FOX News readers on Facebook started going off after Blair Scott, Communications Director for American Atheists, appeared on America Live with Megyn Kelly. Blair reports that when he returned home from his local FOX station for the interview that his voice mail was full of messages and his inbox had almost 200 hateful messages. “I can always tell when someone from American Atheists is on FOX news, because my Inbox explodes with hate email,” said Blair.

We can talk about the issues about this, but our friend William Hamby has put it well over at the Examiner. In addition, Practical Doubt was able to capture some more as well. Unfortunately, they blacked out the names of the guilty.

Moderators on FOX News’ Facebook page had been trying diligently to delete the violent threats, but not before they were screen-captured by a diligent American Atheists member named Robert Posey.

Here are the screen captures of the death threats and threat of violence posted against atheists. We have left their screen names in place. If you’re devoted enough to make the death threat then you should be devoted enough to have your name attached to your hatred. How many did FOX News delete before they could be captured? There are over 8,000 comments on their post related to Blair’s appearance on FOX News.

Posted by Blair Scott

The Suit has been filed, the news has hit, and reactions are coming in. Now that everything has started in this unfortunate but necessary case, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on some of the feedback we’ve gotten and the progress we have ALREADY made.

For the most part, the feedback is what we’d expected – religious people hate us, but seculars understand and support it. I am very pleased at the breadth of the secular support for this important suit, and as usual I don’t care much about what the theists think.

Christianity, and in particular St. Peter’s Church and the politicians in their pocket, have deified this piece of rubble because it looks like their symbol, and therefore were going to install this cross as a sole symbol of Christianity in the memorial.

At first, they claimed it wasn’t a religious symbol at all, just a piece of debris that others found significant, but since we complained they changed their tune and conceded that this is religious in nature (otherwise, it’s just scrap metal). NEWS: New reports are saying that they will be allowing the Jews to have a memorial as well (you’re welcome). This was a strategic move on their part, because adding the Jews as another token religion makes them appear inclusive. However, according to our calculations, between 15 and 33% of the people who died in 9/11 were atheists. That’s far more than those who were Jewish and Muslim, combined, so they’ve just strengthened our case.

This case is important for the precedent it will (would have) set, from the perspectives of a secularizing the cross and equality. If we’d let this alone, The cross would have been placed on public land, with public money, but remember the original assertion was that the cross was “secular.” We maintain that the Cross always is Christian, and that calling it secular does not allow a government body to place it on public land without regard to church/state separation or Equal Access (this is what we are fighting in Utah). As of now, this portion of our concern HAS ALREADY BEEN CONCEDED because they brought in the Jews to cover themselves Constitutionally. Now, all that remains is Equality.

Equality doesn’t mean bringing in one other religion and calling it over. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists died on 9/11, and bringing in just Christians and Jews to have prominent symbols is just adding insult to injury. We demand recognition of those atheists who died, if the Christians and Jews get such recognition as well. Otherwise, it all has to go, and we will have a dignified religion-neutral memorial.

The News spin is all over the place on this one, as we knew it would be, but remember, we’re the good guys here, demanding nothing but equality. We are happy to donate a suitable and respectful display and pay all associated costs, and we won’t stand idly by while atheists and their families are discounted. We seek only fairness.

Dave Silverman

Donate NOW to the Uhl Legal Challenge and DOUBLE your donation to our Legal Fund

– This is from Justin in response to the announcement of his appointment to our team —  KJ

First off: “And SGT Griffith does not speak on behalf of the Army or the Department of Defense!” [He also says "Whoohoo!"]

Although nearly every major secular organization has helped me tremendously these last ten months, American Atheists is my new home. I’m grateful to know that these organizations all play nice with each other. I was a little worried about creating the perception of picking sides. But, at this level – if you don’t pick a team you don’t get to play at all. They all know this.

