Bob Officer
2007-12-10 21:51:10 UTC
On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:07:03 -0500, in alt.abortion, "J Young"
This is an absolute disgrace. If people wish to hold atheist beliefs, they
should learn to keep it to themselves. No one should invoke their values
upon others.
The highest form of hypocrisy known to man. J. Youngshould learn to keep it to themselves. No one should invoke their values
upon others.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59111 HOLIDAY
BLUES
'Imagine no religion,' says atheists' display
Residents irked by city-approved sign in public park blaming faith for 9/11
Posted: December 9, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Connecticut atheists, taking advantage of a town's policy of allowing
holiday-season displays in its public park, have erected a 10-foot tall sign
in celebration of the winter solstice that includes a message blaming the
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, on religious believers.
The 3-sided sign was erected in the Town of Vernon's Central Park on Dec. 1
by the Connecticut Valley Atheists. The two sides facing Main Street feature
a pre-attack image of the Twin Towers with the sun shining between them and
the message, "Imagine no religion," drawn from the John Lennon anthem,
"Imagine."
Use of the image is meant to say the Twin Towers would still be standing
were it not for religion, CVA coordinator Dennis Himes told the Hartford
Courant.
The goal is to "simply emphasize an advantage of atheism, something good
about atheism," Himes said. "Al-Qaida is not a terrorist organization that
happens to be religious, it is a terrorist organization that is inspired by
its religious beliefs."
The third side of the sign faces town hall with a message about the winter
"In late December the sun is lower and days are shorter than any time of
year. Throughout the rest of winter the sun gets higher and the days get
longer. Because of this people have celebrated the winter solstice from time
immemorial. People used to believe that gods moved the sun across the sky.
Today we know that there are no gods, and that the sun moves by natural
causes, and we celebrate not only the movement of the sun but our ability to
understand that movement."
"We would prefer no displays promoting theological worldviews be displayed
at all, but as long as they are we thank the Town of Vernon for permitting
atheists equal access," the group says on its website.
"The town marked off three spots in the park," Himes said. "The notice to
groups said first come, first served, so we picked the one right in front of
town hall. We fully expected the other displays to be up around the same
time we put ours up."
While the town issued permits to a local synagogue for a menorah display and
to a group of churches that plan to place a creche in the park, the atheists
were the first to erect their display - indeed, as of the weekend, theirs
remained the only display except for a large Christmas tree Mayor Jason L.
McCoy had a town crew erect 10 feet from the atheists' sign.
McCoy rejected suggestions placement of the tree is meant to obstruct views
of the atheists' display. When told that it did, in fact, obstruct the view,
McCoy responded to the Courant, "Oh, really - that's unfortunate."
McCoy and other town officials have been fielding complaint calls for a week
from residents angry at the group's suggestion their religion was
responsible for 9/11.
"People are not offended the atheists have something up there, and they're
not offended by whatever they celebrate. What they're troubled by is they
feel [their] religion is equated with being involved in terrorism," McCoy
said.
Officials also said the tone of the atheists' display appeared to be more
political and not consistent with the description given on their permit
application of a "triangular stand displaying information about the winter
solstice, atheism and human light observance."
Himes insists the town made the issue political when it decided to allow
religious displays on public property.
"The original question was whether Vernon would have a nativity scene on
church property or town property," Himes said. "The difference between those
two is a political difference."
For generations, Vernon has displayed its circa-World War II creche in the
park, but it was moved to St. Bernard Church last year after Hines
complained, saying the town was violating the separation of church and
state.
Republican town committee members passed a unanimous resolution calling for
the creche to be returned to its traditional location in the park in 2007. A
new policy, crafted last August, grants equal space for any group wanting to
set up traditional displays or symbolic messages during the month of
December.
Sandi LaChapelle, owner of Russ' Time Rock 'n' Roll Diner, told the Courant
visitors to her business have been commenting on the photo of the sun
streaming between the Twin Towers.
"The sun forms a cross," she said.
"That certainly wasn't intentional," Himes said.
BLUES
'Imagine no religion,' says atheists' display
Residents irked by city-approved sign in public park blaming faith for 9/11
Posted: December 9, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Connecticut atheists, taking advantage of a town's policy of allowing
holiday-season displays in its public park, have erected a 10-foot tall sign
in celebration of the winter solstice that includes a message blaming the
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, on religious believers.
The 3-sided sign was erected in the Town of Vernon's Central Park on Dec. 1
by the Connecticut Valley Atheists. The two sides facing Main Street feature
a pre-attack image of the Twin Towers with the sun shining between them and
the message, "Imagine no religion," drawn from the John Lennon anthem,
"Imagine."
Use of the image is meant to say the Twin Towers would still be standing
were it not for religion, CVA coordinator Dennis Himes told the Hartford
Courant.
The goal is to "simply emphasize an advantage of atheism, something good
about atheism," Himes said. "Al-Qaida is not a terrorist organization that
happens to be religious, it is a terrorist organization that is inspired by
its religious beliefs."
The third side of the sign faces town hall with a message about the winter
"In late December the sun is lower and days are shorter than any time of
year. Throughout the rest of winter the sun gets higher and the days get
longer. Because of this people have celebrated the winter solstice from time
immemorial. People used to believe that gods moved the sun across the sky.
Today we know that there are no gods, and that the sun moves by natural
causes, and we celebrate not only the movement of the sun but our ability to
understand that movement."
"We would prefer no displays promoting theological worldviews be displayed
at all, but as long as they are we thank the Town of Vernon for permitting
atheists equal access," the group says on its website.
"The town marked off three spots in the park," Himes said. "The notice to
groups said first come, first served, so we picked the one right in front of
town hall. We fully expected the other displays to be up around the same
time we put ours up."
While the town issued permits to a local synagogue for a menorah display and
to a group of churches that plan to place a creche in the park, the atheists
were the first to erect their display - indeed, as of the weekend, theirs
remained the only display except for a large Christmas tree Mayor Jason L.
McCoy had a town crew erect 10 feet from the atheists' sign.
McCoy rejected suggestions placement of the tree is meant to obstruct views
of the atheists' display. When told that it did, in fact, obstruct the view,
McCoy responded to the Courant, "Oh, really - that's unfortunate."
McCoy and other town officials have been fielding complaint calls for a week
from residents angry at the group's suggestion their religion was
responsible for 9/11.
"People are not offended the atheists have something up there, and they're
not offended by whatever they celebrate. What they're troubled by is they
feel [their] religion is equated with being involved in terrorism," McCoy
said.
Officials also said the tone of the atheists' display appeared to be more
political and not consistent with the description given on their permit
application of a "triangular stand displaying information about the winter
solstice, atheism and human light observance."
Himes insists the town made the issue political when it decided to allow
religious displays on public property.
"The original question was whether Vernon would have a nativity scene on
church property or town property," Himes said. "The difference between those
two is a political difference."
For generations, Vernon has displayed its circa-World War II creche in the
park, but it was moved to St. Bernard Church last year after Hines
complained, saying the town was violating the separation of church and
state.
Republican town committee members passed a unanimous resolution calling for
the creche to be returned to its traditional location in the park in 2007. A
new policy, crafted last August, grants equal space for any group wanting to
set up traditional displays or symbolic messages during the month of
December.
Sandi LaChapelle, owner of Russ' Time Rock 'n' Roll Diner, told the Courant
visitors to her business have been commenting on the photo of the sun
streaming between the Twin Towers.
"The sun forms a cross," she said.
"That certainly wasn't intentional," Himes said.
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Ak'toh'di