“The Will to Resist”
by Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists
At The Rocky Mountain RAM Jan 30, 2000
Thank-you Chris. Good morning everyone. I am very happy to see all of you here this morning. It's always good to see old friends and new faces. I am delighted to be here in the great state of Utah. I have never been here before and it is about time that I did so.
I want to thank Chris Allen and Richard Andrews as well as all of our volunteers who have done a wonderful job putting this event together.
You might be wondering we came here to Utah? There are a couple of reasons. The board of directors is committed to continuing the practice instituted by my predecessor Jon Murray many years ago, of holding regional meetings of American Atheists around the country. He also made it a practice, when we had chapters of America Atheists, to take the time to travel to every city in America that had one so that he could meet the members and they could meet him. I think that that is very important as well- that I get to meet as many of you as I can and I think that you too will want to meet me as well.
I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about the disappearance of the Murray-O'Hairs. A great deal has been said and written about this. Much of it is innacurate, and plays fast and loose with the facts. Some of it relies on selective facts, while ignoring others, so that certain people can try for their fifteen minutes of fame in the media or advance their own pet theories.
As always, we will continue to print the facts about the disappearance in our newsletter, as they become known. We think that it is our obligation to first make any statement or release information directly to our members. Because of the time delay, it may not be "hot off the press," but we try to separate fact from fiction or speculation. We also hope to soon have a section on our web site devoted to providing you with all of the most accurate information on the disappearance going back to 1995.
You should also know that I have been working closely with the IRS-CID, (Criminal Investigations Division) and the FBI to provide them with the information we know about some of the background and circumstances of this case.
Two individuals, David Waters and Gary Karr have been linked to the disappearance. Working together witht the resources of the IRS and the FBI, hopefully we will solve the mystery of happened to the Murray-O'Hairs.
There has been a lot of irresponsible speculation about the Murray-O'Hairs. So far, none of the facts - and I'd like to underscore that word, FACTS - points to any of the theories that suggest that the Murray-O'Hairs, after three decades of working for Atheism and the separation of state and church, had plans to leave the country in 1995 with the organization's money to avoid anything, run from anything, hide any possible deterioration of the health of Madalyn O'Hair, or to simply "get away from it all."
The investigation is not moving in this direction either. Instead, there is a great deal of documented evidence which the authorities have acquired on some of the principles named in the case, and this evidence is far more substantial than anything that any newspaper reporter anywhere has.
It would be improper for me to say much more about this, and I am naturally limited in what I can say, because I am going to be asked to testify in the upcoming trial of David Waters and because this is an ongoing investigation.
I just want to say something else, though, about the disappearance and this concerns some of the things that some - not all- Atheists have said.
Not everyone agreed with or like the Murray-O'Hairs. It is a shame though, that this unfortunate disappearance served, for some, as an excuse to think the worst of them, vent their personal feelings and in the process make irresponsible and unfounded charges. I'm talking about those individuals, groups and publications which made a "rush to judgement," and accused the Murray-O'Hairs and American Atheists of everything from deliberate fraud, to lying and to embezzlement of money.
Atheists are supposed to be critical thinkers. We tell people that they should make judgements and live their lives on the basis of facts, not biases and speculation. I think that the Murray-O'Hair case suggests that some people have to clean up their own act; maybe these same folks who smeared the name of Madalyn-O'Hair and her family have some self-examination to do, and perhaps owe everyone a belated apology.
I will continue to work with the appropriate authorities in hopes of bringing this case to a conclusion, and again, we will continue to report the facts - not the gossip or hearsay - as it becomes known.
ACTIVISM
The title of my speech today is "The Will To Resist." I want to talk to you today about resistance and activism. Of all the places in American where one would think that Atheists would have cause to organize large scale activism, it would be in a place called "Mormon" country. Just the idea that one's home state would be called "Mormon" country should be enough to motivate even the most recalcitrant Atheist to do something and become actively involved in the cause of state-church separation. But unfortunately, I don't see that here and I hope that after today, that will change.
HISTORY
For those of you who don't know it Chris Allen and Richard Andrews, have been the two most committed and outspoken Atheists in this state over the last twenty years. Let me give you a little history of the Utah Chapter of American Atheists as reported in the January 1980 issue of the American Atheist Magazine.
