Professional Documents
Culture Documents
50
THE
AMERICAN ATHEIST
),
cl~~
19
1963
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
is a non-profit, non-political, educational organization, dedicated to the complete and absolute separation of
state and church. We accept the explanation of Thomas Jefferson that the "First Amendment" to the
Constitution of the United States was meant to create a "wall of separation" between state and church.
American Atheists are organized to stimulate and promote freedom of thought and inquiry concerning
religious beliefs, creeds, dogmas, tenets, rituals and practices;
to collect and disseminate information, data and literature on all religions and promote a more thorough
understanding of them, their origins and histories;
.
to encourage the development and public acceptance of a human ethical system, stressing the mutual
sympathy, understanding
and interdependence
of all people and the corresponding responsibility of each
individual in relation to society;
to develop and propagate a culture in which man is the central figure who alone must be the source of
strength, progress and ideals for the well-being and happiness of humanity;
to promote the study of the arts and sciences and of all problems affecting the maintenance,
perpetuation and enrichment of human (and other) life;
to engage in such social, educational, legal and cultural activity as will be useful and beneficial to
members of American Atheists and to society as a whole.
Atheism-may be defined as the mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and
aims at establishing a lifestyle and ethical outlook verifiable by experience and the scientific method,
independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority and creeds.
Materialism declares that the cosmos is devoid of immanent conscious purpose; that it is governed by its own
inherent, immutable and impersonal laws; that there is no supernatural interference in human life; that man finding his resources within himself - can and must create his own destiny. Materialism restores to man his.
dignity and his intellectual integrity. It teaches that we must prize our life on earth and strive always to improve
it. It holds that man is capable of creating
social system based on reason and justice. Materialism's "faith" is in
man and man's ability to transform the world culture by his own efforts. This is a commitment which is in very
essence life asserting. It considers the struggle for progress as a moral-obligation and impossible without noble
ideas that inspire man to bold creative works. Materialism holds that humankind's potential for good and for an
.outreach to more fulfilling cultural development is, for all practical purposes, unlimited .
~*
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
P.O.BOX 2117
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FEATURED COLUMNISTS
The Origin of Easter - Merrill Holste
Fool's Gold - Gerald Tholen
Handmaidens of God - Margaret Bhatty
Letters to Ann Landers - Jeff Frankel
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ARTICLES
Focus on Atheists: Christian Bias in Textooks
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MEMORIAL
Robert Harold Scott - Pioneer Atheist
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POEMS
There - Robin Eileen Murray O'Hair
Spring - Robin Eileen Murray O'Hair
All For The Want of Proof - Ralph Shirley
Editor-in-Chief
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Managing Editor
Jon G. Murray
Poetry
Robin Murray O'Hair
Angeline Bennett
Gerald Tholen
Production Staff
Art Brenner
BillKight
Richard Smith
Gerald Tholen
G loria Tholen
Lex Stevens
Non-Resident Staff
G. Stanley Brown
Jeff Frankel
Merrill Holste
Margaret Bhatty
Fred Woodworth
Clayton Powers
Austin, Texas
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The American Atheist magazine is published monthly at the Gustav Broukal American Atheist Press, 2210 Hancock Dr., Austin, TX 78756, and 1982 by Society of
Separationists, Inc., a non-profit, non-political, educational organization dedicated to
the complete and absolute separation of
state and church. Mailing address: P.O. Box
2117/ Austin, TX 78768-2117. A free subscription is provided as an incident of membership in the 'American Atheists organization. Subscriptions are available at $25. for
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must be typed, double-spaced and accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The editors assume no responsibility
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The American Atheist magazine
is indexed in
Monthly Periodical Index
ISSN: 0332-4310
April,1983
ON THE COVER
For nearly 2000 years now "eggheaded" cultists have been trying
to make their easter/jesus
fairytale float. That's what I call hardboiled persistence! And, although
the crux of their nonsense - something they call the resurrection seems to be faltering badly, they
have devised a juvenile level plan
centering on brightly colored hen
fruit, candy, and other assorted
goodies. With this more appetizing
approach it is easier to entice the
simple-minded.
I would suggest that to make the
story even more believable they
should have chosen a reptilian egg
instead. This would seem to more
suitably coincide with the mentality of the group with whom they
desire to relate. I can, however,
understand the hidden significance of their selection of the
more conventional chicken egg.
The entire farce began with the
religious chicken-thief acquisition
of an historical spring event. They
stole our vernal equinox!
I suppose we should have expected as much from fundamentalists who have always lacked
originality. Since their' inception
they have "permanently
borrowed" every aspect of their mythology. The whole sordid mess
holds a kind of tragic humor. Their
infamous journey from krishna to
chicken thief spans centuries of
insane cruelty to humankind. They
now want to attach to it cute little
bunnies and colorful gadgetry.
At any rate we would all do well
to prepare ourselves for this "second coming" of ignorancel You
know how wild-eyed these people
become during their pagan-like
festivals.
G. Tholen
Page 1
.~~4
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~L
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A': \~11'~,~
AN ATHEIST "FAIRY TALE"
I would like to tell a little story this month to Atheist one
and all. Once upon a time in the Eastern woodlands of
America there was a very historic and very conservative
state. The name of the state was Tennessee. Now at one
time long long ago the elders of this very pretty state
decided that they would like to have a constitution. This was
a very long, big and important paper that set forth all of the
rights and privileges of all the citizens who dwelt in
Tennessee. A part of that constitution was not like all the
other parts, though. All the other parts of the great paper
gave many rights to the citizens, but this part took a right
away from some of them. It said, "No person who denies the
being of god, or a future state of rewards and punishments
shall hold any office in the civil department of this State."
(Article IX, Sec. 2)
'Now most of the kindly hard working citizens of the state
thought nothing of this part of the great new list of rights.
They had all believed in god all their lives and did not know
anyone who did not believe. "Someone
who does not
believe in god! Oh, how silly. No one like that lives in our
pretty little state," they thought. But ah!, over in the deep
dark woods in the southern part of the great state of
Tennessee there dwelt a big tall handsome man, sir Harold
of Church. Sir Harold lived in a big castle in the little village
of Columbia. Rumor had it around the village that a firebreathing dragon lived under sir Harold's house and that he
used the fire from its nostrils to roast little christian children
he caught on their way home from school when they
wandered near his castle. Everyone in the village knew that
he was an Atheist. No one knew exactly what an Atheist
was for sure, but they remembered their grandfathers' old
tales about how wicked and naughty they were. They had all
been told around their hearths at night to be good little boys
and girls and go to the church down the lane whenever the
kindly vicar rang the big bell lest they become like sir
Harold. They knew that the "Church" in his title was meant
to fool them and lure them to his web like a wily spider.
