on.

---Need Science?
http://ta'korigin S.org
Need Pseudoscience?
WWW.answersingenesis

org

.:

r --:
I1

r~

1
\

f
IS

American Atheists Essential Reading List

Books on this list have been selected to provide introductory information on topics of interest to Atheists. They address
a wide range of important subjects such as: the history of Atheist thought, the origins of modern religion, the role
religion plays in modern culture and politics, Atheist parenting, and the ongoing

battle for the separation between

church and state. While these titles represent only a fraction of the books available from American Atheist Press,
collectively they provide a broad overview of Atheist thought.

Natural Atheism by David Eller

stock# 5902

$18.00

352 pp.

paperback

Our best-selling book. A great overview of Atheist philosophy from the perspective of a "natural" Atheist.

Christianity before Christ by John G.Jackson

stock# 5200

$14.00

stock# 5096

$6.00

237 pp.

paperback

57 pp.

stapled

Christian doctrines are traced to their origins in older religions.

The Case Against Religion by Albert Ellis

A psychotherapist's

view of the harmful aspects of religious belief.

Living in the Light by Anne R.Stone

stock# 5588
$12.00
157 pp.
Subtitled "Freeing Your Child from the Dark Ages,"this book serves as a manual for Atheist parents.

paperback

Our Constitution: The Way It Was by Madalyn O'Hair

stock# 5400
$6.00
70 pp.
stapled
American Atheist Radio Series episodes about the myth that our founding fathers created a Christian nation.

What on Earth Is an Atheist! by Madalyn O'Hair

stock# 5412

American Atheist Radio Series episodes on various topics of Atheist philosophy

The Bible Handbook by G. W.Foote, W.P.Ball, et 01.

A compilation

of biblical absurdities, contradictions,

stock# 5008
atrocities, immoralities

An Atheist Epic by Madalyn O'Hair

paperback

$17.00

372 pp.

paperback

$18.00

302 pp.

paperback

prayer and bible recitation in schools in the United States.

65 Press Interviews by Robert G.lngersoll

Ingersoll's 19th-century

288 pp.

and obscenities.

stock# 5376

The personal story of the battle to end mandatory

$18.00

and history.

stock# 5589

newspaper interviews as a Freethinker and opponent

An Atheist Primer by Madalyn OHair

$15.00

262 pp.

paperback

30 pp.

stapled

42 pp.

paperback

of superstition.

stock# 5372

$6.00

A humorous look at god concepts will help children (and adults) have a clear view of religion.

An Atheist Looks at Women & Religion by Madalyn O'Hair

stock# 5419
Why attempts to reconcile religion with civil rights for women are self-defeating.

$10.00

The Jesus the Jews Never Knew by Frank R.Zindler

stock# 7026
$20.00
544 pp.
A search of ancient Jewish literature yields no evidence for the existence of any historical Jesus.

paperback

The Great Infidels by Robert G.lngersoll

80 pp.

paperback

$3.00

20pp.

stapled

$8.00

55 pp.

stapled

24 pp.

pamphlet

How nonbelievers and Atheists have contributed

stock# 5197
$7.00
to civilization and enriched our lives.

Our Pagan Christmas by R.J.Condon

The non-Christian

stock# 5064

origins of common Christmas customs are explored.

Sex Mythology by Sha Rocco

stock# 5440

A scholarly study explores the sexual origins of religious symbols including the Christian cross.

Morality without Religion

stock# 8310

Atheist leaders and philosophers

$1.00

give their views on godless ethics.

Please see the order form located in the center of the magazine for member discounts and shipping & handling.

www. atheists.

org

SEPTEMBER 2007
Vol 45, No.8

American Atheist Magazine

ISSN0516-9623 (Print)
ISSN 1935-8369 (Online)
Editor, American Atheist Press
Frank Zindler
Editor,American Atheist Magazine
Ellen Johnson
Regular Contributors
Martin Foreman
Conrad F.Goeringer
Frank Zindler

CONTENTS
4

From The President

The Rally For Reason
by Ellen Johnson

Designer
Elias Scultori
Cover Design
TIm Mize
Editorial Assistants
Gil and Jeanne Gaudia

Hundreds Protest At Opening Of Creationist Museum

by Conrad F.Goeringer

10

"Rally For Reason?"Which Line Are You In?

by Edwin Kagin

Published monthly (except June &

December) by American Atheists Inc.
Mailing Address:
P.O.Box 5733
Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
phone - 908.276.7300
FAX - 908.276.7402
editor@americanatheist.org
www.atheists.org

21

by Frank Zindler

26

The Last Bridge

by Margaret

2007 by American Atheists Inc.

All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission
is prohibited.
American Atheist Magazine is indexed
in the Alternative Press Index.