"It was in mid-December, 1978 that the American Atheist Center first received a telephone call from Richard Andrews. His voice was clear and crisp - incisive. He wanted to know the local address of the Utah Chapter. American Atheists had one of its first chapters in Salt Lake City headed up by Irv Sax, and his young wife, Valoie. The chapter had encouraged, as had the national office, both Ethel Hale and Paul Wharton to challenge the interlocking network of media ownership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - the Mormons. But, in those past days, the struggle was still so crucial for survival that the monetary support that was necessary for Ethel and Paul could not be given. That assault on the church, which proved to be highly successful, had been started by a letter written to the Federal Communications Commission by Ethel and Paul on August 10, 1968 to challenge thei broadcast license renewal.
The complaint finally broadened into a full fledged court fight - with Ethel and Paul going it alone. The United Stated Court of Appeals handed down a final decision on February 16, 1970 and this decision, on appeal, brought a regulation from the F.C.C. which prohibits concentration of media ownership. The actual regulation was promulgated on March 27, 1970 and as reported by the Wall Street Journal, prohibited anyone from acquiring more than one full-time broadcasting station in a single community. It was not only a victory against religion, but against the single overlapping ownership of media by any conglomerate.
Ethel and Paul held the chapter together for a number of years, The group had been in operation from 1967 to 1971, through the F.C.C. victory and then they had not been able to continue it with any measure of success.
Meanwhile, the University of Utah, inexplicably, had subscrsibed to the American Atheists Radio Series and also kept that program on the air, once a week, for seven years.
The chapter persons had been scattered for perhaps seven years by the time Richard Andrews called wanting to get in touch. Jon Murray, Director of the American Atheists Center, took the call and decided on the spot that Utah was going to "go" this time, the enthusiasm of Richard being infectious. Arrangements were begun that evening to see how it could begin again.
The historian of the Utah Chapter, Samantha Porter, reported on the organizing effort as follows: "Monday, March 26, 1979, was a busy day for Salt Lake City. The NBA playoffs were being held there and that night the final game was being played. The Salt Palace would be packed.
"Two blocks away, at the Tri-Arc Travelodge, another event was scheduled. The Salt Lake Tribune Newspaper had informed its readers that morning that Jon Garth Murray was in town to organize a Utah Chapter of American Atheists. No one knew what to expect, least of all Rich Andrews who was responsible for that effort."
The room that had been rented was set up for 30-50 persons. As they poured past the hired guards, who did not have to earn their money that night, the hotel was forced to scramble to come up with double the seats. One hundred and five persons came to that meeting, at least eighty of whom admitted on the spot that they were Atheists. By the end of October the chapter was dealing with over 350 persons. There was suddenly something for everybody to do: business meetings, social meetings, monthly book reviews, garage sales, rallies, a monthly newsletter, a nightly radio call-in program. An Atheist attorney came forward to take on Atheist legal cases at a reduced fee. But the entire activity was topped off by the group having the gall to place a booth in the Utah State Fair during September 6 through the 16. This group then announced that it would host the Eleventh Annual National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, in April 1981. The news was broadcast around the world, in electic shock.
By November, the Chapter had brought Bill Baird, abortion-rights advocate, to the state, and there managed a score or more of television and radio appearances for him as well as speeches with invited audiences. In December, the guest speaker, was Dr. Madalyn O'Hair. Meanwhile, legal suits were being explored and the Mormon church knew that it was being challenged!
At the center of this was the determination and the personality of Rich Andrews. A more unlikely candidate for a gung-ho Atheist Director could not have been chosen if his backgound is any indication. He was reared in Utah and in the Mormon church. He earned an "Individual Award" every year from early childhood. At age 16 he was teaching an adult Genealogy class, attended four years of seminary, advanced in the Aaronic priesthood of the Church to the position of Priest and he stopped there. When it was time to move into the Melchezedek priesthood, he refused. Interested in economics, he picked up an article titled "Am I My Brother's Keeper?," decided that he was not, and left for Weber State College in Ogden. There he became so involved with politics that he became a state chairman for one political party and a campaign manager for one U.S. senate candidate. After a number of years of seeing faces change but everything else staying the same, Rich decided that political life was not for him. "I wanted to contribute something to better mankind and I knew I couldn't do that through politics."