Well, one day sir Harold found out about the part of the
great state paper of rights that denied him one of his rights
when it gave the others of the village so many. So sir Harold
went far far away to the far off state of Texas where the
queen of the Atheists lived. Everyone in the village knew of
this and trembled in fear for they had heard of this land of
Texas down at the south edge of the land where the world
dropped off over the edge. That is where the evil Atheist
queen lived in a cave with her henchmen. So sir Harold
back from Texas with evil spells brewed up by the wicked
queen Madalyn of Hair and her black-eyed evil son, Jon,
duke of Murray, and tricked the goodly elders of the great
state of Tennessee into changing that part of the great
Page 2
April, 1983
/ \ :~~
One Senator did not vote for the silence with all the rest.
He was the Senator from the village of Murfreesboro. He
said that he didn't think it was a proper function of the
Senate of the great state of Tennessee to meddle with the
law of the land given by the fathers in the before time. The
papers all over the state printed this Senator's name in big
fat letters on the front page so that all the citizens would
know that he did not stand with them in their hour of need.
They would make him sorry later on, they vowed.
After the Senate had passed the billfor the little children,
the House, which is younger and a little less wise, had to
vote on it, too. The House voted 89 to 6 to go along with the
older wiser Senate. The papers did the same thing with
those six bad Representatives that they had done with the
'///1
1-/
April,1983
Page 3
April, 1983
There
Sometimes I daydream a little
And see a land of trees
Floating feather-like in a breeze,
Where daffodils and yellow roses
Bloom while the birds awake from their dozes
And sweeten the air with their melodies.
There everything is like the trees,
Floating, drifting easily.
The birds glide, the time slides,
And nothing, nothing collides.
Everything is matching
And happiness is catching.
There friends are friends regardless
Of time, or place, or this, or that,
Are always ready to stop and chat,
And never, never disturbing,
And would be there before the need's arriving But there the need never comes.
There lovers are not teasing and squeezing
One's feelings and freedom to death.
Instead the breeze carries love's sweeth breath
And a lover's hand enclosing one's own brings
Stars' twinkling brilliance, not night's darkenings.
And lovers' tears do not drown the land.
There the everyday chasms and cliffs
Do not exist, though there are rolling hills,
Nor do illnesses or the bitter pills
That come so often here.
Friends, lovers, and life are always dear.
And it's nothing like here.
Robin Eileen Murray-O'Hair
.10CU5 on atbti5t5
"Our point is that no book should be banned, and no book should be burned. Ifthere
is, however, going to be a 'moral standard' for banning, then the bible should be
banned as well."
And in 1974Texas adopted an "anti-evolution" rule which
the President of the Texas Council for Science saw would
set back the teaching of biology nationwide. The antievolution rule basically was that biology textbooks could
not teach evolution as a fact but must treat it as one theory
only, with biblical creation holding equal "scientific" dignity
as an alternate theory.
The President of the Texas Council for Science also saw
Norma and Mel as "the most effective textbook censors in
the country" However, they were, in fact, only what the
Texas Board of Education permitted them to be: scapegoats for the onus which should have properly been on the
Board. The Texas Board of Education actually has been the
greatest weapon of fundamentalist christians in the United
Austin, Texas
April,1983
PageS
Houghton-Mifflin Co.
Lippincott's book stated as history that "... christianity
was founded by jesus christ almost 2,000 years ago." and
that "... jesus rose from the dead ... " (The Human
Expression,
"Scott Foresman's Living World History, ... stated flatly that' ... jesus christ was
crucified ... "and then "... reappeared after the crucifixion."
state and church separate. He pointed out the Colorado
constitutional provision which prohibits the promotion of
religion or the showing of favoritism toward one religion
over another.
Bill hardly expected the reception his ideas would have.
Tactically learned in the best methods to handle hostility, he
was prepared, but not for the results. School personnel, the
media, the community, were not alone receptive of the idea
but cordial to it. There was almost a mass sigh of relief that
finally an effective counter had been found to beat back the
inroads into education of the total insanity being pressured
into the public schools system by evangelical religious
fanatics. Media coverage was excellent.
And, as Bill and his fellow Atheists on the American
Atheist Textbook Inquiry Committe, Bob and Edith Fenn,
Charles Pique, David Hofer, and Gale Schreier, moved in to
review the books, they were properly shocked by the
blatant and outrageous intrusions of the christian belief
system in the history, political science and sociology books.
Violations of both Colorado and US constitutional provisions to safeguard state/church separation were flagrant.
Laudatory interpretations of religion in history, replacement of biblical myth for researched historical verities, and
emphasis on miracles abounded in three particular history
books, issued by the allegedly reputable textbook publishers, Scott Foresman & Co., J.B. Lippincott, and
Page 6
April,1983
on page
14
Merrill Holste
April, 1983
Page 7
So, why is the easter festival held at the time of the spring
equinox by christians now? Solstice festivals were celebrated throughout the pagan world for thousands of years
before the christian era ever began. Our word, easter,
comes from the Germanic languages, forerunners of our
English. It is eostre, eoster or ostara in the Anglo-Saxon; it is
ostern in the German where it was the celebration for the
coming of spring. Why did the christians adapt their
passover to the mode of celebration used by the pagans?
The missionaries and preachers who were trying to convert
the pagans found that these people insisted upon continuing in celebrating their joyous spring festival. And, if the
missionaries were to be successful in attracting the pagans
to their rather somber and joyless religion, they found that
they had to adopt these pagan festivals in order to gain
converts from among the pagans. The missionaries felt that
by adopting they could sanctify the pagan celebration of the
vernal equinox by adding to it their brand of christian
verbiage.
Sunday after the paschal full moon. That means it was one
week after the first full moon occurring on March 21, or the
first full moon after that date. This method of determining
the date of easter seems to me to be a queer way to
determine the day that is supposed to mark the world's
greatest historical event, an event which could have happened on anyone of the 365 - if it ever did occur. The
moveableness of this day is clear indication that the actual
date of the event is unknown, and that it is tied to ancient
moon-goddess worship combined with sun-god worship.
The adoption of the pagan celebration of spring in its
present modification as a christian festival came about at a
very late date. The earliest christians celebrated the spring
equinox much as the jews celebrated their passover. The
early christian crosses were represented with a lamb or a
young sheep as the sacrificial object. The cross arm of their
cross was at an acute angle so that it would represent the
crossing of the equatorial circle by the ecliptical circle as it
was represented then on armillary spheres and still is today.
"Ourword, easter, comes from the Germanic languages, forerunners of our English.
It is eostre, eoster or ostara in the Anglo Saxon; it is ostern in the German where it
was the celebration for the coming of the spring."
