Atheists Drowned Out By Counter-Protesters

[bones_7672]

http://www.middletownpress.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13589484&BRD=1645&PAG=461&dept_id=10856&rfi=6

"A few times when it looked as if would get ugly, police stepped in to calm both sides as they engaged in face-to-face debates on free speech and the separation of church and state.

The display is a wooden structure with a glass case showing a Nativity scene. At its base is a baby Jesus in a cradle. Next to the cradle is a sign: "This display is provided by the Hyatt family and not erected, maintained or sponsored by the city of Milford."

[mhr]

1. This Reflects The Division In This Country Whipped Up By Karl Rove

His goal is being achieved - open warfare on secular America.

[Tafiti]

2. Hehe! They sang "Jesus Loves You" as they left!

Christians crack me up sometimes. HAHAHA!

[BlueJazz]

3. Geez...Why do some Religious people feel they need to force....

...their "thing" down everybody's throat.
There's tons of Churches and thousands of homes in that town but they HAVE to put their symbols on public, taxpayer property.
I don't seem to recall Jews or Hindus or for that matter, any other religion, trying to cram their symbols on the public...

[Az]

26. You don't understand the nature of the thing

Think of it as a living organism. It spreads only by claiming new minds. It competes with other belief systems. The struggle is the same as evolution. That which devises the most effective method of propogation is the one that survives. There are a number of tactics that religions can use. The most succesful, unlike nature, are the more aggressive ones.

[Ruffhowse]

4. Fundies, Fundies, Fundies........is there anything they won't do in the

name of their version of God?

[girl gone mad]

32. Practice what they preach? n/t

[KurtNYC]

5. You think it is a coincidence that three of them said the same thing

on a sign: "This is a Christian nation - majority rules."

a counter protestor: "I’m afraid of the atheists imposing their will on the super-majority."

a third: Don’t impose your absence of morality on a majority."

Yahtzee!

[RetroLounge]

25. super-majority as opposed to "Micro -Minority"

a term being used by another poster here.

Must have gotten the fundy talking points from Rove.

I'm keyed up to their code words...

RL

[MadHound]

6. My question is

If this is erected, maintained and sponsored by the Hyatt family, why don't they put it in their own yard, rather than on public property?
I realize that the public square in this town is used by many divergent people to express differing points of view, but I am willing to wager a large sum that these other expressions are transcient in nature, speeches, protests, etc. A nativity scene is a semi-permanent fixture, built and erected in order to stay on site for a period of a view weeks. That is wrong, unless they will allow other religions, including Satanism.. to erect such semi-permanent displays. Somehow I doubt that such divergent displays would be allowed, therefore neither should this nativity scene.

I also shuddered at statements voiced by the Christian. Nora Jean Alicea's statement about not believing that there should be seperation of church and state, and the anonymous sign stating that This is a Christian nation - majority rules." is very indicative of the direction that this country is taking, a quick slide into theocracy, cheered on by the brain dead RW fundies in this country. These statements truly reveal the black souls of these so-called Christians, wishing to impose their believes, values, and morality on everyone, irregardless of the rule of law, and with force if need be. And what is truly sad is that if Christ would come down today and see what these people are doing in his name, he would smite them down quicker than you can say Christian hypocrites.

Welcome to the new America, where we are to suffer under theocratic fascism and the tyranny of the majority, complete with brain dead idiots ready to kill you if you deviate from their version of hypocritical morality on iota.

[BlueJazz]

11. Well Said ! eom

[katinmn]

7. Now they are the "Super-Majority? " LOL! n/t

[MadHound]

8. I think that they are speaking in terms of sheer numbers

Super majority is a parlimentry term, meaning that a particular coalition is more than two thirds of the total. And in that view, they are correct.

[katinmn]

10. Understand the term, but I don't believe these Biblebots

represent 2/3 of the total.

But like all right wing nut cases, if they say it once, they believe it.

[JHB]

15. They even have capes to prove it!

Musta missed Edna's lecture...

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlueJazz]

12. Naw..not really...Intelligent, caring people have always been .....

...in the minority in this country...

