There are atheists in Utah!?

[ohiosmith]

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 NEWS) - The fate of more than a dozen crosses honoring fallen UHP troopers was left in the hands of a federal court judge on Tuesday.

The issue was taken to court after a group of atheists sued the state claiming the crosses violate the constitutional separation of church and state. The group is now asking the Utah Highway Patrol Association to remove the 12 foot-crosses because they denote the death of Jesus Christ.

However, the state and UHP troopers say they are memorials to brave public servants and not religious in nature.

The majority of the 13 UHP crosses lie on public property.


more: http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=8028695a-aeec-492e-8040-2db67440acaf

[IndianaJones]

1. unfortunately they are everywhere. nt.

[RebelOne]

4. Since I am an atheist, I really object to the use of "unfortunately." n/t

[IndianaJones]

5. sadly? nt.

[Deep13]

8. bigot

[IndianaJones]

9. but I'm sad. nt.

[Deep13]

12. Yes you are. nt

[Deep13]

6. Get used to it. We aren't going anywhere.

You have a right to express your irrational beliefs and we have a right to express our views.

I'm in good company too. Most of the Founding Fathers of this country were deists, meaning that they accepted a first cause but no subsequent divine intervention. Had they lived today with an understanding of evolution and modern cosmology, most of them would have been atheists. Jefferson, Adams and Madison were among the most critical of the founders. Madison who wrote the 1st Amendment was plainly mortified by the idea of hiring chaplains for the army at public expense.

[IndianaJones]

11. sadly. nt.

[LeftyMom]

13. Are you that threatened by people not believing in your imaginary friend? nt

[IndianaJones]

15. who? nt.

[Deep13]

16. Answer: Yes. The faithful will never be happy until every knee is bent...

...and bent in their direction.

[ElizabethDC]

37. That's not necessarily true.

I'm religious, and other people's faithfulness (or lack thereof) matters not one iota to my happiness, etc.

[LaraMN]

18. Yes. Within a year, we will have eaten all your Christian babies.

And the world will be *perfect*.

:bounce:

[LeftyMom]

20. whose ass do I have to kiss to get invited to next year's plauges day?

That looked so fun.

[LaraMN]

23. We're doing "Quran Fest '08" next summer.

You are SO on the list!

[LeftyMom]

27. As long as I don't get stoned or anything. nt

[LaraMN]

30. Clarify.

The extra-curriculars are optional.
:bounce:

[LeftyMom]

35. unbeliever, non-virgin, I got a couple strikes against me there.

[IndianaJones]

21. atheists are scary. nt.

[LaraMN]

24. Scary hot.

and cool.
and smarterthanyou.

:P

[IndianaJones]

26. yeah....almost like a...clique. nt.

[LaraMN]

28. Don't be a hater. Not everyone can be "In".

:*

[IndianaJones]

31. not a hater...an envy-er....like in high school. nt.

[LaraMN]

32. I know. And as in high school, you will be the first recipient of a swirly.

It's a form of perverse honor.

[IndianaJones]

34. atheists involved in perversion? no way. nt.

[LaraMN]

40. It's only the centerpiece of our heretical platform.

Duh.

[Deep13]

22. I'm almost done eating all the babies of traditional ancestor worshippers in Asia.

No MSG.

[LaraMN]

25. I hope you're monitoring your cholesterol.

I know it's a sacrifice we all have to make, but there's no sense in ignoring our health entirely.

[BarenakedLady]

33. But I'm a vegetarian atheist!

What am I gonna eat?

:(

No one ever considers the vegetarians in their satanic rituals....

[PVnRT]

38. OH! With ranch sauce?

Everything goes better with ranch sauce! And Satan.

[ohiosmith]

39. BABIES! The other white meat. Mmmmm!

[Orsino]

2. The resemblance to crosses is purely coincidental.

If Utah wants to honor its dead with the letter "t," who are we to object? "T" is for trooper. And tempest. And teapot.

[Deep13]

7. Yeah, the Constitution is such a trivial thing. n/t

[LeftyMom]

3. I thought Mormons objected to crosses. Weird. nt

[Omphaloskepsis]

10. Only if you stir your coffee with miniature ones.

[Deep13]

19. My coffee stirrer looks like Mohamed.

"I want Joe Frazier! Sting like a bee." Heh, heh, that still cracks me up.

[mainegreen]

14. What an utterly pointless lawsuit.

I suppose we should get rid of all the crosses, star of davids here as well?


Guess every group, even mine, has some whos undies are a little to tight.

[Deep13]

17. Depends. Who directed them to be put up?

If it was the wishes of the individual or his or her family, that's fine. What is not fine is the state or Feds. deciding that they all must be Christians because they are not Jews or Muslims.

[mainegreen]

29. I'd agree, if that were the case

It isn't. The fraternal order of police pay for this. They have stated they would put up another marker if they family wished it. The families have said they support these markers as memorials.

These guys filing the law suit are way overboard here.

UHP Association attorney Byron Babione said no one ever has asked the association to erect a Star of David memorial, but added they and the state would allow another religious symbol to be used.

Family members of memorialized troopers gave tearful testimonials on what the crosses mean to them. Laura (Pierson) Pollock's father died in the line of duty and she told the crowd she considers the lawsuit a "personal insult" to those who have sacrificed their life in the name of public safety.

[Deep13]

36. Well, you are probably right then. n/t