NINE DEMANDS - ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS

On January I, 1874, Francis Ellingwood Abbot published on the front page of his weekly paper, The Index, nine
demands for separation of state and church. At the time, the National Reform Association (founded by Presbyterians and
Episcopalians) was attempting to amend the Constitution of the United States to endorse Christianity officially. Abbot was
a leader in a counter movement to propound "a religion of humanity," guided by reason and offering an organizational
"home" to non-theists.
In a nation predicated upon the political idea of separation of state and church, we are - incredibly - nowhere near
attaining such separation. Since 1874, in I06 years, only one part of one of these nine demands has been wrested from
government and that by a bitter and protracted legal struggle. In June 1963, in the case of Murray vs. Curlett, reverential
Bible reading was barred from the public schools of the nation (see second part, point 4, of "Demands" below) by the
Murray-O'Hair family, founders of the American Atheist organization.
The nine demands are reprinted here to scream out to you, in a continuing way, that American Atheists can not, dare
not, permit another hundred years.to pass without attaining them. These are demands, now, for our times and for our
accomplishing.

1.
We demand that churches and other ecclesiastical property shall no
longer be exempt from just taxation.
2.
We demand that the employment of chaplains in Congress, in state
legislatures, in the navy and militia, and in prisons, asylums, and all other
institutions supported by public money shall be discontinued.
3.
We demand that all public appropriations for sectarian educational
and charitable institutions shall cease.
4.
We demand that all religious services now sustained by the government shall be abolished; and especially that the use of the Bible in the
public schools, whether ostensibly as a textbook or avowedly as a book of
religious worship, shall be prohibited,
5.
We demand that the appointment by the President of the United
States or by the governors of the various states of all religious festivals and
fasts shall wholly cease.
,.
6.
We demand that the judicial oath in the courts and in all other
departments of the government shall be abolished, and that simple
affirmation under the painsand penalties of perjury shall be established in
its stead.
'
7.
We demand that all laws directly or indirectly enforcing the observance of Sunday as the Sabbath shall be repealed.
8.
We demand that all laws looking to the enforcement of "Christian"
morality shall be abrogated, and that all laws shall be conformed to the
requirements of natural morality, equal rights, and impartial liberty.
9.
We demand that, not only in the constitutions of the United States
and ofthe several states but also in the practical administration ofthe same,
no privilege or advantage shall be conceded to Christianity or any other
special religion; that our entire political system shall be founded and
administered on a purely secular basis; and that whatever changes shall
prove necessary to this end shall be consistently, unflinchingly, and
promptly made.

VOL. 22, NO.5

FLOREAL, 188

NEWS
ON THE COVER

10th Annual National American Atheist Convention

Out of the Closet - Out of a Job
God Is My' Manager
Vidya

'..

.'

'

r.

.4

14
'

15

~ .................................

1~

The Alternate Choice: No Prayer

17

Deliver Atheists From This Evil

18

Atheists Don't Like A Prayer

".19

The Gobble-uns Try to Git Her

19

COLUMNS

G. Richard Bozarth - An Atheist Classic For All

Conrad Goeringer -The

25

Culture Vultures

The rhinoceros first appeared in the fossil

record of the distant past-60 million years
old. It still remains as evil-tempered, as obtuse and as unyielding as all of history records. With its massive build, it becomes ferocious when brought to bay and appears to
be more formidable than it really is. Apparently Of limited intelligence, it is a remnant
of an earlier day.
The rhinoceros is primarily noted for its
thick skin and its proclivity to charge with
little provocation often simply because of
an unfamiliar sound or smell.
Ill-tempered, unpredictable, it is an excellent symbol of the forces American Atheists' need to fight. As portrayed by our artist and by the great dramatist and originator
of the Theatre of the Absurd, Eugene Ionesco, in his play Rhinoceros, the beasts signify the religious forces in our nation and
those parts of the governmental apparatus
which responds to them.

28
\

Ignatz Sahula-Dycke - Theism and Our Government

32

Madalyn Murray O'Hair - Something Old Has Been Added

33

Gerald Tholen - Uncle Sam Needs You, But Who Is You

36

SPECIAL FEATURE

The Woman's Bible

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dr. Madalyn Murray O'Hair

MANAGING EDITOR
Jon Garth Murray
ASSISTANT EDITOR
G.Richard Bozarth
, PROOFREADING EDITOR
Barry Cashman
ARTIST
Felix Santana
NON-RESIDENTIAL STAFF
Bill Baird
Angeline Bennett
Wells Culver
Conrad Goeringer
Ignatz Sahula-Dycke
Elaine Stansfield
Gerald Tholen

AUSTIN,

22

The American Atheist magazine is

published monthly by American Atheists, located at 2210 Hancock Drive,
Austin, Texas 78756, a non-profit,
non-political,
educational
organiza-tion. Mailing address: P~O. Box 2117,
Austin, Texas 78768. Copyright 1980
by Society of Separationists, Inc. Subscription rates: $20.00 per year.lY,lanuscripts submitted must be typed, double-spaced and accompanied by a
stamped, self-addressed envelope. The
editors assume no responsibility for
unsolicited manuscripts.
The' American Atheist magazine is indexed in:
<
MONTHLY PERIODICAL INDEX

REG ULAR FEATURES

Letters to the Editor

Editorial-

Jon G. Murray

Have' Your Atheist Lifestyle - But

PASS IT ON

Poems

20

Cartoons

,.21

Film Review - Elaine Stansfield

Being There

.'

38

Book Review - The Life Extension

ISSN: 0032-4310

Revolution by Saul Kent

Classifieds.

39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 40

PAGE

TEXAS

EDITORIAL

JON GARTH MURRAY

Have Your Atheist Lifestyle - But

PASS/TON
Every month in the American Atheist we try to report the long as the Atheist gives up his freedom of expression in the
highlights of activity in both the Atheist and religious com-, area of lifestyle determination, all is fine. The Atheist and the
munities. We report .what Atheists are doing around the coun- religionist can live side by side.
try so that you can see things that you may want to do in your
Another way of putting it is this: in most situations the
community. We show you what the religious forces are doing
sane, rational person usually gives way to the insane, irrational,
to' make you concerned enough to want to do some of what
screaming person. The rational one feels that if he/she lets the'
those other Atheists (who are active) are doing. In short, we, irrational one have his/her own way, the situation will stabitry to get you to transfer your Atheist lifestyle into action.
lize. That is correct. It will stabilize. It will stabilize as an irraThat action should be aimed at those who do not share that
tional situation. The nut is always allowed to win in America
lifestyle, but who would be better off with an Atheist life- because the stable person feels that it is below his/her dignity
style than with the one they have.
to take command of the situation or to "lower" him/herself
We know that Atheism is an unpopular position in America.
to the level of the nut to argue with him/her. So the 'nuts take
We know that it is a minority position in America. As a result" over; inch by inch, mile by mile.
'
most of you are apprehensive about identifying yourself with There are a few of us in the nation who do not want the
such a position. You continue to hold that position privately,
nuts to take over; the religious nuts, that is. We want the nonsometimes not even revealing it to a spouse or family mem- nuts, that is us, to stand up and take command instead. This
bers. Atheism makes sense to you, but you are a little appre- can only be done through action.
hensive about whether or not you can make it make sense to"
When mormons come to the door to tell you the word of
others.
god, don't be polite to them. Tell them off and throw them
Most Atheists never pass this stage. They come upon the out. If the teacher in your child's school starts class with
Atheist lifestyle as one valid for themselves on their own, pri- a prayer, don't tell your child to ignore it. Go over to the
vately. They hold Atheism all their lives inside themselves and school and tell the teacher what he/she can do with the prayer.
then they die. Sometimes they may exhibit it in very select If you go to a public event and it opens with a prayer, stand
company, but most of the time they are still unsure that they up against it. When you are asked to swear on the bible, hand
can say' anything in' Atheism's defense, but that they know it back and say "No!". If you find a bible in your hotel room,
that it makes sense to them.
take it to the desk and tell the manager to keep it out of your
Religionists, on the other hand, have been taught for gen- room.
erations that holding a religion is not enough. Whatever the
Some of the persons on whom we report each month at one
denomination, they are taught that they must pass it on to time thought like most of you do. They were content to keep
others. Why must they pass their religion on? Because it is quiet and keep their Atheism to themselves, until something
the one true word of god. How many times have you heard happened to them, personally, that changed their minds. What
that line? Religionists are indoctrinated with a specific closed happened to them? They spoke out once in a very polite; digdogmatic system. Since they know no other, they are happy. nified or even apologetic manner about their Atheism and they
with it. Therefore, they seek to talk others into the system to got burned for it. The religious persons in theirtown or city
be happy as well.
found out that they had an Atheist amongst them. Once this
You as an Atheist, have come to Atheism from a reasoning was known the religionists would stop at nothing to either
process: You figured out for yourself what was best for you. turn that Atheist into a religionist or make sure that he/she
You were not told what was the best.
never said anything about Atheism again.
Now, if a religionist can pass his belief system on to others
At this point, each one of these persons learned that deas "the best" just because he knows nothing better, why can't. mocracy and freedom of speech and fair play only apply to
you pass your Atheist lifestyle on to others because you know those who join the majority, right or wrong, in their lifestyles.
that it works, because you figured it out for yourself, you If you speak out, you will lose your job, your house, your
tested it yourself? Don't you think it is better to let others family, your friends and whatever else you have to lose. But
know of a tested recipe for life that to let them go on with the you will gain your freedom and your self-respect. That you
same old diet only because they know no other?
cannot replace, homes and cars and friends you can.
IC a religionist can push something given to him/her to
Until such time as, all of you are willing to pass your Athepush, you can push something that you figured out for your-' ism on, those of us who are willing will be placed-in a position
self.
.'
of needing to do it and then standing back and taking our licks
Time and time again, however.-as I go from place to place, from society. Every one of us has survived those licks and are
around the country I hear Atheists saying over and over again still here to tell about it, Everyone in the future who speaks
that they do not want to speak out. They prefer to keep to out will survive as well. Perhaps after enough of us do it and
themselves the' Atheist lifestyle to which they have come. survive you will get the message.
They do not want to be organized. They do not want an Athe- .
Nothing is for nothing. We at American Atheists will conist group. When I ask why, I find out that it is because they tinue to tell the Atheist community this as long as we remain
feel that they can have their lifestyle and the religionist can in business. We will speak out and one by one you will speak
have his and-they can coexist side by side with no problems.
'out and the job will get done. Then we will speak as the voice
You know something, they're right!
of sanity and the insane will listen for a change.
But they are right only if one very important condition apJoin us when you can or when you will. With or without
pertains to the situation. That is that they not be allowed to you, those of us who are already out front will continue out
openly identify as Atheists or make the positive aspects of there.
their lifestyle known. Only the religionists may do this. As
PAGE 2

FLOREAL

188 [5/80)

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Friends,
I have an editorial suggestion you
may find interesting, possibly even
helpful.
'
The words we use in our language
obviously influence our modes of thinking. For instance, as American Atheist
demonstrates, writing the word "god"
with small caps all of the time it
appears in print in the magazine slowly but surely will have the effect of
helping people to THINK of this concept (of gods, etc.) in a more human
way. In other words, by small-capping
"god" you diminish.the "power" of the
religionists' use of "God."
I have had an idea. Every time we
see the words Jesus Christ in caps we
are unconsciously
recognizing the
"power" those words can have over
us. Because in caps, those two words
mean: the Redeemer, the Messiah. By
writing the words out like we do Jesus Christ :- we are using propaganda terms. Because in the original
Greek-Hebrew of the early gospels
"Jesu" means "redeemer" and "Christos" means "messiah" (from Hebrew
Mashiach - "savior").
THEREFORE, to counter this propagandistic influence on our very language, let's begin to stop using the
words Jesus Christ in print or in
speech. Let's stop recognizing (linguistically) an empty claim. JNSTEAD, let's
speak of the jesuchrist (one word,
meaning, in our terms: "the false prophet" or "the alleged and supposed
Christian messiah.") Ifthis term were
used consistently in'American A theist.
magazine every time mention was
made of the jesuchrist, then eventuallv a new word would be coined

which would better suit the purposes

of Atheist approach. Let us throw the
term "Jesus Christ" out of the historical window and introduce this better,
more meaningful. term which is more
accurate a term and much less approving. At some point, we might even
want to begin calling the followers of
the [esuchrist - jesuchristians, meaning - followers, of the false savior who
saved no one.
I think that language mirrors our
concepts and thinking and if we make
our language fresh and meaningful (to
us) we also make our thinking and
ideas fresh and meaningful.
I'm tired of seeing the words "Jesus
Christ" in print and unchallenged. Let's
call a spade a spade. From now on let's
refer to the Jewish (religious) teacher
.as "the jesuchrist," thus making a socalled proper noun into a common
descriptive noun.)
Sincerely
Dan Bloom
Dear Dan,
We love it. We'll do itl We'll do itl
Editor

Motivation
Editor,
Christians motivate me - I dislike
the word "inspire." Motivation in this
instance spells out as a contribution to
American Atheists. No big deal this,
just awareness of some of the facts
and portents which loom large on the
horizon.
The looming is well-defined in the
editorial by Jon Murray in the February, 1980 issue of American Atheist
magazine. Addressing himself to the
question "What do the Christ'ers
want? .. born again insanity," he well
and truly informs readers concerning
the "grim intent in our midst." This is
expressed as an estimate of "If the
Christ'ers have their way, by the year

. 2000, the United States will be another Iran, the president will be similar
to Khomeini, the Bible will be the
ultimate authority."
This estimate was substantially affirmed and confirmed by the Bible-belt
evangelist Jerry Falwell during his
appearance on the Donahue Show of
February 29, 1980. Auditing of such
"Khomeini-oriented
spokesmen" via
the media induces a recall of an admonition by Madalyn. Substantially,
"In dealing with theocratic preempting of government, do what you can
and DO IT NOWI" My action in this
respect may not resolve the grim onus
of preempting, but it is doing something NOWI
Robert C. Harder
Oregon
Dear Robert
Thanks for the contribution. It encourages us when we see our -message getting through to Atheists such
as yourself. Numbers can only count if
they are organized in a fighting organization that wit! make them be
counted.
Again thanks.
Editor

Congratulations
-~Editor,
Congratulations on the new format
of the magazine. The .articles in the
March issue are the provocative kind
Atheists want to know about.
I am writing the head shepherd of
the Elks and sending a letter of support
to Heinz Weber for his stand. Weber
said. Atheists were not joiners. I certainly am not. I keep my nose out of
other people's business and they had
better keep their noses out of mine.
Bill Wagner
California

"No idea is worth anything

.unless you have the guts to
back it up!'
AUSTIN,

PAGE 3

TEXAS

!I

NEWS
The news is chosen to deomonstrate, month after month, the dead reactionary hand of religion. It dictates your habits, sexual conduct, family
size. It censures cinema, theater, television, even education. It dictates life values and lifestyle. Religion is politics and, always, the most
authoritarian and reactionary politics. We editorialize our news to emphasize this thesis. Unlike any other magazine or newspaper in the United'
States, we admit it.

Jon Murray, Director of the American Atheist Center, Bob Brooks, Dr. Madalyn O'Hair, Robin Murray-O'~~ir

10TH ANNUAL NATIONAL

CONVENTION
The beginning of the Convention was not with a "bang,"
international media coverage, the filing of a complaint against the
although at first there was some little trepidation that it might, On hotel and the Roman Catholic Church under the Civil Rights
the evening of the convening, i.e. "Good Friday," the bomb threat
Statutes and, perhaps, even further legal action in a damage suit.
was received by the Michigan Chapter at its post office box. , Certainly the ramification includes your writing protest letters to
agencies and institutions listed at the end of this article.
Barbara Schwartz, first to see it, brought it to the American
Marie Madeleine Hemet, representing French Atheists, had
Atheists' National Officers at the hotel. With the usual aplomb of
beleaguered, but determined Atheists, the threat was turned over been scheduled to speak, but found her trip to be impossible just
to the police, through the hotel management, and everything was short weeks before the event. She did not come, but her interordered to proceed on schedule.
national award has been mailed to her. However, Lavanam, Gora's
However, there was much more than the usual excitement and
oldest son, now head of the Atheist Center in India was in
spirit of bon vivant at the Tenth Annual National American
attendance. He came to report a singular victory in India, the
Atheist Convention held in Detroit, Michigan at the Sheraton
election of his sister to the Indian Parliament on an Atheist ticket
Southfield Hotel during early April, this year. It started out with and to talk, generally, about the World Athiest Meet scheduled for
December 25-28, 1980, in Vijayawada, Andre Pradish, India.
some jokes, jolted into insult, flared into boycott, picketing,

PAGE 4

FLOREAL 188 [5/80]

AMERICAN ATHEIST

werein concert that any remarks in support of Atheism duringthis

That, however, was a part of the determination to keep' the
banquet (and probably any other one) would stop food service.
convention going despite the actions of hostile religionists - in this
The plaint of the catering manager was repeated over and over no
case, a group of Roman Catholics.
matter how the insult was opposed, "Give us a: break. Stop him.
Each year, with the conventions, a growing feature is an intimate
Give us a break. Have him stop." The manager saw no fault in his
dinner and soiree with the Murray-O'Hairs, the Board of Directors
employees or their attitude and was supporting them completely.
of the American Atheist Center and the Chapter Directors from
At this time Paul Marsa, Bill Baird and. George Eskelinen
across the United States. Since the conventions are always held on
appeared out .of the kitchen followed by (presumably) the maitre
weekends, this formal dress event takes place on Friday evenings
.d'hotel. After a heated religiousargumentin the kitchen and after
and the party that follows usually lasts all night.
Bill and Paul had threatened each employee with a personal suit,
Barbara Schwartz, Helen Weaver and Henry Schmuck, Board
individually, the waiters were agreeing to serve - provided they
Members of the Michigan Chapter had worked long and hard to
were ordered to do so by management. Standing there, "managemake the Detroit Convention a success and had found a raconteur
ment" refused by silence to do anything and, then, turned and
of Atheists' jokes, Bob Brooks. They desired that he begin the
walked away toward the kitchen with the maitre d'hotel.
convention with laughter, and since the pursuit of happiness is not
It was presumed by all the Atheists that food would be served
alone a legitimate but almost an obligatory function of Atheism,only when Bob finished his repertoire of jokes or when he was
Bob was scheduled for the Friday night event. The dinner portion
ordered to finish. All five Atheists returned to the dining room
of this gala occasion, then; began with a short presentation by Bob.
smarting under the insult but determined that Bob would ocntinue,
Atheist jokes are, by nature, anti-religious and our speaker shot
determined to resist censorship and determined that the convenout a stream of them. His jokes had the merit of being funny. His
delivery and timing were excellent. is personality evidenced that he tion would not be deprived of First Amendment rights to free
speech. Back in the banquet room again, Dr. O'Hair interrupted
was just naturally jolly -- humorous.
Bob just long enough to tell him to continue with his Atheist jokes
But, as he punned away, the guests waited to be served, and
waited, and waited, and waited. No salads appeared. No coffee was as repartee to the insult. It was late and remedy, it was felt, would
need to be found the next day.'
poured and a rigid little group of wait-persons went in and out of
All of this had taken perhaps one half hour or more of banquet
the service entrance, or stood at the kitchen entrance, tight lipped.
time. John Cruz had left notice he was in the hotel restaurant with
Dr. O'Hair had just asked Jon Murray, Director of the
the other guests who could not squeeze into the banquet facility. In
American Atheist Center, to see what was holding up the service
about ten to fifteen minutes, just as Bob finished the last joke the
when Barbara Schwartz tiptoed to the speakers' table and
whispered to Jon. His shock showed on his face for a full minute salad began to be served. It was withered from the long wait in the
before he leaned over behind the speaker to advise Dr. O'Hair, who kitchen, outside of the refrigerator. One look at the salad
contemptously slapped down in frontof them convinced both Jon
was also stunned by the news. The kitchen and wait-persons had
sent notice, through the banquet manager, with his approval, that
they would serve no food while anti-religious remarks or jokes
were being made. They had identified the entire kitchen and wait~
persons as Roman Catholics, had pointed out that it was Good
Friday and said that they would not serve Atheists except that they
kept their mouths shut so as not to offend the RomanCatholic .
workers. They demanded that Bob step down.
Jon, then, stood up and told the 104 persons seated there (the
overflow of about 30 persons were being served in the downstairs
restaurant) of what was transpiring and then told Bob to "carry
on."