The early christians were a sect of the jewish religion and
celebrated the easter passover as the jews did. This
passover was an annual religious feast celebrated on the
evening of the 14th of nisan, the beginning of the jewish new
year, and continued to the 22nd of nisan. The passover was
an annual festival of the jewish religion instituted, according
to exodus 12, to commemorate the sparing of the Israelites
in Egypt at the time their god was so angry with the
Egyptians that he decided to kill all the firstborn of the
Egyptians. The Israelite god, via his earthly agent, the
priestly dictator moses, ordered the Israelites to make a
blood sacrifice. They were ordered to select a yearling lamb,
a male without blemish, from the sheep or goats on the
tenth day of the month, nisan. The order was to kill this
lamb as a sacrifice on the 14th day in the evening. They were
to make this day the beginning of their new year from that
time on. They were to eat this lamb roasted, not raw or
boiled. It was to be roasted with fire, head and legs with the
purtenances thereof, and "that which remaineth of it until
the morning ye shall burn with fire....
It is the lord's
passover." (exod. 12:1O-11). Passover for the jews begins
this year on March 29th, the required number of days after
the vernal equinox. The Israelites were ordered to mark
their doorposts and lintel with the blood of this sacrificial
lamb so that moses' god could discern the Israelite houses
from the Egyptian houses. The Israelite god's anger was so
great that he was going to pass throughout all Egypt and
slay all the firstborn of man and animals. I note that this
supposedly "omniscient" god was unable to discern the
Israelite houses from the Egyptian. Is that a sign of
omniscience?
Our easter is derived from the ancient Hebrew and pagan
solar-lunar spring festival that marked the vernal equinox.
This fact is amply indicated by the manner in which our
easter day has customarily been determined. The date of
easter has long been determined by the gregorian system of
calculation. Under this system, easter day was to be the first
Page 8
April,1983
figure
1.
There is an astronomical phenomenon going on constantly which the ancients observed but did not understand. It is
known as the precession of the equinoxes. Because the
earth wobbles on its axis like a top running down, the point
at which the sun crosses the equatorial circle at the vernal
equinox precesses; in other words it is slightly behind the
point it crossed in the previous year. In 70 years the
precession amounts to one whole degree. In about 2,000
years the sun crosses the equatorial circle in an entirely
different sign of the zodiac. Many myths grew up that were
the result of the ancients' attempt to explain this strange
occurrence.
Many myths and fables have grown up about the sun god,
by whatever name he was known, having gone down to a
the American Atheist
c__
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figure
2.
"The christians, being originally a sect of the jewish religion, had at first adopted
the sheep, or lamb as their savior image....
But the vernal equinox had begun
occurring in the zodiacal sign of pisces, the two fishes, some time before the
supposed time of christ. Christ has been associated with the fish, which is a universal
. sym bo.I"
savior
The ancients long ago built up a system of fables, stories
and myths to explain the phenomena of the stars. We call
this system of myths astrology. Religions have changed
through the millenia, but astrology has changed very little.
The representations of the Egyptian zodiac is almost
exactly the same as it is today. The permanence of the
system the ancients had built up serves to explain much
about the changes in religion during the past millenia. At the
time of pharaoh Menes in Egypt 4,000 and more years ago,
the worship of the bull sign of the zodiac was the dominant
religion just as the worship of christ is prevalent amongst
westerners today. At some 2,000 B.C. the precession of the
Austin, Texas
left over from the miraculous feast. See matt. 14:20 ("And
they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the
fragments that remained twelve baskets full."), mark 6:4243 ("And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up
twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes."),
luke 9:16-17 ("Then he took the five loaves and the two
fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and
brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up
of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets."), john
6:13 ("Therefore they gathered them together, and filled
twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves,
April,1983
Page 9
"Well ...
Page 10
April,1983
PASSOVER
- THE EGYPTIAN HOLOCAUST
by Madalyn Murray O'Hair
----
----
April, 1983
Page 11
raoh's heart was hardened" (ex. 8:15) by the god of the jews,
and he would not let them go.
Now, the entire nation of Egypt stood, afflicted with no
water, piles of stinking, rotting frogs and with everyone and
every beast covered with fleas. Fleas in the hair, on their
heads, in the beards of their chins, in their armpits, in their
pubic hair - the jews included.
Again, moses and aaron went to the pharaoh and said,
"Have you had enough?" It was a rhetorical question. The
pharaoh could say that he would let the jews go, but the god
of the jews was standing by at the last moment to harden his
heart only so that the land could be zapped with a new
plague: an ancient Catch 22.
At this point, the god of the jews thought he should
exclude the jews from all of the troubles to follow, so he had
moses and aaron cause another plague, this time of a
grievous swarm of flies throughout the land, except where
the jews lived (in the land of Goshen). Well, any thinking
ruler would have had enough, and the pharaoh had had
enough. He called moses and aaron to him and told them to
take their people and go; only - please - to have their lord
stop the flies.
So, the god of the jews stopped the flies, but he also again - hardened the heart of the pharaoh (ex. 8:32) so that
the pharaoh did not let the jews go, except for a three day
journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to their god.
(Naturally, three days; three is a magic number also.)
"Instead of taking great pride in it (passover), the jews of the world should repudiate
it, disclaim it, disassociate themselves from it. It is repugnant to the intellect,
repelling to human emotions."
At this point began the theme so dramatically emphasized by the jews thence to current history. For, moses
and aaron (to whom the god of the jews spoke daily, giving
them blow by blow instructions) went to the pharaoh and
said, "Let my people go." (ex. 8:1) But before the pharaoh
could reply, at the direct order of the god of the jews, moses
and aaron caused a plague of frogs to come out of the
bloody rivers and invade every house.
What would any ruler do? Pharaoh did just that. He said,
"Entreat the lord, that he may take away the frogs from me
and my people; and I willlet the people (jews) go, that they
may do sacrifice unto the lord." (ex. 8:8) The next day the
god of the jews let all the frogs die, and the Egyptians
gathered them into piles and the entire land stunk from
them. But, immediately the god of the jews then hardened
the heart of the pharaoh (ex. 8:15) so that he would not keep
his word.
Again, one can scarcely imagine a nation without water,
since it is all blood, with piles of dead frogs rotting and
stinking throughout the land, while the ruler does nothing
- put into inaction by the jewish god's power over him.
This, however, is incidental. The main theme of the story is
the ability of the god of the jews to control the pharaoh who
worshipped another god. Therefore, moses and baron
caused another plague in that they made all of the dust of
the land into lice. (perhaps some of the readers of this
column have been to Egypt and can readily appreciate the
magnitude of this disaster. Egypt is a land of dust.) The lice
infected all beasts and all humankind. But, again, "phaPage 12
April,1983
" ...
the heart
was hardened
of the pharaoh
...
"
have sinned against the lord your god. I pray thee ... entreat
the lord your god, that he may take away from me this death
only." (ex. 10:16,17) The god of the jews then sent in a
strong west wind and blew away the locusts. But immediately - (ex. 10:20) the god of the jews "hardened
pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the children of
Israel go."
