Atheist Group Wants “No Gods” Monument on Arkansas Capitol Grounds

Religious Freedom, , ,

According to various news sources, the Freedom From Religion Foundation based in Wisconsin is seeking to place a monument on the Arkansas Capitol grounds that would read at least in part,

“There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no Heaven or Hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds. Freedom depends on freethinkers. Keep state and church separate.”

If the wording of the proposed monument sounds familiar, that’s because it is very similar to a sign the group tried to force a city in Michigan to display in 2012.

At that time, the group was trying to combat Christmas decorations the City of Warren had displayed. The proposed sign read,

“At this season of THE WINTER SOLSTICE may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world, Religion is but Myth and superstition that hardens hearts And enslaves minds.”

The sign was rejected by local officials who found it inconsistent with the Christmas decorations the city displayed. The group sued the city, but lost when the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled there was no need to place an anti-religion sign alongside a Nativity scene and other Christmas decorations.

This latest move by the Freedom From Religion Foundation appears to be an attempt to counter the proposed Ten Commandments Monument the Arkansas Legislature authorized for display on the State Capitol grounds earlier this year. If the Sixth Circuit court ruling is any indicator, however, it seems unlikely the State of Arkansas can be forced to put up an anti-religion display without legislative approval.

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Atheist Group Threatens to Sue Over National Motto on Police Vehicles

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“In God We Trust” has been the official motto of the United States of America for almost 60 years. It has appeared on many coins minted by the U.S. government since 1864.

However, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Wisconsin, has threatened to sue law enforcement agencies in Arkansas if they do not remove the phrase “In God We Trust” from their police cruisers.

The Associated Press writes,

The organization sent letters to the Cave City Police Department and the Hempstead County sheriff’s office after both placed the saying on their patrol vehicles. The foundation’s co-president says she intends to sue if the phrase isn’t removed, but didn’t give further details.

The Cave City mayor says he has seen the letter but has yet to make a decision on whether to strip the message from the city’s police cars. The Hempstead County sheriff he says he won’t remove the logo despite the foundation’s letter.

“In God We Trust” was adopted as the official motto of the United States in 1956, but its history dates all the way back to the American Civil War. Then Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase urged the U.S. mint in Philadelphia to begin minting coins with a motto honoring God, saying, (more…)

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Atheists’ Billboard Encourages Arkansans to “Skip Church”

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According to 40/29 News, the group American Atheists has placed a billboard along I-49 near Springdale that reads, “Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is to…SKIP CHURCH! I’m too old for fairy tales.”

According to a press release from American Atheists, the billboard is part of a campaign to promote atheism in the South ahead of the group’s convention in Memphis this spring.

This billboard is the latest in what seems to be an anti-Christmas tradition with some atheist groups any more.

In 2008 the Freedom From Religion Foundation placed a billboard in downtown Little Rock that read “Beware of Dogma.”

Last year atheists in Florida hung a banner depicting a few Founding Fathers gathered around a manger holding a copy of the Bill of Rights. They also placed signs alongside Christmas decorations in some state capitols claiming there are no gods, no Heaven, and no Hell.

Different groups have gone after everything from simple Nativity scenes in front of courthouses to Christmas tree lighting ceremonies. And then, of course, there is the shrine to paganism and nature-worship local atheists have placed on the Arkansas Capitol lawn every December since 2009.

This newest billboard raises a lot of questions. The big one I have, frankly, is what’s wrong with people celebrating Christmas? Christmas in this country has always been a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. If people want to go to church as part of that celebration, what’s wrong with that?

Photo obtained from 40/29 News website here.

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