Sunday, September 03, 2006

Atheists sue over Jacksonville Day of Faith

it looks like the city of Jacksonville spent more than one hundred thousand dollars on a religious event called "The Day of Faith" anti-violence rally. Lisa Lovingood, representing American Atheists, filed suit to force the City to return the funds to taxpayers.
But some religious leaders see Atheism as a faith as well. “Everyone has some kind of faith because you believe in something. You may not call it god but whatever is determining, dictating your lifestyle is what you worship", says Pastor Rudolph McKissick Jr. of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church.
If the city adopts Pastor Rudolph's position, they will soon find themselves writing a check to the taxpayers. Atheism is not religion. The notion is absurd.

I have to wonder about the city officials who backed this. They should have seen this a mile off. This looks like a clear 1st Amendment case. What were they thinking? Religion makes one do funny things I guess. The Jacksonville event was wrong on two levels, separation of church and state & pure government excess. It makes my libertarian blood boil.
Pastor McKissick Jr. says the group should be focusing on the murders in Jacksonville and not the money spent on the “Day of Faith.”
McKissick is wrong - the focus should have been on catching the murders. Private funds should have been used to throw his $100K feel good prayer party.

I am not a big fan of this type of protest lawsuit. American Atheist is too militant for my blood. Protesting crosses in Utah and publicly funded prayer sessions in Jacksonville seem pedestrian in comparison to battling the religious rights hold on our government. I suppose somebody must do this - Go get them Lisa!

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Technically speaking, what atheists believe is a faith because there is no evidence to support it. You are correct that is not a religion because we don't rally around a particular lifestyle choice or common philosophy.

The organizers, however, talk of common lifestyles and philosophies. What they describe is religion but they are using the term "faith" as a cover. The City of Jacksonville has no business finacing it.

Anonymous said...

Fuck who ever wrote this article... Now... believe in that shit!