It takes an insane person to believe that any ruler would
see the rivers of his entire nation turn to blood, ha\! all
cattle killed twice, have everything green in the land
destroyed by hail and fire, then eaten by locusts and still
want the cause of the disasters to remain in his land. But,
this was not enough for the god of the jews who decided
then to bring darkness on the land. And for three (remernber that that number is magic) days the god of the jews
brought such a thick darkness over the entire land that the
Egyptians" ... saw not one another, neither rose any from
his place for three days." To believe this one needs to
understand that no one ate for three days, nor drank, that
they all sat there and urinated and defecated on the spot. Of
course, there was nothing to drink but the stinking rivers of
blood, nothing to eat since all of the cattle were dead twice
"... the god of the jews bragged about what he was doing to moses and aaron. 'And the
lord said unto moses, "Go in unto pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, ... that I
might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy
son, and of thy son's son what things I have wrought in Egypt."'"
Naturally, the pharaoh sent for moses and aaron and
said, "the lord is righteous, and I and my people are
wicked." (ex. 9:27) despite the fact that it was the god of the
jews which had caused all the plant, fish, animal, and even
the human distress. "I will let you go, and ye shall stay no
longer," the pharaoh said (ex. 9:28). Then the god of the
jews stopped the mixed hail and fire and again "the heart of
pharaoh was hardened" by him so that he would not "let the
children of Israel go" (ex. 9:35).
At this point, the god of the jews bragged about what he
was doing to moses and aaron. "And the lord said unto
moses, 'Go in unto pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart,
and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my
signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy
son, and of thy son's son what things I have wrought in
Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them, that ye
may know that I am the lord.''' (ex. 10:1-2)
Moses and aaron then came back to the pharaoh and
said, "Let my people go.' or the god of the jews would "bring
the locusts into thy coast" (ex. 10:3-4). At this point, the
servants of pharaoh said, "Let the men go, that they may
serve the lord their god: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is
destroyed?" And the pharaoh said, "Go serve the lord your
god .... Let the lord be so with you, as I willlet you go, and
your little ones: look to it;" (ex. 10:7,8,10). Whereupon,
instead of the jews getting the hell out of Egypt, the god of
the jews sent the locusts, anyway. He wasn't about to let a
little soft-heartedness on the part of the pharaoh stop his
rampage! The locusts "covered the face of the whole earth,"
(ex. 10:15) not alone just Egypt, and the land was darkened.
The locusts then ate up the fruit and every green thing in the
trees, the herbs and everything that the hail and fire had not
ruined. Pharaoh again called in moses and aaron and said, "I
Austin, Texas
already and since all of the fruit, grain, and herbs had been
destroyed.
What could pharaoh do but call moses and aaron and
say, "Go ye, serve the lord ... let your little ones also go with
you." (ex. 10:24) But, having said that, the god of the jews
again "hardened pharaoh's heart, and lie would not let them
go." (ex. 10:27). At this point, the god at the jews contrived
"the passover," that glorious holiday which the jews feel is
the most exalted of their religion. The god of the jews
decided to kill the firstborn of everyone in Egypt - the
pharaoh (who was only pharaoh because he was the
firstborn in his family), the maidservants, the laborers, the
slaves, even those in prison, and all the first born of all the
cattle, which were, of course, all dead.
Let's translate that into our times. Supposing that the god
of the jews decided to kill off the firstborn in the United
States. Well, this editor's brother would go, because he was
the firstborn; your editor would be safe. But, in your house
who would die? It didn't matter if the firstborn was saint or
sinner, illor healthy, aged or a child, male or female. All the
firstborns had to die even though none were really involved
in this display of power which the god of the jews was
putting on. And, just in case that the pharaoh might spoil it
all by letting the people go, again the god of the jews
"hardened pharaoh's heart" (ex. 11:10)
At this point in the story, everything is stopped while the
god of the jews gave moses and aaron a recipe for baked
lamb. He instructed them to take the blood of the lamb and
smear it on the doors of their homes. How many jews do
you know who smear lamb's blood on their front doors for
passover? He told them that they had to eat the lamb "with
their loins girded," their shoes on their feet, and their staff in
their hand, while they ate "in haste." The god of the jews
April,1983
Page 13
(which had all died twice) and followed the jews into a sea
where all the Egyptians were drowned, upon the shore.
This ugly, sadistic, gore-filled, brutal story of a pompous,
barbarous, cruel little god, hoping to show a small group of
semisavage jews his powers, is exalted today as the most
holy of holy commemorative events of jewish history, to be
celebrated with pride. The jews should be ashamed of this
"holy" day and try to hide its origin; squelch its celebration
and keep the odor of its foulness under cover. Instead this
black day of infamy and murder by the god of the jews is
honored and esteemed by our nation's president and the
congress of the United States as they urge you to pay
homage to "this holy season."
The jews today constantly bring up the "holocaust"
reportedly suffered under the nazi regime in Germany. This
passover story throws in their teeth the holocaust of death
purportedly visited upon innocent men, women and children of the Egyptian nation by their petty little god and his
"This holocaust the jews celebrate, because it fell on others. When a holocaust
reportedly fell on them they use it for military posturing in the world today."
Of course, the next morning, the pharaoh (who was
dead, because he had to be firstborn to be pharaoh) called
for moses and aaron and said, "Rise up, and get you forth
from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel;
and go, serve the lord, as ye have said, and be gone; ... "
And the people of Egypt, too, were urgent that the jews
would get the hell out of the country.
It is not necessary to continue to followthe story in depth.
The god of the jews had to stop everything and give orders
again about how to cook the lamb, how to fast, what bread
to eat, that only the circumcised could eat of the passover,
that no lamb could be carried out of the house, that no lamb
bones could be broken and to remember this day to keep it
"holy."
The last incident of it all again had to do with one last
hardening of the heart of pharaoh (ex. 14:4,8,17) by the god
of the jews so that the pharaoh subsequently took his
warriors (mostly dead, many of whom having been firstborn), who mounted horses and chariots driven by horses
irrational religion. This holocaust the jews celebrate, because it fell on others. When a holocaust reportedly fell on
them, they use it for military posturing in the world today
(while noticeably not trusting on an appearance of a blatant
display of power from their prehistoric god).
Atheists need to speak out. They need to know these
stories and they need to say to those who accept them,
"You do realize that all of this is insane?" Nowhere in
Egyptian history is there any record of the jews being
captive there, of the god of the jews sending plagues, of all of
the firstborn being killed by such a despicable despotic god,
or of any mass exodus. It is good for an Atheist to know that
it was only a phony tale of power and cruelty, a theistic myth
of barbarism. But, it is more important that the homage paid
to the lie be stopped. Everyone of these tales must be
exposed and exploded and the people of our nation brought
back to their senses. In this "Year of the Bible" the
American Atheist Center expects you to get into that fray.
The Editor
Page 14
April, 1983
from page
by Hansel Harper
When it comes to social problems, if man could understand himself as well as he does his machine, he would be
well on his way to a peaceful co-existence. However, man is
more complicated than the machine he invented. He
permits his imagination to wander beyond reason and
nature; he assumes truths he cannot prove; and he
becomes the inventor of impossible fantasies. It is probably
natural that he would do so, as it makes it "possible" to fly
without wings, to dive to the bottom of the ocean without
scuba equipment and to bask in the sun on cloud nine.
