Alonzo Fyfe

I agree with this sentiment.

Yet, I also agree with the view that seemed to have dominated at the time of the founding of this country, that expressing concern over such matters should be restricted to the private and peaceful use of reason, not forced upon the citizens by the government.

Just as there is nothing wrong with your neighbor distributing something to you on creationism, there is nothing to prevent you from distributing something similar on evolution.

I do believe that parents have a right to teach their children what they want -- I certainly do not want a bunch of fundamentalists telling me that I have no right to teach my children what I want.

And yet, at the same time, there is merit in being a member of society and trying to reach those parents in order to change the minds of some of them on what they should want to teach their children.

For the context of this discussion, the Godless March is a political event. Its purpose is to communicate the actions and attitudes that the government should take. Otherwise, the march should not be taking place in D.C.

In this context, things said at the march represent our political agenda. They will be understood as communicating the position that the government should take on these issues. People who go there and say, "All religion is evil" will be understood as saying that "The government should adopt the official position that all religion is evil."

And what we would have then is a failure to communicate.

[ August 22, 2002: Message edited by: Alonzo Fyfe ]</p>

Oresta

god-free-pen:
7. Presidents Should Not Be Preachers.

Great slogans, god. This one inspired me:

Bush Was Sworn In, Not Ordained

Godless Dave

Someone else came up with this, I forget who:

Frogsy

"God Bless America, my home sweet home"-- with the "b" in bless crossed out.

Godless Dave

"The fool says in his heart, there is no God." -Psalms 14:1

"The wise man says it out loud." -Stan Callihan

4th Generation Atheist

This actually is a pretty good start on the slogan front. What about:

It is not wrong to believe in God
It is only wrong to force others to believe in your God

One could replace "wrong" with "stupid", perhaps, or "believe in God" with "pray" or any other such tweaking to bring up a specific issue. I didn't use "evil" in my "tweak" b/c it's kind of not "our" word, unless we talk about the Holocaust or something. But "wrong" is a word that looks fine on a secular or a religious statement.

Alonzo Fyfe

4th Generation Atheist:

Thank you for the endorsement.

A point of strategy -- using the vocabulary of those you are talking to is generally a far more effective mode of communication than using your own vocabulary and asking them to translate.

The Resistance

It was me. It was me. It was me!


I learned a protest song.

Die Gedanken sing frei. (my thoughts are free)


Die Gedanken sind frei.
My thoughts freely flower.
Die Gedanken sind frei.
My thoughts give me power.
No scholar can map them.
No hunter can trap them.
No one can deny. Die Gedanken sind frei.
No one can deny. Die Gedanken sind frei.

I think as I please
And this gives me pleasure.
My conscience decrees
This right I must treasure.
My thoughts will not cater
To duke or dictator.
No one can deny. Die Gedanken sind frei.
No one can deny. Die Gedanken sind frei.

And should tyrants take me
And throw me in prison
My thoughts will burst free
Like blossoms in season
Foundations will crumble
And structures will tumble
And freely I'll cry: Die Gedanken sind frei.
And freely I'll cry: Die Gedanken sind frei.


Take it, print as many copies as you can, and distribute them at the march. HAve thousands (hopefully there will be that many) singing this will marching would be a great TV shot.

Bluenose

If you can't find an old flag, those four little words would make a great tee shirt or sign.

They will connect with the people who remember their American history and are simple enough for the average xians who seem to forget history.

4th Generation Atheist

I was talking to a liberal theist friend who intends to go to the Godless March, with a sign that says something along the lines of "A Catholic for Atheists' Rights", to demonstrate the support of mainstream theists for some of the issues raised by the march. I support this idea heartily, and encourage any liberal theists attending as individuals or small informal groups to so identify themselves. I doubt AA is going to accept an official endorsement from a liberal theist group, but the event is taking place on public property so there's no stopping you!