House of Eratosthenes

Atheists brought their own seasonal message to Olympia on Monday, saying the religious beliefs that underpin the holidays are superstitions that lead to conflict.

“We can’t solve the world’s problems by getting rid of religion, but it would go a long way,” said Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

The sign his group erected in the Capitol rotunda is the second such capitol display in the nation, he said. The other is in Madison, Wis., where the foundation is based.

The sign says there is no god or heaven, only the natural world. It also criticizes religion, saying it “hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

Isn’t that funny? You talk about how religion motivates people to do nice things, like donate to charity, offer a home to those who need one, put food in the bellies of poor people who wouldn’t be able to come by it any other way — you have to put in a disclaimer that not all atheists are dicks. And true, some aren’t. But the point is, you have to have that disclaimer. Even on a blog.

On the other hand, if you want to talk about religious people being a bunch of nose-picking rubes, you can just leave it at that. Even under a state’s capitol dome.

A depiction of the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, also was installed Monday just a few feet from the foundation’s sign. And workers set up a 30-foot noble fir tree that will be decorated and lit in a public ceremony Friday.

Those other displays might lead some to think that Washington is a Christian institution, Barker said. “Us being here underscores this is not a Christian state. It’s a secular state, where Christians are welcome.”

Based on what, Mr. Barker? And what’s your definition of “welcome”?

Let me see if I can paraphrase this for you…

“Welcome to our proud, secular state, you hard-hearted, enslaved-minded Christians with your religion that hardens your hearts and enslaves your minds. Please accept this liberty to indulge your pea-brained religion within our secular borders, as a gift, to you, from us, your more big-hearded large-minded secular overlords.”

Like that?

Lois Walker of Shelton, who died last month, requested the foundation sign after a local real estate agent set up the nativity for the first time last year.

That nativity was inspired by the installation of a menorah, symbolizing the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, in December 2006. There is no menorah display this year.

“I’m not very fond of all the competition to set up religious displays on state property,” said Bette Chambers of Lacey, who attended Monday’s dedication.

Bette Chambers is the only one so far, in this fracas, with whom I agree. This is sick.

A member of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, she pointed to the recent terrorist attacks in India, which Indian authorities believe were carried out by Islamist extremists.

“Religion is fine, as long as it’s not too fiercely believed in,” Chambers said.

Oh, scratch that. The woman’s a coward. What else would you call it…she cites violence committed by crazed Islamic extremist thugs, and uses it to put a damper on this other religion, the one that has something to do with that guy who was nailed to a tree. The religion of people she knows won’t come after her and cut off her head.

The nearby nativity was installed without fanfare early Monday, with a sign explaining that the birth of Jesus, believed to be the son of God by Christians, is celebrated around the world.

The tree is a project of the Association of Washington Businesses. Originally called a Christmas tree, the group named it the “Capitol Holiday Kids Tree” to be more inclusive of non-Christian families, according to executive director Don Brunell.

People in northern countries long have recognized the shortest day of the year — Dec. 21 this year — with festivals, said Barker of the foundation. “We nonbelievers are happy to welcome Christians to the celebration of this time of year.”

The group also set up a billboard in downtown Olympia reading “Reason’s Greetings.”

Aren’t we forgetting something?

If this hostile, snotty atheist message is to be allowed into the capitol, so that Christians can have their faith ridiculed just a few paces away from where this “capitol holiday kids’ tree” is to be erected, and the concern is some sort of fairness-doctrine equal-time, why…that must mean atheism is a religion.

Now, waitaminnit. That isn’t true of the decent atheists I know. The ones that aren’t dicks. They just want to be included-out of something. They’re simply looking in from the outside at a vision of the cosmos, with which they choose not to participate because that isn’t how they see it.

You know the old cliche — atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color.

According to that, we have nothing to worry about a secular “religion” being enshrined as the official state creed. Because it isn’t one. It’s an opting-out.