There is no harm in imagining beyond nature and reason as
long as one understands that one is in a fantasy world and
doesn't try to forge a reality out of it. In fact, it is good mental
gymnastics.
Man's most profound problem today is to get his own
kind to respond to reason, as well as his machine responds
to nature. The first requisite in this direction is to face the
fact that man has to co-exist with himself and nature, ifhe is
to survive. He must face the fact that nature, not god, is the
final authority. Man can argue with his imaginary god, but
he cannot argue with fate, because fate is a function of
nature. If man excessively abuses himself or nature, he will
have to suffer the consequences. It has been truthfully said
that man is his own worst enemy. If man were truthful and
reasonable with himself and his natural environment, he
could eventually make man his own best friend. If he will
face reality and look closely, he willfind that he hasn't time
to waste on wild imaginary deities.
April,1983
Page 15
April, 1983
.J
given
a "Pioneer
Atheist
Award"
by the American
Atheist
organization.
We honor
Robert
Harold
Scott again today.
He was
one of the few "winners"
in the long and uneven
fight
with
religion
and government.
And, from
him
has come the lessons
of tenacity
and the need to exert continual
pressures
against
the barriers,
everywhere
erected,
which prohibit
a free and open e x p r esion of American
Atheism.
1f1XB 60 UP",
(':
0': )lbtJ~
Austin, Texas
April,1983
Page 17
Herman K. Burke
Arnold Via
"In every state of the union, with the sole exception of Virginia, religious chaplains
who work in the prisons are full time state employees. In the federal prisons, there are
another 75-80 full time chaplains employed."
The power and influence of the chaplains is keenly felt
everywhere in the prison, especially by those inmates who
are looking forward to parole. As one prisoner in the
Virginia State Penitentiary wrote in that prison's inmate
magazine:
"Parole is almost impossible without a statement of
reliance upon god and a minister. The religious
community is permitted to move into the prison
system to intimidate, coerce, and drain off money
from both the prisoners and the prisoners' families.
The exploitation is often only glimpsed."2
Page 18
April,1983
t
.,
"As their acceptance has grown, so has their numbers. Today there are over 75
card-carrying American Atheists in the Virginia prison system."
But the reprisals never came. Cecil Phelps, director of the
Virginia State Penitentiary chapter of American Atheists in
1982, notes that while the prison administration occasionally hassled the new organization, the relationship of the
Prison Atheist League of America (PALA) has steadily
improved. Perhaps more importantly, Phelps and other
PALA members report that the non-Atheist prison population has respected the Atheist prisoners for joining an
organization which appeared to be opposed by the administration.
As their acceptance has grown, so has their numbers.
Today there are over 75 card-carrying American Atheists in
the Virginia prison system. The largest number, 35, are
located at the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond,
where it all started. A dozen more are in Virginia's
maximum security prison at Mecklenburg. The other
members are scattered throughout the prison farms and
Austin, Texas
April,1983
Page 19
"Ifyou have the time, contact PALA and' offer your services in organizing prisoners
in your state. PALA is receiving inquiries from prisoners all over the country. If PALA
does not at present have an inquiry from a prisoner in your state, chances are that it
will before long."
There is also the factor of pride in PALA and what it has
accomplished. The American Atheist magazine is received
by every inmate PAL A member and is also prominently
displayed in the prison library. Members of PALA refer to
the magazine as one of the most productive tools the
organization has. A high point for PALA members came
when Via debated a christian before the prison's creative
writing class. Tommy Walker, a PALA member who was
present at the "confrontation,"
describes the results in'
these words, "Arnold scored very heavy." So heavy, in fact,
that, according to Walker, the prison's creative writing class
is now reading Atheist literature.
Via's reputation and that of PALA also took a giant step
forward when Via protested and walked out on a preacher's
sermon delivered at the prison school's graduation exercise. PAL A has petitioned prison authorities for permission
to present its own speaker at the next graduation exercise.
PALA is awaiting the administration's
response.
Norman Gregory, P ALA's present Virginia State Penitentiary chapter director, is an avid Atheist who believes that
PALA represents
the best chance prisoners have for
rehabilitation. He believes that prisoners are attracted to
Page 20
April, 1983
* * *
SOURCES
ISociology and Research Journal, May-June, 1949. While this
study may be dated, there is no reason to believe that the results
would be different today, The study in question consisted of a
survey of the religious beliefs of 85,000 convicts. The article
reports on a number of other studies that produced similar results.
2Facts You Should Know (FYSK), published at the Virginia State
Penitentiary, Sept. 1981.
ATTENTION!
The following related article is a brief history of the penal
systems in America and of the religious influence in their
development as researched by Madalyn Murray O'Hair.
April,1983
Page 21
Massachusetts Correctional Institute in Walpole, Massachusetts had completed a 21 month period of instruction.
The spread of transcendental meditation was dramatic:
Deuel Vocational Institution, Tracy, California, an 18month course; Federal Correctional Institution, Milan,
Michigan; Minnesota State Prison, Stillwater, Minnesota;
Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc, California.
The maharishi was personally thanked by US senators,
governors, state lawmakers, attorneys general, state departments of correction. In Arkansas, in 1977, a federal grant
"The great penitentiary built at Auburn, New York in 1816 adopted the quaker
principles and there every prisoner was kept continuously in complete isolation ....
Many in Auburn became insane in a very short period."
Very little advancement has been made. The administration of prisons is under county, city, state and federal
jurisdiction, with management being most often essentially
a local concern. Prison industries have now been introduced (mostly sedentary) to maintain the proceses of the
imprisonment (laundries; kitchen work) or to provide the
state with needed paraphernalia (license plates). In smaller
local jails, however, idleness continues. In the south for
many years prisoners were "leased out," principally for road
maintenance or field work, and convict camps were developed.
But underlying it all has been the religious (quaker)
principle of "doing penance" for crimes against the dominant culture. The prison administration's primary concern
has been to break down the obdurate spirit of the felon.
was received to teach the transcendental meditation technique to prisoners, and the office of the attorney general of
that state blessed the constitutional infraction; and in
Massachusetts the state department of corrections was hot
after any possible grant, state or federal, to introduce the
program. In Ashtabula, Ohio a municipal court judge
blessed the constitutional offense.
Transcendental meditation advocates quickly moved to
influence probation officers and departments of social
service at city, county, and state levels, and by the mid-70s
Iowa, Indiana, Arizona, and New York officials were tangled
in the web, as were Andrews Air Force Base (Washington,
DC), the US Army War College (Carlisle, Pennsylvania),
the US Military Academy (West Point, New York).
Perhaps the most horrifying aspect is to read a transcript
"Itwas at this point in the late 1960s and early 1970s that the penal institutions began
to experiment with mind stultification. This was introduced into the prison systems
of the US through the efforts of the followers of the maharishi mahesh yogi."