In January of 1987, the Utah Chapter had prevailed in preventing a blanket exemption of all allegedly nonprofit hospitals in the state. In Utah (and in many other states), various hospitals registered as nonprofit give very little charity care, but make a lot of money - which is then consumed internally. Often such hospitals are affiliated with organized religions. In late 1986, Utah's profitable hospitals sought a constitutional amendment to Utah's consitution titled Proposition 1, to ensure that all hospitals registered as nonprofit would not be taxed regardless of the amount of charity care which they actually provided. The Utah chapter spearheaded the movement to defeat the amendment and they did it with only $500 and a lot of guts. The American Atheist Magazine reported on the denouement of the opposition's efforts in the January 1987 issue of the magazine. "When it was all over, Proposition 1 had failed by 1,388 votes.
The following day Dan Favatella, an American Atheists member and Prop. 1 opposition worker, gave interviews to two television stations and to the Deseret News newspaper. Favatella called for the Board of Equalization to reexamine all questionable tax exemptions and for the board of trustees of Intermountain Health Care to resign in order to restore public confidence in their hospitals. Not-for-profit hospitals had paid about one quarter of a million dollars for the worst public relations disaster in their history and would now have to pay $10 million in back taxes and possibly $10 million a year thereafter. Hospitals had already made up budgets for 1987 thinking that the public would OK the ad valorem tax exemptions for them.
The Ogden Standard-Examiner hinted broadly that a recount should be had. The Deseret News actually whined editorially, and in a news story stated, "Because of a recent Utah Supreme Court decision, hospitals will have to show they provided charitable services in order to remain tax exempt." The after-election publicity was very conservative. As with the running story, one name was never mentioned, American Atheists. Everyone who is anyone in Salt Lake City knows the very familiar faces of Richard Andrews and Chris Allen. They are both especially well-known to the church. The news identified the UCTTR (Utah Citizens For True Tax Reform) only as "unorganized opposition," "opponents, who had no organization," "a general confusion," "a citizens group" "an ad hoc Salt Lake -based group," "an ad hoc committee" "them", "Proposition 1 protestors", and "a protest group."
Intermountain Health Care, which had wielded great influence by being one of the state's largest advertisers, had lost. News stories, although small, started to appear and slowly the story of one of Utah's greatests election victories trickled out to the general public. It was an amazing story of how citizens who banded together and spent less than $500 had beaten a political machine with a quarter of a million dollars at its disposal. It's a story of doctors who dared speak up against the hospital in which they worked. It's a story of broadcasters who were not afraid to risk revenues from advertisers. It's a story about cooperation between American Atheists and government, business, and citizens groups. It's also the story of how the Utah Chapter of American Atheists stood up against the overhwhelming power of churches and the church-owned hospitals and won. The story is about Dan Favatella, who wanted "to do something" and who engineered the most outstanding election victory Utah has ever seen.
Utah, and the Church of Latter-Day-Saints - the Mormons in their hierarchy - might have been able to wipe out the name "American Atheists" in the media, but they knew at whose hands they suffered a defeat. Even with their power, monopoly, money and spending of $150,000 in an advertising campaign alone, they were not able to defeat American Atheists with $500 and a lot of guts."
Chris Allen has been a member of American Atheists for 28 years! He has been the Director of the Utah group for the past fifteen years. He has been on the board of directors since 1991 and an officer from 1995 to 1998.
In the 1980's Chris joined in the campaign against tax exemptions for church-affiliated "non-profit" hospitals that I just spoke about.
Starting in 1990 he filed four law suits in Utah challenging graduation and city council prayer, winning the city council prayer case at the district level. When the State Legislature tried to amend the constitution to allow city council prayer, he served on the Legislature's "Religious Liberty Committee" in 1992 and fought the amendment, which was also defeated, this time by Utah voters.
In 1994 Chris wrote the ballot argument against Utah Proposition 3, the "NonSectarian Study of Religion Amendment" (a trojan horse for religious indoctrination in public schools), which was also defeated, by Utah voters. He has written articles for the American Atheist Magazine and newsletter and for newspapers in Utah.
He is currently the voice on the Dial-An-Atheist in Utah, and is the coordinator of the "Utah Atheists", an informal group that meets monthly in Salt Lake City.
I would like to see that kind of enthusiam and activism that the Utah Chapter had back again in Utah, and in these other Rocky Mountain states as well. I hope those were not the glory days for American Atheists in Utah. A few people can make a difference.
I know that it is very difficult to not alone get Atheists to become activists, but it is equally difficult to get them to even come out of the closet AS Atheists, so we have a rather small segment of society with which to work and there is so much that needs to be done.