I’m extremely grateful to be able to step into the big leagues like this. I’m excited to be a part of such an epic force, and I’m constantly impressed by the leadership at American Atheists. David Silverman is simply brilliant. Military veterans, Kathleen Johnson and Blair Scott have already carved the path before me with fierce determination. Kathleen is a passionate atheist with an illustrious career in military-based atheist activism. She issued a challenge me to ‘out do’ her, a sentiment based in nurturing encouragement. Then she double-dared me to ‘out do’ her. It’s on!

ACT ONE: The death of “No atheists in foxholes”…?

With my first act as Military Director I’d like to take the opportunity to arm my fellow foxhole atheists with a weapon against bigotry. That weapon is humor.

The next time a condescending theist uses the no-atheists-in-foxhole ‘gotcha’ slogan, it just might be their last. I have actually had more than one Chaplain say it to me.

The most recent occasion went like this:

—-

Chaplain: “You know they say there are no atheists in foxholes. And it’s true!“
[he grins as if this is some ultimate stumper of a statement]

Griffith: “Sir. You’re close, but you’ve got it wrong. There are actually no Chaplains in foxholes.”

—-

After a second or two, he smiled really big and I think he realized that he had lost whatever ‘chess game’ he intended to start. There was a surreal, almost naked look on his face.

I didn’t have to debunk the saying in some long-winded fashion. It was instant, it was brutal, it was absolutely cathartic.

And you know what else? I think he now understood where I was coming from, and how offensive his initial statement was.

Technically, there really are no Chaplains in foxholes (in the US military.) They are designated ‘non combatants’, are not assigned a weapon, and are not supposed to be on the front lines of a battlefield. If they somehow stumbled into a foxhole, it would cease being a fighting position. It would simply be a hole.

That particular Chaplain was usually very friendly with me, I think he just hadn’t thought it all the way through. But now he must have thought about how he really couldn’t claim that I was wrong, and how I wouldn’t have said anything of the sort if he hadn’t provoked me.

In the hopes of this becoming a meme that eventually kills the offensive statement altogether, I pass it on to you. I encourage all of my fellow service members to use it. Use it respectfully, but fearlessly. You are right. They are wrong.

Don’t view the Chaplain (or whoever) as the enemy, view them as simply needing to be corrected on this one subject. There are many Chaplains that I consider friends, allies, and mentors – and I have even discussed this counter-punch at great length with a few.

You have to pick your battles as an atheist in the military. Luckily, this one is now incredibly easy to win. It’s an opportunity to break down barriers and abolish stereotypes, so do it with a smile.

http://rockbeyondbelief.com/

American Atheists is pleased to announce the appointment of Army Sergeant Justin Griffith as American Atheists’ Military Director.  Sergeant Griffith replaces First Sergeant (Retired) Kathleen Johnson, who stepped down in order to focus on her duties as American Atheists’ Vice President.  SGT Griffith is the founder of the Military Atheists and Secular Humanists (MASH) at Fort Bragg, NC and is the creator and sponsor of the upcoming Rock Beyond Belief event planned for next spring at that location.  SGT Griffith was responsible for breaking the story about Army “spiritual fitness testing”, has some great ideas, and promises to be a great asset for our Atheists in uniform. As SGT Griffith likes to say:  ’there are no Chaplains in foxholes”.

Every now and then we’ll post a small snippet of hate mail we get on our Facebook page. Quite a few of our Facebook fans have asked that we post some more. So we figured… why not!

Hate Email #1: All this love from a “very religious man.” If it turns out that the Christians are right, we think this “very religious man” will be sitting next to us in Hell.

Dear F*ckers

Just wanna say Hi, and as well wanna say that you are f*cking sick people suffering in this life by being exist without a reason!!! And you’ll be suffering in the other life SURE.

