Atheist Group Threatens to Sue Over National Motto on Police Vehicles

Religious Freedom, , ,

“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…)

READ MORE

Atheists’ Billboard Encourages Arkansans to “Skip Church”

1 CommentChristmas, , , ,

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.

READ MORE

Satanists, Atheists Passing Out Material in Fla. Public Schools

Current Events, , , , ,

The Satanic Temple and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have each announced plans to pass out their “literature” in public schools in Florida.

The New York-based Satanic Temple will distribute “pamphlets related to the [Satanic] Temple’s tenets, philosophy and practice of Satanism, as well as information about the legal right to practice Satanism in school.”

While the Satanic Temple says it has consulted with the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, FFRF has released a statement putting daylight between itself and the Satanic Temple, saying,

“FFRF does not believe that satanists or Christians or even atheists should be distributing literature to public school students…FFRF does not endorse the New York based Satanic Temple’s literature any more than we would endorse the bible or think it should be given to students. However, Orange County Public Schools cannot legally prevent the temple from distributing its literature.”

So here is a question: If the Freedom From Religion Foundation does not believe “even atheists” should be distributing material to public school students, why are they handing out anti-Christian literature in Florida schools? (more…)

READ MORE