America’s most notorious atheist has gained a semblance of immortality if not eternal life with the local reincarnation of a media hoax attributed to her more than 14 years after her murder.

Once again, people are being asked to sign a petition objecting to a request — falsely attributed to Madalyn Murray O’Hair in 1975 — before the Federal Communication Commission to ban religious programming.

O’Hair and the FCC denied, and still deny, any such plan existed.

Even so, a counter-petition campaign inundated the FCC with more mail about this than anything in the agency’s history.

In 1995, O’Hair went missing, with rumors ranging from her absconding with her organization’s money to foul play.

In 2001, the man who murdered and dismembered O’Hair, her younger son and her granddaughter led authorities to their shallow grave on a Texas ranch.

Despite their deaths, the urban legend lives on.

Last fall, this e-mail was sent to some Casper-area residents stating in part: “Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America. They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools! You as a Christian can help!”
…
Petrie had been a victim of this hoax in the past by signing the petition, and she double-checked it at truthorfiction.com., she said.

That Web site states: “No such petition has ever been presented to the FCC by Madalyn Murray O’Hair or her organization of American atheists.”

read more

This is getting absurd.

Not that the hoax resurfaces — that’s not surprising at all. When the religious right has nothing about which to complain, they will often spread lies in order to galvanize the flock against a common enemy, even if the story isn’t true. Like the story said, “It’s a cynical manipulation of honest believers.”

The absurd part is the number of people who believe it without even an ounce of research, and take action against a dead woman and an nonexistent issue.

So for the record, this is a hoax. There is no petition to remove any programming from any TV show, and there never was. In fact, I will go on record as saying that such an activity would be unconstitutional, because religious speech, however moronic it is, is still part of free speech and must not be regulated.

And now a question to our religious friends who believe this crap over an over again. This is a provable lie, told to you by your religious leaders. Does this not diminish the validity of your trust in them? Do you think perhaps they may be wrong/lying about other things as well, for their own betterment?

The preacher never said he was sorry for misleading his flock. I’ll bet they don’t even know.

AMERICAN ATHEISTS will hold its 36th National Convention April 2-4, 2010 (pre-registration plus a special event starts on the evening of Thursday the 1st) in Elizabeth/Newark, NJ — right across the river from The Big Apple, New York! The theme–”BLASPHEMY?–On The Dangers of Privileging Religious Beliefs”–is one that most speakers will touch on in one way or another. As Atheists, we reject all or almost all theistic beliefs all the time, and we stand ready to debate religious vs. irreligious beliefs in any fair forum. But the greatest dangers of religion–to scientific progress, to rational thinking, to democratic governance, politics, and protections for free individuals, to human rights, to educational growth, to peace, and to ethical progress for humanity–come when religion is cloaked with special rights and special protections, when critiquing religious belief is called “blasphemy” or beliefs are held to be “sacred.” Any idea, religious or otherwise, that cannot withstand untrammeled scrutiny in the marketplace of ideas should be rejected without further ado.

We will gather at one of the premier meeting sites on the East Coast — the Newark Liberty Renaissance Hotel near Newark International Airport.
Fly in to Newark, grab your bags, and take the shuttle (available 24/7) to one of the most luxurious convention sites in the area — easily convenient to New York City!

* SPEAKERS: We’ll have a blockbuster line-up! Confirmed so far are:

DAN BARKER, co-president, Freedom From Religion Foundation
CECIL BOTHWELL, Atheist city councilman from Asheville, NC, investigative journalist, author of the Prince of War
ED BUCKNER, president of American Atheists
JOHN R. BUTLER, musician, special guest of the president
SEAN FAIRCLOTH, executive director, Secular Coalition for America
TOM FLYNN, editor of Free Inquiry and executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism
EDWIN F. KAGIN, National Legal Director of American Atheists, author poet, blasphemy king
WENDY KAMINER, author, lawyer and social critic, writes about law, liberty, feminism, religion, and popular culture.
PAUL KURTZ, philosopher, author, founder of the Council for Secular Humanism, Newark native
MARTIN LEWISON, professor of business, wit, former Wall Street executive
MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI, author, philosopher, advocate for science
DARREL RAY, author, psychologist, theorist on religion’s power to infect society
TERRY SANDERSON, president, National Secular Society (United Kingdom)
JEFF SHARLET, author of The Family, original investigator and exposer of the Christian Right’s ongoing attempt to run our government, operate a famous C Street apartment house, etc.
TODD STIEFEL, entrepreneur and freethought leader (member of American Atheists development committee)
EDDIE TABASH, attorney, debater, fierce Atheist advocate
ANDY THOMSON, M.D. psychiatrist; Trustee and CFO of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDFRS); interests include evolutionary psychology, suicide terrorism, and the cognitive neuroscience of religious belief
PORTEOUS WOOD (KEITH), executive director, National Secular Society (United Kingdom)
INDRA ZUNO, linguist born and raised in Mexico. Actor in Mexican theater and TV; now Spanish Court Interpreter for the US District Court and for the Los Angeles Superior Court. Her talk will be offered in both Spanish and English; she will also translate simultaneously one other talk into Spanish.

Register Now! Prices go up in March

OBAMA, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGED TO BOYCOTT THURSDAY PRAYER BREAKFAST

An Atheist public policy group today joined the call for President Obama and key members of the U.S. Congress not to attend Thursday’s 2010 National Prayer Breakfast.

Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists said his group is joining with other organizations in protesting the event hosted by the shadowy “Fellowship Foundation.” According to investigative journalist Jeff Sharlet, author of “The Family: The Secret American Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power,” the Foundation spends nearly $1 million per year staging the prayer event. It also operates the notorious “House on C-Street” which has been linked to a number of political scandals and other alleged improprieties. (Mr. Sharlet will be a speaker at this year’s 36th National Convention of American Atheists.)

“We’re urging President Obama, Sen. Harry Reid, and other key political figures to boycott the event,” said Buckner. “The Family’ is a secret manipulative group that some are describing as a ‘cult’ which tries to conceal its political influence, financial holdings and public policy initiatives. Our President, who has championed transparency and openness in government, should avoid participating and endorsing events staged by this ‘religious lobby.’ ”

Dave Silverman, Vice President and Communications Director for American Atheists, noted that the “Family” is behind a Uganda initiative which would mandate the death penalty for homosexuals.

“The Foundation is behind a mean-spirited, authoritarian political agenda that promotes religious — and specifically Christian supremacy. Our political leaders took an oath to support the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, not a rigid and punitive version of the Old Testament.”

Mr. Silverman added that even if another group sponsored the prayer breakfast, political leaders should be careful about participating in public, sectarian religious events.

“President Obama and members of Congress have every right to be religious,” said Silverman. “But we want them to uphold the First Amendment separation of church and state and avoid the appearance of officially endorsing a particular religion or religion in general.”

This is a topic idea from Dagny3 and it’s a good one. If there’s any group in the military that attracts as much or more crap from the uniformed religious right, it’s the Pagans.  And fair is fair – if the military is going to provide facilities and support for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim service members, than these folks should have access to the same level of support.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35188048/ns/us_new

Kathleen

I think the jury is still out on whether or not the Baptists detained in Haiti under the suspicion of trafficking in children were truly trying only to help or had darker motives. It is clear, however, that religionists are not (and should not be) exempt from conducting themselves in accordance with the laws of the countries in which they choose do their work.  Regardless, I’m sure they had some other motives other than simply saving children – there always seems to be conditions attached to the help religious organizations offer, such as having to participate in the faith practices of those offering their help.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-01-31-haiti-orphan-baptists_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Kathleen