24

American Atheist Magazine

is given free of cost to members of
American Atheists as an incident
of their membership.

ta

Subscription fees for one year of the

American Atheist magazine:
Print version only: $40 for 1
subscription and $25 for each
additional gift subscription
Online version only: $35
(Sign up at www.atheists.org/aam.)
Print & online: $55
Discounts for multiple-year
subscriptions: 10% for two years
20% for three or more years
Additional postage fees
for foreign addresses:
Canada & Mexico: add $1O/year
All other countries: add $30/year
Discount for libraries and instltu.ions:
50% on all magazine subscriptions
and book purchases

Don't Let The Dark Ages Come Again

Bhatty

God: Lies, Damned Lies And Statistics

by Gil Gaudia, Ph.D.

30

Blasphemy
by Michael

Schein

Ask The Expert

Biblical Contradictions
by Frank Zindler

31

Foxhole Atheist Of The Month

William F.Richards

29

Atheists & Co.

Mark Lukes

Street Evangelist Saves 300 Souls From Enjoying Park

The Onion

25

Obituary
Albert Ellis

1S

Winter Solstice -

Cards & Gifts

from the president

The Rally For Reason

Ellen Johnson

his issue of American Atheist Magazine covers the Rally For Reason held on May 28 in Petersburg, Kentucky.
We are proud of its main organizer, Edwin Kagin,
and all the terrific folks who attended the rally. They took
the time to protest against a museum in the Bluegrass state dedicated
to ignorance. The Rally forced the media to also cover the dissent to
creationism in America. It was a ~onderful turnout considering the
remote location of the Rally.
Activism is at the heart of what American Atheists does. Our
activism openly challenges long-held and sometimes cherished ideas
in America that are just plain wrong. Parlor talk alone
doesn't change the culture so we put action into words.
No one had to ask Edwin Kagin to do what he did.
Getting involved and defending modern science and
rational thought is as natural to him as breathing. Before anyone knew it, he was organizing an event that
was as well covered in the media as the museum opening itself. And what could be better than having the
creationism museum share their media coverage with
Atheists?
The Rally participants had a good experience.
There was camaraderie and a feeling of satisfaction that
comes from doing more than just complaining about
the way things are. You can't measure the rewards of
activism. How can you put a price on feelings of empowerment, fulfillment, pride, accomplishment and
self-assurance? The more you get involved and speak out
against thosesituations and issues that upset you-the less you feel like a victim.
Activism is empowering and it's there for the taking.
The next time you hear about an Atheist protest somewhere please consider
joining it. I guarantee that you won't regret it.

AMERICANATHEIST

SEPTEMBER2007

Letters to the Editor

It Doesn't Matter If Jesus Existed (?) Yes It Does!
Editor,
I found Mr. Hillegas' article to be very informative and well researched. However, I would take issue with his principle point that we
do not have much if any empirical documentation
concerning whether
or not Socrates, Pythagoras, or"Jesus of Nazareth" actually existed.Therefore, in the long run, he says, it does not make any particular difference.
The important point, contends Mr. Hillegas, is that we still have their, or
their stories' moral/ethical
messages, philosophical
positions, and/or
mathematical theorems, et cetera. We have only "the stories their followers wrote," concluded Mr. Hillegas. I would argue that Mr. Hillegas is
entirely correct in the cases of both Socrates and Pythagoras. However,
the case ofthe so-calledJesus of Nazareth"is in an entirely separate category, and the question of his actual existence and presence on earth
at a particular time and place makes "all the difference in the world," as
the expression goes.
A very large percentage of the population of the earth since Christianity began has suffered through untold millions of human deaths,
mutilations, and torture. This was a result of murderous crusades, inquisitions and other programs. These were calculated to exterminate unbelievers, or those who advocated for the "wrong" god. Those who were
not convinced of the divinity of Jesus, and his atonement for his believers' sins, were denied "everlasting life" in some other magical realm. This
is no small matter!
The Christian adherent - in all but the most watered-down
versions of Christianity - must not simply state that he/she believes in the
"ideals," or the "message" of some mythical Jesus, as one might believe
in the "spirit" of Santa Claus. No, no, no! The requirement is very specific.
Without the sacrifice of an actual, living, breathing, divine/human Jesus,
the whole atonement and resurrection "truth" - the very core point of
Christianity would be meaningless!
I believe this is why we are beginning to see such tremendous resistance from the fundamentalist
Christian community, worldwide, to
what may be called the growing "Jesus as a historical being" movement.
Indeed, if Jesus never existed at all - which there seems to be growing
evidence and more importantlylack
of evidence to support, then the
whole superstructure of Christianity collapses into a pointless pile of
dried blood and ash.
Don Havis
San Mateo, CA