It was within minutes thereafter that the nature of the insult

began to be felt. Several things happened at once: John Cruz,
Director of the Michigan Chapter, mounted the speakers' platform
to demand that Jon tell the joke raconteur to shut up and sit down
so that the service could begin. Paul Marsa, Director, New Jersey
Chapter, got up and charged toward the kitchen door. He was
followed, in a moment, by Bill Baird, Director of Boston's Family
Planning Clinic, the father of the modern abortion movement and
a featured speaker at the convention and close on his heels was
George Eskelinen of Chicago, Illinois, both headed also for the
kitchen.
.
Dr. O'Hair and Jon Murray, meanwhile, left the speakers'
platform and headed out the main door after the catering manager.
And - Bob kept on with his jokes!
When the manager was bearded in the room adjacent to the
dining room, his defensive confrontation with Jon and Dr. O'Hair
was full of righteous religious indignation. He repeated over and
over, "Is this guy going to give us a break? Is he going to shut up so
we can serve?" Dr. O'Hair and Jon were shocked. "What do you
mean 'give you a break'? He is exercising a First Amendment right
- freedom of speech!" An argument ensued. It was obvious that
management and the food preparation and serving wait-persons

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

Ed Bronson of Michigan and.

Bill Baird of Family' Planning Center

PAGE 5

and Dr. O'Hair and they rapidly decided what to do. Stepping up
to the podium, Dr. O'Hair quickly ran through what had occurred.
"I don't know about any of you," she stated, "but I am choking on
this food. There is no reason that any Atheists should be hungry
enough to eat their pride. As far as I am concerned the Roman
Catholics in the kitchen can take their food and shove it up their
collective ass." She was interrupted by heavy applause and
immediately invited all concerned to the private Murray-O'Hair
pen tho us suite. All but five persons voted with their feet as they
walked out of the banquet hall, leaving behind the wilted lettuce,
the - then - warm "ice water" and the startled wait-persons.
Joining everyone in the private suite, again Dr. O'Hair and Jon
explained what had happened in the kitchen and with the catering
manager. Paul Marsa and Bill Baird elaborated and then Jon, Dr.
.O'Hair, Bill Baird, Henry Schmuck and Bob Mangus (both of the
Detroit Chapter) and Theresa Collins went to see the night
manager. At first they were told a woman was the night manager.
Then they were told that a man was the night manager. However,
when he came into the office it was discovered that he was a person
who had denied being the night manager when Henry Schmuck
and Bob Mangus first sought him out. Following this, again,
another man was described as the night manager - making the
Atheist entourage feel that they were playing musical chairs as the
hotel administrators sought to avoid any responsibility for the acts
of the hotel's catering manager" kitchen personnel and waitpersons.
At each level, Jon and Dr. O'Hair demanded:
[I] an apology from the hotel management to all 104 persons
who had been discommoded by the actions of the religious
employees;
,
[2] that the insulting employees be fired on the spot;
[3] that other arrangements be made by the hotel for the
banquet functions to be held elsewhere at a place where no insult
could be given to Atheists.
All three levels (?) of management refused to budge, pleading
powerlessness. The"real" manager, it was alleged, was );Vorking
over the hoiday and would be in on Saturday (the next day) by 9:00
A.M.
Meanwhile the media was contacted and upon the arrival of
- television cameras and reporters at the hotel, the management
swore that they had completed the banquet service and that there
was no incident of which they were aware.
Bill Baird then suggested that the manager of the hotel, who was
supposed to be on duty in the morning, be met by a picket line of
Atheists. Members of the organization, still in the Murray-O'Hair
suite were given "battle bulletins" as often as feasible, but the
evening still wound up - after midnight - in car pooling to go to
all-night fast food service joints for dinner.
The following morning, by 8:00 A.M., jerry-rigged picket signs
were in evidence as the Atheists began to show their disconent with
the Sheraton Southfield Hotel. Since no featured speakers werescheduled until 10:00 A.M" the picket ranks gradually swelled,
ranging from those first dozen enthusiasts to about 80 persons;
greeting all comers to the hotel. Television cameras arrived from
every Detroit station at some time during the day, for the picketing
and other incidents.
Complicating the situation was a church group intent on soulsaving. They arrived at the hotel on Friday, again on Saturday,
confronting officers, board members, and members of American
Atheists, dropping their doomsday literature where they could
until ordered from the convention rooms by Dr. O'Hair and Jon. A
final brush with this group of praying pamphleteers occurred in the

lobby when Dr. O'Hair, threatening them with police action,

managed to get them out of the hotel. Miscellaneous Jesus
freaks appeared spontaneously and from nowhere during the
next two days, to argue, or to butt-in, and included in these was
a heavily bearded messiah-type, sporting a large wooden cross
hanging from his neck, seeking to be made an "arbitrator" with
the hotel.
Dr. O'Hair had left a letter for the manager, demanding that
he meet with the Atheists, at about 9:30 A.M. in the banquet
room, but the next morning an armed and radio equipped
security man of burly proportions advised that the requested
meeting would not be held, Dr. O'Hair was rudely told that the
manager would see her only and alone, at a later time, at his
convenience. During all of this, the hotel had the clear and
unequivocal message that it was intended by the convention of
the American Atheists that [I] if the offending employees be
removed and others substituted; [2] if the management would
make appropriate apology to the inconvenienced guests; and [3]
if the convention could be assured that any free discussion of the
principles of Atheism would not bring further work stoppages
or convention interruptions, the important banquet functions
would be resumed, Assembled members and guests were
advised on this constantly, The hotel management had been
notified of this, at every level, all Friday evening, (April 4th) up
through a last conference held at about midnight, with a
disrespectful, smirking, hotel representative.
.

