At the State Capitol yesterday, as the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers erected their atheist propaganda piece next to the traditional Nativity scene, I was there to present our side. Below are links to TV news stories from KATV-7 and FOX 16. I could not find the KARK-4 story on their website, and THV-11 didn’t cover the story as extensively as the others.
On Monday, a federal judge ruled that Secretary of State Charlie Daniels was obligated to allow a local group of atheists to put up a display marking the winter solstice on the Capitol grounds. The winter solstice will occur on December 21 this year (this Monday); it is the shortest day of the year, marking the first day of winter, and always occurs during the Christmas season. Many would ask, “What’s wrong with a seasonal display that depicts an astronomical event?” The fact is, however, that the display the Freethinkers are promoting does not simply discuss seasonal changes; it proselytizes about atheism, evolution, and the Freethinkers themselves. It really isn’t a winter solstice display at all.
The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers is the group responsible for Monday’s court ruling requiring Secretary of State Charlie Daniels to open the Capitol grounds up to displays from virtually any group in Arkansas. As we told you yesterday, this means that the Secretary of State must now allow a “winter solstice kiosk” to be placed right next to the Nativity scene that has been a part of the Capitol’s Christmas decorations since at least the 1940s. This new display does more than simply discuss the astronomical event of the winter solstice. It encourages people to take part in becoming a “freethinker”. With that in mind, we want to set about explaining in detail exactly what Freethinkers believe and what their society is advocating both in Arkansas and across the nation.
What is Freethought?
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