I am not going to enumerate all of the state-church separation issues confronting America, and particularly in Utah, and why we need to be actively involved with them. The other speakers today will more than adequately cover those issues for you. What I want to talk about is the need for Atheist activism for our children's sake.
As a mother of a six year old girl and an eleven year old boy I am particularly concerned with the needs of the next generation of Atheists who are growing up today. I know first hand the difficulties my children experience as Atheists and I know all too well the problems faced by Atheist youth and their parents around the country, from all the mail they send me. I wonder if you know how serious it is for them. I wonder if you know about the Christian fundamentalist assault on our public schools and on our children attending them. The public schools ARE under siege by the Christian fundamentalists and our children are in the middle of the battlefield.
One of the most striking observations from the mail that I receive is that there are so many young people today openly identifying themselves as Atheists. They are very open about their Atheism.
I was moved to think about the plight of these young people after seeing a movie called "Swing Kids". In the late 1930's there was a new movement on the rise among the teenagers of Hamburg, Germany. Its followers refused to join the Nazi Youth Organization - the Hitler Jugend - known as the HJ. They wore their hair long and were obsessed by American movies, British fashion and Swing music. They called themselves Swing Kids.
The movie focuses on how some youth rebelled against the authoritarian regime of the Nazi's and the extent to which they were willing to risk their safety and resist being swallowed by the Nazi system. It shows the ways that the youth were indoctrinated and pressured into accepting the Nazi ideology. There were many advantages and reinforcements to "going along" with the party, and life could be made, at a minimum, miserable for those who did not. If you did not join the Nazi Youth your friends would turn against you. Nazi youth were encouraged to report any anti-Nazi sentiment among friends and family to the Party as well.
These Nazi Youth were taught that they were the greatest race, that they were the chosen people and they were told to carry that thought with them every day.
I was struck by the similarities to Christian Fundamentalist Youth. Every day Christian youth carry that same attitude of superiority with them to the public schools and it is reinforced daily in their churches, rituals, Christian music, books and television programs. This attitude of superiority is so strong that Christian youth are being taught to ignore the civil laws of our country when they interfere with anything that touches on their religion. They are taught to ignore Supreme Court decisions and encouraged to organize prayers in public schools. They are taught to just say the prayers in public venues like football games after they have been admonished by a court not to. They smuggle radios into school football games so they can arrange to have many people turn them up loud when a prayer is being broadcast on them, all in an orchestrated manner. They will ignore any law and they will ignore your rights as a parent not to have your child targeted for proselytization.
Lest you think my analogy between the Hitler Youth and the Christian Youth extreme, let me share the following information with you from The History Place web site. "From 1940 to 1945, over 2.8 million German children were sent to Hitler Youth camps, located mainly in the rural regions of East Prussia, the Warthegau section of Poland, Upper Silesia and Slovakia. There were separate camps for boys and girls. About 5,000 camps were eventually in operation, varying greatly in sizes from the smallest which had 18 children to the largest which held 1,200. Each camp was run by a Nazi approved teacher and a Hitler Youth squad leader. The camps replaced big city grammar schools, most of which were closed due to the bombing. Reluctant parents were forced to send their children away to the camps.
Life inside the boys' camp was harsh, featuring a dreary routine of roll calls, para-military field exercises, hikes, marches, recitation of Nazi slogans and propaganda, along with endless singing of Hitler Youth songs and Nazi anthems. School work was neglected while supreme emphasis was placed on the boys learning to automatically snap-to attention at any tme of the day or night and to obey all orders unconditionally.
This makes me think about the In 1998, New Bethany Baptist Church juvenile detention compound in northern Louisiana run by Reverend Mack W. Ford. Ford has been incarcerating children for 27 years. This Christian Youth compound is eerily reminescent of the Hitler Youth camps. Ford's goal at the camp is to reach the so-called unwanted with the love of God and corporal punishment.
Most parents give Ford power of attorney over their children and leave them there - with no contact with the outside world - for a year or more.
One former incarcerated individual stated that "The children don't have any rights there and former "inmates" have said that you "become programmed."
I have noticed other disturbing similarities to the Hitler Youth as well. I received an e-mail last fall from a young man named Patrick Bigger who wrote concerned with the See You At The Pole gatherings: "If you think that the parents are only forcing their children to go recruiting, you are badly mistaken. I've been subjected to this for 3 years now. and every year the parents get more and more involved distributing t-shirts (makes me want to say brown shirts - like the Nazi youth wore) etc. And the kids get vicious man. When I turned down a girl last year who asked me to go pray at the pole the next day, she had to be restrained. The thing is getting out of hand."