Perhaps the single greatest current problem of our
prisons as an institution is the lack of ability of the
administrators or managers to psychologically subdue the
prisoners while they attempt to keep them restrained (by
incarceration).
It was at this point in the late 1960s and early 1970s that
the penal institutions began to experiment with mind
stultification. This was introduced into the prison systems
of the US through the efforts of the followers of the
maharishi mahesh yogi. The religious reform of prisoners
through the method of transcendental meditation began, of
course, in India with the objects of it being fo (1) "to remove
the convicts' criminality" and (2) "to restore his humanity."
By 1976, 11% of the prisoners at California's maximum
security state prison at Folsom had been put through a six
month transcendental meditation program. The effects of
this programming were reported by the inmates to be (1) a
doubling of production at the prisoner's work bench, (2) an
inner feeling of peace which made the prisoner more
malleable, (3) a removal of resentment so that the authority
is better accepted, (4) a raising of the hostility threshold
which results in decreased rule infractions by prisoners, and
(5) a profound inner silence.
In 1977, the program was introduced at San Quentin
prison in Tamal, California. In 1978, 16% of the inmates at
Page 22
April,1983
Gerald Tholen
FOOL'S GOLD
the amount of "gold" that was sent; it was the concern of the
senders that makes the lasting impression. As I see it then,
concern - not gold - represents true value! I now find
myself wondering why should it cost a person so much, in
terms of gold, to survive in a society where advanced
medical assistance should be within the reach of all who
need it. There are people, less fortunate than myself, who
willdie - simply because they cannot afford the "costs" of
survival! Those costs are based on the "value of gold" - not
human concern!
We are presently immersed in a worldwide/nationwide
economic situation of deterioration which reflects similar
"values." Surely all people must realize that military, rather
than civil, considerations have been held most significant in
recent history. Socio-economic survival has mandated that
we spend our energies in an effort to "eliminate competition" rather than try to understand the basic needs of the
continually growing masses of people in the world. Will we
ever understand that "national patriotism" must eventually
give way to "human patriotism?" Will our John Wayne
mentality continue to dominate the ongoing exploitations of
the world's "Indians?" I use those terms loosely, for people
in the United States are not alone in their narrowmindedness. Other states are equally guilty.
It is difficult for me to accept that our "leaders" pay
undivided attention to a mythological value called the stock
market index. The fact is that stock market reports reflect
about as much "reality" as do the events that occur on a
gambling table in Las Vegas. Professional investors play
dice with the corporations that supply American commodities in much the same way that dealers vie with those who
"Will we ever understand that 'national patriotism' must give way to 'human
patriotism'?"
extremely high "value" placed on gold originates more
directly from what might be referred to as "pack rat value"
placed on it by the collectors in society. People have been
known to collect many things; stamps, antiques, baseball
cards, string - you name it, and someone has at one time
or another, placed extreme "value" on practically every
commodity known to humanity! Such considerations by a
person like myself (of all people) may at first sound
hypocritical. I have recently been helped out of a rather
serious economic situation through the generosity of a large
group of people who were truly concerned about my
physical survival. A significant quantity of "gold" was
contributed in order to help defray medical expenses which
are constantly beyond the means of any ordinary person.
The key value that Irecognized during the incident was not
Austin, Texas
April,1983
Page 23
"When will all Atheists be able to successfully, even if laboriously, pull back the
curtain of ignorance that conceals the equally mythological 'wizardry' of a fictional
character called god?"
very adamant in our position that education must be
secular if it is to have lasting values for those young people
who willbe affected by the educational policies. By comparison, our current incompetent "executive" leader is determined that the schools will reflect the conservative attitudes
of fundamentalist insanities! Caught somewhere in the
middle are the inquisitive minds of students. To make
matters worse, historically most of our educational priorities have been established in a similar manner. The result
today is that 8.7% of a group of University of Miami students
who were questioned on geographical locations of cities
could not locate Miami on an unmarked map of Florida! I
wonder if any of that same group would have been equally
"ignorant" of the alleged existence of a mythological figure
called god?
The encroachment of stupidity into the educational
processes does not stop there unfortunately. A recent
disclosure that our present administration will be appointing directors to the National Science Foundation; who will
reflect the "national policies of the administration" has been
effectuated. Dare we still wonder how the abolition of Ionian
(Greek) science was initiated? Science and education are
not crucial to the recruitment and regimentation of "mob"
mentality. I have long wondered why the recognized
"personalities in science" have not been outraged by such
incredible intrusions into the educational fields. (I hope to
elaborate on this particular topic in a subsequent article
devoted entirely to science because it is quite impossible to
include it as a simple related paragraph herein.)
Meanwhile, wonderful opportunities provided by technological wizardry have been lost. Television has never
been utilized to its full potential as an educational device.
Compare the soap opera nonsense, religious comedy and
sporting events with the listings of educational programming! When utilizing the benefits of home computers, do
our collections of computer program tapes consist chiefly of
natural science information or of "pac-man" games? Is your
current automobile an energy efficient means of transportation and an economic convenience or is it an "A.J. Foyt
Phantom GTX" concoction which might be more appropriately referred to as a "super play toy?"
Page 24
April,1983
April,1983
Page 25
that power.
"One such calendar may have survived for up to ten
thousand years. There still exist traceable dates (allowing
for calendar revisions and other changes) going back in time
to the childhood of civilisation (sic). It is popularly believed a
365-day system with the year divided at the vernal and
autumnal equinoxes, and winter and summer solstices with
festivals such as christmas, Lady Day, Midsummer and
michaelmas as the modern focal points was the earliest. But
this is not so, for underlying it can be found the remains of a
far older year. This itself may have given rise to the
confusion, argument and counterargument
that have
ranged around such Neolithic monuments as Stonehenge
and other similar megaliths scattered throughout Europe.
Although Stonehenge was used to pinpoint Midsummer
and to make other celestial observations, it appears to have
been altered and realigned several times. This has caused
much of the speculation and mystical nonsense written
about the meaning and purpose of many stone (and
wooden) circles. Incidentally, there is no original connection of the druids with Stonehenge; their annual Midsummer performances are a modern invention, dating from
the eighteenth century.
The Mystique of May Day
"From the evidence available, there is some reason for
thinking that in early times, the human race may have bred
seasonally, as do other animals. If this were so, it would
account for a calendar, the focal points of which are not
based on the astronomical seasons, but on a rhythmic cycle
of fertility. Walpurgis, the modern May Day, is a very
ancient celebration. Long before it was adopted as the
International Labour Day, it was associated with the annual
rebirth of nature. Dancing around the phallic totem, the
maypole, crowning the mother goddess as may queen, all
these form part of very ancient folk traditions. May day has
always been associated with joy and love-making and
suggests the existence of a ritual mating season. Indeed, it
has been suggested that the words of the old song should
read as: 'Here we come gathering nuts in May,' a reference
to the colloquial term for the testes. Everything long
associated with this day not only indicates extreme antiquity but also its importance as a day of sexual activity.
