Josh Kruger of Philadelphia Weekly wanted to know just how awful the atheist/Humanist groups listed on the American Family Association’s Bigotry Map were, so he called up the groups’ leaders to figure out why there’s so much hate in their hearts.
He was in for a surprise.
“We run booths at festivals for outreach,” [Pennsylvania Nonbelievers president Brian] Fields says. “We also have monthly meetings in several areas across central Pennsylvania. Occasionally, we take complaints from individuals in the area — sometimes they’re not even atheists or agnostics — who are concerned about separation of church and state violations.”
Um. I am confused, because that does not sound super-bigoted…
…
Wait — so Pennsylvania Nonbelievers just tries to maintain the United States Constitution’s provision mandating the separation of church and state? Are they sure they aren’t even a little bit like the KKK? “No, I don’t think so,” Fields laughs. “One of our meetings is in a Chinese restaurant.”
But that’s just one leader, right? Someone’s gotta be pure evil:
“I do not hate any religion,” [Delaware Valley chapter of Americans United president Janice] Rael agrees. “I believe people should believe what makes them feel best to get through this world–” she pauses — “as long as it doesn’t hurt others.”
*Shaking my head in disgust*…
Kruger had a hard time finding anyone that fit the “bigot” description — hardly surprising — and let AFA’s publicity folks know about it. What did they have to say about his discovery?
They told me that the press release they’d already sent “should suffice.”
The press release which said:
[These groups’] actions have endorsed efforts to silence Christians and to remove all public displays of Christian heritage and faith in America.
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Some members or supporters of these groups have committed violent crimes against Christians and faith-based groups. Physical and profane verbal assaults against Christians are methods frequently exercised in their angry methods of intimidation.
In other words, like much of the basis of Christianity, it’s pure fiction.
No one’s trying to silence Christians. If there are Christian displays on government property, we want the same access so we can put up our own displays. If elected officials don’t want that, they are welcome to say no to everybody.
And if we’re suddenly blaming various groups for the awful actions of a handful of supporters they have no connection to, then I promise you that Christian churches have waaaaaaaay more to apologize for than any Humanist group.
This is how conservative Christians play the Persecution Game. They can’t find any actual examples of bigotry, so they created a map with fancy colors, hoping their donors wouldn’t notice there’s no substance behind it.