The Nazi Youth were taught that the "Jew was always trying to trick you." Christian youth are taught that satan is trying to trick all of us.
Nazi Youth wore the party uniform as a show of force and as a reinforcement of their indoctrination. It made them feel like they belonged to something. Christian youth wear Jesus t-shirts, and wwjd bracelets, also as a show of force, solidarity and conformity.
In James G. Dwyer's book, RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS V. CHILDREN'S RIGHTS, now available from the American Atheist Press, he relates how "Catholic and Fundamentalist church-run day schools represent theological positions that, to different degrees, sanction an authoritarian and repressive approach to education and the relative isolation of children from the world outside the religious community" (pg. 13)
Their focus is on breaking the individual's independent will. The observed pedagogical approach of teachers and school administrators in these schools reflects a clear hostility to independent , critical thinking on any significant issues and to competing viewpoints. They reject learning strategies that many public schools use, such as emphasis on the reasoning process. 'Rather than expose their students to all sorts of ideas and teach them to analyze their validity and weigh their merits, they prefer to censor the curriculum strictly and protect their children from conflicting, confusing thoughts.' Learning in these Fundamentalist schools is not a search for one's own views; it is acceptance of the word of God and rote memorization of what teachers and textbooks say. Understanding is neither necessary nor valuable. (pg.28)
Simply restricting students' awareness to a single point of view and presenting it as absolutely and universally true can undermine respect for the civil liberties of persons who do not share that view. Such a lack of respect for others and their rights must be even greater where schools also aggresively disparage competing views and persons who hold them, as Fundamentalist schools appear to do. (pg. 33)
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Christian Flag, which students in Fundamentalist schools recite each day, expresses a commitment to "life and liberty for all who BELIEVE." (pg. 33)
Fundamentalist teachers and textbooks present simplistic and negative characterizations of other cultures and belief systems. For example, one textbook suggests that the founder of Islam, Muhammed, was actually the devil, stating that 'while Muhammad used many biblical terms in his teaching, he distorted biblical truth. Satan often uses this tactic to deceive people - he dresses error in the clothes of truth'.
A grammar book asks students to diagram the sentence 'India is a crowded land of heathen people.' ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) materials teach that other religions enslave people so only 'Christians' (by which they mean only fundamentalist Christians) are free. (pg.33)
The two principle targets of Fundamentalist invectives are Catholics and secular humanists (which I am sure includes Atheists). Students are not to form friendships with persons who are not born-again Christians, and dating such persons is strictly taboo.
The kind of government preferred by the Fundamentalist curriculum is a theocracy, or at best a very limited democracy which restrains various activities considered immoral and represses the cultural and religious values of those who are not conservative Protestants. In addition to developing an intolerant disposition, children who receive a Fundamentalist education are also likely to become quite dogmatic and inflexible. Placing God behind one's cause turns causes into crusades. When one's beliefs admit of no uncertainty, one thereby bars debate, bargaining and compromise." By the way, Mr. Dwyer will be a speaker at the 28th American Atheist Convention next April in San Francisco, California.
Mormon youth are indoctinated into the the cult of Mormonism in their missionary program. The New York Times reported that estimates in 1992 were that 40,000 Mormon youth were missionaries worldwide. They work 12 hours a day, six days a week without being allowed to even call home, swim or play full-court basketball (missionaries are considered more prone to injuries playing anything beyond half-court.)
Dating or even standing within arm's length of the opposite sex are banned. They are forbidden from watching television, reading newspapers, or listening to music (other than church-approved cassette tapes.) The controls are so intense that missionaries returning to civilian life are regarded as social cripples.
These youth voluntarily commit to two year stints. Virtually every waking - and sleeping - moment of missionary life is carefully plotted by church officials. They are up by 6:30 am, down by 10:30 pm and have a set program of praying, studying, teaching and door-knocking in between.
This is not only a system of cult group controls that make this dedication possible but a very strong belief in their religion. In 1991, the missionaries in Los Angeles alone added 1,337 people to the local membership roles. And all it takes is the desire and a lot of effort on the part of the Mormon youth.
Across America it is not difficult to see how these fundamentalists ideas have crept into our public schools. It is not student-led. It is instigated by the community church, which in turn is directed by national Christian organizations. Some of them are the Future Christian Athletes, Student Venture and Junior Venture for Junior High students which are part of the Campus Crusade for Christ, Scriptures in School and Campus Outreach For Youth.