~~4

~~~~~"'<..'%:::..,

Radio and television on the picket line

PAGE 6

FLOREAL 188 [5/801

~I

AMERICAN ATHEIST

;',

Television cameras
on the picket line

A dozen picketing
Atheists - by 8:00 A.M.

All picket signs were hand

made - with enthusiasm

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

PAGE 7

Meantime, it was important to hold the convention together as

well as it could be retained in its purpose and consistency. All
meetings and speakers, although shifted somewhat, were still
programmed, although later several speakers and reports had to be
cancelled. The Atheists, by and large, were good natured about the
interruptions and the serious disjointing of the convention.
The hotel, about 10:30 A.M., finally, had an attorney on its
premises but the manager was still in hiding. The same demands
were given to the attorney; and the convention was formally
opened on Saturday, approximately on time.
By noon, Saturday, the hotel had three of its attorneys on the
premises, but the same waiters and kitchen personnel were on hand
- for more insult! It was problematical as to whether Atheist
Awards, normally presented during banquet activity, could be
given or whether this would be "offensive" to the Roman Catholic
kitchen personnel, the wait-persons, and the hotel administrative
officers, so as to cause another refusal of service. A number of
Atheists also expressed concern - as did Bill Baird - that
unknown substances might find their way into the food or that it
could improperly prepared and cooked by employees hostile to an
Atheist convetnion. The decision was made, therefore, to car pool
at noon on Saturday to local fast food emporiums, hamburger
joints, or whatever was in the area. This meant that twice as much
time was consumed for meals by leaving the hotel premises and the
convention features needed to be continued later each evening,

awards had to be put into the ordinary program and the very lovely
"dress-up" banquet, awards ceremonies, and entre nous which
have previously characterized each convention were seriously
disrupted.
However, Atheists always rise to the occasion. The walk-out on
the Friday dinner, the constant news coverage, the excitement of
squeeze-in car pooling and sudden intimate "eattogethers" which
developed, all contributerd to an unexpected and highly unusual
convention, which - actually - everyone found to be exciting: '
No one, for instance, can remember who came up with the idea
of a "Bible drop" but by Easter Sunday morning that was semiorganized enough that guests registered in fifty (50) rooms in the
hotel met in the lobby with full television coverage to plop each
room's Gideon Bible on the desk of the hotel registration clerk.,
with the suggestion that they be given to the management along
with the message to keep such junk out of the rooms of guests. It
might not be bad to have such a "Bible drop" as a permanent
feature of the convention.
As members shouted out passages to read, Dr. O'hair read some
classic pornographic passages from the Bible.
"Hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they
may eat their own shit and drink their own piss with you? Isaiah
36:12 and II Kings 18:27.
"And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with
shit that cometh out of man, in their sight. " Ezekiel 4: 12.

Bibles piling up on the registration des~ while Dr. O'Hair reads pornography from Leviticus

PAGE 8

FLOREAL 188 [5/801

AMERICAN ATHEIST

"And yeshall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your
daughters shall ye eat." Leviticus 26:29.
"So we boiled my son, and did eat him; and I said unto her on the
next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her
son." II Kings 6:29.
Later, viewers of this TV incident reported that the suggested
'Easter menus' were not put on the air.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, however, was there
for the entire three day meeting. Involved with a documentary
special on the Murray O'Hair family, the five-man crew filmed
everything. Later, CBC plans to send the team to the American
Atheist Center in Austin, perhaps to the Summer Solstice picnic at
the American Atheist Museum' and will also do some filming in
the Canadian studios with the Murray-O'Hairs flying there for the
interviewing.
But, back to the Saturday (April 5th) events. By then, Detroit
TV camera crews were wiser and followed one group of Atheists to
take pictures of them eathing at Denny's, to the surprise of the
restaurant's personnel.
At the return from lunch, two of the Sheraton attorneys
approached Dr. O'Hair again, refusing to get into the subjects of
[I] management's apology; [2] the dismissal of the insulting
employees; [3] whether or not there would be another refusal to
serve if Atheism was discussed. The manager was willing finally to
have Dr. O'Hair into his office - it is still unknown, as of this
writing, if he would have been there, or if only the attorneys would
have been there. Howver, the presentation of addresses was before
the convention and she declined to stop the semi-orderly process
underway to be harangued by him or the attorneys.
The speeches were brilliant .....:.as usual. Albert Ellis (Ph.D.
Columbia University) gave his on "The Psychopathology of
Religion." Lavanam answered all questions as well as giving a
review on the origin and meaning of the World Atheist Meet.
George Kniss, from Pittsburgh, spoke at length on "How Atheists
Can Break into Cable Television." Chris Brockman held forth on
"Atheist Books for Kids:" David Reed, on the cover of the April
1980American Atheist magazine, spoke on" A Policeman Without
a Prayer." Alan Eckert, a numismatist, had a slide review, disply
and historical summary of "Money Without God." Conrad
Goeringer gave a stirring address on "Pseudo-Science, The New
Religion of the West." Bill Baird was his usual excellent self in a
speech billed as "The Zygote as a Humanid." Translated that ,
means that the Roman Catholic Church is still pushing for
legislative enactments for the protection of a fertilized human
ovum, which it states is a human being from the moment of such
fertilization.
.
All of these speeches will be transcribed and printed in this
magazine at a later date ..
The awards presentations were sandwiched in as best as they
could be. To whom else could the Outstanding Member Award go
this year than to TroySoos of Chicago, Illinois, who took the old
Dial-An-Atheist program and made i~ into an international
sensation. The Outstanding Chapter Director Award went to
Richard Andrews of Utah, who is laying right into the Mormon'
Church there - and with vigor. Recognition was given to Queen
Silver as an Atheist Pioneer for over SO years of work for this best
of all possible causes. Gerald Tholen was astonished by his award
for his outstanding work as Chapter Coordinator. He leaned over
and said to Dr. O'hair, "But, I though I was a part of the family!"
That's all right, Gerald, even "the family" can get an award now
and then - and you are family if anyone ever was. Conrad
Goeringer, Arizona State Director, who conceived the plot and
wrote the scenario for the Picket the Pope caper was given the
National Outstanding Service Award. Theresa Collins, that small

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

Dr. Albert Ellis

Lavanam, Director of the Atheist Center of India

PAGE 9

:;

David Reed, Michigan

Chris Brockman, Michigan

Conrad Goeringer, Arizona

Bill Baird, Boston

PAGE 10

FLOREAL

188 [5/80]

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

Jon Murray, Director of the American Atheist Center presenting 1980 awards

National Award of Merit, Chapter Coordinator Gerald Tholen,

Atheist of 'I'he Year, Theresa Collins, Phoenix, Arizona

Outstanding Chapter Director, Rich Andrews, Utah

Defiance of Religion Award, Conrad Goeringerf Arizona

package of dynamite and Phoenix, Arizona, Chapter Director,

won the coveted American Atheist of The Year Award for winning
the legal battle to have prayer discontinued in assemblages of
public high schools in her home city.
The courageous involvements of American Atheists everywhere
continues at a high level of commitment. It reaches the point that
the American Atheist Center feels a need to give scores of awards.
American Atheism is finally coming alive and we must recognize
many. Yet the awards are for especial distinction. It is necessary to
keep the honors few and coveted - even while sincere thanks are
due to many of you from every American Atheist for your excellent
work.
.
It was, however, early afternoon on Saturday, April 5th, when'
Howard Kreisner, Houston Chapter Director, American Atheists,
and Gerald Tholen, Chpater Coordinator and National Ombudsman, decided to go to the hotel management of the Sheraton
Southfield and negotiate to attempt to save the Saturday night
banquet as well as the Sunday, April 6th brunch. The initiative was :
all on the side of the American Atheists. Neither the hotel
personnel, nor the hotel attorneys did anything. Can any of you
envisage what would have happened to Atheist kitchen or waitpersons if they had refused to serve a Roman Catholic Convention
because Caiholicism offended them? The insult was delivered
because we are Atheists.

AUSTIN,

After literally hours of bargaining the hotel manager had

wrested from him a suggestion that he would come and talk to the
Atheists under the following provisos:
.
[I] The Atheist group would come to silence.
[2] The manager would then enter the room and make a
statement.
[3] No questions could be asked. No coments could be made.
[4] The Atheist group would then remain silent while and until
he left the room,'
The substance of his short remarks was to be that neither
Sheraton administrative nor kitchen or service personnel ever
refuse to serve anyone.
The proposition was insulting. The suggested mode of delivery
was insulting. The "remarks" flew in the face of the experience
which was had a day earlier by 104 banquet guests. The entire
convention jeered down the suggestion.
At check out time on Monday morning, Dr. O'Hair had
delivered to her a letter which gave a price schedule for the use of
the banquet rooms. There was no demand for money. Subsequently Theresa Collins called from Phoenix, Arizona, arid said
that the news media there were reporting that the Sheraton Hotel
.planned to sue American Atheists for the price of the meals not
eaten.
It should be pointed out that over fifteen years ago, the Congress

PAGE

TEXAS

;;

11

of the United States passed a law titled "The Civil Rights Act of
1964" and one of the provisions of that law was structured so that
Blacks could not be denied service in public restaurants or hotels.
Sec. 201(a) of Title I of that Act reads:
"All persons shall be entitled to full and equal enjoyment
of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and
acocommodations of any place of public accommodation,
without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race,
color, religion or national origin."
Your American Atheist Center, therefore, has of April 25th,
filed a formal complaint and charge against the Sheraton Southfield Hotel for refusing to serve Atheists, against the individual
persons involved for refusing to serve, against the Roman Catholic
Church of the Diocese of Detroit for educating their paris honers to
.show contempt for the civil rights of Atheists and against the labor
union to which these employees belong for not instructing them
that persons in such positions must serve food to all comers including Atheists.
The complaint has been filed with:
Attn: ML Chastang, Supervisor
Enforcement Division
Detroit Department of Civil Rights
1200 Sixth Ave., Detroit, MI 48226
Telephone: (313) 256-2578
The devious ways of government and religion are clearly
illustrated in this Sec. 201(a) of Title I of the Civil Rights Act. For
many years the phrase "race, color or creed" was utilized as being
the criterion in respect to whom there could be no discrimination.
Atheists have creeds; that is to say - morals, ethics, life guidelines,
and they were included in the protection. In the 1960's, following
the Atheist case which removed Bible reading/prayer recitation
from public schools (in mid-1963), the phrase was chaged to "race,
color, religion or national origin." Viola! The Athiest (Agnostic)
was no longer protected. In the 1970's the phrase was further
remodified to "race, sex, religion, national origina or sexual
preference." Women, lesbians and homosexuals are ~ow included
but still there is no way Atheists can seek the mantle of protection
other than to say that Atheism is a religion!! Nonetheless, the
American Atheist Center is trying and will report later as to the
progress or the disposition of this complaint.
If you are one of the people who went to the convention and was
refused service, it is important that you also file an individual
complaint with this government agency. If you are an Atheist who
is shocked to see your fellow Atheist conventioneers treated as less
than Blacks were back before 1964, you should also register a
complaint.
Much further is suggested. The following persons, perhaps,
should also hear of your dismay:

Howard P. James, President .

Sheraton Corp'n. World Headquarters
60 State St.
Boston, MA 02109
Telephone: (617) 367-3600
Since the Sheraton Corp'n. is owned by International Telephone
and Telegraph and reports to that office, it might be important for
you to write also to:
Rand V. Araskog, President
International Telephone and Telegraph
320 Park Av.
New York City, NY 10022
Telephone: (212) 752-6000
The man in l.T. & Twho is responsibleforthe Sheraton Corp'n .
and to whom that corporation reports is:
Mr. Richard E. Bennett
Senior Executive Vice President
International Telephone and Telegraph
320 Park Av.
New York City, NY 10022
Telephone: (212) 752-6000
There is further the matter of the workers, themselves, and it is
suggested that you write to their union to see if disciplinary action
is appropriate:
Hotel and Motel Restaurant Employees
Cook and Bartenders Union
Local No. 24
100 Selden Av.,
Detroit, MI 48201
Telephone: (313) 833-3905
Even the Roman Catholic Church might be interested in hearing
of this misconduct since the Pope himself has asked for "dialogue"
with world Atheists.1f you want to "dialogue" on this matter, the
man to whom you should write is:
John Cardinal Deardon
The Roman Catholic Church in The United States
Wellesley Dr.
Detroit, MI 48203
Telephone: (313) 237-5816
See you next year in Salt Lake City, Utah, fof the eleventh
Annual National American Atheist Convetion. If it ws this exciting
in Detroit - it can't even be predicted as to what might happen in
the land of those crazy Mormons! Some indication is at hand
because the Hilton Hotel, where the convention will be held, has
already advised that it will give the conventioneers a block of
rooms - and remove those Gideon Bibles from all of them so that
Atheists won't be offended by them. How is that for a start!

Barb Schwartz and Helen Weaver of Michigan, and Dr. O'Hair

PAGE 12

FLOREAL 188 [5/80]

AMERICAN ATHEIST

Pioneer Atheist Queen Silver,

Los Angeles, California.

Outstanding Member Troy Soos, Chicago, Illinois

Arnold Via,
our Man in Virginia

Chapter Directors Meetings were hard work shops, with enthusiastic participants.

AUSTIN,

PAGE

TEXAS

13

'QQ Q Q Q W

IF THE REED WON'T BEND .....

David Reed, whose picture appeared on the cover of the

was radio and television, which had been at the Convention. It
April 1980 issue of the Americ:an Atheist magazine, engaged in was felt by the media persons contacted that David's life
one of the most shocking, daring activities in the nation earlier
would be more nearly safe if the matter was brought into the
this year. David, a graduate of Lansing Community College, open. Much publicity, then, became attached to the case.
Lansing, Michigan, with a degree in Law Enforcement, a graduDuring the investigation which immediateiy followed, the
ate of the police academy training school in his area and a full- State Police advised David that a real threat existed and that
time professional police officer, openly declared his Atheism.
the State Police could not guarantee his safety. His chief subIn fact, he was photographed - in uniform - and this picture
sequently (April 16th) suspended him from duty (with pay)
was published in a number of Michigan newspapers.
for an indefinite period pending an ongoing investigation, statThe American Atheist Center, which deals constantly with
ing in his letter of suspension:
symbolism, recognized that his was a powerful statement since
"This suspension is for the safety of yourself, other law
the law enforcement agencies of the United Stated have been,
enforcement officers and the community."
and are, bastions of repression, racism, religion and corruption.
The Ingham County Sheriff's Department then decided to
Therefore, the editors chose to feature David Reed on the have its "Internal Affairs" Division conduct an internal investicover of the American Atheist magazine for the Tenth-Annual
gation of the episode: Arlo Earegood, Director of Internal AfNational American Atheist Convention, which was held in his, fairs, Ingham County Sheriff's Dept., 630 N. Cedar, Mason, MI
home state of Michigan, in April of this year.
48854, telephone: (517) 676-2431.
Meanwhile, David had been so proud of his activity, which
At one point (April, 24th), David was advised by the State
was, simply an open statement in respect to religion, that he' Police that they were planning on making a presentment of
later, (March 26th) wrote a column for the State Journal news- ;. their fact finding to the county prosecutor's office. In his
paper of Lansing, Michigan. In this he disclosed that he and police experience this statement has come to mean that a
about thirty other members of the Michigan Chapter of Amer- request for warrants is made. Therefore, he asked how many
ican Atheists had attended a public hearing conducted by the defendants were involved and he was told, "The ones you
Michigan Senate concerned with House Bill 4508 for "volun- mentioned and some others."
tary school prayer." They had all opposed the bill.
Meantime his own police chief, a closet Agnostic, ordered
The, American Atheist Convention concluded on April Bth Reed "to make no further statements to the press" until both
and David returned to his regular shift at Webberville Police inquiries were, completed. The situation remained at this level
Station, Ingham County, Michigan on April 8th. It was his see- until David was ordered to appear at the office of Alan Hale,
ond night on duty (April 9th) when, at 2:00 a.m., a Deputy of the President of Webberville Village: Alan Hale, 115 W. Grand
fifteen years standing in the Ingham County Sheriff's Depart- River, Webberville,MI
48892, office telephone: (517) 521ment stopped irr'to see him. It developed that certain members: 3984; home telephone: (517) 521-3465.
of that Sheriff's office had decided that David Reed had disThereon (May Ist), he was advised by Mr. Hale that he was
graced the uniform and the idea of "policeman" by having his suspended for thirty days without pay, at the behest of his
picture, in uniform, appear on the cover of the American
chief (the closet Agnostic!) who "had recommended his imAtheist magazine and had decided to punish him. They dis- mediate dismissal." Instead, Hale decided that David was to recussed a range of punishments from "tarring and feathering"
ceive a suspension prior to the investigation and hearing.
to assassination. Two deputies in particular were so angered as
A check with the Michigan State Police garnered no inforto be instigators to action against Reed.
mation. Michigan State Police,' Lt. Col. William Hassinger's
As his informant was a mature person, with many years of Office, 714 S. Harrison Rd., E. Lansing, MI 48823. American
experience, concerned and frightened enough with the plans Atheists were referred to: Peter Houk, Ingham County Proseto advise David of them and to warn him to be careful and to cutor, 303 W. Kalamazoo, Lansing, MI 48933, Who "was makassure him that he would be "set up," that shock and concern ing all press releases on the Riled matter."
transferred to David. He was emotionally paralyzed when he
Peter Houk, finally reached on May 6th, stated only, "I
contacted the American Atheist Center the following day have reviewed the State Police Investigation and there is insuf(April 10th).
'
.
ficient evidence to conclude there was any criminal activity."
Dr. O'Hair was equally dismayed, especially when David He..had .no information on the Ingham County Sheriff's "interfeared to endanger the life of his informer by discussing the nal investigation" nor would he have in the future because that
information with anyone. Contacting the F.B.1. in Austin, is not within the purview of his duties.
Texas, Dr. O'Hair found that the best known course of action
Mr. Hale, however, had access to that since Reed's chief was
is to expose threats', not hide them, and she subsequently call- 'recommending termination. Arlo Earegood, when reached
ed the office of the governor of the state of Michigan: Govern- (May 7th) stated that the conclusion of the Sheriff's Internal
or William G. Milliken, Executive Office, Capitol Building, Affairs Office was that there was "no basis for the complaint."
Lansing, MI 48909, telephone: (517) 373-3400.
Why was Reed to be fired?
His Special Assistant, Jean 'Hammond, asked for an investi1) He had acted in a manner unbecoming a policeoffigation of the matter by: Col. Gerald Hough, Mich. Dept. State
cer; and
Director Police, 714 S. Harrison Rd., E. Lansing, MI 48823,
2) He had demonstrated severe lack of judgment in exertelephone: (517) 373-2464.
cising hisinfluence and position as a police officer.
Subsequently the Detroit News newspaper was contacted as
Mr. Hale sadly advised Reed that ten persons from the vil-

PAGE 14

FLOREAL 188(5/80)

AMERICAN ATHEIST

l
[

lage had come to him asking for Reed's dismissal. Several

churches also had contacted the Ingham County Sheriffs Of-'
fice. A typical Christian reaction was evidenced in the Letters;
to the Editor Column of the (Lansing) State Journal on April
19th when one of the zanies wrote:
"Why does he, as a police officer, pose problems for
himself by stating he is an Atheist ... ?"
Of course, anyone can say they are, Christian and no problem is posed.
The very careful language used by the County Prosecutor
underlines that the threats were made. Such threats in and of
themselves perhaps do not constitute "criminal action" in
Michigan.- Conspiracy to harm is extremely difficult to prove,
as is any "conspiracy" charge. David Reed is simply being punished for saving his own life. Had he not called the American
Atheist Center, had not the governor's office ordered an investigation, the conspirators against his open Atheism could well
have taken the action that they discussed: "to set him up"
with a spectrum of physical harm ranging from "tarring and
feathering" to assassination.

David Reed is a conscientious arid fine police officer and

perhaps letters or telephone calls from many thousands of
American Atheists to Alan Hale, President, Webberville Village, 4927 Pardee Rd., Webberville, MI 48892, telephone:
(517) 521-3465 would help the "hearing and review of a fact :
finding board" during David's suspension (without pay) so
that he might be reinstated. The persons involved in the
threats, who placed David Reed and his wife, his parents and
his friends in terror for the several weeks after the Convention
are typical and reflect the ordinary reactions of Christians suddenly confronted with persons who do not suffer from their
intellectual malaise. They are the rhinoceri of the United
States (See "On The Cover" on p~e 1 of this issue.).
As this issue goes to press, David advises that Zolton Ferency, a very well known Michigan attorney, and Philip Dean,
both lawyers for the A.C.L.U., and the A.C.L.U. jtself will intervene in the situation in order to help him.
.> ,.

~i:1.IiII
,

'1:1.:
..'

MJ' ~ M;
~ ~

i, ~

~Ii~..

"

~.,

"God Is My Manager"

Independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson

is the man who introduced bills in Congress, on three different occasions (1961 through 1965), proposing that the
United States "devoutly recognizes the authority and law
of Jesus Christ, Savior and Ruler of Nations."
The bills were vigorously supported by Midwest
Republicans and Southern Democrats.
Now, questioned about this fanatical commitment
to Jesus Christ, Anderson - who liberally sprinkles his
campaign speeches with Biblical references - says, "It
was one of those things that was not thought out the way,
it should have been." He added that later he realized he
should not try "to shape the Constitution to reflect his
own religious beliefs."
Nonetheless, in the Illinois primary, he felt called
upon .to tell one audience that "God is my campaign
manager."