[wicket]

14. You should know!

:eyes:

[Jesus H. Christ]

16. He sure would.

So far he's a rich jew living in Coral Gables, Fl. who supports the war and is surprised that there aren't more homeless people living in gated communities.

Not many of them around.

[wicket]

17. yeah I've got his number

I checked out the posting history after he claimed in another thread that Laura Bush has every right to remove Clinton's portrait from the White House, since it's her house she can do what she wants. :eyes: Doesn't take long for them to slip up.

[gottaB]

13. A microcosm

[InvisibleBallots]

18. they were protesting a nativity scene, at Christmas?

paid for and sponsored by a private group, because it was on public property? How silly. Most Americans have no problem with nativity scenes, menorahs, and other religious displays during the holiday. Especially considering that this was paid for by private groups, I can't see any first amendment problems at all.

[gottaB]

19. Who decides what gets displayed on the Green? How is it decided?

If I wanted to display a diorama depicting human evolution beginning with our simian ancestors and culminating in a jolly fat guy in a red suit, to be shown between Thanksgiving and New Years, would Mayor Richetelli accomodate me? I sincerely doubt that he would.

What they have in Middleton does not appear to be an absolute separation of the religious and civic spheres. You may be of the opinion that such is not required by the First Amendment, but surely you are aware that there are judicial opinions that say that it is. These opinions are based upon the writings of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson who both indicated that they intended the establishment clause to protect religious liberty by maintaining an absolute separation of religion and state. Exactly what do you find silly about that?

[InvisibleBallots]

20. well, the majority of Americans don't agree with you

sucks to be a minority I guess. Don't let me stop you from fighting to remove all displays of Christianity from public spaces. At the least - start a new party so you don't drag the Democrats down with you.

[sonicx]

21. the majority of Americans are for marriage discrimination against gays

Hell, most Americans were once for segregation.

[gottaB]

22. Is that the Democratic position?

To hell with minorities. To hell with civil liberties. To hell with dissent. To hell with a big tent. To hell with Thomas Jefferson.

[procopia]

23. The majority of Americans

are ignorant about the concept of separation of church and state. Some think freedom of religion means the freedom to force their religious views on everyone.

[Ms. Clio]

31. The majority of Americans once supported Jim Crow and lynching

And how do you know what "the majority of Americans" support?

What a wacky argument.

[Porcupine]

29. Try privatly paying for a Ganesh on public lands.

You will get about as far as the people who are trying to get permission to protest Bush's inaugeration. These "Christians" excuses are all lame attempts to cover up their true intentions.

To force non-believers or non-practioners of THEIR BRAND of Christianity to accept its practices.

This whole propaganda war is about forcing others to have christian symbolism and practices in their lives. Next-Sunday Laws!!!

[roguevalley]

24. don't worry, aetheists and believers. IN the end, we will all find out.

ONe by one.

God, I am so sick of religious intolerance anymore. What has happened to us? Everyone has the right to believe, or not. Period. We used to live this. Not anymore.

[MissBrooks]

27. Excellent!

I totally agree with you.

[Az]

33. What has happened is

a expansionist social structure has been allowed to continue to exist after the development of a more pacifist social order was set in place. Due to the inability of the newer system to deny the advances of the older system it is regaining ground it lost long ago.

Translated:

The age of enlightenment gave rise to a fusion of beliefs and tolerance. It allowed for diverse societies and peoples to strive together. In creating this fusion of humanism and belief religious structures and churches had their power substantially diminished. It has taken them a long time but they are reasserting their social dominance once again. Ridding their system of the tolerance of other belief systems that brought us this far.

[FM Arouet666]

28. Just a cop out on the part of Milford

Stating that it is not maintained or sponsored, yet allowing it to be placed on public property, is still sanctioning the act, which is a violation of the first amendment. How about a burning cross or a Nazi flag. If they are to allow one kind of speech to be sanctioned, they should allow other forms.

[derby378]

30. Meanwhile, down in Weatherford, TX...

...the city council pulled dirty politics and set up a Nativity scene in front of their courthouse while simultaneously blocking American Atheists from putting up their own display.

This has been a long-running fight in Weatherford, and we thought thebattle was over, but apparently their city council has decided that the ends justify the means.