Editor:
Mr. Rick Hillegas wrote an interesting article published in the May /
June 2007 issue of the American Atheist Journal entitled "It Doesn't Matter If Jesus Existed': It is a well written article, comparing historical data
of the existence of Pythagoras, Apollonius, Socrates, Plato and Jesus. The
article correctly recounts the lack of first hand historical accounts of
these characters existence. Mr. Hillegas points out the embellishment of
these characters as time passes. He asks "Given the mass of written material, we can pose the same question about Pythagoras which we ask
about Jesus: Did he exist?" He then answers the question bye saying "I
would say yes .. :: In summarizing Mr. Hillegas writes (referring to Jesus)
"As with Pythagoras and Socrates, we can believe whatever we need to"
(emphasis added).
To form one's life around an unfounded historical character, as Jesus, is a grave mistake with untold tragic results. We need only to look
at history to see the carnage created in the name of Jesus: Inquisions,
witch-hunts, slavery, crusades, and religious persecution. The negative
affects of believing in Jesus and his (so called) teachings continue today:
Stem cell research curtailment, withholding condoms in the face of AIDs
epidemic in Africa, diversion of trillions of dollars to churches, Millions
of hours of wasted time attending church, Tax dollars being given to

religious institutions, The general public picking up the unpaid taxes of

contributors to Christian (and other religious intuitions), and the unpaid
taxes of those intuitions,just
to mention a few.
There is so much contradiction
in the early manuscripts it is hard
to accept any as accurate. As Professor Bart D. Ehrman points out in his
lectures concerning "Lost Christianities: Christian Scriptures and the
Battles over Authenticationlwe have no original texts of any early Christian book. There are 5,400 copies of the books of the New Testament.
The earliest fragment being dated around 125 A.D. The first New Testament copy containing all the books is from the fourth century. Except
for some of the tiny fragments, no two copies of the 5,400 manuscripts
are exactly alike.
In summation let me again stress the importance of what we need
to believe:The truth. And to getto the truth we need to do our research.
In this time of enlightenment, relying on ancient manuscripts that have
been shown to be forgeries, modified throughout
the ages to suit the
political climate of the time is simply irresponsible.
Herbert Zach
Prescott Valley, AZ
Rick Hillegas replies.
I hope that Herbert Zachs and I are not talking past one another. I
think most readers of American Atheist, Mr. Zachs and myself included,
would agree with Benjamin Disraeli that nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken their toll. The cult that formed around the Jesus
character is clearly real. I agree with Mr. Zachs' summary of the spotty
manuscript tradition of the early Christian writings. It is worth pointing
out tn me surviving manuscripts concerning Pythagoras and Socrates
are also spotty and late-that does not seem to affect the consensus that
those men really existed.
Regards,
Rick Hillegas

Whitewashed
Editor,

Christianity

Lite

I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading Robert

Price's article, "Damnable Syllogism" in the July issue of American Atheist. His emphasis on the central doctrine of atonement in Christianity
is much appreciated. In my years of learning about and finally leaving
Christianity (I attended Lutheran and Presbyterian churches as a child),
it was always clear to me that the salvation they offered boiled down
to one thing: I had to believe that Jesus died for my sins. Of course,
I first had to believe I was a sinner. The church taught me that I was
thoroughly evil, possessing absolutely no strength or power to better
myself. They taught me that I needed a miracle in order to be worth
anything. I am much happier for having rejected this hateful creed. I am
powerful. I am human. And I am not ashamed of my humanness. I was
born okay the first time!
People sometimes wonder why I harbor such antipathy toward
Christianity. I think this confusion is due to a whitewashed Christianity
Lite that has become the public face of an ugly doctrine.
to tell people that they are bad and helpless to better
instead Christianity is being sold as "all about love" or"all
nity" or "a II about good works and charity." This religion

It is unpleasant
themselves, so
about commudoes not have a

monopoly on love, community, or charity as Robert Price so effortlessly

shows. Price's article focuses attention on the core of this religion. Christianity is about believing that people are evil and powerless creatures
who need rescuing by supernatural superheroes. I don't buy it and neither should anyone else.
Sommer Gentry, PhD
Baltimore, MD

SEPTEMBER2007

AMERICAN

ATHEISf

Street Evangelist
Saves 300 Souls
From Enjoying Park
by the onion-www.theonion.com

representin

YO

5/31 -

(Humor)
SAN FRANCISCO-Open-air
preacher"Brother
Sam" Hilson
rescued more than 300 of God's children from appreciating

7/10 -

cloudless spring day at Golden Gate Park Tuesday by informing

them of their sins and the swift approach

of Judgment

"Brother Sam" Hilson rescues countless

from the grips of a leisurely afternoon.
A former building superintendent,

Day.

souls each weekend

7/10 -

Hilson said he was

directly called by God to bring Christianity to San Francisco's

unholy cyclists, tai chi practitioners, and dog walkers.

7/12 -

"All of you will burn in hellfire, so sayeth the Lord," Hilson

said to a stroller-bound

toddler

and her picnicking

parents.

7/12 -

For nearly five years, his highly personalized, one-on-one

style of lay sermonizing has been among the most effective in
the city, as virtually
are delivered

all park-goers

within

from their conversations

Hilson's range of vision

or badminton

games

within minutes.
After telling a novel-reading Berkeley student that there
was "no book but the Good Book," Hilson bore witness to a
woman strolling

by in a sundress."Harlot,

7/18 -

dare ye bare your

shoulders when the Rapture is nigh?"Hilson said.