Well if that’s the case, there would be no need for equal-time or rebuttal, because there would be no religion demanding this equal-time. You can opt out of the Christian religion or any other religion; you can, just as easily, opt out of staring at these displays in the capitol.

So a truly secular form of atheism has no need for equal representation, equal expression, or anything of the like. It need not concern itself for how the li’l darlings of the next generation are indoctrinated or are not indoctrinated.

It could use reason to convince the next generation of how true it is. Or not. It could remain blithely unconcerned about who does or does not believe in it. It isn’t a religion, after all.

Unless it is.

I’m not sure which one is the case. Seems to me the folks who are responsible for putting up this sign — aside from being just plain nasty — are trying to have their cake and eat it too. If it’s all about reason and not religion, there’s no need to put up such a sign; nothing to be gained from it. In fact, I would add, no legitimate beef for insisting upon it. If it is a religion, on the other hand, then it’s a matter of great concern that one of its bishops is insisting that Washington State belongs to his order. How many Washington State citizens had no idea of such a thing? Beware, Washington State people, there’s a bunch of religious zealots trying to put you under the iron fist of a theocracy!

Also, if this kind of atheism is an actual religion, and we’re taking these extreme measures to ensure fairness across all these different religions, shouldn’t it be evaluated like any other? What if the Christians, instead of simply putting up their holiday tree, put up a sign criticizing all the things that are wrong with Judaism? Oh wait, I got another one! What if the Christians and Jews got together and put up a sign that said “all Muslims aren’t terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims”?

What that be of the proper civility and decorum to put in a state capitol? Would that lay the groundwork for everyone to get along with everybody else?

Because this atheist-sign seems, to me, to be on par with that. There’s not too much difference between saying the other-guy’s-religion can motivate you to become a terrorist, versus saying it’ll motivate you to have a small heart or a weak mind.

I think we’ve got a “Joshua” situation here: A strange game, it seems the only way to win is not to play. Or more like a Momma situation. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

You know, I think if we apply that standard equally across all these “religions,” we just might possibly have a happy “holiday.”

Merry Christmas.

Here’s what I’ve always wanted to know – if there really is no God, why the burning, pressing need to say so? Why the need to “get the message out?” Seems to be on a par with Holocaust-denial…a huge conference in Tehran a few years ago just to say that the Nazis murdering Jews by the millions is a big fabrication?

My other question is this – why weren’t “Christmas trees,” nativity scenes, and other overtly-Christian displays on public property a big deal a couple generations back? Have you noticed that the ACLU often files a lawsuit to take down some cross that has stood where it is for more than fifty years? Why was it OK and in perfect harmony with the US Constitution then, but not today?

If you’d complained about a nativity scene at City Hall back in the 1940’s, people would have looked at you like you were from Mars. As they’d look at you today if you complained in any country that is non-Western culturally but still majority Christian (any number of Third-World countries in Africa or South America). And rightly so.

Spare me the righteous indignation about how Christians cram their faith down everyone else’s throats and that the message needs to be “countered” somehow. Hogwash.
- cylarz | 12/09/2008 @ 22:14
You get to say your piece, your enemy gets to say his piece. That’s democracy.
- mythusmage | 12/09/2008 @ 23:03
You get to say your piece, your enemy gets to say his piece. That’s democracy.

Actually, no. It’s looking more and more like my enemy gets to say his piece, while I get gagged by some judge.

Besides, Morgan’s entire point was that atheism, by definition, has no piece to say. It simply denies that which is said by others and adds nothing of its own. There’s absolutely no purpose in some atheist group (what binds these people together exactly?) putting a sign like this next to a nativity scene.

Or….are you saying that atheism is now a religion…in fact, the new religion of the state?
- cylarz | 12/10/2008 @ 02:45

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Recent

Items of Interest

Monthly Archives

What They Say

Links

My Heart is Hardened, My Mind EnslavedTuesday, December 9th, 2008

My Heart is Hardened, My Mind Enslaved
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008