Just to be clear, I liked Ted Kennedy. As a Massachusetts native, he was my senator for most of my life, a fighter for most of my causes, and the only good reason (in my book) to oppose term limits.

But let’s not talk about his life. Let’s talk about his death, or the horrible moratorium thereafter. Priest after priest, they stepped in front of the cameras (all of the networks carried the services) and preached Catholicism to the US population. It was a huge, long, free commercial. I watched for a while. I was reminded of Columbine and 9/11 when preachers of all ilk used the tragedy to preach to the country and call it ‘news’. Frustrated, I changed the station, only to find it was on ALL the stations. A nationwide Catholic mass, for a man who was very questionably religious.

I am not proposing anything illegal has happened. The man was entitled to whatever service he dictated, and the TV stations are allowed to carry what they wish. I just wish the senator’s death was less about mythology USING his death for publicity, and more about the Senator himself.

“SPACE MISSIONARY” MEMENTO IS INAPPROPRIATE CARGO ON LATEST SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT, SAY ATHEISTS

An Atheist-First Amendment public policy group charged today that NASA is violating the separation of church and state by permitting a “space missionary” memento on the latest Discovery Space Shuttle Mission.

On board the shuttle is a piece of an airplane that crashed in Ecuador in 1956 that carried members of the Missionary Aviation Fellowship. One of the shuttle astronaut contacted the Idaho-based group proposing that the item be taken into space as part of a government-funded exploration project. The event has re-ignited enthusiasm by religious groups for “space missionary” proselytizing.

“This is an inappropriate and unconstitutional use of resources,” charged Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists. NASA is a scientific and exploratory agency that is funded by taxpayers. Its mission should not include religious grandstanding, or efforts to use outer space as a pulpit for religion.”

Coincidentally, Dr. Buckner’s late father, Rev. James C. Buckner of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in League City, Texas, collaborated with Apollo 8 astronaut Cdr. Frank Borman to insert religion on the first lunar orbital mission in 1968. That mission included a Christmas Eve religious service as the spacecraft circled the Moon — and prompted an unsuccessful lawsuit by American Atheists founder Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Ed Buckner stressed that “I loved my father, though I disagreed with him then and of course now. I did not reject my father when I rejected theism nor became an Atheist out of rebellion. I became an Atheist because theism ceased to make any sense to me.”

Dave Silverman, Vice President and Communications Director for American Atheists said that in addition to being inappropriate and illegal, using NASA to promote sectarian religion “could fuel international tensions and resurrect images of American-sponsored proselytizing in the Middle East and elsewhere.”

“This is supposed to be a ‘new era’ for international respect and cooperation,” said Mr. Silverman. How do you think the non-Christian peoples of the world react when they see Americans pushing Christianity even in outer space?”

AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First

More children from the Dove World Outreach Center arrived Tuesday at area public schools with shirts bearing the message “Islam is of the Devil” and were sent home for violation of the school district’s dress code when they declined to change clothes or cover the anti-Muslim statement on their clothing.

Read more

They hate our billboards, even when they say nothing but “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone” and rally against us. Then, they turn their children into walking hate boards and send them to school. Freedom of speech only works for them I guess.

If there are any volunteers out there with some time and money, perhaps you can go to the school and give out free “God is a Myth. Duh.” T-shirts to kids as they enter school.

I am no fan of Islam, but Muslims DO have rights in this country. The DO pay their taxes, and they DO have the right to send their kids to the public schools without being threatened or intimidated. Christians sometimes disgust me.

(Thx What for the link)

ATHEISTS WIN — JUDGE RULES HOMELAND SECURITY PLAQUE CALLING ON “ALMIGHTY GOD” VIOLATES STATE-CHURCH SEPARATION
Will State Squander More Tax Money on Appeal?
Kagin: “I think Thomas Jefferson Would Have Been Pleased”

A circuit court judge ruled today that the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security violated the separation of church and state when it erected a plaque asking “Almighty God” to protect citizens “from acts of war and terrorism,” and included the religious theme in programs and training materials.

Kentucky lawmakers established the office following the faith-based terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A state law mandated that the new department “publicize the findings of the General Assembly stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.” Another statute called upon the Director of the new office to promote the religious message, and prominently display the plaque “at the entrance to the state’s Emergency Operations Center…” The text of the statue declared:

(1) No government by itself can guarantee perfect security from acts of war or terrorism.

(2) The security and well-being of the public depend not just on government, but rest in large measure upon individual citizens of the Commonwealth and their level of understanding, preparation and vigilance.

(3) The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance on Almighty God as set forth in the public speeches and proclamations of American Presidents, including Abraham Lincoln’s historic March 30, 1863 Proclamation urging Americans to pray and fast during one of the most dangerous hours of American history, and the text of President John F. Kennedy’s November 22, 1963, national security speech which concluded: “For as was written long ago: ‘Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.’ ”

American Atheists and plaintiffs challenged the legislature’s action, declaring that the statues violated provisions of both the federal and state constitutions. Attorneys for the Commonwealth mustered several arguments in their effort to defend the plaque and the mission of a state office to proselytize. The Commonwealth also moved to have a summary judgment dismissing the case, but lost both filings. In his 17-page ruling, Judge Wingate rejected claims that the lawmakers use of religion had a secular intent.

“…while the court will generally defer to a legislature’s stated purpose, ‘the secular purpose required, has to be genuine, not a sham, and not merely secondary to a religious objective.”

He added:

“It is clear that the purpose underlying the display of the plaque and the contents of Office of Homeland Security training materials is not to celebrate the historical reasons for our great nation’s survival in the face of terror and war. Its purpose is to declare publicly that the official position of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is that an Almighty God exists and that the function of that God is to protect us from our enemies. Consequently, a reading of the statute’s plain language makes that clear. Effectively, the General Assembly has created an official government position on God.
The recitation of the beliefs of past Presidents does not mask the clear purpose of the statutes.”
Judge’s Opinion
Background of the case

I think it’s a new record. Here we are, in August, a full 4 months before Xmas, and already it’s a topic of discussion.

First off, I’ve seen the first ‘get ready for Xmas’ commercial, courtesy of our friends at Sears. That’s just irritating.

But the big news is that Washington State will not allow private entities to post displays of any kind on public grounds this year. This is a clear reaction to last year’s efforts by the FFRF to post a sign (stolen, then returned), which was accurate but harshly critical of religion. Now, it seems, the good people in Washington realize that the best way to include everyone is to separate church and state, and to keep the grounds clear of religious and philosophical clutter. This is a clear victory for the separation of church and state, and I offer a hearty congrats for the FFRF from me.

Read the article

HEADS UP! We have some bragging to do too. Keep an eye on the blog for news.