Many of those who have been singled out by Hilson
confirm the attention

7116 -

had a direct impact on their lives. "It was

7/23 -

Kentucky State Director Edwin Kagin was quoted

in 5/31 Los Angeles Times article on the opening of
the Creationism museum in Kentucky.
Ellen Johnson gave an interview with the Detroit
Free Presson our Detroit laws!t'it over the payment
of about $700,000 in tax money to two churches to
spruce-up their property for the Super Bowl.
Ellen Johnson gave an interview with the st.
Petersburg Times on the Pope's statement on the
Catholic Church being the one true church.
AA Legal Director Edwin Kagin was a gpest on the
GAYBC Radio Network inn Los Angeles to discuss
Atheism, the Rally For Reason and state-church
separation.
AA Texas State Director Joe Zamecki was quoted in
a Wharton Journal-Spectator article on that states
addition ofthe words "under god"in the Texas State
pledge.
Ellen Johnson was quoted in an article titled,
"Atheists Come Out of The Closet" in the San Jose
Mercury News.
The Detroit Free Press's online news site ran an
article about American Atheists' lawsuit in Detroit,
Michigan over tax money to two churches.
National Media Spokesman David Silverman was a
guest on the CARM Radio program with a Christian
fundamentalist to debate Atheism related issues.

my first weekday off in a while, so I thought I'd enjoy the nice

weather, maybe head down to the waterfront too," said Russ
Tiderington, 25, who, according to Hilson,"sashay[ed]
[his] hips
like a painted Jezebel.""But I decided to go home and catch up
on some chores instead."
Hilson's bullhorn, which he often employs to bring recreation-seekers into the light of God's grace and drown out their
iPod music, forced one-third to one-half of the souls to spurn
the path they had chosen for that afternoon.
At one point, Hilson ministered to a family of Indian-Americans, whom he mistakenly
shippers."
His photo-collage
magazine centerfolds

identified

as "Muslim

demon-wor-

display of aborted fetuses, Hitler, Oui

from the 1980s, and the rock band KISS

spared at least 10 others the temptation

of the fresh April

breeze."Someday our jealous and vengeful

God will make you

regret watching your aerobics sex tapes!" Hilson told a group

of kite flyers, who rapidly walked away from him as he strayed
momentarily in their direction."Your
kites may reach the sky,
but they cannot get y"ou into Heaven! Only Jesus can! Jesus is
the One True Kite!"
Though be is not formally

recognized

by any church, it is

estimated that Hilson has reached nearly 75,000 wayward souls

on college campuses, at state fairs, and in bus terminals around
the Bay Area.

Copyright 2007, Onion, Inc. All rights reserved.

6

AMERlO\N

AlHEiST

SEPTEMBER2007

ATHEISM:
A Beginner's Handbook
"This book is definitely for more than just beginners!"
-Denise Watson, Oklahoma City, OK
Sample Chapter headers:
Myths About Atheists
Logical Fallacies Used Against Atheists
Toward an Atheist Mindset
Atheists Aren 't the Media s Darlings!
Do You Really Want to be an Atheist?
The Three Biggest Challenges to the Atheist
142 pages - Only $14.95 - by Philip A. Stahl
Available now at:
www.iuniverse.com
www.amazon.com

&

Hundreds Protest At Opening

Of Creationist Museum
by Conrad F. Goeringer

The "Rally for Reason" speak-out and demonstration generated

international media coverage, and focused public attention on the
use of bogus science in the name of religious fantasy ...
everal hundred protesters gathered in Boone County, KY.
over the Memorial Day weekend to protest the opening of a
60,000-square foot museum dedicated to refuting evolution,
and promoting a "Bible Supremacy" view of how life and
universe came to be.
The $ 27 million Answers in Genesis Creation Museum, built
on 49-acres of lush countryside near Cincinnati, boasts state-of-theart exhibits including 55 animatronic dinosaurs, flat screen televisions, a planetarium, and a gift/bookshop. Unlike legitimate natural
history museums which seek to educate the public in the latest science of how humans evolved, though, the AlG facility makes a case
for "young ~arth creationism." This religious doctrine claims that
the universe and all life were created according to the account found
in the Old Testament book of Genesis. Unlike the advocates of "Intelligent Design" who reject evolution but admit that the universe is
billions of years old, Answers in Genesis claims that Jehovah created

the world about 6,000 years ago. Indeed, a museum diorama depicts
clothed human beings living contentedly alongside dinosaurs.
Other exhibits show Noah's Ark, and a model of the Grand
Canyon formed not by the Colorado River over millions of years,
but instead by a "great deluge" of water described in the Bible. It is
all presented as fact, and according to .AlG founder Ken Ham, it is all
supported by scientific evidence.
Once inside, visitors encounter the creationist account in its
entire fantastic and dubious splendor. There are representations of
Adam and Eve, Moses and other figures in what the museum vividly
describes as "a walk through the Bible using science, geology, biology, astronomy and anthropology to confirm the accuracy of Bible
history." The evidence, though, seems skewed, and is presented as
a conclusive affirmation of "Biblical supremacy," which teaches the
authority and truth of the biblical text in all aspects of life.
The British publication Church Times noted that the Creation Museum displays" were built around 'The Seven C's of God's
Eternal Plan: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ,
Cross and Consummation.'
A huge demolition ball labeled 'Millions of years' is depicted smashing at the foundation of a church,
SEPTEMBER2007

