Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
50
American Atheist
A Journal of Atheist News and Thought
1981
NINE DEMANDS-ANOTHER
HUNDRED YEARS?
On January 1 , 1874, Francis Ellingwood Abbot published on the front page of his
weekly paper, The Index, nine demands for separation of state and church. At the
time, the National Reform Association (founded by presbyterians
and episcopalians) was attempting to amend the Constitution of the United States to endorse
christianity officially. Abbot was a leader in a counter movement to propound "a
religion of humanity," guided by reason and offering an organizational "home" to
non-theists.
In a nation predicated upon the political idea of separation of state and church,
we are-incredibly-nowhere
near attaining such separation. Since 1874, in 108
years, only one part of one of these nine demands has been wrested from
government and that by a bitter and protracted legal struggle. In June 1963, in the
case of Murray v. Curlett, reverential bible reading was barred from the public
schools of the nation (see point 4 below) by the Murray-O'Hair family, founders of
the American Atheists organization.
The nine demands are reprinted here to scream out to you, in a continuing way,
that American Atheists can not, dare not, permit another hundred years to pass
without attaining them. These are demands, now, for our times and for our
accomplishing.
!
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!
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
legislatures, in the navy and militia, and in prisons, asylums, and all
other institutions supported by public money shall be discontinued.
We demand that all public appropriations for sectarian educational
and charitable institutions shall cease.
We demand that all religious services now sustained by the government shall be abolished; and especially that the use of the bible in the
public schools, whether ostensibly as a textbook or avowedly as a "
book of religious worship, shall be prohibited.
We demand that the appointment by the President of the United,
States or by the governors of the various states of all religious festivals
and fasts shall wholly cease.
We demand that the judicial oath in the courts and in all other
departments of the government shall be abolished, and that simple
affirmation under the pains and penalties of perjury ~hall be established in its stead.
We demand that all laws directly or indirectly enforcing the observance of sunday as the sabb.ath shall be repealed.
We demand that all laws looking to the enforcement of "christian"
morality shall be abrogated, and that all laws shall be conformed to the
requirements of natural morality, equal rights, and impartial liberty.
We demand that, not only in the constitutions of the United States and
of the several states, but also in the practical administration of the
same, no privilege or advantage shall be conceded to christianity or
any other special religion; that our entire political system shall be
founded and administered on a purely secular basis; and that.
whatever changes shall prove necessary to this end shall be consistently, unflinchingly, and promptly made.
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FRIM'AIRE (December)
NEWS
The 39th International Congress of the
World Union of Freethinkers
11
ARTICLES
The Secular Proofs of The Historicity of Jesus Madalyn O'Hair
Some Thoughts on Evolution - Ian R. Bock
Demonstration Against Asatya Sai Baba in Bombay Yahya A. Lokhandwala
2
4
8
FEATURED COLUMNISTS
The Third Dimension - G. Stanley Brown
What Price Free Speech? - Gerald Tholen
Political Religionism - Ignatz Sahula-Dycke
Far Be It from Me - David L. Kent
Seasonal Schlock - Richard M. Smith
9
20
23
24
25
REGULAR FEATURES
American Atheist Radio Series:
The Solstice Season - Madalyn O'Hair
Poetry
Editor-in-Chief
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Managing Editor
Jon G. Murray
Poetry
Angeline Bennett
Robin Eileen Murray O'Hair
Gerald Tholen
Production Staff
David Kent
Samuel Miller
Richard Richardson
Richard Smith
Gerald Tholen
Gloria Tholen
Librarian
Carol Kent
Non-resident Staff
G. Stanley Brown
Ignatz Sahula-Dycke
Fred Woodworth
27
3
Austin, Texas
PI
Page 1
-Aeschylus, in
547 b.c.
Bound,
1/
Recollections of Santa
In the concrete forest of city square
Under glaring neon light
Stood a tipsy santa with groggy smile
Begging coins for the christian rite
And a young black stared as he ventured
To the crimson grotesque form
With the tilted cap and phony beard
And a flask to keep him warm
near
Gerald Tholen
,.
Frimaire (December)
Austin. Texas
II
11,981
Page 3
r exas
Frnuaire (December)
IV
11.981 )
Page 5
1:1
Page 7
Lokhandwala,
President, I.R.A.; Mr. Manohar Kadam,
Secretary,
Rashtra Seva Dal; and Mr. M. K. Savant,
President, Suvichardharak Mandai, were arrested, removed
to the police station, and honorably released after several
hours.
The next day the Governor invited Mr. Lokhandwala to
Rajbhavan and expressed his deep regrets for the whole
episode and for the misbehavior of his ADC.