Even non-fundamentalist-schooled Christian youth have been taught much of the same narrow, intolerant, and superior-minded attitudes as their private and home-schooled counterparts.
RESISTANCE
Our Atheist youth are trying to be resisters like the Swing Kids. They are trying to resist the pressures of the Christian Party and they don't want to be pressured into keeping their Atheism in the closet in order to feel safe and not be hassled.
I think about this when I read the e-mail from Ted Smith who wrote: "I am starting a forum for next school year called Rational Thought Forum. RTF will "hopefully" resemble the French cafe's of the 18th Century, a place where people can share their intellecutal insights and respect other people.
I live in a very PRO testament town of baptists in south Texas. In the school the "christians" are snobbish. Every non-christian hangs together for fear of the mob. People had a field day when I announced my Atheism around mid-term last year.
Most of the Christians vehemently hate our plan. I tried to form another club last year but we soon discovered that the teens would intentionally steal the tables we had set up during lunch, and the principals would "accidentally" repeatedly loan our room after school to various functions and wouldn't let us use any other rooms.
As you can imagine, my announcement that I was now a heretical apostate basically shook the foundations of every one that knew me personally. My parents kicked me out for a week. My best friend hasn't spoken to me and people constantly ask me why.
A mom from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan writes that her daughters attend Dexter M. Ferry Elementary School.
"My husband and I are still shocked that school moms can establish a Bible Club and direct it on lunch hour. My 5th grade daught tells us that one boy in her class spends recess discussing the club and trying to convince other children why they should attend, My daughter tells us that one boy in her class spends recess discussing the club and trying to convince other children why they should attend. It is such an attraction at this age because they keep discussing the "fun" elements of the program. We dance, we sing, we play games. Such enticing language for k-5 aged children. Additionally, the parents who direct the program hae children at the school, so you create a large amount of pressure."
Jeannetter Hendricks writes to me "My son is a sophomore in high school and is taking World History. The book is so rigged with Christian Right. Does anything matter? I looked at the American flag and thought how could they do this? I know they are traitors. It hurts that they are hurting the kids just for their own gain."
Another reads: "My 5 year old daughter just started school at F.J. Delaine Elementary School, in Wedgefield, South Carolina. She made aware to me, that her teachers told her class to pray before they ate, as they clasped their hands. This is a public school. Is this legal?"
J.F. writes, " What can I do? I'm sitting in my class at Warsaw Community High School ( a public school) in northern Indiana, listening to the morning announcements. After the announcements there is a commercial for "prayer at the pole" Would this be illegal during school? I know they are allowed to pray at the pole as long as its before or after school. But what gets me is if they are late to class they don't get penalized as I would. What should I do? Can you help me and the other uncomfortable people in my school?
Even the teachers are subject to the religious advertising. Gale writes to me that: "I am a secondary teacher at at vocational high school. I was recently requested by the Superintendent, to attend a school board meeting. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance a prayer was given by one of the board members. The prayer was Christian and ended with "in the name of Jesus Christ".
In one school in Michigan they have actually set up a display case of religious items for sale by one of the Christian clubs in the front hall of the school.
In Fourteen of Florida's 67 school districts Bible study courses are given promoting Christianity and involve proselytization.
The conservative religious Family Research Council is promoting the posting of the Ten Commandments in all of the our nation's public schools, in an attempt to send religious messages to those children it cannot reach in church.
A christian e-mail writer informs me that "Don't worry about prayer in schools either, we are winning that war. The majority of my teachers are Christian and put their jobs on the line talking to us privately about God."
These are just some examples of the amount of access and influence that Christians have to our children in the public schools.
Yet, incredibly, the Christian right-wing has convinced our government and the American people that they are a beleaguered lot - whose very right to be religious is under attack, that their rights to free speech and freedom of religion are denied in the public schools. They claim that the 1963 Supreme Court decision of Murray v. Curlett took away their right to pray in school. Of course we know that they have simply ignored Murray v Curlett SINCE 1963, and there is probably more organized prayers now than before Murray v. Curlett.
They so convinced our government of their "plight" that The United States Commission on Civil Rights held a hearing in 1998 on 'Religious Expression in the Public Schools" in an attemt to see what they could do to accomodate the religious needs of students and teachers. I participated in those hearings and I told the commissioners what was really going on in the schools.
