director for American Atheists, said, "Encouraging bad habits is a dubious activity for a town government in any circumstance, but when those bad habits are of a religious nature, it's not merely a bad idea, it's an unconstitutional one.”

Mr. Himes continued, “By endorsing a religious act, the town of Middletown is dismissing the thousands of Atheists among its citizens and defiantly rejecting one of the fundamental principles of American democracy. We will be there to make it clear that such defiance is unacceptable to those who understand that our constitutional right to freedom from religion is one of the key pillars of American liberty."

Blair Scott, Communications Director for American Atheists, noted, “Citizens have the right to pray, and so do government officials, but that is not what is happening in Middletown. A government official is using his office to directly endorse, facilitate and promote religion. It would seem that Mayor Drew has not only forgotten the First Amendment of the US Constitution, but also Article 7 of his own state constitution.”

Dave Silverman, President of American Atheists, stated, “We encourage our fellow atheists and supporters of the separation of church and state to join Mr. Himes in protesting this egregious violation of church and state. We must stand up against the government when it attempts to prop up religion in violation of the federal constitution and state constitutions.”

AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a non-profit 501(c)3 national organization that defends civil rights of Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church-mosque-temple and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.

American Atheists, Inc.
P.O. Box 158
Cranford, N.J. 07016
Tel: (908) 276-7300
Fax: (908) 276-7402