Looking Up
G. Stanley Brown
Austin, Texas
II
Page 9
Page 10
UNION MONDIALE
WORLD UNION
WEL TUNION
UNIONE MONDIALE
In
Austin, Texas
JY
Page 11
Egon Haak
'Der Freidenker'
Left to right:
'The Freethinker',
London
magazine, Germany
---"'-.,"'~
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&m.:~
Austin, Texas
Frimaire (December)
11,981
Page 13
Seery. of Information
Robin
Page 14
Giorgio Conforto
addressing Congress.
Secretary,
Swiss Freethinkers
- hosts
to the Congress
Austin. Texas
Finland
Page IS
Conventioneers
Representative
Conventioneers
Page 16
Austin, Texas
,,,:v
Page 17
IV
L'Union Rationaliste
Paris, France
National Secular Society
London, England
Internationaler
Bund der Konfessionslosen
Berlin, Germany
La Raison, La Libre Pensee
Paris, France
Libre Pensee de Geneve
Geneva, Switzerland
Association Suisse des Libres Penseurs
Ruti, Switzerland
Vapaa Ajattelija
Helsinki, Finland
La Ragione
Rome, Italy
C.V.
THE 12TH NATIONAL ANNUAL CONVENTION OF AMERICAN ATHEISTS willbe held at the Rosslyn West park Hotel,
1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, Virginia, on April 9th, 10th, and 11th of 1982 (Easter weekend). The registration fee for the
Convention is $20.00 per person; $35.00 per couple; students and those 65 and over, $10.00. The registration fee is payable in advance to
the American Atheist Center, P.O. Box 2117, Austin, TX 78768-2117, preregistration deadline March 24th, 1982. Accommodations at
the West park are available at the special Convention rate of $45.00 per night for a single, double or triple, plus 9% local tax, or $49.05 per
night total. Reservations must be made directly with the Rosslyn Westpark by deadline of March 26th, 1982. Reservation cards, postage
paid, for the making of your room reservation with the Westpark will be available from the American Atheist Center in January.
The Convention program of events is currently being set up. Final determination of speakers, activities and programs for each day will
be available at a later date. Paid subscribers to this Journal as well as members of American Atheists, the organization, willbe notified in
greater detail about Convention particulars as soon as they become available, via a special mailing.
SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS (chapters announcing celebrations; call your Dial-An-Atheist number for details): TUCSON; 12/20
2:00 pm; (602) 899-7411. BERKELEY; early Dec.; write Box 713, Berkeley, CA 94701. LOS ANGELES; 12/134:00 pm; Bruno's Italian
Ristorante, 3838 Centinela, Mar Vista (West LA); Madalyn O'Hair and Jon Murray present; (213) 460-4326. SAN FRANCISCO;
12/205:30 pm; Rusty Scupper Restaurant, 1800 Montgomery Street (nr Pier 39); $8/person; (415) 974-1750. TAMPA BAY; 12/202:00
pm; home of Patrick Tifer, 113Timberview Dr., Clearwater, FL ATLANTA; 12/207:30 pm; Western Sizzlin' Steakhouse, 3172 Roswell
Rd NE, Buckhead, Atlanta; (404) 329-9809. CHICAGO; 12/21 7:00 pm; "Bula" Bulicek's apartment in Oak Park; potluck, BYOB; (312)
335-4648. DETROIT; 12/125:30; Riviera Family Restaurant, 13400 W. 8 Mile Rd; (313) 721-6630. NEW YORK CITY; 12/23 7:00 pm;
The Humanist Center, 2328 Broadway (betw 84th and 85fh sts) -2d fl,NYC; $6/person; P.O. Box 2935, Grand CentralSta, NYC 10163.
PORTLAND; 12/216:00 pm; home of A W. Adkins, 402 SE 30th St; potluck supper; (503) 287-6461. PITTSBURGH; 12/134:00 pm; ~
Viking Motel, Banksville Rd; (412) 734-0509. NASHVILLE; 12/202:00 pm; First Unitarian Universalist Church Bldg, 1808 Woodmont
Blvd. HOUSTON; 12/12; call chapter phone 664-3114. VIRGINIA STATE PENITENTIARY; 12/2112:30 pm; multi-Purpose room.