TAKE A
~LITTLE
WEIGHT

OFF
OUR
SHOULDERS'
AUSTIN,

FROM "LA RAISON" MAGAZINE

PARIS, FRANCE

U.S.A.
La "Priere Telephonee," qui reconforte lesNew-Yorkais
depuis de nombreuses annees, devra desormais subir la concurrence de "L'Atheisme telephone." En appelant le 726-3647,"L'Astheisme telephone" repond, en anglais ou en espagnol
que "les Athees sont des gens qui reflechissent, qui raisonnent
et qui se debarrassent des mythes et des hostilites des religions
organisees."
Une boufee d'air frais dans un pays dit libre ou la rellgiosite sevit a tous les niveaux.
.

PAGE

TEXAS

15

UNITED WORLD ATHEISM

INDIA

Mrs. Chennupati Vidya (45) is the first open and avowed Atheist in the Indian Parliament. She is the third daughter of the
world famous Atheist, the late Gora. Mrs. Vidya is elected from the Vijayawada Constituency on the Indira Congress ticket in
the elections held in January this year (1980). She defeated both Dr. K. L. Rao, a former Minister in the Central Government
and the Communist Party candidate. Her election to the Indian Parliament will be of great help to the Atheist, rationalist,
humanist, secular and free thought movements in India. She is a member of the Atheist Centre at Vijayawada, India, where the
Second World Atheist Conference will be held in December of this year.
Mrs. Vidya was born in 1934 as the fourth child and third daughter to Gora and Saraswthi. She is a graduate of Andhra University with her major in Sociology. In her teens she spent some time in Mahatma Gandhi's Sevagarm Ashram, along with her
famous father and with her brother Lavanam, Director of the Atheist Centre in Vijayawada. She was inter-married to Mr. Chennupati Seshagiri Rao, who is also an Atheist, in 1952. Mrs. Vidya, following the teachings -of her father, who advocated intermarriage between castes as. a way of breaking down the system, married a co-worker of Gora who was of the Karnma class
which comes under the Sudra or agriculturist class. Gora and his family were of the Brahmin class, which is the highest or priestly class. Vidya is a mother of four children - three daughters and one son. So far three children are married - ali inter-marriages
breaking down- the caste barriers in favor of social equality. Of the three children who have married, one has married a person of
the Brahmin class, the second married of the
'I'elaga class, which is also Sudra and the
third married the daughter of an intermarried couple - so that there is no longer a
caste to which she belongs. In India, this is
very audacious behavior, striking at the
very roots of the highly structured society
there and is of the most revolutionary kind
of activity and life.
Mrs. Vidya is a well known social worker
of Andhra Pradesh (state). She has been
working for the social and economic amelioration of the socially backward sections of
the society and of women. She organized
several vocational training programs for
these people. She championed
family
planning, sex education, women's education,
the cooperative movement, adult education,
sports (particularly women's participation in
sports), inter-marriage, eradication of superstitions and the like .
.~ Along with her husband, she has been in
the Congress party for the last eighteen'
years. She held many responsible positions,
such as the convenor of the women's wing of
the party, Member of Krishna Zilla Parishad
(Local Self-Government at 'county' level),
Member of, Panchyat Raj Delegation (Democratic Decentralization) and Chairman of the
state khoko (a sport) association. She is a
member on many committees connected
with women, children and social welfare.
She is the vice-chairwoman of Arthik Samata
Mandai, rural development wing of the
Atheist Centre. She is an excellent speakerorganizer, warm and personable. She is very
widely known as an Atheist. Winning by a
98,600 vote majority over her nearest rival,
her resulting election is an affirmation of
fulfillment of Atheist effort. Her term will
be five years and the Indian Atheist Centre
can only gain in stature from her success.
\

PAGE 16

FLOREAL

188 [5/80]

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

THE ALTERNATE CHOICE: NO RELIGION

Gale Schreier is a long string-bean type of a man. Tall, very
slender, imposing with his shock of red hair, deliberate with
his speech and his body movements, he presents an impression
of quiet determination. Talking softly, his speech having just
, the most remote flavor of a Texas drawl, unhurried but pre, cise, he has in a continuing way, with much persistence, attempted to rally every stray Atheist, everywhere, to the
. cause .
.Earlier this year, Gale left Austin, Texas, to seek more fertile financial grounds in Denver, Colorado, and while there was
a part of the persuasion for the Denver Chapter of American
Atheists to picket the nativity scene exhibited at the CityCounty building. [see February issue, American Atheist magazine, pp 10-17]
Not content with that, on 24th February, he donned a professionally made multi-colored plastic set of signs to picket at
the Stapleton International Airport in Denver.
Every airline traveler in the United States has been plagued
by the Hare Krisnas, the Moonies, the Pentacostals and other
assorted religious nuts, in every airport across the land. In almost every instance there has been a legal hassle over the religious hucksters. Some airports have now confined them to a
booth, some airports permit them to roam freely but have
.erected signs noting that the airport cannot curtail the activities since the principle of Free Speech protects them. Cornplaints have been frequent because of the aggressive tactics of
the religious proselytizers following the admonition of Jesus
Christ to go out and convert.
The Rocky Mountain News covered Gale's determined
stand and reported that a "New Gladiator" had entered the
spiritual sparring arena of the airport; indeed had "stridden
courageously into a den of fear and superstition."
Gale was confident that his action would lure his fellows
"out of the closet." Carefully obtaining permission from the
airport manager for his endeavor he came each day to the airport equipped with 100 leaflets concerned with Atheism, to
pass these only to those who approached him as fellows. To

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

PAGE

17

his surprise, the 100 leaflets, each day, were quickly (usually
within two hours) exhausted as person after person requested
one and either encouraged him or gave that old sotto voce admonition, "Keep up the good work."
The sign on Gale's chest read,
Why be a sucker for Christ?
YQUhaven't got a prayer.
SUPPQrt the only grQUPwith enough guts,
to' tell tile truth.
American Atheists
The sign on his back read,
All religions are organized insanity.
Stamp.out all cults
Krishnas, Pentecostals, Catholics, Communists, Etc.
Atheist is American
The leaflet which he passed out to' the persons who inquired was the no-bones-about-it "There Is NO' GQd" of Fred
WoodwQrth's - from the Arizona Chapter of American Atheists.
'The Pentacostals explained to' the inquiring reporter at
length that Gale's appearance in the airport was an example of
just hQW close to' Armageddon the world is. "We can expect
things like that now," one of them panted with happiness.
"We're in the last days."
A number of Atheists arriving from other cities did not
know that there were chapters in their cities, Qr even' that a
national organization existed and were only tQQ happy to' see
Gale.
During the airport appearances - about three days a week,
for two weeks - Gale was invited to appear on the Alan Burke
Show and the Peter Boyle Show, both on radio KWBC. Also,
his activity was reported on KOA radio .

Generally, the Krishnas would disappear at the airport

when the Pentacostals came out, But, when Gale began his two
week stint, most of the Hare Krishnas and all of the Pentecostals did not .corne out. -Indeed, one afternoon when the Pentecostal minister came to check on his flock (usually six to' ten
young adults) there were none at the airport - and the irony
was that he needed to' borrow twenty cents from Gale to' call
his wife and get a ride horne since his disciples had disappeared.
Asked how the young Pentacostals appeared to' him, Gale
simply replied, "They are junkies - without the drugs," and
shrugged his shoulders with lack of concern.
One professor of anthropology from the University of
Chicago stopped to' take pictures to' use in a discussion of
"New Cultural Trends" with his class - his way of letting the
students know he was an Atheist.
Others remarked, "Why in the hell aren't yQU in San
Francisco, where we really need YQu?",Qr "BQy! do I wish' you
were in Pittsburgh!"
The most amusing recurring situation was for Gale to' be
roughly told "Stay away from me, you creep!" Then, as the
airline passenger proceeded on his course, he would suddenly
turn and take a second IQQk, retrace his steps and come back
to' say, "I'm sorry. I thought yQU were 'one of them'!" and
then take the profferred Atheist literature.
Gale, American Atheists salute you! GO' get 'em. It isn't all
that hard to' do: And, for the rest of YQU,anyone interested in
obtaining sturdy plastic picket signs, suitable for sandwiching,
please contact:
Denver Chapter, American Atheists
P. O. BQX6120, Denver, CO 80206

DELIVER ATHEISTS FROM THIS EVIL

Every time that the media writes'
concerned with American Atheists
some "cute" remark is made in the
headlines. It is usually something like
"Atheist Leader to' Preach Dogma," or
"Atheist Crusader in Town," or a similar remark. When, however, a United
States District Judge uses such a reference, it isn't funny.
Patricia Voswinkel, Director of the
North Carolina Chapter of American
Atheists, recently brought suit against
the city of Charlotte, North Carolina,
because it had added a full-time police
chaplain to' its staff at the cost of a
$20,000 (plus fringe benefits) salary.
Making an accord with a Baptist
Church, the city agreed to' pay one
half of the salary, with the church paying the other half. The Baptist church
involved chose the chaplain, not the
city.

PAGE 18

In a hearing in the United States

District Court for the District of North
Carolina, on April 10th, Pat's attorney
argued that the city's arrangement
with the church was unprecedented in
that no government 'entity had before
been so "bold as to' enter into an
agreement with one specific church."
It was on this point that the city's attorney was most pointedly questioned
by the judge.
'
"Does it give yQU any concern that
the city is subsidizing the mission of
this church?" he asked.
"If yQUhire a religious organization
to' perform a public function ... aren't
YQU,even if only psychologically, promoting the establishment of religion?"
That the church made the choice of
the chaplain for the city particularly
demonstrated the problem, Pat's attorney argued. "You can see what would
happen if this was made public. It
would be a struggle of sect against

FLOREAL 188 [5/801

sect." The Baptist church could offer

$10,000 of the salary, as in this case, if
the police hired its ministers, the
Methodists, might offer $11,000 - but
suppose the Roman Catholics offered
$12,000!
It was at this point that the judge
made clear what his own religion was
for he injected into the simile, "You're
out of the reach of the Presbyterians
already." The Charlotte News and the
Charlotte Observer newspapers both
immediately used this reference to'
identify the judge as a member of a
Presbyterian church.
At the close of argument the judge
delivered his "cute" remark. When asked for verdict he responded that he did
not have an immediate answer, and
added, "I think I'll have to pray about
it." -- the newspapers noted that this
homily was delivered with a smile.

AMERICAN ATHEIST

As if North Carolina did not have

enough difficulties with Patricia Voswinkel as the Director of the North
Carolina Atheists, it is the home of another good Atheist, Lawrence C_
Roush.
A curious battle of his has been
slowly working its way up the federal
court ladder also and it arrived in the
Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
earlier this year.
In a hearing on February 9th, Lawrence's attorney was fighting to remove a prayer which is scheduled to
be printed on a North Carolina highway map.
"If we permit this, we may somewhere down the line have to deal with

ATHEISTS DON'T LIKE

A PRAYER
, a Trinitarian prayer, a Baptist prayer,
and so on." he told the judge.
Lawrence and another North Carolinian, Mary G. P. Hall, are attempting
to stop the state from printing a
"Motorists' Prayer" on millions of
North Carolina road maps.
The state argued that "This is an innocuous non-denominational
prayer
almost hidden away on the map. I
don't think anyone could argue that it
significantly advances religion."
Lawrence and Mary see it another
way contending that it violates the

constitutional requirement for separation of state and church.

A lower court judge in a Federal
District Court had ruled against them
and found that the prayer had a "secular purpose" in being on the map. He
. called the suit "constitutional nit-picking."
,
And, that is 'what the churches and
religious leaders do: pick a little, pick
a little, until they have gained a major
position. When, however, American Atheists try to stop the pick a little,
they are charged with nit-picking.'
Again, the decision was not handed
down at the time of hearing.
A later report will be made on this
important suit .

"The Gobble-uns Try to Git Her"

1-\"'f1'4

~A 0

The Great State of Texas was at it again in April following

the National Convention. Still determined to put Atheist leader Dr. Madalyn Murray O'Hair in jail, it set the continuing effort for hearing on April 14th.
The activity stems from an incident in December, 1977,
and recalls the James Whitcomb Riley poem:
Onc't there was a little boy wouldn't say his pray 'ers An' when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,
His mammy heerd him holler, an' his daddy heerd him bawl,
An' when they tum't the kivvers down, he wasn't there at all!
An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an'
press.
An' they seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever 'wheres, I ,
guess;
But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout!
An' the Gobble-uns 'll tit you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
Dr. O'Hair refused to say her prayers at a City Council
meeting away back then, and Texas would like to see her disappear - into a jail for six months.
It has been the habit of the City Council of Austin to start

AUSTIN,

the city business meetings with prayer. In December, 1977,

Dr. O'Hair refused to participate in the prayer by remaining
silent while the Christians conducted their short religious
exercise. She insisted that she had the right to talk or do what
she wanted to do - that her enforced silence caused her participation since she could not escape from the prayerful session,
could not shut her mind off, could not stop her ears from
hearing. She was arrested for "interrupting a business meeting"
of the City Council. ,Since that time she has been in court trying to use this case as a vehicle to challenge the Constitution of
the State of Texas. That Constitution has in it a "Bill of
Rights" and that "Bill of Rights" in Article I states that no
person may hold an office or a position of public trust (such as
service on a jury) unless that person has a "belief in a Supreme
Being." This means that no Atheist, nor any agnostic, can
work for the State of Texas, or any of its political subdivisions
at any level being, as they are, without such a belief.
The case began with Dr. O'Hair asking the ju-dge to recuse
(disqualify) himself for bias and because he is a litigant in another case a 'Hair v. Hill where the Texas constitutional provision is being challenged in a civil case. Since it is mandatory
for the judge to disqualify himself if a party to another suit,
the case was set forward to May 20th for a hearing on that
aspect.
Dr. O'Hair also asked for court appointed council. Noting
that every attorney in Texas is an "officer of the court,"
which is a position of public trust, she held that each such attorney must also have a "belief in' a Supreme Being." Therefore, she said an attorney appointed for her would need to be
either a theist or a liar. If the attorney was an Atheist he
would need to lie to the court and say he had "a belief in a
Supreme Being" or he would not be permitted to practice before the court. If he was a theist, he could not act in the best
interests of an Atheist.
The case will be another "monkey trial" when it gets past
the.preliminary battles. 'Dr. O'Hair, meanwhile, is holding firm
that no judge in Texas is qualified to hear the case, nor is any
jury, nor is any attorney qualified to represent an Atheist since
all such persons are precluded from any office or public trust
in Texas.
Watch the media reports. This case which has been a slow
starter is going to be. one of the most important of our times if
Dr. O'Hair can upset the judiciary system in Texas state.

PAGE

TEXAS

19

fiJoemJ
Last Case On The Docket
There will come a Judgment Day, so some men say,
When all stand trial before the Lord.
If such a ludicrous day comes true,
A prosecuting district attorney,
And maybe millions more,
Tall in God's own image, will stand and say,
"Lord you stand 'accused. How do you plead?
Guilty or not guilty, enter your plea.
You stand accused of this minority of your crimes,
Latterday ones some; the rest are understood.
Is it not true,
You imbedded the gory seeds of eternal war in man,
And further outrage still,
Inward interminable war in their minds,
In a subterranean snake pit which cannot be filled,
But which screams to be filled?
Innocent babies suffered and died,
And you lifted no hand;
And skin of outcast black you dashed on some;
And biological urge, as strong as pain and as devastating,
You thrust into youth too young to contain it, restrain it.
Did you laugh when one more outcast stood alone?
A million ways.to trap your outcasts you gave,
Loosed through the goodness of your heart,
Barbaric gay inspirations all.
We cannot list them all, the big, the small .
But you could have saved them all."

Untitled
All things dull and ugly,
All creatures short and squat,
All things rude and nasty,
The Lord God made the lot.
Each little snake that poisons,
Each little wasp that stings,
He made their brutish venom,
He made their horrid wings.
All things sick and cancerous,
All evil great and small,
All things foul and dangerous,
The Lord God made them all.
Each nasty little hornet,
Each beastly little squid.
Who made the spikey urchin?
Who made the sharks? He did.
All things scabbed and ulcerous,
All pox both 'great and small,
Putrid, foul and gangrenous,
The Lord God made them all.
Anonymous

"You donated death and agony too,

Wished on us cancer, murder and hate,
Grief, despair, cruelty, hunger and lust;
And doomed the sweetest love from love's first kiss;
And birth, which should have been,
The free, the easy gift from mother to child, You packed in pain.
Your sop of sun and flowers was not enough.
I clutch the indictments, detailing all,
Skipping the Dark Ages,
Skipping the foul-smelling iron maidens of the Inquisition,
Affidavited, embalmed in blood, and the accusations on blank
paper,
Of those unknown like the Unknown Soldier who suffered
your hells,
,
__
Pages blank as beggared hope, as our black hells on Earth.
Oh Lord, how do you plead now that your judging of us is
done,
And we owe you no word more?
An infinity of eyes will watch you, an infinity of ears,
Deafened by death will hear you.
Enter your plea."
This one more case will be called on the Judgment Day,
If Judgment Day there be.

PAGEl 20

FLOREAL 188 [5/80]

AMERICAN ATHEIST

Serious
........... Smiles.
Surely not this
goodman?
,.

par a site (par'a-sit'), n. [Fr.-<L-<Gr. parasitos, one who

eats at the table of another-epara-, beside + sitos, food],
1. a person who lives at others' expense without making
any useful return.
-need we say more?

AUSTIN,

PAGE 21

TEXAS

THE WOMAN'S-

BIBLE

by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, et al

'"""

This is the fifth part of a continuing series from The Woman's Bible.

CHAPTER VI
Genesis xxi
I. And the Lord visited Sarah as
he had said.
'2. For Sarah bare Abraham a
son in his old age.
3. And Abraham called the
name of his son whom Sarah bare
to him, Isaac.
.
5. And Abraham was a hundred
years old, when his son Isaac was
born unto him.
6. And Sarah said, God hath
made me to laugh, so that all that
hear will laugh with me.
9. And Sarah' saw the-son of
Hagar the, Egyptian, which she had
borne unto Abraham, mocking.
10. Wherefore she said unto
Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this
bondwoman shall not be heir with
my son, even with Isaac.
II. And the thing was very

THE gr~at event of Isaac's birth ha~mg taken place, Sarah IS

represented through several
chapters as laughing, even in the
presence of angels, not only in the
anticipation of motherhood, but in its
realization. She evidentlv forgot that
maternity was intended as a curse on
all Eve's daughters, for the sin of the
first woman, and all merry-making on
such occasions was unpardonable.
Some philosophers consider the most
exalted of all forms of love to be that of
a mother for her children. But this
divine awakening of a new affection

PAGE 22

grievous in Abraham's sight.

death of the child. And she lifted up
her voice, and wept.
12. And God said unto Abra17. And God heard the voice of
ham, Let it not be grievous in thy
the hid; and the angel of God called
sight; in all that Sarah hath said
to Hagar out of 'Heaven, and said
unto thee, harken unto her voice;
for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. -, unto her; What aileth thee, Hagar?
Fear not, for God hath heard the
13. And also of the son of the
bondwoman will I make a nation,
voice of the lad where he is.
18. Arise, lift up the lad, and
because he is thy seed.
hold him in thine hand: for I will
14. And Abraham rose up early
make-him a great nation.
in the morning, and took bread,
19. And God opened her eyes,
and a bottle of water, and gave it
unto Hagar, putt-ing it on her
and she saw a well of water: and she
went, and 'filled the bottle with
shoulder, and the child, and sent
water, and gave the lad drink.
her away; and she departed, and
20. And God wa~' with the lad;
wandered in the wilderness of
and he grew, and dwelt in the
Beer-sheba.
wilderness, and became an archer.
15. And the water was spent in
21. And he dwelt in the wilderthe bottle, and she cast the child
ness of Paran; and his mother took
under one of the shrubs.
16. And she went, and sat her' him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
down over against him a good way
off: for she said, Let me not see the

does I not, seem to have 'softened

Sarah's heart towards her unfortunate slave Hagar. And so far from
Sarah's desire being to- her husband,
and Abraham dominating
her, he
seemed to be under her control, as the
lord told him "to hearken to her voice,
and to obey hercommand." In sodoing
he drives Hagar out of his house.
In this scene Abraham does not
.appear in a very attractive light, rising
early in the morning, and sending his
child and its mother forth into the
wilderness, with a breakfast ofbread
and water, to care for themselves.

FLOREAL

188 [5/80)

Why did he not provide them with a

servant. an ass laden with provisions,
and a tent to shelter them from the
elements, or better still, some abiding,
resting place. Common humanity demanded this much attention to his
own son and the woman. who bore
him. But the Worst feature in this
drama is that it seems to have been
done with Jehovah's approval.
Does anyone seriously believe that
the great spirit of all good talked with
these Jews, and really said the extraordinary things thevreported? It was,
however, a very cunning way for the

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

Patriarchs to enforce their own authority, to do whatever they

desired, and say the lord commanded them todo and say thus
and so. Many pulpits even in our day enforce their lessons of

subjection for woman with the same

authority, "Thus saith the lord," "Thou
shalt," and "Thou shall not."
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
"

Genesis xxiii
I. And Sarah was a hundred and
seven and twenty years old.
2. And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba;
the same is Hebron in the land of
Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn
for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3. And Abraham stood up from
before his dead, and spake unto the
sons of Heth, saying,
4. I am a stranger and a sojourner
with you: give me a possession of a
burying place with you, that I may bury
my dead out of my sight.
S. And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
~. Hear' us, my lord: thou art a