AMERJO\N

ATHEIST

symbolizing the moral dissolution caused by those scientists and philosophers who have supported evolutionary theory, thus undermining biblical authority. The resulting cracks reach across the gallery
to a model of a home where a boy sitting at a computer is portrayed
looking at pornography."
Nonsense, said Edwin Kagin, an attorney who lives near the
Creation Museum and serves as American Atheists State Director and
National Legal Director. For Kagin, while the creationist ministry is
protected by the First Amendment no matter how fanciful or absurd
its teachings may be, there are serious political and cultural consequences for promoting religious myths over scientific findings. He
points to efforts by creationists to take over school boards and departments of education, smuggling what is essentially a religious tale
draped in the vernacular of science into the public schools.
"Not everyone believes in these types of Bronze Age myths
that are being presented as fact," Kagin told a bevy of reporters in
the days leading up to the museum opening. "It encourages people
to abandon science. They have the right to their views and they can
teach whatever they want. But they start to call that science, it's time
for people to speak out."
Kagin, along with other activists and the local Free Inquiry
Group of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky (FIG), had been fighting the museum project for nearly a decade. His file on Answers in
Genesis and Ken Ham reads like a cross been a scientific discourse
and a heroic epic where the enlightened are locked in battle with

The local Free Inquiry Group joined the fray, donated $500,
and invited a battery of speakers for a "Rally for Reason Speak-Out"
slated for Sunday evening, May 27 - the night prior to the demonstration. Camp Quest-Michigan organizer Lyn Zanger quickly went
to work designing and maintaining the Rally for Reason web site
(http://www.rallyforreason.com) .
Meanwhile, there were the myriad details of putting together
a demonstration. The Kagins were soon joined by a small cadre of
hard-working volunteers. Frank Bicknel, a FIG member from Cincinnati, wore several hats by organizing the parking for those driving
to the demonstration, assembly of the canopy tends and band platform, and transporting whatever need transporting. Carly Nichols
helped contact speakers for the rally, made signs, and obtained endorsements from groups across the country. Melissa Hartman brainstormed, made signs, and provided logistical help. So did John and
Fran Welte of FIG, who also began writing letters to op-ed columns
of local media, and Caroline Good.
Kagin faced other problems, though, besides the sheer logistics of quickly organizing a successful protest. Where could people
assemble? A parcel of land outsides the gates of the Creation Museum was successfully obtained for temporary use after much negotiating. The Boone County Sheriff's Office was contacted, and assurances were made that the protest would be civil and peaceful. It was.
Meanwhile, media interest was beginning to build, and Mr. Kagin
was soon talking to reporters from Spain, Great Britain, Russia and
elsewhere.
Word of the Rally for Reason
was spreading in the news media and
on the internet. Articles were carried by
major news media including The New
York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA
TODAY, the Cincinnati Post and others. Organizations were endorsing the
action as well. They included FIG; the
Clergy Letter Project (an ecumenical
group opposing creationism); Institute
for Humanist Studies; American Atheists, Fight Fanaticism; Freedom From
Religion Foundation; Secular Coalition
of America; Secular Humanists of the
Low Country; Atheist Alliance International; Secular Student Alliance; Camp
Quest; North Alabama Freethought
Association; DEFCON (Defending the
Constitution); Campus Atheists, Skeptics & Humanists (CASH); Minnesota
Atheists; Atheist Station; and Kentucky
Atheists.

the forces of darkness and ignorance. It begins in 1996 when Ham's

group attempted to have rural farmland rezoned from "Agricultural"
to "Recreational." That resulted in AIG having to look elsewhere, all
the while raising money and pushing ahead with plans for what one
critic described as a "Creationist Disneyland." There were several
"false starts," but by mid-March of this year, it was apparent that the
much-touted AIG Creation Museum would open on Memorial Day.
Edwin, along-with wife Helen (the pair were co-founders of Camp
Quest) and local activist Carly Nichols, took on the formidable challenge of trying to organize a significant protest with only two-weeks
until the May 28 Memorial Day deadline.