Other chapters may later announce celebrations; those with Dial-An-Atheist numbers are: PHOENIX (602) 899-7411. SACRAMENTO (916) 989-3170. DENVER (303) 692-9395. SOUTH FLORIDA (305) 584-8923. LEXINGTON (606) 278-8333. BOSTON
(617) 344-2988. EASTERN MISSOURI (314) 771-8894. NORTHERN NEW JERSEY (201) 777-0766. ALBUQUERQUE (505)
884-7360. UPSTATE NEW YORK (518)346-1479. CHARLOTTE (704) 568-5346. OKLAHOMA (405) 677-4141. RHODE ISLAND
(617) 344-2988. DALLAS (214) 690-5327. SALT LAKE CITY (801) 364-4939. NORTHERN VIRGINIA (703) 370-5255. [703-JOYCLUB). RICHMOND (804) 359-4043. MILWAUKEE (414) 442-9786.
Austin, Texas
Page 19
Nature's Way
Gerald Tholen
Page 20
IV
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Page 21
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is beyond
On Our Way
Ignatz Sahula-Dycke
POLITICAL RELIGIONISM
It could be deemed of no import, and perhaps even
excusable, if it took place in some jungle or backwoods
region, but is almost criminal when millions of people citizens of a known civilized nation - accept it as a veritable
fact, exist in fear of it, and, tremblingly call it god and
worship it. Most of this perplexing situation is due tothe
thoughtlessness
in whose grip struggles every individual
whom due to sloppy tradition this variety of insanity assails.
It's actually a kind of self-abuse!
Consider that every human (no less than every living
organism) is a searcher for freedom and that, in his most
highly developed form, he constantly seeks emancipation
from the kind of intellectual morphinism that the practice of
god-worship
imposed on him. Every human brain, if
uninjured, instinctively craves whatsoever supports its free
inquiry for cogent answers - and especially resents the
brand of intellectual necrosis innate in god-worship which,
on the part of the sundry religions, amounts to nothing
more than the deification of ignorance.
Just because countless numbers of us are nowadays
aware that the above-mentioned
spoil-joy predicament is a
fact, doesn't mean that it will of itelf wilt and die. It continues
to stupefy the newborn as they come along, leaving them,
befuddled and made rationally and emotionally dull by the
preachers who profit from perpetuating
it, to their own
devices when seeking escape from it. They in most cases fail
because this self-abnegating
outlook into which their
hidebound progenitors shunted them has turned within
them into a habit too strong to overcome. Also, many a
believer actually loves the chains the preachers forged for
him, feeling that the heaven promised him after death is
ample recompense for wearing the church-irons while alive.
Right or wrong, others hang on too scared to quit; or,
chewing their religious cud like lowing kine, just stay put.
Now, although in ratio to population growth, the freethinking Atheists have during the past thirty or forty years
been far outstripping the believers, the believers - to avert
utter rout - have forgotten all faith, and have been
resorting to political chicanery. Today, believers of course
outnumber reasoners such as Atheists, though not nearly
as much as any observer might assume from the bombast
the believers have been induced to generate in Congress
and elsewhere on the political front. The politicians readily
lend themselves to this effort, ever aware that no matter
how religiously hysterical any of their constituents might be,
their vote counts just as much as any other kind.
So, as though inflation and no jobs weren't trouble
enough, every reasoning American now must in addition
stand guard against this newly allied contingent of religionistic activists and mountebanks
who, in positions of
Austin, Texas
Page 23
ultimate truth."
Truth has as many facets, all brilliant, as a diamond gem;
and as many colors and hues as a master painter's palette.
Hence - although we can admire the way a particular
savant has in his phrasing shown us that yet another side
exists besides those already made known to us in some
previously composed thesis -- he tells us that it's only
another step in what the mind of a prudent thinker will
discover to be an ever-rising stairway to hoped- for truth.
It is for this reason that I -- when apotheosizing
our
nation's Founders - feel myself to be on solid ground. The
Declaration and the Constitution
with its Bill of Rights
which constitute the solid rock upon which our system of
self- government has developed, is similar to the stairway
the philosopher climbs in his quest for truth. The Founders
wisely - and I believe purposefully --- recognized that they
produced something malleable, and interpretable in divers
ways -- that would serve us in whatsoever straits, always
compatible with the times. It is this quality that nowadays
tempts every religious bounder and Jackanapes to probe it
and try to change it to suit his self serving designs.
It can be confidently assumed that the Constitution
of
Jefferson, Adams, Madison, and Franklin will at times such
as those of the present, and the future as well, he found of d
fibre far tougher than any yet penetrated by backwoods
johnnies of the type who'd wax powerful at the expense of
their fellow-citizens.
FAR BE IT FROM ME
The current put-down of Atheists is to accuse them of
forming a religion of secular humanism. Well, let us see.