mighty prince among us: in the choice

of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none

of us shall withhold from thee his
sepulchre.
7. And Abraham stood up, and
bowed himself to the people of the
land.
8. And he communed with them,
saying, If it be your mind that I should
bury my dead out of my sight, hear me,
and entreat Ephron the son of Zohar.
9. That he may give me the cave of
Machpelah, which he hath, which is in
the end of his field; for as much money
as it is worth.
14. And Ephon answered Abraham,
saying unto him.
IS. My lord, harken unto me: the
land is worth four hundred shekels of

It is seldom that the age and death of any woman. are

recorded by the sacred historian. but Sarah seems to have
been specially honored. not only in the mention of her demise
and ripe years. but in the tender manifestations of grief by
Abraham, and his painstaking selection of her burial place.
That Abraham paid for all this in silver. "current money with
the merchant." might suggest to the financiers of our day that
our commercial relations might be adjusted with the same
coin. especially as we have plenty of it.
If our bimetallists in the halls of legislation were conversant
with sacred history. they might get fresh inspiration from the
- views of the patriarchs on good money.
Some critics tell us that there was no coined money at that
time; the Israelites had no written language. no commerce
with neighboring tribes. and that they could neither read nor
write.
Whilst we drop a tear at the tomb of Sarah. we cannot
recommend her as an example to young women of our day. as
she lacked several of the cardinal virtues. She was undignified. untruthful. and unkind to Hagar. But our moral standard
differs from that of the period in which she lived. as our ideas
of right and wrong are not innate. but depend on education.
Sarah probably lived up to the light that was in her:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
********************
The cruelty and injustice of Abraham and Sarah. as commented on by Mrs: Stanton. doubtless stand out much more
prominently in this condensed account than their proper
proportions to the motives which actuated the figures in the
drama. If we take any part of the story we must take it all. and
remember that it had been promised to Abraham that of
Ishmael a great nation should be born. Whether this was an
actual revelation from god. or a prophetic vision that Abraham
had. or is interpolated by the historian to correspond with the
actual facts that transpired. in either case the firm belief that
no harm could come to Ishmael. must be taken into account
when estimating the motives which led Abraham and Sarah.
for doubtless Abraham told Sarah of his vision. to send Hagar
and her son off into the wilderness; just as much as the firm
belief that the promise of god with regard to his seed would be
,

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

silver; what is that betwixt me and thee?

Bury therefore thy dead.
16. And Abraham hearkened unto
Ephron; and Abraham weighed to
Ephron the silver, which he had named
in the audience of the sons of Heth,
four hundred shekels of silver, current
money with the merchant.
19. And after this, Abraham buried
Sarah his wife in the ca ve of the field of
Machpelah before Mamre.
20. And the field, and the cave that
is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a burying place by the sons of
Heth.
.
,

fulfilled made Abraham. a little afterward. prepare to offer up his son Isaac.
Abraham loved and honored his
wife very greatly. probably admiring
equally her beauty and strength of
character. Abraham was ten years
older than Sarah and we read that he
was seventy-five years old when he
started from Haran for the land of
Canaan. Some time after this. driven
by famine. he went down into Egypt.
and here when she must have been at
least seventy years of age the Egyptians saw that she was very fair. and
the princes of Pharoah so praised her
beauty to their royal master that he
sent and took her for his wife. The ,
same thing happened. when she was
ninety years old. when she was seized
by Abimelech. King of Gerar. In both
cases they told. not a lie. but a half
truth. for Sarah was Abraham's half
sister. it being then the custom for
children of the same father by different mothers to marry. Abraham's
deceit was brought about by cowardice. while Sarah connived a.tthe fraud
for love of her husband, being besought to do so to save his life. Perhaps, too, she might have been amenable to the gracious tribute to her
beauty that Abraham gave in making
the request.
Sarah's strength of character is
shown all through her history. Wherever she is mentioned the reader is
made to feel that she is an important
part of the narrative, and not merely a
connecting link between two generations. In this story she carries her
point. and Abraham follows her instructions
implicitly.
nay, is even

PAGE 23

commanded by god to do so.

Notwithstanding
that
Abraham
mourned Sarah so sincerely, within
three years after she died, and when
at the ripe age of a hundred and forty
years, he married again and the six
children he begat by Keturah he took
quite as a matter of course, although
half a century before, when told that a
son should be born to him, he laughed
incredulously. Abraham had his failings, some of which are shared by the
moderns, yet doubtless he was a
moral giant compared with other men
of the land from which he came and of
the nations around him. As such he
was chosen as the founder .of a race
whose history should promulgate the
idea of the one true god. Certainly the
descendants from this remarkable trio
have retained their own peculiar
characteristics and have ever been
worshippers at the shrine of Jehovah.
A singular fact may be mentioned
here that Mrs. Souvielle in her book
The Sequel to the Parliament of Religions, has shown that from Midian,
.one of the sons of Keturah, came
Jethro or Zoroaster.
Western thinkers are so matter-offact in their speech and thought that it
might not have occurred to them that
the true value of this story of Sarah
and Hagar, like that of all else, not only ,
in our own Bible but in the scriptures
of other faiths, lies in the esoteric
meaning, had it not been for Paul, that
prince of occult philosophers, who
distinctlv says, according to the old
,,-ersion, that it is an allegory; accord-.
. ing to the revised, that it contains an
allegory: "for these women are two
covenants," one bearing children unto
bondage, the other unto freedom. It is
our privilege, Paul goes on to teach, to
be children of the free woman, but
although we are this by birthright, yet
there has to be a personal appreciation of that fact, and an effort to

PAGE 24

maintain our liberty. The mystical significance of this allegory has never
been elucidated in reference to the
position of woman, but it may well be
considered as establishing her claim,
not only for personal freedom, but for
the integrity of the home. Acting according to the customs of the day,
Sarah connived at her own degradation. Later, when her womanly dignity
was developed by reason of her
motherhood, she saw what should be
her true position in her home, and she
made her rightful demand for unrivalled supremacy in that home and in
her husband's affections. She was
blessed of god in taking that attitude,
and was held up to the elect descendants of Abraham nearly 1660
years later by the Apostle Peter as an
example to be imitated. And these
later women are to be Sarah's daughters, we are told, if like her, they "are
not afraid with any amazement," or as
the new version hath it, if they "are not
put in fear by any terror."
Even as mere history the life and
character of Sarah certainly do not
intimate that it was the divine plan
that woman was to be a subordinate,
either in person or in her home. Taken
esoterically, as all ancient Oriental
writings must be to get their full significance, it is an inspiration to woman
today to stand for her liberty. The
bondwoman must be cast out. All that
makes for industrial bondage, for sex
slavery and humiliation, for the dwarfing of individuality, and for the thralldom of the soul, must be cast out from
our home, from society, and from our
lives. The woman who does not claim
her birthright of freedom will remain
in the wilderness when the children
that she has borne in degradation,
heart starvation, and anguish of spirit,
only to find that they are Ishmaels,
with their hand against every man.
They will be the subjects of divine care

FLOREAL

188 [5/80]

and protection until their destiny is

worked out. But she who is to be the
mother of kings must herself be free,
and have surroundings conducive to
maintaining her own purity and dig. nity. After long ages of freedom shall
have eradicated from woman's mind
and heart the thought habits of the
slave, then will she be a true daughter
of Sarah, the Princess.
Clara Bewick Colby

** **** ****

Abraham has been held up as one of

the model men of sacred history. One
credit he doubtless deserves, he was a
monotheist, in the midst of the degraded and cruel forms ~ religion
then prevalent in all the oriental
world; this man and his wife saw
enough of the light to worship agod of
spirit. Yet we find his conduct to the
last degree reprehensible. Whiie in
Egypt in order to gain wealth he voluntarily surrenders his wife to Pharoah.
Sarah having been trained in subjection to her husband had no choice but
to obey his will. When she left the
king, Abraham complacently took her
back without objection, which was no
more than he should so seeing that
her sacrifice had brought him wealth
and honor. Like many a modern millionaire he was not a selt-rnade but a
wife-made man. When Pharoah sent
him away with his dangerously beautiful wife he is described as "being rich
in cattle, in silver and in gold," but it is
a little curious that the man who thus
gained wealth as the price of his wife's
dishonor should have been held up as
a model of all the patriarchal virtues.
Lillie Devereux Blake

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

A JOYOUS A THEIST

G. RICHARD BOZARTH

AN ATHEIST CLASSIC FOR ALL

Some books enter your life and never leave you. You pick
them up to read for whatever reason, unsuspecting of what
waits for you between the covers. You begin to read - and
suddenly you are caught up in intellectual excitement. Your
mind is pregnant with new lightnings as you avidly read on
and on. The reading experience absorbs you, stimulates you,
inspires dozens of thoughts and, above all, thoroughly entertains you. It is for such glorious experiences that serious
readers read.
Some titles of such never-to-be-forgotten
books that have
enriched my life are Julius Caesar (Shakespeare), Thus Spoke
Zarathustra (Nietzsche), Hawaii (Michener), The Outline of
History (Wells), Dune (Herbert), Sand in the Wind (Roth), The
Dispossessed (Le Guin), Fountains of Paradise (Clarke), Caesar and Christ (Durant), The History of the Popes (McCabe),
Origins of the Species (Darwin) ....
Recently I have added
another title to my treasured collection of superstar books: Of
Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham.
What is absorbing about this book is that it poses the
question "What is the meaning of life and morality for the
Atheist?", then proceeds to answer it. Being as religio'ii claims
that only a belief in god gives meaning to life and that only
morals presented as divine law stand a chance of being
obeyed, no Atheist thinker can escape dealing with these
issues. Actually, no literary artist can avoid them either, for all
great works of literary art are in part concerned with the
struggle to find the meaning of life and with the conflict of
defining good and evil behavior. Maugham meets the challenge masterfully and atheistically.
The hero is Philip Carey, whose life is picked up when he is a
little boy and his mother has died. His father, a surgeon, had
died earlier, and the boy is turned over to his uncle and auntto
be raised. Being childless and with a low income, neither looks
forward to the burden. His aunt, though, comes to love him
dearly. His uncle is a vicar in a small, English town. He is a
petty, small-minded, egocentric man arrogant in his "calling"
and unthinkingly intolerant in his faith. He at first tolerates the
boy as a "duty", but never really comes to feel for him much
more than a mild affection.
Philip is sent to a parochial school to prepare him for the
priesthood in the Church of England. Being crippled with a
clubfoot, the boy experiences the full range of cruelty children
are capable of. It is years before he will overcome the psychic
scars. He blames his miserable persecution on his warped
foot. This sets up the pre-conditions
for his intellectual
evolution to Atheism.
The school is beset by "a wave of religiosity". Being totally
immersed in a religious milieu at home as well as school,

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

Philip becomes more devoutly gung-ho than most. Being

already a passionate reader, he now takes up reading the Bible
, industriously. He reads "without criticism, stories of cruelty,
deceit. ingratitude, dishonesty, and low cunning. Actions
which would have excited his horror in the life about him, in
the reading passed through his mind without comment.
because they were committed under direct inspiration of god."
In other words, he read the Bible like an ordinary fundamentalist Christian.
He comes eventually to the verses in Matthew 21: 18-22
that describe JC Superstar putting the divine whammy on a fig
tree for the crime of not having any figs to feed the hungry god.
By way of "explaining"
his irrational behavior, he tells his
disciples that "if ye have faith, and doubt not. ye shall not onlydo this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto
this mountain, Bethou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;
it shall be done. And all this, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive."
The crippled boy figures out that if god will hurl mountains
into the sea in response to a prayer from a true believer, then
god would also make a clubfoot normal at the request of a true
believer. Just to be certain, Philip checks it out with his uncle,
and the vicar assures him that mountains will leap into the sea
"by the grace of god" upon the prayer-request
the faith'fUI.
Philip had faith, as only a youth indoctrinated daily can have
faith, and he doubted not, for he had yet to learn that doubt
Was possible. Though he prayed mightily, his foot remained as
deformed as ever. The boy was stunned and humiliated.
(Maugham clearly points where humans must go to get help
when several years later in the book a surgeon who specialized in deformities like clubfeet was able to correct Philip's
distressing defect so that he could almost walk normally.)
Philip was now tossed into a position of no longer being able
to believe in god, for if one part had proved to be a lie, then why
should any of the claims of the Bible be true? And if the Bible is
false, then the god it describes must be false. But this
reasoning was not a conscious process on his part, but "the
subtle works of his inmost nature."
His atheistic progress is seriously retarded by his social
status. Philip had been born into the English social class of
"gentleman", and in late 19th century England (the period of
the' novel) a gentleman believed in god as represented by the
Church of England. Because his uncle, as a "gentleman", had
indoctrinated Philip with the snobbish prejudice that men who
were not "gentlemen"
were inferior people, he could not
imagine himself without that essential prop of "gentlemanness", belief in the Church of England's god. As his faith
vanished, his faith in his faith kept him believing he believed.

of

PAGE 25

Philip's eyes are opened a few years later when is living in

Germany to round out his education. At the boarding house
where he stays he meets two individuals who spurred the
necessary intellectual processes to win his first freedom. One
person is Hayward, an Englishman who is one of those selfconscious pseudo-intellectuals
with the "soul of a poet".
Hayward is capable of stimulating conversation, but little else.
The other is Weeks, an American who is a true intellectual
and who has struggled out of New England Protestantism to a
cheerful, rather uncertain deism. Weeks and Hayward have
verbal conflicts nightly, more to pass the time than anything
else. Philip usually listened, and always treated what he heard'
as serious food for thought. It was the heresy he heard in their
debates on theology that entered his mind to unsettle his
stolid English religious prejudices. Inevitably, he had to
confront his doubts, and Maugham describes the event this
way:
O~e of the things that Philip had heard definitely stated was that
the unbeliever was a wicked and vicious man; but Weeks, though
he believed in hardly anything that Philip believed, led a life of
Christian purity. Philip had received little kindness in his life, and
he was touched by the American's desire to help him: once when a
cold kept him in bed for three days, Weeks nursed him like a
mother. There was neither vice nor wickedness in him, but only
sincerity and loving-kindness. It was evidently possible to be
virtuous and unbelieving.
.
Also Philip had been given to understand that people adhered to
other faiths only from obstinacy or self-interest: in their hearts they
knew they were false; they deliberately sought to deceive others.
Now, for the sake of his German he had been accustomed on
Sunday mornings to attend the Lutheran service, but when
Hayward arrived he began instead to go with him to Mass. He
noticed that, whereas the Protestant church was nearly always
empty and the congregation had a listless air, the Jesuit on the
other hand was crowded and the worshippers seemed to pray with
all their hearts. They had not the look of hvpocrites.rl-le was
, surprised at the contrast; for he knew of course the' Lutherans,
whose faith was closer to that of the Church of England, on that
account were nearer the truth than the Roman Catholics. Most of
the men - it was largely a masculine congregation - were South
Germans; and he could not help saying to himself that if he had
been born in South Germany he would certainly have been a
Roman Catholic. He might just as well have been born in a Roman
Catholic country as in England; and in England as well in a
Wesleyan, Baptist, or Methodist family as in one that fortunately
belonged to the church by law established. He was a little
breathless at the danger he had run. Philip wason friendly terms
with the little Chinaman who sat at table with him twice each day.
His name was Sung. He was always smiling, affable, and polite. It
seemed strange that he should frizzle in hell merely because he
was a Chinaman; but if salvation was possible whatever a man's
faith was, there did not seem to be any particular advantage-in
belonging to the Church of England.
Philip, more puzzled than he had ever been in his life, sounded
Weeks. He had to be careful, for he was very sensitive to ridicule;
and the acidulous humour with which the American treated the
Church of England Gisconcerted him. Weeks only puzzled him
more. He made Philip acknowledge that those South Germans
whom he saw in the Jesuit church were every bit as firmly
convinced of the truth of Roman Catholicism as he was on that of
the Church of England, and from that he led him to admit that the
Mahommedan and the Buddhist were convinced also of the truth
of their respective religions. It looked as though knowing that you
were right meant nothing; they all knew they were right. Weeks

PAGE 26

FLOREAL

had no intention of undermining the boy's faith, but I-_was deeply

interested in religion, and found it an absorbing topic of conversation. He had described his own views accurately when he said that
he very earnestly disbelieved in almost everything that other
people believed, Once Philip asked him a question, which he had
heard his uncle put when the conversation at the vicarage had
fallen upon some mildly rationalistic work which was then exciting
discussion in the newspapers.
"But why should you be right and all those fellows like St.
Anselm and St. Augustine be wrong?"
"You mean that they were very clever and learned men, while
you have grave doubts whether I am either?" asked Weeks.
"Yes," answered Philip uncertainly, for put in that way his
question seemed impertinent.
Cronshaw, being Cronshaw, goes on gleefully scandalizing
the moralistic prejudices of a proper turn-of-the-century
English gentleman. His main point is that morality is only the
accepted modes of behavior a particular culture has evolved,
and anyone of the various accepted ways of behaving mavor
may not actually be good, or even make sense. Ultimately, one
is responsible for one's own behavior, whether one conforms
to the accepted modes or is modified by one's re-evaluations
of what is called good and evil by society. And the behavior one
eventually adopts for oneself will be that which is most
pleasure-producing.
/
"... Men seek but one thing in life - their pleasure."
"No, no, no!" cried Philip.
"You rear like a frightened colt, because I use a word to Which
your Christianity ascribes a deprecatory meaning. You have a
hierarchy of values; pleasure is at the bottom of the ladder, and
you speak with a little thrill of self-satisfaction, of duty, charity, and
truthfulness. You think pleasure is only of the senses; the
wretched slaves who manufactured your morality despised a
satisfaction which they had small means of enjoying. You would /
not be so frightened if I had spoken of happiness instead of
pleasure: it sounds less shocking, and your mind wanders from the
sty of Epicurus to his garden. But I willspeak of pleasure, for I see
that men aim at that, and I do not know that they aim at happiness.
It is pleasure that lurks in the practice of everyone of your virtues.
Man performs actions because they are good for him, and when
they are good for other people as well they are thought virtuous: if
he finds pleasure in giving alms he is charitable; ifhe finds pleasure
in helping others he is benevolent; if he finds pleasure in working
for society he is public-spirited; but it is for your private pleasure
that you give twopence to a beggar as much as it is for my private
pleasure that I drink another whiskey and soda. I, less of a humbug
than you, neither applaud myself for my pleasure nor demand your
admiration."
If we are only here to serve our pleasure, Philip asks, "What
is the use of anything? ... Why are we brought into the world?"
He still understands "pleasure" only as the ugly thing defined
by Christianity. Cronshaw responds with the Riddle of the
Persian Carpets. Hetells him to go study the Persian carpets in
the Cluny museum. "You were asking just now what was the
meaning of life. Go and look at those Persian carpets, and one
of these days the answer will come to you."
Philip does not solve the riddle then, and it sticks in his mind
constantly, ever ready at odd moments to pop out mockingly.
Meanwhile his life goes on. He eventually, painfully realizes
his modest artistic talent is not worth trying to develop so he
can starve painting mediocre paintings. He returns to England
and now goes to medical school for no other reasons than that
he needs a profession and his father was a doctor. He does
become a doctor, but only after many adversities and hum-

188 [5/80]

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

bling hardships that strip him of all his moralistic prejudices,

before replying.
his respect for the status of "gentleman", and assumptions
NOh,I don't know: I suppose to do one's duty, and make the best
possible use of one's faculties, and avoid hurting other people."
about himself.
He learns that Cronshaw was right - there is no Eternal
, "In short, do unto others as you would they should do unto
you?"
Morality humans must live up to. Morality is fluid - it is the
"I suppose so."
product of individuals living in societies trying to find the
happy compromise between the individual's pursuit of plea"Christianity."
sure and a society tolerably just and fair to all members. That
"No, it isn't," said Philip indignantly. "It has nothing to do with
the compromise is rarely obtained is because societies rrecesChristianity. It's just abstract morality."
sarily must be administered by bureaucracies, and bureau"But there's no such thing as abstract morality."
cracies are hostile to the individual (it being easier to deal with
"In that case, supposing under the influence of liquor you left
faceless groups statistically identical) and try to solidify
your purse behind when you leave here and I picked it up, why do
morality to control the individual (it being easier to deal with
you imagine that I should return it to you? It's not the fear of the
police."
rigid absolutes, however false, than that which is different