The Big Night (And Day) Arrive

AMERICAN
AlHHSf -

SEITEMBER2007

The Free Inquiry Group Speak-Out proved to be the largest event that organization ever sponsored. More than 130 people
trekked to the Cincinnati Airport Hilton Hotel on Sunday, May 27
to hear a retinue of speakers and voice their own opinions at the open
microphone. Herb Silverman officiated following an introduction by
FIG President Margaret O'Kain. Speakers included Frank Zindler
(American Atheists Press editor and Board of Directors Member);
Arlene Marie (Michigan State Director for AA); evolurionary biologist Dr. Gene Kritsky, Rev. Mendle Adams, a local progressive minis-

ter who has challenged AlG's penchant for bible literalism; Hemant
Mehta ("I sold my soul on E-Bay"); and Helen Kagin, physician and
co-founder of Camp Quest.
The following day, Christian creationists and the just-plaincurious trekking to the AlG museum were greeted by a long line of
sign-waving demonstrators on Monday as the grand opening - and
the Rally for Reason - got underway. A canopied stage served as the
rally point for speakers and entertainment, and for the small army
of television cameras and reporters covering the story. Blair Scott,
Alabama State Director for American Atheists, Frank Zindler, Arlene Marie, and Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss, professor of physics and
astronomy at Case Western Reserve University were among the
speakers.
The atmosphere at RfR was enthusiastic, cordial and up-beat
despite scattered reports of provocative action by creationist supporters. Up to fifty or more protesters at anyone time lined the road
leading up to the main" gate of the AlG facility. Some drifted into
the museum as new RfR participants continued to arrive. All told,
according to the Cincinnati Post newspaper, over 400 people turned
out to over a hectic and heavily-trafficked Memorial Day weekend to
take a positive stand for science and reason over religious obscurantism and fantasy.
Kudos To All!
Others worked hard as well to make the Rally for Reason one
of our movement's most high-profile and effective public demonstrations in recent years.
Michelle Grinoch of Cincinnati worked with Frank Bicknel
providing suggestions and coordination at the rally.
Ben Hibben of Louisville, Ky. provided security for the Rally
and set up his tent to protect the RfR site two days before the protest.
Frank and Ann Zindler came over from Columbus, Ohio
providing signs and a plethora of good ideas. Frank spoke at the
RfR protest and the FIG Speak-Out, representing American Atheists
as the editor of AA Press and a member of the Board of Directors.
Grandson Steve Zindler, a veteran of Camp Quest, used his formidable physical presence and helped out with security, parking and
other duties.
Dr. Robin Cooper (Ph.D. in Biology from the University of
Kentucky in Lexington) used his van and gasoline to shuttle people
back and from between the RfR parking area and the rally.
Patrick Cornelius, another Boone County resident who has
challenged the writings of Answers in Genesis, did everything from
providing general support to obtaining the much-needed power generator for the rally loudspeaker system.
Herb Silverman, a Doctor of Mathematics from Charleston,
sc. and representative of the Secular Coalition of America, stepped
up the microphone to MC events at both the Speak-Out and the
Memorial Day Dally for Reason.
Arlene-Marie, Michigan State Director for American Atheists and President of Michigan Atheists drove down from Detroit
along with several members, promoted the RfR events, and spoke
both days.
Chuck Smalkowski and family made the long trip from
Hardesty, Oklahoma and provided entertainment at the Rally with
their "Blue Rose Rocket Band." The Smalkowskis have been at the
center of a national story that began when daughter Nicole, an outstanding student and athlete, refused to join her fellow basketball

team members in a Christian "prayer circle" after a game. Nichole

was dismissed from school; and when her father, Chuck, protested the
action, he was arrested and jailed. American Atheists took the matter
to court, and Mr. Smalkowski was found innocent of trumped-up
charges. Legal Director Edwin Kagin says that there will be more
courtroom fireworks in this case.
Aftermath
By Monday evening, news coverage of the Rally for Reason
was beginning to percolate through the news media and on the internet. Hundreds of television stations, web sites and new organizations carried the story, and most mentioned the RfR Speak-Out and
demonstration. Mr. Kagin and others who had worked a grueling,
near-round-the-clock schedule for over two weeks were pleased with
the attendance numbers, the media coverage of the event, and the
behavior of the protesters.
"They were exactly what I expected," Kagin told American
Atheist Magazine. "Many concerned, well-meaning, well-mannered,
peaceful, happy and friendly people! I feel safe in saying that we all
made a great deal of new and lifelong friends."
In a cultural climate of "dumbed-down," celebrity-saturated
news, the Rally for Reason focused public attention and news coverage on an important aspect of what Mr. Kagin characterizes as "The
American Religious Civil War" - the effort to suborn the scientific
enterprise to religion-based doctrine. As Dr. Kraus noted, "The reason for this museum is quite simple.TI'he historical record in Genesis
must literally be true. Since this is incompatible with essentially all of
modern scientific knowledge, therefore modern scientific knowledge
must be incorrect ... " The great contradiction here is that the AlG
Creation Museum employs the latest technology to present a mythical view of how the universe and human beings came to be.
Not everyone agreed, though, that protesting the opening of
the museum was a wise move. Some insisted that there already creationist museums and groups operating across the country. What
was one more? Wouldn't the RfR protest give the creationist cause
even more publicity that it deserved? Stay home, they insisted. Perhaps the problem would take care of itself.
Ironically, creationists like Mr. Ham saw the strategic importance of opening another front in the culture war in the form of a
museum build on a truly grand scale. The AlG facility brought the
whole effort to promote creationism and other forms of "Biblical Supremacy" to a new level. "Just as Dayton, Tennessee, was ground zero
for the defense of evolution in 1925," gushed Ken Ham in a publicity
broadside from Answers in Genesis, "so Petersburg, Kentucky will
become ground zero for the defense of creation in 2007."
"Ham added, "The purpose of the museum is to use observational science to show that the Bible is true, its history is true, and
therefore the Gospel is true."
All sides in the debate acknowledge that the issue of evolution
versus creationism is alive and well, and could even be a factor in the
2008 national elections. During the first GOP presidential debate,
three candidates stated their disbelief in evolutionary science.
"I don't see 'giving' AlG and the Creation Museum more
exposure through a protest as being counter-productive," said Mr.
Kagin. "In my opinion, the museum needs more exposure! Young
Earth creationists are not in line even with many other Christians.
I think the more exposure this 'museum' gets, the wider the debate
over creationism and science, and the more ridicule Ken Ham's latest
project will face in the court of public opinion."