Atheists do not have the essential characteristic of religion,
which is belief. in ignorance. Atheists have neither liturgy,
ceremony, ritual, revelation, dogma, ecclesiastics, miracles,
nor deity. The accusation of "religion" is as fishy as the
Susan B. Anthony "in god we trust" one dollar piece.
Obviously so, so what is this accusation designed to do? It is
intended to force Atheists to become passive, to shut up
and behave themselves, to confine themselves to philosophical debate, secular or otherwise, and stand back. No
Atheist who sees the damage caused in society by religion
will be cowed by that accusation.
.
We recently received a letter dealing with this.question, in
which its writer neatly boxed himself in. Here is his letter, in
full:
"Thank you for your information and the free copy of
your news journal. As an atheist I have seen the problems
that religion has caused. That is why I am not going to join
your organization. Tome, being an atheist is much more
than not accepting a deity. To me it represents individuality,
anti- collectivism, and freedom from duties to any organizetion. In the pamphlets you originally sent me you stated that
it was my duty as an atheist to join your group. I do not
recognize such
duty. You stated that I was in fact my
brother's keeper. I am not. Tome, you have simply started
Page 24
Frimaire (December)
The American
Atheist
SEASONAL SCHLOCK
The solstice season is upon us again for the umpteen
millionth year in a row, and this year it looks like the fad for
religious propaganda is the Fraud of Turin (more vulgarly
known as the Shroud of Turin) and hereafter abbreviated
FOT . Indeed, the religionists are getting their meal on a
silver platter. They don't have to do any work. Such
seemingly unlikely apologists for superstition as Science
News, Science 81, and Harper's magazine-not
to mention
your never-too-responsible
local newspaper-are
doing it
for them. Isn't it just a coincidence that all of the fuss over
the FOT is occurring just before the solstice season, just
like the fuss over it earlier this year was made just around
vernal equinox (more vulgarly known as Easter)? The only
Austin. Texas
Richard M. Smith
Page 25
Frimaire (December)
JiI'
11,981
The American
Atheist
"I believe in christmas and in every day that has been set
apart for joy. We in America have too much work and not
enough play. We are too much like the English.
"I think it was Heinrich Heine who said that he thought a
blaspheming Frenchman was a more pleasing object to god
than a praying Englishman. We take our joys too sadly. I
am in favor of all the good free days, the more the better.
"Christmas is a good day to forgive and forget, a good
day to throwaway prejudices and hatreds, a good day to fill
your heart and your house, and the hearts and houses of
others with sunshine."
Would you believe that such a warm christmas sermon
could cause religious people to launch a vicious attack on a
newspaper
for publishing it? Ingersoll used the word
"borrow." He said that christians borrowed the pagan
holiday. I use a stronger word. They stole it. They stole the
most beautiful holiday of man-and
for what?
They claim that this is the birthday of jesus christ . Let's
look at their scholars and their history and see if this is a
fact. You most probably all know of A.T. Robertson, the
late professor of new testament Greek at the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He
had written a standard textbook on the so-called Broadus
Harmony of the Gospels, and it is used in every school of
religion across the land. In this book is summarized all the
findings of religious scholarship in relationship to jesus
christ and,among
other things, the date of his birth.
After a lengthy explanation of whenjesus christ may have
been born, Dr. Robertson sets the date at-hold
on nowthe summer or early fall of the year b.c. 6 or b.c. 5. Did you
hear that? He set the date in the summer or the fall.
Recently the idea of the first week in January has gained
some following. But no one who is a religious scholar any
more accepts or believes December 25th.
One must calculate from the possible death of Herod, or
the appearance of the so-called star in the East, which could
have been a comet recorded by the Chinese or a conjunction of the planets Jupiter' and Saturn. But the Greenwich
Observatory says that the conjunction appearing as a single
star was very unlikely. Or one can judge the "time of the
universal peace," that is the "time of no war" about which
the heavenly host sang. But there was never any stoppage
of war in that time.
One can guess from the so-called ministry of John the
baptist, or the age of jesus upon his entry into the ministry,
or the building of the temple of Herod, or the closing of the
temple of Janus, or the so-called census of Augustus
Caesar. All of these lead the poor theologians in everincreasing directions away from the idea of christmas and
the year "zero" or "one" of our present calendar.
Actually the idea of December 25th is untenable. All the
ancients in christian history had various days for christ's
Frimaire (December)
Austin. Texas
~I
11,981
Page 27
It was the best of all festivals. It was the gayest of all feasts. It
was the warmest and best of all collective human activities.