according to different circumstances). He learns most people
"It's the dread of hell ifyou sin and the hope of heaven ifyou are
pursue their pleasure individually according to the degree
virtuous."
they have been socialized, and with a healthy respect for the
"But I believe in neither."
policeman around the corner.
"That may be. Neither did Kant when he devised the Categorical Imperative. You have thrown aside a creed, but you have
"St. Augustine believed that the earth was flat and that the sun
preserved the ethic which was based upon it. To all intents you are
turned round it."
'
a Christian still, and ifthere is a god in heaven you willundoubtedly
"I don't know what that proves."
receive your reward. The almighty can hardly be such a fool as the
"Why, it proves that you believe with your generation. Your
churches make out. Ifyou keep his laws I don't think he can care a
saints lived in an age of faith, when it was practically impossible to
packet of pins whether you believe in him or not."
disbelieve what to us is positively incredible."
"Then how'd you know that we have the truth now?"
"I don't."
He also finally comes to understand the Riddle of the
Philip thought this over for a moment, then he said:
Persian Carpets. The meaning of life is only what one gives to
"I don't see why the things we believe absolutely now shouldn't
it. The pattern one weaves out of one's life is the meaning
be just as wrong as what they believed in the past."
one's life has. But the solution to the riddle only brings up the
"Neither do I."
equally puzzling question, "What pattern shall I weave with
"Then how can you believe anything at all?"
my life?"
"I don't know."
He thinks perhaps his pattern should include world travel,
Philip asked Weeks what he thought of Hayward's religion.
which can be his easily by signing on as a ship's doctor. That
"Men have always formed gods in their own image,"'said Weeks.
has an exotic allure to it and he talks of it much. Meanwhile, he
and Sally, the daughter of his best friend, have become lovers
"He believes in the picturesque."
flhilip paused for a little while, then he said:
- and he discovers that sex without the blessing of a church
or of society is wholly satisfying; that the satisfaction comes
"I don't see why one should believe in god at all."
from one's partner, not from the approval of persons or
The words were no sooner out of his mouth than he realized
institutions not concerned with the relatlonship.One
day she
that he had ceased to do so.
announces she suspects she is pregnant. Phlfip manfully
Philip now realizes that "faith had been forced upon him
decides to give up world travel and marry Sally. He is keenly
from the outside. It was a matter of environment and example.
aware of his great sacrifice, yet also seemingly relieved to
A new environment and a new example gave him the
opportunity to find himself. He put offthe faith of his childhood
have an honorable escape from his public commitment to
becoming a world traveler. Or is his pleasure the pleasure of
quite simply, like a cloak that he no longer needed."
Philip goes on thinking heis free of Christianity, but he is
one making a "noble" sacrifice to do the "right thing"?
Not very long after this, Sally is glad to tell him her
not. His next major intellectual jolt comes a few years later
suspicions were founded on a false alarm. Suddenly Philip is
when he is an art student in Paris. Among his acquaintances
free again, free to weave the pattern of the world traveler. And
is Cranshaw, a poet with a fine, iconoclastic mind, but
just as suddenly Philip realizes he had discovered the pattern
defeated by failure, poverty, and alcoholism. In one conversation, the Atheist's life (as well as the novel) takes on a new
that he would have the most pleasure weaving. I cannot tell it
'better than Maugham:
dimension. And this is that conversation:
Cranshaw looked at him meditatively and filled his glass. He
He realized that he had deceived himself; it was not self-sacrifice
that had driven him to think of marrying, but the desire for a wife
sent the waiter for a packet of cigarettes.
"You are amused becauseI talk in this fashion and you know - and a home and love; and now that it allseemed to slip through his
fingers he was seized with despair. He wanted all that more than
that Iam poor and live in an attic with a vulgar trollop who deceives
anything in the world. What did he care for Spain and its cities,
me with hair-dressers and garcons de cafe; I translate wretched
books for the British public, and write articles upon contemptible
Cordova, Toledo, Leon; what to him were the pagodas of Burmah
pictures which deserve not even to be abused. But pray tell me
and fhe lagoons of South Sea Islands? America was here and now.
It seemed to him that all his life he had followed the ideals that
what is the meaning of life?"
"I say, that's rather a difficult question. Won't you give the
other people, by their words or their writings, had instilled into
him,and never the desires of his own heart. Always his course had
answer yourself?"
"No, because it's worthless unless you yourself discover it. But been swayed by what he thought he should do and never by what
he wanted with his whole soul to do. He put all that aside now with
what do you suppose you are in the world for?"
Philip had never asked himself, and he thought for a moment
a gesture of impatience. He had lived always in the future, and the

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

PAGE 27

present always, always had slipped through his fingers. His ideals?
He thought of his desire to make a design, intricate and beautiful,
out of the myriad, meaningless facts of life: had he not seen also
that the simplest pattern, that in which a man was born, worked,
married, had children, and died, was likewise the most perfect? It
might be that to surrender to happiness was to accept defeat, but it
was a defeat better than many victories.
The novel ends with Philip proposing to Sally and Sally
accepting. And the reader, if an Atheist, is left profoundly

moved and with deep thoughts to think. The power of

Maugham's tale and the purity of his prose, if they do not
convince one of his philosophy of morality and the meaning of
life, definitely prove that a story of man's relationship to man is
a grander, more uplifting tale than any about man's relationship to a non-existent being. One may scrounge through the
whole library of Christian classics, but one will not find a
single volume that approaches the nobility of Of Human
Bondage.

CONRAD GOERINGER

THE CULTURE VULTURES

Some Thoughts on the Christian Anti-Ethic

Despite its founding as a secular republic, the United States
is today a country beset with Judeo-Christian influence. Some
of the evidence is obvious; we pay taxes to support tax-free
religious establishments, we are constantly threatened by
laws promulgated by religionists, and we work in an economy
where religious institutions, more so than General Motors or
IBM, are the true financial behemoths. Other evidence is more
subtle, however. Hand-in-hand with the vast monetary and
organizational power of religion is the pervasive undercurrent
of the Judeo-Christian ethic. The purposes and results of that
ethic (or, more appropriately, "anti-ethic"), are certainly not
what we usually hear from the self-appointed
religious
mnralists. The Christian morality is one which glorifies the
\(I(~~k, the incompetent, the humble and submissive, the
other-worldly, and the dependent. It is designed to create and
sustain a society of psychologically dependent nebishes; and
it is, first and foremost, an ethic of dependency with disastrous
social, economic and political consequences.
With orthodox Christianity finding a more critical and nonreceptive audience, the churches have tried desperately to
update their theology, to "improve their .stvle," to become
more "relevant." We see church people speaking out on public
issues, marching in protest parades, running sex-therapy
sessions, and running for political office. Not all of those in the
religious establishment condone this trend, of course; the
major religions have "conservative"
and "liberal" factions,
and there are the newer religions, mostly evangelical, which
purport to preach "Jesus" as an alternative to sectarian
Christianity. These factions continually squabble over the
most trivial points of theological absurdity; nevertheless, the
"liberal" religious movement of today, complete with its
veneer of self-described relevance and "social concern," is as
much of a dependency virus as its conservative counterpart.
Where has this Christianizing process taken us today? We
know all too well what Christianity did to non-conformists in
the Inquisition; what the Christian anti-ethic is doing today
may be worse.

PAGE 28

. ,FLOREAL

Humility, Obedience,

Love

Churchmen are quite explicit about their desire to incorporate the "Christian personality" into a social ideal. To do
this requires a prornulqation. on every level, of Christian
values - and, naturally, the vilification of everything unChristian. The Christian is considered "good" or "moral;" the
un-Christian becomes "evil" or "socially wrong." Thus, our
Christian moralists construct an almost Manichean universe
of good and evil; the problem remains, in the words of more
than one contemporary
philosopher, "Is the 'goQ..d' truly
good?". I think not.
One side of this Christian moral roster consists of terms and
dispositions found throughout the New Testament, and in
vogue with the modern, progressive church. We find in this
lexicon terms such as humility, community, unqualified love,
brotherhood (or, in "hip" parlance, sisterhood), forgiveness,
acceptance of self and others, redemption, self-sacrifice for
others, other-worldliness,
and shunning of material splendor.
Jesus is portrayed as a forgiving and self-sacrificing figure
who, literally, gave his life for others. The Beatitudes, Ten
Commandments, Parables, and fables all prattle the aforementioned qualities as desirable; they constitute a slight
contrast to the biblical Jehovah, the god of fear and wrath,
whose dependency formula operated with stiff doses of
punishment and fear. Lucifer, the rebellious angel, is a biblical
metaphor associated with evil; strangely enough, the uppity
Lucifer is a no-nonsense character, a bit of an anarchist, in
rebellion against the ultimate authority - god. Lucifer is
proud, confident, and self-oriented; he seeks a form of power,
but interestingly enough, less of a power over people than
over his own destiny. Lucifer unfortunately loses, first in the
pages of the Bible and later in Milton's Paradise Lost.
Socially, we are today too much a society of "good angels;"
and if the church has its way, we will be "better" - which is to
say, more dependent, less rebellious, more abnegated, submissive, pliable and meek. No where is this more obvious than

188 [5/80]

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

in the popular attitudes toward love and hate. Christian love is,
of. course, unqualified love - love without substance, only
form. Christ did love his enemies, even if those same enemies
destroyed him; his meek followers in the arena chose not to
fight for their lives, but instead sacrificed themselves as
martyrs. This is a perverse, inverted form of rational, ethical
egotism of course; after all, this sacrifice, mortification and
love stems from an all-consuming
desire to obtain the
heavenly afterlife.
Consider the disposition toward love and hate found in
church circles, and other segments of society, especially
when applied to the notion of vengeance. Vengeance is a
subject often swept under the ethical throwrug. Society
certainly does not encourage vengeance, but instead contents
itself with a chimera termed "justice;" "justice," after all, is
administered by the lord and the state - vengeance is the
doing of unhumble, unloving, unforgiving individuals. We do
not see, in the pages of Psychology Today or the religionist
Pastoral Psychology, any such articles titled "Why Vengeance
Is Healthy." It is assumed that vengeance is unethical; it's
employment is rarely sanctioned by the law, and it is still taboo
tothe churches. Vengeance is one of the attitudes toward self
and life which is antithetical to Christian morality, and we
shall soon see why.

Repressing Both The Psyche And The Flesh

Once, a self-proclaimed Christian pacifist remarked that
violence under all circumstances was sinful and morally
wrong. A woman asked him what course of action he would
take if he saw another man forcibly raping her: "I would
'assist' the rapist." he remarked, much to the consternation of
his audience. "I would talk to the rapist, and urge him to desist
from his violence."
Worse still: Gannett News Service recently featured a story
for newspaper religious-sections about a Benedictine Priory
in Vermont. The monks declared that their lives were"rooted
in the person of Jesus of Nazareth:' and had taken vows of
poverty, humility, obedience, and "living with the community." The monks are socially active, with a proclivity for picki ng
good causes for the wrong reasons. "In Washington last
year:' wrote Gannett correspondent Susan Green, "the brothers led a candlelight vigil at the White House, marched from
the Capitol holding a banner that read 'Armaments Kill the
Poor' - a quote from a 1976 Vatican statement on disarmament ... "
Armaments can kill the poor as well as those who have
successfully undertaken efforts to no longer be poor. Are the
poor suddenly more ethical and righteous than those who are
not poor? Is poverty, exemplified in the "person of Jesus," a
truly desirable lifestyle?
Unfortunately, we 'know too little of the psychological
benefits of vengeance or of the consequences of repressing
this desire. Revenge appears to be very much a part of the
human personality, possibly as fundamental a component as,
say, sexual appetites. The history of most religions, especially
those of the Christian flavor, has been to stifle and repress
appetites of both the psyche and flesh. Fortunately, there is
today a subtle if somewhat misguided movement to emphasize vengeance as a social right - much to the silent anguish
of the Christians.
Consider the liberal clergy or "Jesus Freak" attitudes
toward violence; violence is a two-edged sword, of course,
which can be utilized for or against that which we consider

AUSTIN,

"the good." The violence of an aggressor, fOJ example, is

morally distinct from that of a victim. An unqualified condemnation of violence has as much substance and utility as an
unqualified and uncritical endorsement of "love" in all
circumstances.
Consider again why so many clergy are vociferous on behalf
of firearms controlat a time when women are particularly
interested in "protecting themselves" or "taking things into
their own hands." Ultimately, the church's support for outright confiscation of guns has little to do with freak accidents
or "Saturday night specials," but with vengeance. Similarly,
clergy are outspoken against the death penalty - again for
questionable reasons. One can endorse the notion of vengeance without desiring to give the government yet another
proxy on human life. Those clergy who grieved at the execution of Gary Gilmore had few if any tears for the victims of
Gilmore's own violence. One could imagine, under different
circumstances,.an evangelical or "progressive" priest urging
Roman Polanski not to shoot - in slow, methodical stages
-Charles Manson, if he had the opportunity to do so. In the
Christian view, "all men are brothers;" a Charles Manson is as
valuable as a brain surgeon, a rapist or thug is to deserve the
same "love" and "forgiveness," as a scientist, artist or person
who respects the rights of others. This is the fraudulent,
specious "community" of Christian love, where critical judgment is suspended, where false "equality" prevails, where
natural human desires such as vengeance, progress and
rational self-interest
are drowned in a sea of humility,
submissiveness and "sharing." The Christian community is a
community of victims; in the Christian anti-ethic, we are not
proud, strong, intelligent Lucifers. Good Christians do not take
revenge; they forgive unconditionally, and love uncritically.
They are, one might say, ethical slobs.

Institutionalizing Dependency
Another aspect in the Christian anti-ethic is the churches'
devotion to strong, paternalistic institutions; Bakunin wrote
that a strong church would have to co-exist with a strong
state. The modern Christian state is, ideally, str.ong, dange'rously benevolent, and intolerant - despite its pretentions to'
love. No rebels herel It is not surprising to hear Christian
social-activists to .speak with fondness of the Middle Ages
when "everyone had a place," and where there supposedly
existed a "sense of community."
Everyone obeyed; and
everyone was, in a stockyard sense, "accounted for and taken
care of."
Vengeance requires that one does not love one's adversaries and enemies; similarly, it stipulates that love, friendship or respect are values' which cannot, in principle, be
dispensed freely "to one's fellow man." In an un-Christian
ethic, love and hate co-exist; to know and appreciate one you
must know and be capable of.the other.

A Distinctly Un-Christian Attitude

Contrary to the popular wisdom(7), society does not become
a wild arena, an orgy of bloodletting, to collapse in chaos when
vengeance and love are placed in this context, where only the
constraints of Christian church-hood can restore sanity and
order. Quite the contraryl One of the neglected areas of
popular social theory is those cases where, historically,
"justice" was de-institutionalized, out of the hands of church
and state, and vengeance was the right of each and every

PAGE 29

TEXAS

II

individual. The anarchistic communities of Spain during the

civil war emphasized individual responsibility as well as
collective cooperation; not surprisingly, these societies, which
took a more realistic view of the love-hate dichotomy, were
strongly anti-clerical and fiercely independent. Some Indian
tribes encouraged vengeance as a socially useful practice.
Today, women are demanding the right to "self-defense" and
vengeance against rapists and other assailants; many other
people simmer in slow anger at their inability to "get even"
about wrongs committed to their person' and well-being.
About this, the church is strangely silent.
Recently, for example, a court refused to convict a woman
who, in deliberate fashion, burned down her house - with her
sadistic husband in it. The case was a cause celebre for
women's groups throoghout the country. The wife was a
frequent victim of beatings inflicted by her mate; leaving the
situation was not sufficient. There was a more fundamental
-and understandable - motive to "get even," to obtain revenge, which motivated her action. This is a distinctly unChristian attitude for several reasons:
.
1) The wife did not love unconditionally; she, did not love
her enemy, i.e., her thug husband. So ...
2) She judged; and was wililng to stand judgment for her
actions, unlike the biblical prohibition which cautions "Judge
not lest ye be judged." The judge in this case was neither a
government nor a church official, and certainly not the
almightyllt was the victim - in an act of supreme egoism and
self-interest - who served as judge, juty and executioner.
3) She did not "turn the other cheek." She ran out of
excuses to constantly forgive, to appease, to dismiss the
intrusive and authoritarian behavior of her husband.
4) She got even. She took revenge. She. did not love her
enemy, and she sought a healthy, exhilarating vengeance.

Paperback Psychology
Incorporated into the Christian xenophobia of vengeance is
a similar prohibition against moral judgment - at least by
those not representative of god's "appointed" representatives
orf'Earth, the church and the state. "Judge not lest ye be
judged also" becomes the basis for indiscriminant love and
false equality. Only god and the courts may judge, say the
Christian moralists; we mere mortals must only forgive and
"turn the other cheek."
The social ramifications of this are obvious. Recently, an
article appeared in a newsletter titled "Cooperation;" unfortunately, the writer said little about true cooperation, and
instead reveled in a verbal wonderland of pop-phraseology
and paperback-psychology. He listed five points which, supposedly, outlined cooperation:
:'1) All people have something of value to share.
2) Everyone is capable of sharing or contributing.
3) We all deserve enough of what we need.
.
4) We are willing to stop competing for needs and start
cooperating.
5) We are willing to consider other peoples' needs as valid
as our own (sic), countering extreme individualism with
compassion."
Not surprisingly, the author of the above is a rabid "hip"
Christian type who is "into" counseling, "running therapy
groups," "sharing himself," and the like. Now, let's analyze
these. points one by one.
1) Not everyone, in tact, has something of value to share.
Many people might, depending on what it is we are "sharing"

PAGE 30

(this is never specified, of course). Not every person's experiences are as "valid" as somebody else's - a bum has little
to "share" with a nuclear physicist, and a professional
bureaucrat has little to share with an assembly-line worker,
except perhaps the latter's paycheck. This is not to maintain
that politically we should desire a hierarchical, authoritarian
caste system, as in India; it simply acknowledges that, yes,
Virginia, some people are better - much better, in fact, -than
others, in certain critical respects.
2) No, not everyone is capable of sharing or contributing;
despite the fact that terms such as "sharing" have become
almost mystical catch-all words in modern parlance, life is too
complex, dynamic and changing for everyone to "share" in
some sort of primitive, neo-tribal sacrifice hut. Sorry.
3) We do NOT all "deserve" enough of what we need. We
may want what we need, but why should we necessarily
"deserve" it, and at whose expense? Certainly not the
church's. We may deserve opportunity to strive for what we
want; but life is not a free-for-all, where material goods,
services, and psychological benefits grow freely and abundantly on trees. Everything, from a car to a healthy feeling of
achievement and accomplishment due to one's talents and
abilities, requires effort.
4) Others' needs are NOT as "valid" as my own, or as
somebody else's. Who is kidding whom? And why? A junkie
may "need" a fix of heroin; does this "need" justify robbery or
killing? If confronted by a junkie, should We meekly "share"
our money, in order to justify the junkie's "valid" need? Should
the "needs" of a rapist or thug or anyone else be met-and
satisfied, simply because they are "needs"?
Contemporary Christian activists encourage a new variety
of the "middle ages" in a multitude of different ways.
Liberal Christian efforts toward "the poor" usually involve
subsistence-maintenance:
get more people on food stamps,
broaden the welfare base, force people to beconie dependent
on strong, established institutions
and "community
programs", which, naturally, are receptive to "church input."
Curiously, the modern conservative, the libertarian, and even
the socialist all appear to want something else; instead of
church soup lines, crisis centers and welfare bureaus which
foster dependency, nonsectarians call for jobs, material incentives and economic growth.
Is it coincidental that so many church activists are involved
in "no growth" movements under the guise of ecology or
anti-nuclear power crusades? Perhaps not; a strong religionist
and superstitionist element pervades many of these stablestate economic/social movements. Yet, everyone from revolutionists in the Third World to entrepreneurial capitalists in
the West, seeking higher production, profits, and markets
appear to agree that growth is a necessity. Perhaps the
cl'iurch-superstitionists
could best be described as economic
feudalists, epitomizing the desire for fully controlled, regimented, stagnant "communities."
The church attitude toward wealth, material success and
prosperity likewise reflects its dependency-ethic.
Blessed are the poor, and the church (despite its liberal
pretensions) desires them poor and dependent. Church social
programs are described best as "maintenance" schemes; and
despite their close involvement with the poor, church people
- with their vows of celibacy and poverty - seem to forget
that the poor despise their condition; put si mply, they crave, or
covet the material "goodies" they see others enjoying. Envy is
a capital sin; it isconsidered un-Christ-like to be jealous of the
good fortune of others. The question remains, however:

FLOREAL 188 [5/801

AMERICAN ATHEIST

"What's wrong with jealousy?". Who is to say that one's

desire, even lust, for more material gratifications, is somehow