"So: easter moves because it neither records an historical event nor has anything
to do with christianity in origin, but results from attempts to reconcile opposing
religious beliefs and methods of constructing calendars."
"Exactly three months further along the year is lammas,
still to be found in the church calendar, but again, so old the
origins are forgotten and various explanations gIven. In
Scotland it is still one of the legal quarter-days. It is also the
harvest time and would be a time of popular rejoicing.
Perhaps a folk memory persisted in the institution of the
first Monday in August as a public holiday (until transferred
to the end of the month.)
"The next three-month period brings us to halloween,
followed by all saints day. This obvious pagan festival was
given a christian veneer because of its antiquity and
importance. It was the time for signalling the approach of
Page 26
April,1983
Rome, views things very differently from all others. For they
look upon every Friday as a kind of good friday, and
celebrate every Sunday almost as a combined christmas
and easter day. Is this because, from the very beginning,
these festivals were looked upon as merely symbolical?"
This program is from an essay by James Alexander,
"What Makes Easter Move?" written for the April 1976
issue of the English Atheist magazine titled The Freethinker.
"Taurus, leo, aquarius and scorpio (or the eagle), that is, the four signs of Ruben,
Judah, Ephraim, and Dan were placed at the four corners of their encampment,
evidently in allusion to the cardinal points of the sphere, the equinoxes and
solstices. "
The constellations of the zodiac have certain names.
They are Latin names, as known to us, with translations as I
.give you now: aries, the ram (or the lamb); taurus, the bull
(or ox); gemini, the twins; cancer, the crab; leo, the lion;
virgo, the virgin; libra, the balances; scorpio, the scorpion;
sagittarius, the archer; capricornus, the goat; aquarius, the
water-carrier; and pisces, the fish.
The origin of the names are just about agreed upon. The
constellations of the lamb, the bull and the twins were star
groups through which the sun passed in the spring, in which
time of the year occurred the seasons of sheep-raising,
ploughing, and goat breeding. The twins were originally the
two kids, since the young of goats are frequently born two at
a time. The crab was so called because the sun reached its
most northern point in that constellation, and then returned
Austin, Texas
leo, aquarius, and scorpio (or the eagle), that is, the four
signs of Ruben, Judah, Ephraim, and Dan were placed at
the four corners of their encampment, evidently in allusion
to the cardinal points of the sphere, the equinoxes and
solstices.
But what were the four horsemen? and their steeds?
The first horseman is a conqueror, armed with a bow and
wearing a crown, and riding a white horse. This is the planet
Venus. The second horse is red, and on it is a warrior with a
sword. The red planet is, of course, Mars - worshipped by
the ancients as the god of war. The third horse is black, the
planet of Saturn, and his rider holds a pair of balances aloft.
The balances may be emblematic of the zodiacal constellation libra, for the sun was in that constellation when day and
night were equal, just as though weighed on a pair of scale
April,1983
Page 27
"The Babylonians, the Hebrews, and the Egyptians were extremely partial to the
number, and in the bible and in the koran the number seven, and seven times seven, is
employed repeatedly."
by:
April, 1983
Page 28
seven also: the sun, the moon and the five planets visible to
the naked eye. But, apparently seven was venerated long
before the development of astrology, and since the moon
has always been obvious, it is thought that it derives from
that.
Well, I will be back with you in just seven days - next
week, same day of the week, same time, same station. The
sponsor of this program is the Society of Separationists,
Inc. The word sponsor has seven letters in it and so does the
word society. All of which doesn't mean a thing. You can
send contributions in sevens, or multiples of sevens, if you
like, and that would mean something! For we need your
continuing support for these educational programs.
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April,1983
(804) 428-0979
Page 29
April, 1983
actual man was not necessary when the time came for the
priests to transform the sun god into a savior god.
This idea was advanced by such higher critics as Dupuis
(17421809), and Robert Taylor (1784 1844). Incidentally,
the rev. Robert Taylor spent three years in an English prison
for blasphemy for expounding this idea.
The advocates of the sun myth viewpoint consider jesus
to have been a personified sun. This borrowing of pagan
mythology made it easier to promote the new religion,
christianity.
The actual story of jesus is an allegory of the sun as it
appeared to wander through the sky for a full year. It
appeared to weaken until on December 21 there were twice
as many hours of darkness as daylight. The forces of
darkness had apparently won. However, the ancient zodiacal constellation, virgo, challenged the supremacy of
darkness at this time. She gave birth to a new sun to replace
the dead one. Like the virgin mary giving birth to jesus at
christmas, the sun was born among the beasts of the
zodiac.
The sun grew up in obscurity. It got stronger and
stronger, and on March 21 it was victorious. The hours of
April,1983
Page 31
"Only 30% of our ... military budget goes for the direct defense of the United States.
The other 70%goes to provide the US military forces to defend foreign countries and
to project our military power abroad."
"Many people believe nuclear weapons will never be used. But as someone who has
been directly involved in US nuclear planning, I can state that my country has plans
and forces for actually fighting nuclear war."
Nor would those in the rest of the world be safe. Radiation
would poison vast stretches of the planet not directly
involved in the war. And the threat of ozone damage and
ecological disruption leaves us no assurance that the earth
would remain habitable for life as we know it. Despite this,
Page 32
April,1983
Spring
Austin, Texas
Ralph Shirley
April,1983
Page 33
"Temple prostitution now survives only in pockets in some parts of India, but the
devadasi cult is still widespread along the western coastal districts of Maharastra
state, in Goa, and in the southern state of Karnataka."
These women are called devadasis and are dedicated to the
goddess yellamma. Even though their degradation is no less
extreme than that of their sisters, they are scornful of the
common or garden variety of tart, and resent being called
prostitutes.
Page 34
April, 1983
However, because of extreme poverty, voluntary initiation is also common in families, with relatives making a jat
appear on a child's head by rubbing a lock of her hair with
turmeric water and thickening it with oil. As a devadasi she
willnever marry but stand as a son to the family members,
maintaining them with her earnings, inheriting the family
property and giving her own name to any children she
produces from her many liaisons. In a sense she achieves
some of what women's liberation would applaud, but at the
cost of her total right to personhood, which women's
liberation would deplore. As compensation for her loss of
status, she is regarded by village folk as an auspicious
person to have around at religious functions even in highcaste homes.
Dedication of girls is on the increase and takes place at
village shrines, places of pilgrimage for prostitutes, or at
home. The ceremony might be held on one of the four full
moons in a year sacred to them. In one famous township in
Karnataka, initiates dressed scantily in leaves bathe with
men in a sacred pond and then go in procession to the
temple. Looking over the girls are older devadasis and
brothelkeepers from Bombay who are aided in their job by
the 40 high-caste priests who conduct the ceremony.