The christians were no fools. If they permitted the pagan
holiday to continue to exist: it could challenge the basis of
the mournful christian religion, with its great emphasis on
death. First came edicts outlawing the pagan holiday".But
nothing so wildlywonderful and natural as this could ever be
outlawed. And then the solution came: incorporate it into
the christian religion. Oh, it took some time. It took many
years to effect the change. It took much propaganda. It took
many reprisals and sanctions against those who continued
with the old festival. But, eventually the christian religion
won the day. There were changes in calendars, too. When
the Gregorian calendar was changed to the present-day
calendar, Solstice-or christmas-shifted a few days also, so
that December 25th, by our calendar, came officially to be
designated as a christian day.
It took a thousand years, and more, to rob the people of
the earth of this grand holiday and to replace it with a
personalized myth story of a "new god born," a god of a
horrible, punitive, new religion called christianity.
But it is easier now, with mass media. There are many of
you in the listening audience old enough to remember
Armistice Day. That was the day that World War I ended
and it was celebrated for thirty years or more until a second
world war broke out. After we veterans came home from
that second war we found that there was no more Armistice
Day. Instead, there was a Veterans' Day. All the people in
the listening audience tonight who are twenty-five years old
or younger, never even heard of Armistice Day. They only
know Veterans' Day, for that is all that they were ever
taught.
That's how it is with christmas. That is how it was with the
Solstice. Finally, no one ever heard of the Solstice and its
festivities-and everyone came to believe that the christians were celebrating the birthday of christ and that was all ~
that this holiday had ever been.
But bible scholars know better and Atheists'know better,
and we celebrate that old and wonderful and joyous season.
Let me read to you what we have traditionally printed on our
cards for Solstice and the New Year [really both one day].
Joyful and cheerful, with mistletoe and signs of the
season, the greetings are to wish one and all the glad tidings
of a wonderful Winter Solstice season. The legend inside
the card says:
December 25th by the Julian calendar, was the Winter
Solstice. This day, originally regarded by the pagans as the
day of the nativity of the sun, the shortest day of the
year-when the light began its conquering battle against
darkness-was
celebrated universally in all ages of man.
Taken over by the christians as the birthday of their
mythological christ, this ancient holiday, set by motions of
the celestial bodies, survives as a day of rejoicing that good
will and love will have a perpetual rebirth in the minds of
men-even as the sun has a symbolic rebirth yearly.
J$appp
~ol~tict
The American Atheist
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
American Atheists is a non-profit, non-political, cultural activity as will be useful and beneficial to
members of American Atheists and to society as a
educational organization, dedicated to the complete
and absolute separation of state and church. We whole.
accept the explanation of Thomas Jefferson that the
Atheism may be defined as the mental attitude
"First Amendment" to the Constitution of the United which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason
States was meant to create a "wall of separation"
and aims at establishing a lifestyle and ethical outlook
between state and church.
verifiable by experience and the scientific method,
American Atheists are organized to stimulate and independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority
promote freedom of thought and inquiry concerning
and creeds.
religious beliefs, creeds, dogmas, tenets, rituals and
Materialism declares that the cosmos is devoid of
practices; .
immanent conscious purpose; that it is governed by its
. to collect and disseminate information, data own inherent, immutable and impersonal laws; that
and literature on all religions and promote a more there is no supernatural interference in human life;
thorough understanding of them, their origins and that man-finding his resources within himself-can
histories;
,
and must create his own destiny. Materialism restores
to encourage the development and public to man his dignity and his intellectual integrity. It
acceptance of a human ethical system, stressing the teaches that we must prize our lifeon earth and strive
mutual sympathy, understanding and interdependence
always to improve it. It holds that man is capable of
of all people and the corresponding responsibility of creating a social system based on reason and justice.
each individual in relation to society;
Materialism's "faith" is in man and man's ability to
to develop and propagate a culture in which transform the world culture by his own efforts. This is
man is the central figure who alone must be the source
a commitment which is in very essence lifeasserting. It
of strength, progress and ideals for the well-being and . considers the struggle for progress as a moral obligahappiness of humanity;
tion and impossible without noble ideas that inspire
to promote the study of the arts and sciences
man to bold creative works. Materialism holds that
and of all problems affecting the maintenance, per- humankind's potential for good and for an outreach to
petuation and enrichment of human (and other) life; more fulfillingcultural development is, for all practical
to engage in such social, educational, legal and purposes, unlimited.
YOUR CHANCE
TO GIVE GIFT
SUBSCRIPTIONS
THIS SOLSTICE
SEASON
to next year's all new
American Atheist
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