"wrong"? Why is it "good" to be poor? Evidence suggests few
sane people, be they citizens of the Western world or the
discontented impoverished of developing nations, consider
poverty to be a desirable or acceptable lifestyle. Amusingly,
the "Catholic left" wallows in its own voluntary poverty; the
so-called Catholic Worker, house organ of scarcity povertyfetishists, is devoted to exalting the supposed virtues of
material deprivation, even hunger, "in the spirit of Jesus."
Again, it is interesting that such historical enemies as
Communists and bourgeois Capitalists would both consider
such a state of affairs to be undesirable, albeit for different
reasons. Only an economic feudalist, a total reactionary,
would glorify the "goodness" of poverty, stability, controlled
scarcity and theocratic authority as "good" or desirable.
(This is not to suggest that a valid critique of "compulsive
consumption" cannot be made; or that the pursuit of material
goods is a panacea for all psychological ills. It recognizes a
seemingly widespread desire for material gain on the part of
many people.)

The Best Morality Is Godless Morality

How, then, can we summarize the Christian anti-ethic? By
examining the taboos ofthe Christian morality, it is possible to
arrive at a rough composite of the enemy of Christianity - a
metaphorical Lucifer, a complete, sufficient individual.
A-Theistic men and women are necessarily self-sufficient
types; they are not 'humble in the Christian sense, since they'
place a high value on their opinions, talents, judgments and
standards. They "respect their person;" and they see nothing
wrong with protecting their integrity as individuals. They are
wary of subjugating themselves to any external institution, be
it church, state, or a "Christian community" of all-loving
zombies.
They give vent to feelings and appetites with a reasonable,
prudent basis; they realize that there is nothing wrong with
loving that which is beautiful, good or desirable, while actively
hating that which is ugly, repulsive, wretched and decrepit.
Virtue should be rewarded; and folly should be permitted to
have its own, just consequences.
Theistic men and women epitomize self-abnegation, beneath a conspicuous facade of effuse, bubbly, indiscrirninant
"love" and false tolerance. In this respect, perhaps we can
have more respect for an Elmer Gantry than a Mother
Theresa. The Gantry types, at least. are sufficiently in touch
with the real world to desire survival and prosperity, even at
the expense of the gullible. Mother Theresa continues to
defraud the gullible, continues her efforts attrying to make the
discontent more comfortable in an uncomfortable world, and
debases herself entirely in an orgy of ineffective self-sacrifice
and martyrdom. A good union organizer, a good rabble rouser;
a creative scientist or a self-starter with creativity, drive and
talent will do far more good - for everyone - than a
lemming-like
mob of Mother Theresas.
All of this - and much more - is abundant proof for an old
Atheist maxim: The only true morality is possible not with a
god, but without one.

"We Are Atheists Because'"

is a 3Yz" x 5" card printed on both sides. One side

lists the reasoning behind Atheist philosophy. The
reverse side lists.whet Atheism teaches. These cards
are excellent pass-outs and are available at 50 for
$1.00; includes postage and handling.

Order from:
AMERICAN ATHEIST PRESS

P. O. Box 2117, Austin, Texas 78768

REMEMBERTHE AMERICAN ATHEIST CONVENTION

.....
"
:IS IN APRIL.
.
MAKE PLANS FOR IT NOW!

DIAL AN ATHEIST
Charlotte, North Carolina

(704) 568-5346

Tucson, Arizona

(602) 623-386~

Phoenix, Arizona

(602) 899-7411

Los Angeles, California

(213) 634-8055

Sacramento, California

Denver, Colorado

Chicago, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Lexington,

Kentucky:

(916) 989-3170
_ . (303) 233-1278

Atlanta, Georgia

_
.-

(404) 329-9809
(312) 597-2433
; . (317) 243-9652
(606) 278-8333

Detroit, Michigan

(313) 7216630

New York City, New York

(212) 7263647

Portland, Oregon

(503) 287-6461

Dallas, Texas

(214) 231-2075

Galveston, Texas

(713) 935-4721

Salt Lake City, Utah

AUSTIN,

.-.

, (801) 364:4939

PAGE 31

TEXAS

:;

ON OUR WAY

Ignatz Sahula- Dycke

THEISM AND OUR GOVERNMENT

In the present period of our Western

civilization, it's impossible to evade
the fact that the life of its every participant is to some extent controlled by
those who manage each nation's economic status. Like ours, the governments of the West's other nations are
organized for the protection and furtherance of their economies and, in
every case, when failing in this duty,
their citizenry is forced to withstand a
crisis of serious proportions. That's
how I see it nowadays.- as well as that
the most anyone can do about it is try
to make it as easy to bear as possible
while working to obviate it. first remembering to oust what's religious in
it.
Overcoming such a crisis, under our
system of government (the most liberal in all the West), is considerably
eased by the way this government is.
constitutionally structured. Its Constitution enables us to replace those who
in the government are pledged to protect the economy, whenever they tell
us that some god will now do the work
we elected them to perform for us. We,
the citizens, can vote them out. and
elect other more-responsible and capable people in their place. Our Constitution,
devised for bringing the
greatest good to the greatest number
of people, depends in this on the
desires of the majority; it wasn't devised to satisfy or please those of us
who belong to one or another minority. Nonetheless, the minorities here
in the U.S. are far better off than elsewhere. Here we must now keep in
mind that in most instances the presently existing majority that dominates in our nation, grew to the proportions of'a majority out of the coalesced
consensus of minorities that, for purposes of dominance, recognized the
wisdom of compromise: of giving a bit
here and taking a bit less there, resulting from the exchange of ideas
promoted by the full freedom granted

PAGE 32

to all by our Constitution.

Notwithstanding
that everything
hitherto said is true, it~ also a fact,
whenever any desire of the majority
becomes a matter of governmental"
policy, that our system makes it applicable in all cases, even -in cases
disappointing the minorities. It is also
entirely' possible, as has often happened, that the majority consensus is
completely wrong, and that the overall
situation thus created does far more
harm - to all concerned - than the
good expected from it. This has actually happened no few times during our
nation's history even though the fractured vote of the various dissatisfied
minorities totalled more than the solid
vote of the majority whose desires
then regrettably prevailed.

Lip Disservice
Something of this kind is happening
today, and will surely persist unless
the sundry minorities form a coalition
whose vote overrules the hitherto solid but numerically inferior majority.
This is the way in which new political
parties have sprung into being: made.
up of the dissatisfied elements of the
party or parties they this way superseded or displaced. The important
thing to keep in mind is that changes
of this kind aren't destructive, but
actually testify to the innate virility of
our .self-government.
Nevertheless,
no government can, except by accident, be any better than those who
make it. Any nation whose officialdom
reflects an intelligent, well informed
and openminded electorate will outperform any other kind. That's why it's
important that education show the
young why state and religion should
be kept strictly separate. Of course,
this separation is difficult here in our
U.S., where most of our citizens profess Christianity, or due to widely
accepted conventions, pay it lip service.

. FLOREAL.

188 (6/80)

However, the difficulty I speak of

doesn't make separation of state and
religion any less imperative or desirable. History attests that religion has
always sought to infiltrate and inter~
fere in affairs of state; and then opposed anything likely to promote free
speech. Especially odious to religion
has been the maxim that it's wrong,
always everywhere and for everyone, to believe anything
unsupported by evidence. This has withstood even compromisers such as C.
S. Pierce and William James, who
founded our American
variety of
Pragmatic Utilitarianism which, once
examined, reveals that it subtly condones religious beliefs and, inferentially, theism that if unchecked leads
straight to theocratic government. I
now refer to the maxim because especially at this time it should be held
by us in highest regard for so trenchantlv telling us to keep our governmental activities separate from
religion.
.'".
This separation bears directly on the
problem of economy and the support
due it from the government. This always turns into a problem that never
adds up right because what religion
costs us is never taken into account in
it. Religion is our most expensive luxury because it is tax-exempt. Its hidden cost constantly gums up the problems of economy and the government's attempts to regulate it. Religion contributes nothing to us except
the debilitation resulting from its ceaseless sucking of our economic lifeblood.

Fogging Clear Thinking

It is insidiously harmful, for due to
its constant preaching, the managers
and governmental protectors of the
economy have for more than a century
of its growth kept right on believing
that the citizen-workers
(without
whom the economy couldn't exist)
should also be kept believing the same

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

as they: what James and his pragmatists have wrongly taught as optional.
Science's ruling maxim has consequently been methodically hushed
up or roundly ignored by our educational authorities to the detriment of
the people's rationality: fogging the
cl~ar thinking so indispensable for the
efficient conduct of our nation affairs.
Religion
has never
been
held
accountable
for bamboozling the
masses with torrents of its outlandishly superstitious flimflam which only adds fuel to the fire that leveled
every nation that allowed it to enter its
administrative councils.
Were the captains of our industrial
complex, and the governmental protectors of our nation's economy,
versed as well in the humanities and
in psychology as they are adept at
solving the maze of their intricate
bailiwick, they'd realize to their surprise that any potential labor force of
realistically informed men and women
is a lot easier to deal with than any
religion-befuddled
frenzied
rabble
that at any opportune time demands
another still higher wage. This happens in good part because religion
frowns on birth control and abortion;

because it still preaches the biblical

command to breed and multiply regardless the consequences. Any halfway realistic education of the people
would put an end to the workers'
understandable desire for a higher
wage, expressed only because they've
begot more children than their existing take-home pay suffices to clothe
and feed.
The only possible reason why at any
time the help of the religious element
has been sought, and often warmly
welcomed in disputes between labor
and management is that religion's
cryptic dogmas and homilies might
becloud the necessary clear reasoning
and thus render aid to one or the other
of the contending sides. Labor's managers, of course, must be credited with
having o~ganized their forces for wiping out the scandalously vicious conditions that more than a century ago
prevailed in the coal mines and fabric
mills-the
child labor, etc. -andthey
well remember that the established
church rendered no more than token
protest, if any at all, by way of help.
The laborers, artisans, the serfs, and
the tillers of the soil learned long
before, and from bitter experience, to

distrust the foxy, hooded and surpliced

goldbrickers who work first of all for
themselves when "in the vineyard,"
while saying it's all for the glory of
their god or gods. As if any god worthy
of the appellation "omniscient" could
ever thirst for more glory than do his
priests for more (and always ever
more) of political power, as nowadays
they brassily admit they indeed do.
Now, this question in closing: When
would you say that we may expect our
educational establishment to depart
from its irresolute methods of teaching, the while testing which of the two
winds - the one of religion and the
other of reason - will eventually prevail? The sundry actors that playa
critical part in this sordid scholastic
scenario should understand that any
self-interested or theistically partisan
dawdling will on their part only help to
destroy the foundations of the citizenry's level-headed
self-reliance.
The constitutional provision intended
for relieving the American citizen from
religion's factious meddling in governmental affairs helped immeasurably in advancing our nation offiftv
united states to its present position of
world eminence.

_~I-'-IWELCOMETO THE
11th AMERICAN
ATHEIST CONVENTION~~Jm~~
SAlT LAKE CllY!PR~1't

AUSTIN,

TEXAS

PAGE 33

I .

THE AMERICAN ATHEIST RADI$SERIES

SOMETHING OLD
HAS BEEN ADDED

the days to be kept sacred during the month, The Ides (from
HellQ there,
the obsolete verb: iduare, to divide) were at the middle of the
This is Madalyn Murray O'Hair, American Atheist, back to
month, either the 13th or the 15th day.
talk with yQUagain.
, The solar, astronomical year is the period of time in which
Religion engulfs all persons, everywhere. There is no hope
the Earth performs a revolution in its orbit about the sun (or
of escape. It is to this total entrapment Atheists must speak,
exposing it where and as we can and it is these bonds, particu- . passes from any point of the ecliptic to the same point again)
larly, which we must break. A case in point is something SQ and consists of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds
of mean solar time. The civil year is that which is employed in
"innocent" as the calendar.
The calendar, SQ called from the Latin Calends (Kalends) , chronology and varies among nations, both in respect of the
season at which it commences and of its subdivisions. The civil
is a method .oidistributing time into certain periods adapted
calendar of all European countries has been borrowed from
to the purposes of civil life; as hours, days, weeks, months,
years.
that of the Romans. Julius Caesar, with the assistance of SosiActually, these periods are marked out by the motions of genes, fixed the mean length of the year at 365% days and deour planet in its solar system. The most important segments of creed leap year. This first Julian (after Julius) calendar went
time for mankind have always been the solar day distinguished
into effect on January 1st in the 708th year from the foundaby the diurnal revolution of the Earth on its axis causing the tion of the city. (Today's European calendar would identify
alternation of light and darkness; and the solar year, which is that as 46 B.C.)
the cycle of the seasons,
When the Julian calendar was introduced, the equinox fell
The year was probably first divided into months because of on the 25th of March. This has been translated into one of the
the prominence of the moon in the night sky, with its highly ~.ovab!e feast days in the ecclesiastical calendar and the celevisible phases.
bration date for Easter has occasioned great dispute. TQ termiThese have been the three natural divisions of time.
nate dissension, the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) ordered that
The subdivision of the day into 24 segments or hours has Easter should be celebrated on the Sunday immediately folprevailed from remotest times, the reason therefore having lowing the full moon that happens upon, or next after, the day
been lost in obscurity. The commencement of the day has of the vernal equinox.
varied. Ancient Egyptians placed it at midnight. The Chaldeans:
Since the sun's journey is completed in 365.:9ays, 5 hours,
c1iose sunrise for the commencement. In Europe, which is the 48 minutes and 46 seconds, while the Julian calendar was
cradle of the western heritage, until the middle of the 5th cen- based on 36510 days (i.e., 365 days and 6 hours) - there was
tury, no other divisions of the day were known but sunrise, a difference of about 12 minutes a year. By the year 730, the
sunset and midday.
venerable Bede noted that the, calendar was "off' by three
The week has also been a period of seven days from time' days in respect to the equinox,
immemorial, Speculation is that the seven day period was sugReformation of the calendar was recommended time and
gested by the phases of the moon or by the number of planets time again, but the calendar was in the capriciouscare of the
known in ancient times - visible to the eye. In Egyptian popes. Finally Pope Gregory XIII, hoping that areform would
astronomy, the order of the planets, beginning with the most confer a great eclat (acclaim) on his pontificate, in March 1582
remote; was: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun" Venus, Mercury abolished the use of the ancient calendar and substituted the
and the Moon, The days were named after each planet and the Gregorian calendar. The a~th.or of this system was Aloysius
Egyptian week began with Saturday. The names, of course, Lilius, but it was verified and completely developed in 1603
were also names of gods. The Saxons substituted the names of by Clavius. To put the calendar back into rhythm, ten days
their Q~n gods and the names evolved to those in our times ..
were suppressed. The days dropped were in October, when the
5th of that month was declared to be the 15th. The principal
SaxQn
Egypt
English use of the calendar has been to find Easter.
Latin
, Sunday
Sun's day
Sun
Dies S.olis
The Gregorian calendar was .introduced into Spain, PortuMQQn
Monday gal, Rome and some parts of Italy at the same time. France
Dies Lunae
Moon's day
Tuesday adopted it in December of the same year and it was adopted
Mars
Dies Martis
Tiw's day
Mercury
Wednesday by the Roman Catholic states of Germany in 1583. The ProtDies Mercuri
Woden's day
Thursday estant states of Germany adhered to the Julian calendar until
Jupiter
Dies Jovis
Thor's day
,Friday the .year 1700, when Denmark and 'Sweden also received it.
Frigg's day
Venus
Dies Veneris
Saturday Russia continues toadhere to the Julian reckoning. Great BritDiesSatumi
Seterne's day
Saturn
ain was QPPQsed to the change because of popular prejudice
The Calends (Kalends) in Rome were the first day of the against the Roman Catholic European mainland, but. was
month, when the pontiffs called the people to tell th~m of forced into compliance (Calendar Act of 1750) because of the
\

PAGE 34

FLOREAL

188 [5/80)

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

inconvenience of using different dates.

The Hebrew calendar is dated from "creation," which is
considered by the Jewish religion to have taken place 3760
years and 3 months before the commencement of the Christian era. It is therefore, according to the Jewish calendar, the
year 5741.
The Mohammedan calendar is used throughout the Middle
East. It is dated from the first day of the month preceding the
flight of Mohamet from Mecca to Medina; that is Thursday,
July 15th, 622. This is called the Hegira calendar and the current year is now 1400.
The calendar has remained about the same, with the exception of its revision in 1789 in France, at the hands of the
Revolutionists. In the midst of the disorder of those times, the
Revolutionary Convention produced a mass of laws which
were extraordinary; including a new system of weights and
measures, a new currency, a new chronological era, a new and
elaborate system of education and even a new calendar.
The revolutionary or republican calendar had been promulgated by Pierre Sylvain Marechal in 1788. The object was to
strike a blow at the clergy and to divorce all calculations of
time from the Christian association. The new calendar became
law on October 5th, 1793. The new arrangement was regarded
as beginning on the 22nd of September, 1792, the day on
which the republic was proclaimed and because it was the day
of the autumnal equinox (in 1792).
The year was divided into twelve 30-day months, with five
extra days .set aside for national festivities (called sans-culottides).
'
Some discussion took place about the nomenclature of the
new divisions of time. Finally, Fabre d'Eglantine gave to each
month a name taken from some seasonal event therein.
The autumn months were:
Vendemiare (the month of vintage)
Brumaire (the month of fog)
Frimaire (the month of frost)
The winter months were:
Nivose (the snowy)
Pluviose (the rainy)
Ventose (the windy)
The spring months were:
'
Germinal (the month of buds)
Floreal (the month of flowers)
Prairial (the month of meadows)
The summer months were:
Messidor (the month of reaping)
Thermidor (the month of heat)
Fructidor (the month-of fruit)
Each month was divided into three periods of ten days,
each of which was called decades; the tenth, or last day,
being a day of rest. To the days, d'Eglantine gave names which
retained the idea of their numerical order, calling them Primedi, Duodi, etc., with the day of rest being called Decadi.
The new calendar, put into force by law, continued until
September 1805 when it was decided to restore the Gregorian
calendar and the republican or revolutionary calendar was officially discontinued on the first day of January 1806. It had
lasted just thirteen years.
In 1976, the American Atheist Center, in the name of Atheism, seized four dates as world days of celebration, declaring
then that these particular moments in time could no longer be
distorted by religions' claim upon them as events in the lives
of gods. Set by the degree of inclination of the Earth and the
movement of that body around the sun, these natural phenomenological occurrences related to our Earth, it was declared,
ought to and from henceforth would belong to all mankind,

AUSTIN.

TEXAS

irrespective of race, sex, national boundaries or religions. The

days seized were the Summer and Winter Solstices and the
Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. Efforts are' being made to
have these declared to be international days of celebration.
With this month's issue of the American Atheist magazine,
American Atheists go further. From henceforth the god appellations of the months will be abandoned and American Atheists will adopt the names used by the French Revolution. To
facilitate in the change, a parenthetical numerical reference
will aid anyone in the translation. On the cover, please note
"Floreal188 [5/80]." This says that the magazine is issued in
the month Floreal, in the 188th year from the establishment
of the republican or revolutionary calendar and that mathematically this is the 5th month of 1980.
American Atheists will .decide later on what year to utilize.
We have had enough of B.C. and A.D. We will no longer date
anything from a point which begins with the alleged birth of
Jesus Christ. This mythological god means nothing to us. The
parenthetical reference will be dropped as soon as.is practical.
The Ameri-can Atheist Center calls on all Atheists, in all nations, to agitate everywhere and at all times for a transfer to
these seasonal secular names for the months. The numerical
designations of days and 'of months we accept. It is necessary,
now, to find secular, international nomenclature for the days
of the week also or to change the idea of a seven day week in
order to rid humankind of the disgrace of Sundays - the
day of the lord.
The moon has served as a reference for calendars and in
early Greece, the year was regulated entirely by the moon.
There are twelve lunations or full phases of the moon each
year, contained in 354 days. The solar year is 365 days, 5
hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. The original "bad luck" of
the number 13 was thus derived from the failure of the solar
and the lunar years to coincide; the exact length of the lunation being 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds.
This is the time elapsing between two successive new moons.
The new moon is when it is in conjunction with the sun and
the moon's dark side is toward the Earth. It then waxes
toafull moon, which is when its apparent disc is illuminated.
It then wanes to a new moon. Historically this approximate
29112 days has been roughly divided into four .parts callgd
"quarters" of the moon, or weeks (from the LatioOvicis, meJUk
ing "change-or alternation").
_
There is no need for the world to continue its attachment
to medieval or to primitive god ideas in respect to the tickingoff of time. New names' for weekdays are also needed if the
unit of time of waxing and waning of the moon is continued,
The Atheist community must seize the initiative for this renaming. Within the next months this project will be undertaken.
Human history should be counted from a secular event effecting all of humankind - perhaps the date of the founding