For our Atheist youth today it is like being the only black student in a public school in the south in the 1960's. It is like being the only Jew in any school in America in the 1960's. It is like being the only gay student in any public school still today. But the blacks help the blacks. The gays help the gays and you know the Jews are their for their children - and so must we be there for our youth.
They and their parents are in desperate need of help and there is no other organization who can address their concerns like American Atheists can, because many, if not most, of their concerns are directly related to their Atheism. Liberal religious state-church separation groups and other civil rights organizations are not concerned with the peculiar issues affecting Atheists. To them every First Amendment issue becomes a religious liberty issue. More often than not, if you not are willing to call your freedom from religion struggle a fight for religious liberty, then they can't help you.
The other requirement for help from these other organizations is often that you let them find a member of the clergy or a religious person to fight your claim, so as not to be perceived as being "hostile to religion" and to be viewed more favorably by the public and courts.
I don't ever want to have to see Atheists denying or hiding who they are in order to obtain justice in America.
Madalyn O'Hair, who was Madalyn Murray in 1963 and her son William J. Murray, were the plaintiffs in the case of Murray v. Curlett, which removed compulsory bible reading and reverential unison prayer recitation from the homerooms of the public schools. In that case they sued the President and Board of School Commissioners of Baltimore City. Let us not forget that they did something unheard of back then; they declared to the court that they were Atheists and they objected to the organized prayers and bible readings because of their Atheism, not because they were a minority religion and objected to the particular deity being prayed to, they objected because they were Atheists. They said that prayers were irrational and that even if there never was an Establishment Clause to the First Amendment, they still would have sued, because no child should be taught to engage in that kind of ridiculous activity. They, of course, won the case, openly and honestly without calling the issue a religious liberty issue.
So, it seems, we adults have done a good job of passing Atheism on to a new generation but what are we going to do to help them? Do we not owe them the benefits of our knowledge and resources? Are we not obligated to reach down to lift-up those who come behind us? Of course we are.
We do have an obligation upon us, by virtue of the fact that we are free from theism, to ensure that the next generation does not have to fight the same fights.
For our part, American Atheists will announce next month the appointment of David Silverman, the New Jersey State Director to the new position of Youth and Family Director to help advise our youth and their parents on issues of concern to them. He will succeed Charles Terrano in that position. Dave already has a web page linked to the American Atheist web site designed specifically for the Atheist youth and family.
We are also committed to publishing and selling books geared toward our youth and families. We now have for sale a children's book that I just love and which no freethought or Atheist organization has ever had available for young people. It is called THE WINTER SOLSTICE and it is on sale in the book room.
And next month we will publish a book by an Atheist mother named Anne Stone, on rearing Atheist children, called "Living In the Light." Anne will also be speaking at our convention in April.
Our annual convention last year was dedicated to Atheist Youth and Families and most of our speakers addressed the issues facing them today.
The task before us does indeed seem formidable. But you know what they say, "The only causes are lost causes".
There is plenty to do and American Atheists can help you with the nuts and bolts of activism that involve things like organizing demonstrations, writing letters to the editor and getting media coverage.
But beyond the tactical approach is something even more important. Attitude. An attitude of commitment. An attitude that says we will all stand or fall together. That the struggle transcends personalities and personal needs.
I want to bring your attention to a person here today who exemplifies just that kind of attitude. Her attitude is something that I rarely see and I am always humbled by it when I do. Her name is Carol Bachelder (hold up your hand Carol so everyone can see you). Carol lives in Boise, Idaho where there is a 60foot tall, illuminated Christian cross that was once on public property but through an illegal land deal, a small area of land under the cross was sold to the Jaycees. Idaho State Director Susan Harrington will give us an update on the situation later this afternoon.
Well the Idaho Atheists were contemplating a legal challenge to the sham sale of the property and the local Jaycees and the Junior Chamber of Commerce organized a "Cross Walk" in support of the cross and they hoped to have up to 5,000 supporters turn out.
Enter Carol Bachelder who decided to go there to protest against the cross and sham sale of the property under it. Actually, Carol was the ONLY one who had the courage, daring and hutzpah to do it This is part of her report to us on what happened that day.
Her report was titled "How I Became an Atheist Activist and Actually Had a Pretty Good Time."