"Inreturn for a fat fee, the priests in turn bring pressure on families to secure their
daughters. They tell of dreams in which some dead relative has expressed a wish that
a particular girl should be dedicated, or they lend money to needy families and
persuade the girls to go to the city with their friends."
.
In return for a fat fee, the priests in turn bring pressure on
families to secure their daughters. They tell of dreams in
which some dead relative has expressed a wish that a
particular girl should be dedicated, or they lend money to
needy families and persuade the girls to go to the city with
their friends. Once there, they are sold to brothels.
The dedication ceremony is much like a hindu wedding,
but with a sword representing the bridegroom. The girl
serves food to other devadas is in their begging bowls,
bathes and anoints herself, and dresses in new clothes
before proceeding to the temple. Here, for a fee, the priest
conducts the worship of the goddess and ties the marriage
necklace round her neck, consisting of five beads which
look like pearls. The others then throw rice at her. Rich men
pay well for the privilege of deflowering her.
Thereafter, she might find a rich patron to keep her. But
few are so fortunate and work as laborers in field and
factory while plying their trade at night for three or four
rupees per client. Those who migrate to larger towns and
cities like Bombay never return, but are sold and resold by
operators until they grow too old and diseased to be of any
worth.
The girls' own attitude towards yellamma is strangely
ambivalent. Some are proud that she has chosen them,
others are fearful that ifthey refuse she willbring misfortune
on their families. But all agree that their lot is a miserable
one, and they would not wish their children to go into it.
What few stop to ask is why yellamma chooses only poor
untouchable girls and not high-caste rich girls.
The religious front to this degrading cult has been devised
by higher caste hindus to give them free access to the girls
from the despised untouchables without running the risk of
Austin, Texas
April, 1983
Page 35
Jeff Frankel
LETTERS TO
, ANN LANDERS
The American Atheist Center, overcoming handicaps
like mass prejudice and a meager budget, has made great
strides toward making Atheism acceptable in our society
over the last several years. Slowly but surely, Atheism is
gaining the respect which it deserves in a pluralistic society.
Unfortunately, we have those individuals who, with a few
thoughtless words, destroy so much of the good so many
have worked so hard for so long to build. I'm referring
specifically to an Atheist from Ohio who recently had a
letter published in Ann Landers' newspaper column. Displaying an arrogance more befitting a religionist than an
Atheist, this woman declared "I have read your columns for
years and decided that most of your fans are idiots." The
writer said nothing about separation of church and state or
any of the issues which are at the heart of the American
Atheist cause. Instead she chose to come across as an
intellectual snob, ridiculing Ms. Landers and her readership.
With so much to criticize in the realm of religion, such as
inhumane doctrines and scriptures and attempts to intrude
into government and the private lives of individuals, I fail to
see what the writer expected to accomplish for Atheism by
criticizing, generally, all the readers of a newspaper column.
The criticizing of prominent religious fanatics is one thing.
T a attack the insignificant religionists is quite another. It is
fruitless. I admit it's agonizing to see Ms. Landers and her
sister Abigail Van Buren refer people with problems to
ministers and rabbis day after day. But how is an ad
hominem attack going to do anything to change this? Only
the type of education the American Atheist Center is trying
to give the public can do that. In order to administer this
education we have to get people to listen. Who wants to
listen to someone who has just insulted them?
The frustrating aspect of this occurrence is that the Ann
Landers column could have been used as a forum to bring
out important issues pertinent to Atheism. Not only was a
golden opportunity to advance our cause wasted, but the
public image of Atheists was damaged in the process. In an
attempt to rectify that, I have composed a letter to Ms.
Landers. It goes as follows:
Page 36
April,1983
97TH
2D CON3RESS
SESSION
SJ RES 165
5, 1982
JOINT RESOLUTION
Authorizing and requesting the President to proclaim 1983 as
the "Year of the Bible".
Whereas the bible, the word of god, has made a unique
contribution
in shaping the United States as a distinctive and
blessed nation and people;
Whereas deeply held religious convictions springing from the
holy scriptures led to the early settlement of our nation;
Whereas biblical teachings inspired concepts of civil government that are contained in our Declaration of Independence and
the Constitution of the United States;
Whereas many of our great national leaders - among them
Presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, and Wilson - paid
tribute to the surpassing influence of the bible in our country's
development, as in the words of President Jackson that the bible
is "the rock on which our Republic rests";
Whereas the history of our nation clearly illustrates the value
of voluntarily applying the teachings of the scriptures in the lives
of individuals, families, and societies;
Whereas this' nation now faces great challenges that will test
this nation as it has never been tested before; and
Whereas that renewing our knowledge of and faith in god
through holy scripture can strengthen us as a nation and a people:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, that the
President is authorized and requested to designate 1983 as a
national "Year of the Bible" in recognition of both the formative
influence the bible has been for our nation, and our national need
to study and apply the teachings of the holy scriptures.
AM EN DM ENT I
CONGRESS
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"Christmas and easter are
ancient Aryan sun festivals.
Under various names, they
have been incorporated by
astute priests in all the great
religions. These celebrations of the sun god in his
most vital aspects are the
chief events of the year in
the modern world as they
were in ancient Peru and
Sumeria."
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o Female
OMaie
o Single
2. Marital Status:
02
07
03
04
o Self-employed
05
Employed by another
o Married
o None
3. Number of Offspring:
0 Unemployed
9. Employment Status:
01
06
o White-Collar
Blue-Collar
0 Student
Retired
or more
4. Geographical-Racial Origin:
o African
o European
o Live with
o Latin-American
o Native American
o East Asian
o South Asian
o Mideastern
5. ReJigion(s), Denomination(s) of Childhood:
o Daily
o Yearly
0 Weekly
0 Monthly
0 None
7. Education:
o High School
0 Some
0 Own
.11. Housing:
parents
o Atheist
o Ethical
o Realist
o Rationalist
o Freethinker
o Objectivist
o Lease
Culturist
o Humanist
o Agnostic
o Theist
o Other
o Secularist
o7
o Master's Degree
o Doctorate
02
03
04
0 8
0 9
0 10 or more
o Under 5
0 25-30
05-10
030-35
010-15
035-40
o Republican
o Citizen
o Libertarian
0 Over 40
OSociaJist
020-25
Rent
0 Other
o Some College
o Bachelor's Degree
o 15-20
o Communist
05
06
o Democrat
o Anarchist
o Fascist
o Independent
o Other
Card Number
Expiration date
.
Bank no.jcode letters
Signature
.
.
an ATHEIST
PRIMER
by Madalyn Murray Q'Hair
an ATHEIST
PRIMER
$3.00
.........................................................................
Yes, please send (
) copies of
an ATHEIST
PRIMER
TOTAL $
@ $3.00
Name
Or charge to my:
Address
City
[ ] VISA or [ ] MASTERCHARGE
Number
State
Signature
Zip
Expiration date
Bank no./code letters
_
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