of the first human community anywhere. Research will be
undertaken and we solicitthe aid of historians.
Iyleantime, have a wonderful month of Floreal and pass it
oil.

This informational broadcast is brought to you as a public

service by the Society of Separationists, Inc., a non-profit,
non-political, tax-exempt, educational organization dedicated
to the complete separation of state and church. This series of
American Atheist Radio Programs is continued through listener generosity. The Society of Separationists, Inc. predicates its
philosophy on American Atheism. For more information,
write to P.O. Box 2117, Austin, TX 78768.

PAGE 35

NATURE'S WAY
GERALD THOLEN

UNCLE SAM
NEEDS YOu, BuT WHO IS "YOU"?
Once again, in the course of many of
.our lifetimes, we hear the call to arms:
"Your country needs youl" The only
new dimension now added is that
many of us are beginning to suspect
that the word "need" has been randomly
abused
by our
political
bureaucrats.
Many of us accepted the validity of
conscription down through our history
and there were many arguments in its
favor. It would probably be naive to
think that any nation could insure
adequate defense. I don't think that
many people object to legitimate military experience as a deterrent to "foreign aggression." Therein lies the present disturbing aspect of today's draft
program. Who defines "foreign aggression"? And in what global significances? Do we dare to dream that
there are really any "free nations" on
this planet?
Certainly we like to prune ourselves
with the illusion that "we" are a free
nation. History tells us that the American Indian thinks differently. Some
Black Americans and many women
also find this hard to believe. Nevertheless, we generally hold that if it
'were not for us, the world would be
totally engulfed with sinister political
systems that only seek to place all
people in hopeless bondage. Yet, as
we have come to learn more recently,
we ourselves have encouraged certain subversive controls over lesser
nations in order to promote ambivalent situations that could be molded to
suit our economic greed .... Is that not
"foreign aggression"?
It has been said time and again that
the majority of the world's population
knows little of the fundamental principles of "freedom". Most never have
and possibly never willi Is it then our
"duty" to define freedom for those
individuals and require them; subversively, to accept our definition while at
the same time using their resulting

PAGE 36

confused political stance to enhance

our desires?
In the case of Afghanistan, do we
really have a position clearly defendable? Communism vs. Moslem theocracy - which is the lesser of "two
evils"? If we are successful at intimidating Russia into a position of nonintervention, will the Afghans really
be free? Or, as in the past, will we
seize upon yet another opportunity to
~rQW how "benevolent" we are and go
~b9ut our business of influential int~rvention as we have done before?
We "supported" freedom in Iran under
the Shah and ruefully found that it
was not really "Iranian freedom" after
all. Iranians, as a whole, seem to
thrive on the masochistic doctrines of
theocracyl

Valiancy Of Noble Deeds

Freedom is a gossamer concept in
the minds of a cultural society in a
given time and in a given place. Perhaps when we ourselves finally arrive
at a valid intellectual realization in
regard to what freedom really is, we
may be able to explain it to others.
Freedom, at present, appears to
have rather hideous connotations for
18 to 20 year olds. Once again we are
outlining the requisites for valiancy of
noble deeds to those whom "we" regard as qualified "soldier material".
Automatically it follows that once again we nullify personal freedoms of
some in order to tout national freedom
for others. Clearly, the situation is not
being legitimately approached in a
sensible manner. The defense of our
nation SHOULD be foremost in our
priorities, if indeed if is in jeopardy.
Who would disagree? If so, and if
national defense requires such measures as conscription, why not for
ALL? If we fear for our survival or
safety, we should all be willing to
become prepared to bear arms.

FLOREAL

188 [5/80)

When the fabric of the proposed

draft is held to the light, one can easily
see the shabbiness of its quality by
examining its proposed exemptions:
ministers, age groups, and possibly
the usual sex discrimination. Is it not
insulting to infer that women would
not be willing to defend their country
with their lives if necessary? What can
our 18 to 20 year olds do to make us
aware that they are being discriminated against without appearing "unAmerican"? Of course, in our gullible
society, allowances are always made
for "ministers". Their first "duty" is
not to their country, but to "god's
work". What could possibly be more
important than god's worklll Perhaps
our 18 to 20 year olds who detest
military service should become "ministers" instead of changing residence
to Canada.
The bitter root of the subject is that
not one politician has come up with an
acceptable plan that allows just treatment for all citizens. As fstated earlier,
if we feel that conscription for preparedness is imperative, why not
make the requirements equal for all?
Such a program should NOT incorporate intervention in foreign affairs at
the whim of a biased or perhaps fanatical military program. All such
mercenary activity should be left to the
con.science and ability of the individual American citizen voluntarily. With
such a guarantee there could be little
disagreement with military preparedness.
"Free" Americans are tiring of the
paranoia used by our "leaders", who
would stampede us into illicit crusades in countries that historically are
unaware of the implications and obligations of maintaining freedom. We
must discipline ourselves to the fact
that we live in an undisciplined world.
"Students" contribute a great deal
more to society by carrying books instead of automatic weapons. This

AMERICAN

ATHEIST

should be our approach to Iran and

Russia. Granted, world-wide education is ultimately more complex than
any alternate proficiency in killing
"enemies".

Charade Of Nobility
Basically, all peoples are simply alter-egos of other people. The cultural
and racial differences historically provided by various insane religious prejudices must be eventually dissolved.
This cannot be done so long as we
nurture the oriqinal jnsanitv - reo
ligion. We are presently realizing the
truth concerning' coexistence with a
former "enemy" in China. If the continuing jealousy between America
and Russia is pursued into a condition
of uncontrollable self-serving prominence, we may set intellectual advancement back to the times of medieval intolerances. Rational people do
rational things. Their demise is furnished by irrational ingrates.
As always, we are not using our
intellect - our scientific excellence.
Our intelligence seems to be dehydrating like our oil supply. Instead of providing crash programs to exempt ourselves from the nightmare of oil shortages, greed has again seemed the

easier course to follow; seize the remaining oil supplies by hook or by

crook. Must we again show the world
our muscles when in need of oil as we
did the Indians when we were in
"need" of gold? In the course of doing
this, we should make sure that our
charade is cleverly concealed under
noble attempts at bringing our versions of "freedom" to the alleged politically raped natives of countries
where we seek influence. Didn't it
work equally well when we graciously
provided Christianity to the "savage"
natives of America?
I am beginning to feel a sickening
disgust for the pretended concern we
attempt to fabricate whenever we involve ourselves with less fortunate
people. We seem to be trying to convince ourselves that we really care
about circumstances confronting Afghans, or Iranians, or even Russians.
Perhaps, in retrospect. we can even
see ourselves as thoughtful creatures
who willingly gave our place in service ~
station lines to others who needed \
gasoline more than we did.
In this pitifully overpopulated religious world, some have begun -to
imagine that they are actually attaining the position formerly

held by the

benevolent god that they themselves

invented ages ago. Such dreams of
grandeur will become only medieval
nightmares when viewed in the mirror
of reality. We failed, as a nation, when
we drugged ourselves into the acceptance that the god we invented was
exclusively on our side.
To all politicians who sinisterly use
such deceitful trickery to subjugate
naive people who cannot distinguish
between fact and fantasy - time may
be approaching when the "old lies"
are knotted with reasonable understanding. As a countermeasure, the
ingrates who attempt to lead us into a
war-like posture throw themselves upon the words of Alexander Pope and
cry: "A little knowledge is a dangerous
thingl" .... What they hide from their
less intellectual countrymen is the
rest of Pope's great work:
A little knowledge is a dangerous
thing
Drink deep, or taste not the
Pierian Spring
There shallow draughts
intoxicate the brain
And drinking largely sobers us
again.
Americans just aren't "buying" misinformation and lies like they used to.

WORLD ATHEIST MEETING II

DECEMBER

1980

VIJAYAWADA
World Atheist Meet Two will be held at The Atheist Centre, Vijayawada, Andre Pradesh, India in December 1980, sponsored jointly by the American Atheist Center (Director - Jon Murray) and the Atheist Centre of India (Director - Lavanam)
in the tradition of international cooperation begun by Dr. Madalyn Murray O'Hair and Gora, through United World Atheists.

AUSTIN~ TEXAS

PAGE 37

FILM REVIEW
elaine stansfield

I would like to be able to recommend

Being There - a Hal Ashby adaptation
of the Jerry Kosinski novella starring
Peter Sellers. However, I suppose my
dissatisfaction stems from the way the
movie business has changed: we used
to get a double feature of two 1Y2 hour
pictures for a reasonable two bucks.
Now we get one overlong film for five
bucks, and the filmmakers seem to
, feel it ought to be two hours long so
people will get their money's worth,
whether the thought content of the
movie is worth two hours or not.
Such is the case in this Slight, onejoke story. To be sure, it is an excellent,
symbolic, vaguely thought-provoking
joke, but really, that is not enough.
Furthermore, the suspension of disbelief required too much. It asks us to
believe that a gardener of sub-normal
mentality has, at 35 or so, lived his
entire life in the home of his employer,
never ventured out, knows nothing of
tn~ outside world except from his
wMching television. He watches every
waking moment (even while eating)
when' he is not tending the garden. It
then asks us to believe that this man,
"with rice pudding for brains", as the
housekeeper puts it, is suddenly accepted by all the VIPs of Washington
government from the president on
down, as a sage who is never suspected to be otherwise. His gardening
comments are accepted as having
deep political meaning: "If the roots
are deep and the tree is well-tended, it
will come up well and strong in the
spring."
Distributed by United Artists, entered in the Cannes Film Festival, it
has been lavishly produced, and cast
by excellentpeople even in the smallest parts: Melvyn Douglas, Shirley
MacLaine, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart (I could barely
find the latter two). Kosinski must
have been well paid to stretch his,

PAGE 38

slender novel to a screenplay, obviously in the mistaken assumption we

all need to have the moral pointed out
to us that television is mind-numbing,
and Washington politicians will take
the word of anybody who manages to
sound wise.
Presumably they also believe Washington will take the satire to its heart
and think it most amusing, but I will be
intensely disappointed if they do. Despite the fact that many politicians are
greedy, bumbling hacks, there are also
a lot of good men in Washington. And
although much of the film is, indeed,
amusing, the basic premise would
become extremely tiresome long before it does, were it not for the carefully planned characterization of Peter
Sellers, and some of the wonderful
scenes when the CIA and FBI try
desperately to get some background
information
on the man suddenly
quoted by the president.
The role of Shirley MacLaine is especially upsetting, since she is the one
who comes closest to the opportunity
to see through our hero. It is not just
embarrassing, but demeaning to all
women, that she blindly goes on making advances to a man who has no
idea what she is either saying or
doing, then she interprets his wooden,

FlOREAl

188 [5/80)

unresponsive body as respect for her

dying husband. Fin'ally she does throw
her arms around him and kiss him. He
responds for a moment because there
is a couple kissing on television, but
when they stop he stops.
Then he tells her, "I like to watch,"
whereupon she immediately falls on
the floor in an orgy of masturbation,
and later tells him he has "liberated"
her. Some liberation. She is, despite
MacLaine's incredibly well tuned flair
for comedy, nothing more than a caricature. The picture really might have
turned extremely interesting had she
begun to suspect him earlier, but carried on the flirtation for other reasons
(perhaps a challenge, or because her
dying husband desperately wanted
her to be happy, or for politics, or to
play games with the FBI, or some
such). The only person who tumbles to
the truth is the doctor, and this is not
until the very end of the, picture.
Oh, yesl We are als'~, supposed to
see deep symbolic meaning in the
gardener's name: Chance. One imagines he may have been a foundling,
adopted by the man who originally
employed him, except that he would
seem to have never had any education'
at all - not so much as a week in
kindergarten. Yet the lady - and her
name is Eve misinterpreted
his
.name as Chauncey Gardenerl
Do not let me dissuade you entirely.
There is much that is good about the
picture"
lightly
amusing,
though
poi nted, so that if you do not expect too
much, you may enjoy it.

AMERICAN

ATHEiST

$ BOOK REVIEW

The Life Extension Revolution'

The Definitive Guide to Better Health, Longer Life
and Physical Immortality
by Saul Kent
The Life Extension Revolution, The Definitive Guide to
Better Health, Longer Life, and Physical Immortality by Saul
Kent is a 5%" x 8%",468 page hardback book.
Basically, it is a source and reference book. As such an extensive reference section of 72 pages is included.
You know that Pope Pius XII, Groucho Marx and Konrad
Adenauer were all treated with injections of fetal lamb cells in
order to re-vitalize their bodies - but where in Switzerland?
The answer is here. You have read about levodopa (L-Dopa) or
the mysterious Romanian clinic which uses Gerovital-H3. Can
they retard aging in Russia? What about laetrile? Does cryonics
work? Can we really clone?
Saul Kent gives you every possible source so that you can
find answers satisfactory to you.
Dividing his material into twelve chapters, he deals with all
of the sub-species of the life-extension idea.
Why Do We Grow Old and Die?
Diet and Longevity
Environmental Stress and Longevity
Anti-Aging Therapies
How Exercise Extends Life Span
Can We Become Immune To Aging
Transplants and Artificial Organs
Rejuvenation Therapies
Cryonics and Suspended Animation
,
Extended Parenthood and Aphrodisiacs
Regeneration, Cloning and Identity Reconstruction
Can We Become Physically Immortal?
There are over fifty charts, graphs and photographs.

The object of the author is clearly to provide the reader

with evidence, pro and con, so that (s)he may decide what is
best for a particular lifestyle or mode of living. Through it all
is the theme: check it out with your own physician. It is a
breath of fresh air to have an honest reporter.
In every chapter, the author provides the names and addresses of every medical theorist, every school where investigation is underway, every clink which accepts patients all over
the world. He provides the generic identification of drugs, the
popular nomenclature. He simplifies, breaks down, explains.
There is no one side. Here is the argument of Linus Pauling
for his C vitamins therapy and here is the argument against.
What about vitamin E? You can write te all, the experts. You
can read all the articles to which you are referred. There has
never before been presented such a, succinct, no-nonsense,
here-it-all-is approach to all of these subjects. All you need is
this book and a desire to go from here.

In visiting with American Atheists for over twenty years,

this reviewer has always been impressed by the relatively high
percentage of persons evidencing longevity. It is not at all unusual to meet octogenarians everywhere in the-Atheist community. Several attempts have been made to interest medical
. or longevity researchers to study this group. Whatever American Atheists are doing, it is right. Saul Kent's book is an extra
, check list in case any Atheists have missed any practice which
will help.
There is an information explosion in this area. The literature is vast. A lucid, condensed survey was sorely needed. This
report is lucid, comprehensive and authoritative. The informaThe concern of Saul Kent and of all Atheists is well put in tion has a ring of accuracy and most important, it is up-toan introduction to the book. "After millions of years of strug- date.
And if you have any questions, the author, in one short
gle for survival as a species, we have finally begun to fight.for
our lives as individuals." It is, indeed, this precious heritage of page, gives you his "Look At The Future" as well as his adindividualism which is the bulk of Atheist concern; in the areas dress, as he encourages all to contact him.
..One of the goals of American Atheists has always been to
of civil rights, First Amendment protected freedoms and theopolitics. Now, the author introduces another dimension where have a clearing house for information on research such as this.
we need to enlarge our concerns to challenge another formi- But, as always, funding is lacking for science, education, redable enemy - aging and ultimate death. The religious can die search, but is always plentiful for those two banes of mankind:
with joy, even languishing in martyrdom. The Atheist does not religion and war.
care to terminate. He has nowhere to go. All he can ever hope

Order from American Atheist Center, P.O. Box 2117, Ausfor is in every way to have a more well rounded life, one of
tin, TX 78768; price $12.95 plus $1.00 postage & handling,
greater outreach and interaction, rather than less.
This book is jammed with short reports on progress in every total - $13.95.
specialized field; compact, objective, comprehensive. There is
an attempt to explain conflicts,' controversies and inconsistencies, but never to weigh one or the other for better of for
worse.

AUSTIN.

TEXAS

PAGE ,39

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
L.A. 19
Caucasian woman, Atheist, 44, slender, college graduate,
independent,
candid,
divorced,
childless
by
choice; dog owner, non-drinker,
dislikes strenuous exercise, compulsive
neatness; wants long-term Northern
California
relationship
with "unattached" Causasian man, Atheist, over 34, over six feet, intellectual, wry
sense of humor, pleasant,
considerate, non-smoker.
L.A. 20
Couple, 40, seeking extended family
relationship
with female-enjoying
gardening and country lifestyle. Prefer semi-vegetarian,
non-smoker.
L.A. 21
Christianity
gave me a lonely, austere, celibate, non-social existence.
Atheism has finally given me the
freedom to experience
life. 1 need
Atheist female{s) willing to teach me
how to live in real world. White, 29,
185 Ibs., 6', Salt Lake City.
L.A. 22
Young, 59, male Atheist (for 45
years) interested in nudism, the outdoors, organic farming. 5'6" - 135
Ibs., healthy. To meet compatible
female. Can travel.
L.A. 23
Presentable 6'1 n male Floridian, 62,
diverse interests, seeks companionable female for meaningful interaction, romance (?).
L.A. 24
Attractive
blonde, 53, would like
correspondence
with unencumbered
Atheist gentleman.

L.A. 25
Divorced
electronics
trainer,
(53,
n
5'5 , 160 Ibs.), Puerto Rico. Seeks
single or widowed, non-smoker, nondrinker
female
Atheist
age
30-40.
L.A. 26
1 am 100% Atheist male Caucasion
with a pinch of American
Indian
which I resemble, average looking,
n
but balding, 5'8 , 146 Ibs., divorced
from "good Christian:
uncertain about marriage, no kids wanted, strict
morally and ethically,
disciplined,
non-bigoted, open-minded, conscientious. Health, job future and life
goals uncertain. Interested in female
Atheist 5'4" or shorter, average to
slim of build of similar personality to .
communicate
with; especially in Baltimore, M D or Pennsylvania
areas.
L.A. 27
Correspondence
wanted with female
Atheists. Am white male, 40. nonsmoker living in San Francisco Bay

area.
L.A. 28
I am a prisoner and I would appreciate it very much to correspond with
anyone who may wish to communicate with me. As I have no family or
anyone to see me through my plight,
. any assistance from anyone would
be greatly appreciated.
L.A. 29
Lonely Dallas inventor, non-smoker, social drinker only, seeks woman
to share life's joys, challenges.
L.A. 30
Honest senior male seeks young Atheist
female.
Share
his Seattle
home. Real potentials depending.

L.A. 31
Denver female, 46, 5'6", 125 Ibs.,
non-smoker,
non-drinker
desires A-'
theist correspondence.
L.A. 32
I ndependent,
semi-retired,
mi.d-60s,

widower, investigator, researcher,

writer, agnostic, stoical, viable, sober, homeowner,
completely
unattached. Desire meet 45-plus, rational, advanced-educated,
agnostic or
rational
divorcee or widow, antisocial or otherwise, with or without
younger dependents.
Suggest blind
box correspondence
for full understanding of circumstances.
L.A. 33
White male, 30, seeks woman interested in vegetarianism
and rock
music.
L.A. 34.
Chicagoan, 49, seeks slender Caucasian or Asian women.
f
L.A. 35
Committed
Atheist,
incurable
romantic, still believe in love and marriage, age 25, male, seeking female
mate and traditional
live happily
ever after.

EMPLOYMENT
1
Wanted - Atheist lawyer in Clearwater, FL area. I am fighting cult for
27 years at SI,OOO,OOOper year. Will
pay 25% or better.
EMPLOYMENT
2
Staff opening: lawyer.
Opportunity
to become nationally
known protagonist
for American Atheist Center. Aggressive legal iconoclast with Federal Court experience
preferred.
We furnish office, telephone, typewriter
(no secretary sorry), heavy case load, token salary
first year. Ideal for person with independent
income and commitment.
Must use University of Texas Law
Library, have own transportation
arid have typing and filing skills. Demanding
but rewarding
opportunity. Call Jon Murray, Executive Director, American Atheist Center:
(512) 458-1244
or send resume:
P.O. Box 2117, Austin, TX 78768

Address your reply to No. (whatever shat number may be). Place
your sealed envelope in a leiter 10 the
American Atheist Center, P.O. Box
2117, Austin, Texas 78768. We will
see that all replies are forwarded 10
the advertiser. No identities are ever
revealed; we protect you from any
harassment which might come from
your home address appearing in our
columns.

...,
The Case Against Religion:
A Psychotherapist's

View

- by Albert Ellis, Ph.D.

Booklet available for $2.00

from American Atheist Press.
PO Box 2117, Austin, TX 78768

Fellow
Atheist
Realtors
6GJ ~
Let's exchange referrals

NOTICE:
Membership in
American Atheists does not
include a subscription to the
American Atheist magazine, If
you have not subscribed, this
issue isa sample copy, To receive the American Atheist on
a monthly basis, please fill out
and return the business reply
envelope form enclosed in this
issue.

and referral fees .

6GJ
Who is it who does NOT know
that S.O.S. really means
"Stamp Out Stupidity"?
(I

AREA CODE (213)248-8640

BLACKWELDER REALTY
2722 FOOTHILL BLVD.
LA CRESr.ENT A,
CALIFORNIA 91214

NOTICE:

Subscription to the
Atheist magazine
does not include membership
in the organization. See inside
back cover.

American

AMERICAN ATHEISTS

PAGE 40

FLOREA!, 188 [5/80]

AMERICAN ATHEIST

P.O.Box 2117
Austin, Te~as 78768

.-~
---.-.-.

Send $15.00 for one year's membership and you will --- _receive the first newsletter, a membership card and a
certificate.

~~

~I

-r:

~OSCRR@~O

redress of grievances . AMENDMENT

I Congress shall make

lo....

o
'-+oI-J

Q.)

('[)
V'l

"0

('[)
(")
rt

lo....

(J)

>

::J

OQ

PJ

Q.)

::J

.s:
oI-J

('[)
V'l
rt

PJ

aV'l

::::r

('[)

::J
rt

o
~

('[)

OQ
,~'C~~]

,::J

o
~

..

>-

::::r
a-

...0

Q.)

rt

::J
OQ

(J)

0..

rt

(J)~~~~s.s
0..

('[)

zr

o
Q.)
0..
Q.)

..r:.
oI-J

'-+-

oI-J

..r:.

co
lo....

BRING )JOUR OWN PICNIC

BA5KT TO THE AMERICAN

ATHEIST MUSEUM6BQUNf)5.

rt

::::r

~~~~~~~~~~~~==~~~~~~~
ro
.ssord

aLp . JO

('[)

aLp ~o JO 'Lpaads ~o WopaaJ~ alp ~U!~P!Jq1?JO ,.~