GaryP

In the new National Constitution Center in Philly...

Despite numerous references to religious exercise and God during the
opening events at the Constitution Center, however, there were images
and voices speaking out on behalf of Atheism.

One of the most controversial exhibits is the National Family Tree
which honors 100 people who used the freedoms guaranteed under the
Bill of Rights to bring change to America. Among those being honored
is Madalyn Murray O'Hair, a plaintiff in the historic 1963 U.S.
Supreme Court combined case of MURRAY v. CURLETT/ABINGTON TOWNSHIP v.
SCHEMPP. Her suit, along with a similar legal action by the Schempp
Family of Philadelphia, helped to end mandatory prayer and Bible verse
recitation in the public schools. An earlier case, ENGEL v. VITALE,
abolished the forced reading of government-composed prayer in New York
state.

Mrs. O'Hair went on to found American Atheists, and became a leading
figure in the debate over religion in the public square. She filed
numerous other law suits including one to remove "In God We Trust"
from the national coinage, and the requirement that persons seeking to
serve on a jury swear a religious oath.

O'Hair is featured on the Family Tree exhibit along with other
notables like Bella Abzug, Muhammed Ali, Lillian and William Gobitis,
Woody Guthrie and even evangelist Billy Graham.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The opening ceremony carried nationwide on C-SPAN also included a
video presentation featuring numerous clergy discussing freedom of
religion. An articulate counterpoint was presented by Margaret
Downey, the founder of the Freethought Society of Greater
Philadelphia. For nearly a decade, Downey has been a leader in the
protest over the discriminatory policies of the Boy Scouts of America
which excludes gays and nonbelievers from membership. FSGP also filed
suit to remove a plaque of the Ten Commandments from the front of the
Chester County Courthouse.

Downey, posing for the video in front of the Liberty Bell eloquently
declared:

"I love this country because the Constitution guarantees every citizen
freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion. In this country
non-theists can decline to place their hand on a Bible and swear an
oath to God. Because I do not believe in a deity, I have the right to
affirm a duty to my conscience, to be free from religious intrusion
and to live an honest and principled life. I am a proud Atheist and I
love this country."

The above from AANews courtesy of Americans Atheists

here

Free subsription to AANews;
http://www.atheists.org/cgi-bin/promo1


Wow! Am I surprised. Maybe some progress is being made after all!

capsaicin67

That sounds good, wish I would have caught that instead of all the "god shed his grace on thee" crap. Did you see when the children were supposed to pull on ribbons and "open" the place----they pulled down this great big pompous prop onto the stage! Awkward moment. Then the choir broke out into more "god shedding his grace on thee" whilst the suits rushed around trying to take care of the mishap.....

GaryP

Pretty much all I saw was the head park Ranger (a woman with a British accent!) and Gov. Rendell.

The part I saw really had less god-spam than I would have expected. I wish I had seen the things referred to today also. it would have put me in a better mood to see my in-laws!

atheist_in_foxhole

C-Span is replaying the ceremony and just showed that a--hole Rick Santorum whining about our "God-given rights" and "proud Judeo-Christian heritage." He even threw in a stupid quote about how our Constitution was only meant for a "moral and religious" people.

GaryP

So if we don't meet Santorum's standards for morality we are not able to use our rights?! Don't make no sense to me.


Here's a link to a virtual tour of the building;


http://www.constitutioncenter.org/vi...tualTour.shtml

Jewel

What Amendment is that??