SEPTEMBER2007 -

AMEluCANAnmsr

"Rally for Reason?" Which Line Are You In?

by Edwin Kagin

"ALLthat is necessaryfor the triumph of evil is that good men do

nothing. "
-Edmund
Burke
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity. "
- William Butler Yeats

here have been seminal events in human history, that, save

for knowledge, guts, and skill, or sometimes even caprice,
might have gone other than they did, and all we know
could now be different.
What if Charles Martel had lost the Battle or Tours? Or Napoleon had prevailed at Waterloo? Or Cleopatra and Mark Antony
at the Battle of Actium? Or the Confederate States at Gettysburg?
What if William, not Harold, had died in the Battle of Hastings?
These climactic events were preceded by extended foreplay.
Other results that changed everything followed protracted, if less orgasmic, human interactions. What if Christianity had not become
the official religion of the Roman Empire? What if Christendom had
actually won the Crusades? What if religion had succeeded in shutting down the Renaissance and the Enlightenment? What if the Protestant Reformation had been stillborn?
If any of these events had occurred, we might now be speaking Egyptian, or French, or German. If those who think our country
is based on the Bible had prevailed in setting up our laws, we, like
the biblical characters in Sunday school stories, might be living in a
land without democracy, a concept not mentioned or practiced in
the Bible.
What if Charles Darwin had stuck to his religious studies
at Cambridge and not signed on to sail to the Galapagos on HMS
Beagle?
10

AMERiCANAnmSf

SEPTEMBER2007

If science
and
critical
thinking
had
not replaced Bronze Age
mythical explanations for
the origin of things, religious "Fundangelicals"
might not now be building museums of nonsense. There would be no
need to attempt to prove
that evolution is wrong;
that religious mythology
is science; that the Earth
is only six thousand years
old; that dinosaurs lived
in vegetarian harmony
with humans; and that
humans were created from
dirt. Everyone would believe that. There would be
no reason not to.
We might now be
in the Dark Ages, not opposing a return to them, and there would be no need to oppose the
terrorism of this ignorance, and the child abuse of teaching children
that science is wrong and that faith and dogma trump truth.
But things happened as they did, at least in the only universe
we know. And things are happening now that could change all that is.
Because we know history, we can avoid mistakes of the past.
And therefore, we must once again defend civilization against
its traditional enemies. The usual suspects are at the gates.
If the American Religious Civil War is lost, everyone will believe those things that our martyrs to truth rejected. Or they will be
dead, in jail, or in hiding.
Those who would impose a theocracy upon us will not, as
yet anyway, make a visible frontal assault. The plan appears to be a
"Wedge Strategy." A wedge looks like this: _.
The idea is to get the little end into the piece of wood and
then to tap, or to hammer, the wedge in, like in splitting a log, until
the gap made grows wider and wider as the wedge is forced in and the
unity of the item into which it is forced is lost.
An axe is a wedge. A guillotine is a wedge. Creationism and Intelligent Design (ID) are wedges. Get the edge in a little bit, and you
can then get in more and more, wider and deeper, until the wedge has
gone all the way through the log, or the society, dividing, separating,
destroying, and prevailing.
Thus, things urgently pressed by "Fundangelicals," things
seemingly harmless alone, are neither harmless nor alone.
Well meaning people have said, often with great passion, that
it is wrong to oppose those who hold a Creationist world view. Ideas
are sacred, the argument goes, and it is not right for those who accept
evolution and scientific laws to ridicule and mock those who believe
in creation by a deity. Both sides are part of what such folks understand as "cultural wars."