So what suggest is that after f*cking yourselves as I’m sure you already do, after that you should hang yourselves

Ha ha ha ha

Worst regards
Very religious man

Hate Email #2: We get a lot of these strange ramblings. No grammar, no structure, no sense.

sorry i cant contribute,,, cause all our money says;;;;;;; IN GOD WE TRUST’ therefore you have no right to accept or use it. but i will ask you this- hold a lighter under your finger and see how long you can withstand the burning flame. 3,4,5,6, seconds ??? do this /// well those who dont believe in GOD or JESUS will be cast into a LAKE OF FIRE for ALL ETERNITY FOREVER and ever and ever with no end.laugh if you want, but are you really so stupid that your willing to take that chance. where do you think the 1st man came from you people can not be that stupid, think about it/// SATAN HAS TRICKED ALL OF YOU = THATS HIS JOB ! ! 1 ! i will pray for you. and i leave you with this;; even tho you dont believe,,,, do this; pray tonight;’IF YOU ARE REAL JESUS,,,MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN TO ME,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, then forget it and go about your life. did you do it ?? cause when you die/// you do not die

Hate Email #3: What’s really fun is the one-liners we get. We should shut up… and be blessed, too. LOL

I can’t believe there are such ignorant people like your group. You and your group need to shut up and keep your ignorance to yourselves. God bless you all

Hate Email #4: Spaces between sentences are a good thing, but that aside, it is amazing how people think their beliefs should be immune from criticism.

I think you idots need to read the bible.If you can read.Leave our religion alone.You people think it is hot now wait till you go to hell and feel how hot it is down there.If you don’t change your ways and learn that God is your heavenly father,then that is where you are going to go.

Hate Email #5: We actually did message him back just to prove we were not victims of “NO BALLS!!!!!”

life is not worth living you should kill yourself and then you will see if there is a GOD!!!! I know you wont send a message back NO BALLS!!!! So rest in peace!!!!

Hate Email #6: Godwin’s Law be damned! Oh wait… he said Hilter. Who the hell is Hilter?

Is this all you angry and scumbag assholes have to do? I think the named silverman is jewish. Now I understand why Hilter killed six million of the bastards. GET A DAMN LIFE

Hate Email #7: One-liners… gotta love ‘em! And what about all the women who volunteer for American Atheists, don’t they get a “suplex” as well?

Bitch, please. Bitch ill suplex you by your frigging d*ck hair.

Hate Email #8: And they need more theocrats in Saudi Arabia…

Let me explain something to you jacka*ses. Atheists make up LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION!!! FACT, not fiction. Thus, the MAJORITY of Americans believe in a higher power. To attempt to remove God from the ENTIRE COUNTRY, is not only asinine, it’s an affront to the other 99% of the country. The US Constitution guarantees separation of church and state, which means the government can’t dictate or force a state religion. It guarantees freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. Get it through your heads, a*sholes, and quit tromping on MY rights! If you don’t like religion, head your moronic a*ses off to China or North Korea…they need more num nuts there.

Hate Email #9: Dear believer, you can believe in whatever silliness you want. We’re not taking away your rights. It’s not a hard concept to grasp.

You people can believe what you want, but don’t try to take away my rights. Don’t you dare to tell me where, when and who to worship. Why can’t you people just live in peace and leave everybody else alone. Over 90 percent of American don’t believe that way you do so get a life. I see no one but you trying to tell people how to live. Get a life!

Hate Email #10: Well if we don’t know how to read, then why email us?

PLEASE LEAVE US CHRISTIANS ALONE!!!! YOU PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT WHAT WE DO.IT IS OUR RIGHT TO PRAY.IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT TOUGH WE CHRISTIANS HAVE RIGHTS.YOU KNOW IT WOULD NOT HURT YOU PEOPLE TO PRAY.I GUESS YOU PEOPLE CAN JUST SNAP YOUR FINGERS AND GET YOUR WAY.YOU KNOW EVERYBODY WILL BE JUDGED ON JUDGEMENT DAY THAT INCLUDES YOU PEOPLE.YOU THINK IT IS HOT RIGHT NOW,IF YOU DO NOT CHANGE YOUR WAYS THEN YOU WILL BE GOING WHERE IT IS REALLY HOT.IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT THEN READ THE BIBLE.OH,THAT IS RIGHT YOU PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ.

That’s it for now. Enjoy!