A few years ago, a group called American Atheists reportedly yelled and screamed that the Ten Commandments were erected by a private group at the Bradford Count courthouse.
The court respectfully refused to remove it so the atheists yelled and screamed some more because, well, that’s what atheists do. Eventually, there were told they’d be allowed to put up their own monument to atheism if they’d like.
So the atheists decided on a 1,500 lb granite bench, which will be engraved with secularist quotes from figures like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, as well as American Atheists founder Madalyn Murray O’Hair. This bench will be the country’s first monument to atheism.
Good for them. I think it’s a perfect monument for atheists. It says it all. Atheism – it’s where asses go.
June 4, 2013 at 10:04 pm
They have to sit to get the blood to flow into their brains.
June 5, 2013 at 1:07 am
Is atheism the only religion to define itself by what it is NOT?
Sorry. Not religion. Just a group that does everything exactly like a religion, but isn't. In fact, it seems best defined by what it is not considering it thinks the universe began when nothing became something.
June 5, 2013 at 8:55 pm
…just for you!,…;)
… a "ditto", see "second" blog entry!
June 5, 2013 at 1:56 am
Archbold never turns the other cheek!
Whoop!
June 5, 2013 at 2:16 am
Every public square without a Christmas Crib at Christmas is a monument to atheism.
June 5, 2013 at 3:16 am
Mack,
Ha. That was good.
June 5, 2013 at 8:35 am
…beloved peers,
…isn't it strange, that people who "profess" an absence of faith,
…opt to establish an "eternal" stone bench monuement dedicated to "remembering" an atheist, "permanently" for all time?
…the bench, marking a place in history, resting the strange multitude of unkown, careless, wayward, weary m-"asses" of humanity and leaving behind it's garbage and graffiti.
…and most important of all, a special, warm, welcoming site, to offer relief for the occasional passing of man's best friend!
…seeing a real win-win situation here!
June 5, 2013 at 12:46 pm
I realize you are only poking fun, but each of you is misrepresenting the situation. The only way that the city would not be forced to remove the 10 commandments would be if it were to make the area a "public forum", in which any and all monuments would be welcome. American Atheists would have preferred no monuments, but a public forum area is consistent with the first amendment. You may consider the bench (as I do) a monument celebrating the first amendment, rather than as one celebrating nothing.
Proteios1–no. Atheists are a privative group, defined by what they are not, but of course so are hairless men, flightless birds, tea-totallers, and any group that represents the "none of the above" category. (Oddly enough, the recognition of "atheists" creates the strange-bedfellows category of "believers", which is every bit as hodge-podge, containing both you and Muslims, polytheists, new-age spiritualists, thousands of sects of protestantism, and anyone else whose only common characteristic is that they are *not* an atheist.)
Donna M…. that would indeed be a strange monument, but that would not be this one. It does not remember an atheist, permanently for all time. It has some atheist quotes, and it has bible verses on the punishments for violations of the ten commandments. The purpose of the bench is to follow the laws governing public forums, expressing an (not "the") atheist point of view. As it is a public forum, there certainly could be more monuments going up, representing any number of other religious or philosophical views. As it is near a public courthouse, a proliferation of monuments (or none) would be a far more accurate reflection of our melting pot society than just one.
Mary De Voe–http://freethoughtblogs.com/cuttlefish/2012/02/07/an-invisible-statue-of-atheism/
June 5, 2013 at 3:57 pm
at least the bench serves a purpose.
June 5, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Christians fully expect to be able to build statues or post monuments celebrating their religious beliefs in any public area, because that's their "right." They ignore the fact that it actually violates the Constitution to do this, not to mention the whole "graven images" part of those very same 10 Commandments.
But if a non-Christian group (Muslims, nonbelievers, etc.) complains, it's an attack on Christianity by angry screaming hell-bound morons. If a non-Christian group succeeds in preventing Christians from doing something unconstitutional, then Christians insist that they are the minority under siege, despite the fact that they are clearly the majority. Playing the victim is an art-form in Christian circles.
Finally, if a non-Christian group gets the same treatment in some respect, such as putting up a monument in a public square or building a mosque near ground zero, it is met with mockery, anger, and vandalism, as Christians who pride themselves on their charity and love show that they are no better or worse than anyone else.
Live and let live, mates. If a Christian has the right, then so does everyone else, whether they be atheist, Hindu, Muslim, or simply nonreligious. The ironic thing is that if fundamentalist Christian groups weren't constantly trying to legislate their theology or push their religious views into public schools and public venues, atheists, non-Christian groups, and mainstream Christians wouldn't be complaining about them.
June 5, 2013 at 5:09 pm
So, this bench will seat about two people, three if one is a small child.
The last church I was in sat 500 comfortably.
Do you really want to discuss where the asses go?
I have to admit I'm amused by the fear and hatred I'm seeing here. Seriously, is your faith so fragile that merely acknowledging the existence of atheists threatens you?
June 5, 2013 at 7:37 pm
…may I,
…out of charity,
…in professing the absence of,
…the lack of lateral and dimensional thinking of atheists.
…arguing the concept of absence "is" arguing in a vacuum, with no substance, no weight nor gravity! A true void!
Since one can't argue in a vacuum, government in it's incredible stupidity, ignorance and bias, attempts to "balance" the scales, in the paradigm, by giving "artificial" substance, weight and gravity on the behalf of atheists!
This in fact, is government, putting the "proverbial" finger, on the scale "against" people of substanant, weighted belief!
…by the way,
About the woman that bench is dedicated to.
She, her son and granddaughter were "murdered" by a former friend, employee and fellow atheist, because he "coveted" her money and fled with her loot!
…didn't mention it previously, in trying to be circumspect and "prudent" at least once in awhile!
June 6, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Donna M,
rather than take apart the word salad you present as an excuse for a contribution to the conversation, I'll settle for one gripe:
Why the all-blazing volcanic afterworld are you prefacing your paragraphs and lines with triple full stops? It reads as if your stream of consciousness is a dire case of brain flatulence, much like the actual contents of your posts. Please learn to write in whole sentences and concentrate on what you are trying to say, rather than the odd vocabulary you are using.
June 8, 2013 at 9:07 pm
New Atheists really aren't that different from Muslims. They both rely totally on offense, any question to their beliefs involves an insult, they have no logical foundation for morality whatsoever yet cry bloody murder and come in flocks when "wronged".
June 8, 2013 at 9:16 pm
As if we really needed a monument to remind the world that all this group does in the hope to feel superior is criticise others. Nope, intellectualism is in what you put forward, not what you deny. Anyone can deny.
-Inb4 sarcastic (offend to defend) remark.
June 9, 2013 at 3:08 am
LOL!
June 9, 2013 at 8:18 am
@Dcduo
Totally, religion has helped scientific progress and intellectualism immensely throughout the ages. Believers have never persecuted people for challenging scripture and God totally gave us antibiotics and detailed plans for open heart surgery right from the get go. Because religion is all about intellectualism, and God put so much forward for everyone.