"Well, the media got what they wanted November 27, 1999. They had been beating the drum for two weeks urging the faithful to turn out for the rally to support the Tablerock Cross. I had hoped Christmas shopping might lessen their numbers, but there they were, 10,000 strong, surging down Capitol Boulevard from the train depot. At the other end of their march was the state capitol building, waiting with speakers and loud speakers. I was also waiting with my hand-made sign--two signs, actually, connected with straps over my shoulders, designed like a sandwich board. Both sides were the same -- a cross in the middle of a circle with a slash across it.
My crosses bore little resemblance to the plain-looking cross on the hill. My crosses were medieval - looking, and they had blood dripping off them. I actually wondered if people would be able to tell what they were, but the Christians were smart enough for that, anyway. Actually, they were quite offended, to my surprise and delight. I had several spirited discussions but fortunately no fist fights. I gave several people a crash course in Atheism that day.
One thing that helped me was that there was a uniformed police officer in the intersection where I walked back and forth. There is an island in the middle of Capitol Boulevard between Idaho and Bannock and another island between Bannock and Jefferson. The island between Bannock and Jefferson is the little plot of ground called Stunenburg Park. I figured the crowd would split for the first island and wouldn't come too much back together before passing on both sides of the second island. I had scoped out this location two days before. I had even figured out where I would park and what time I had to get there. I worked on my sign for two days. I was ready.
Purely by coincidence, at that intersection were three men who looked to be "in charge," and one was a uniformed policeman. I marched back and forth right in their line of vision. The really incredible thing was the huge grin on the face of the policeman. Every time I looked at him he was grinning, sometimes looking at me and sometimes looking at the marchers. Whether the grin was for me or for the marchers I didn't care. I even thought that maybe it was a contrived thing, to lighten the mood a little, because some people really looked as if they might like to take a swipe at me or jostle me just a little. I kept checking his face, but it seemed like a genuine grin, and I felt like I had my very own uniformed guardian angel.
I did get cat calls and numerous comments. I regard situations like this as training opportunities for thinking snappy replies. I got a few boo's, fairly hostile sounding, and to them I said, "I can tell you're a good Christian."
As intense as it was watching thousands of Christians stream by, it got even more intense at the Statehouse steps. The speakers were pandering to the crowd, naturally, and I finally decided to be disruptive. I thought, "Well, as long as I'm here, I might as well make myself heard." I've done a number of protests for animal rights and gun control, and I've put up with a lot of hecklers, but I have never been a heckler myself. So I decided, "Well, other people do it. I'll do it too." Idaho State Lieutenant Governor Butch Otter was saying how the sale of land under the cross was perfectly legal, and I yelled, "But there was only one bidder." Even Christians know that's illegal. Even devout Christians. I was getting dirty looks, but no one hit me, so kept on.
As I left the area carrying my sign, I encountered a small woman in a wheelchair sitting all alone in the middle of the narrow sidewalk. She was decked out with two of the small, handmade wooden crosses so popular at this rally. She had a big grin on her face, but she didn't say anything. I sensed a set-up. I didn't even look around for whoever had put her there. She seemed pleased with all the attention, so I felt I should respond in some way. Faced with the two crosses that had "SAVE THE CROSS" stencilled bodly across them, I said "SAVE..." in a charismatic voice and then dropped my voice and added "..yourself. God won't help you." I didn't wait around for a response.
Anyway, I figured no harm, no foul. They got their 10,000 people, even if they had to bus some of them in, and I got in a few digs. I just hope my digs are enough to help uproot the 60-foot monstrosity known as the Tablerock Cross. "
With more people like Carol Bachelder, I think we could not just move the Tablerock Cross, but we could move mountains. I think that it is remarkable for someone to muster that much courage, and courage of her convictions, to take the time to make her signs and voluntarily put herself right smack in the middle of thousands of her opponents. She knew she would be alone against the masses. She knew she was going to be shouted down. She knew it was dangerous. But she knew she had to DO SOMETHING - she was doing what she knew was right - resisting the attempts by the religious masses to bully everyone into acquiescing to their domination. I applaud her for that.
So I challenge you all to become part of a Resistance Movement. We must resist the onslaught of theology into the government and into our private lives and on our children. As our t-shirts in the book and product room say "No Submission".
These knees will not bend and these heads will NOT bow.
For those of you who are fans of Star Trek the second show, you will recall the Borg characters who say, "You will assimilate. Do not resist". Well, without resistance my friends the Borg, the Nazis and the Christians have won. I say resist and set an example for our children. And who knows, you might, like Carol Bachelder, actually have a pretty good time! Thank-you.
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