It is impossible to describe, or even imagine, just how dangerous this attitude can be. The seeds of post-modernism have fallen
upon naive and fertile ground.
All ideas are not of equal value or merit. They simply are not.
Things cannot be made foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
Imagine for a moment a school in which all ideas have equal purchase. A precious godly child's certainties that the Baby Jesus and
Santa Claus are real, and that storks bring babies, should be given
equal weight in politically correct public schools as the views of some
Camp Quest-infected secular child who has other explanations for
Christmas, for the disappearance of the milk and cookies, and for the
appearance of baby sister.
The ultimate aim of the wedge of Creationism is not to promulgate an alternate scientific theory to Evolution. The aim of the
proponents is to promulgate their understanding of the Christian
religion and to establish a theocracy. To "Win America for Christ."
Lying when the truth ~ill do is no problem to them. Knowingly disregarding, distorting, or destroying evidence is also fine to them, because, in their worldview, if the facts contradict the dogma, the facts
lose. "Reason" is seen as something harmful that should be avoided.
As Martin Luther is said to have observed, "Whoever wants to be a
Christian should tear the eyes out of his Reason."
On Memorial Day, May 28, 2007, "Answers in Genesis"
opened a sideshow called "Creation Museum" in Northern Kentucky.
It cost 27 million dollars and was paid for by the faithful who want
the myth taught, to the exclusion of scientific facts, that the earth is
about 6,000 years old; that dinosaurs and humans lived at the same
time; that the myth of Noah's Arks is literally true; that all animals
were vegetarians prior to the magically created Adam and Eve gaining
knowledge of good and evil; and that accepting science instead of
this fairy tale leads to all of the perceived evils of the world, including
abortion, homosexuality, and, worst of all, Atheism.
People from many different organizations and orientations,
believers and non-believers, came from many different places to stand
with one mind outside of the gates of the Creation Museum to let
the world know that the childish worldviews being therein vended
are not shared by all good people, as the creationists would have the
world believe. And the world was there. The press from many nations took note that many people, of many differing views, had, at
their own expense, come together to bring a message that wrongheaded and dangerous religious nonsense, while lawful to present, is
not something that cannot be lawfully endorsed by the state and that
faith in absurd things is not only sad, it is dangerous. "Rally for Reason" let the world know that everyone was not playing in the sandbox
of the ''Arkonuts.'' See: www.rallyforreason.com
Ignorance is a form of terrorism. Teaching children to accept
magical ways of explaining reality is child abuse. Persons so conditioned might, in some future Katrina, spend their time praying that
the levees hold rather than getting off their knees and repairing the levees. Such persons will then see themselves as "victims." Not victims
of their deadly doctrines, but perhaps of some god displeased because
they had not killed off the Atheists within their. midst.
Belief can create a kind of filter across the stream of information that enters the mind. Imagine that articles of faith are the size
of BBs and that scientific facts are the size of marbles. A Fundangelical filter is set to stop anything larger than the BBs. Therefore, the
filter automatically permits the BBs to enter the mind but stops the
marbles. They simply do not get through. Dare we say that Creationism causes believers to lose their marbles?
The Rally for Reason was wildly successful-far beyond the

expectations of the organizers. There was, of course, criticism and

mocking from some who did not think the Rally was a good idea.
"Well, why didn't you go out and protest against the anniversary
party for the alien spaceship crashing at Roswell?" for example. "Isn't
creationism so self evidently wrong that you only advertise it by protesting against this museum?"
Yes, of course the idea of aliens at Roswell is dumb. But such
is not based on religious doctrine that the proponents want taught in
public schools. And the errors of creationism have already persuaded
a huge proportion of Americans to reject science for faith, for belief
in things hoped for and for the assurance of things not seen. If no
objection is made, the faithful can correctly say, to people who make
laws, that no one seems to object.
If those who are peddling the snake oil of Creationism, or its
womb mate Intelligent Design, have their way, the foundations upon
which the Enlightenment, and hence the modern world, are built
and sustained will be weakened and perhaps destroyed. The attempt
to replace science with superstition endangers the very underpinnings
of knowledge. Unchecked and unchallenged, ignorance could wash
over us with a fury greater than that of any mere physical tsunami.
Our race could, within a generation, be once again in a dark age,
gaining knowledge from priests and supernatural revelations. In such
a world, as in the past darkness of our species, reason and critical
thinking could be punished in some of the most barbaric ways.
All of human history can be seen as people standing in one
of two great lines, two queues. In one line are those who, regardless
of race, sex, nation, or religious belief, seek progress, exploration, rationality, and knowledge-those
who accept objective truths-and
who seek to improve the situation of creatures occupying our world.
In the other line are those who hold that faith and magic are more
important than science and reason; those who seek to repress any
contradictions to their beliefs; those who have tried, and who are now
trying, to impose their religious views on the people in the other line.
They have been successful in the past. They may be successful again.
Creationism is, in a very real sense, ground zero in the American Religious Civil War.This is not simply a cultural war. This is a
war for the survival of a way of life and for a view of the universe
that can yet take us to the stars. If the Wedge works, if Creationism
is accepted by the state as something that can be properly taught as
science, then the ARCW will be lost. Everything else that is needed
to create a complete theocracy will follow. Truly a "domino" theory.
The "Fundangelicals" realize this.
The battle is not over. It has only been joined. Quite literally,
the fate of civilization awaits the outcome.
Which line are you in?

Edwin Kagin is a constitutional law attorney, and serves

as the National Legal Director for
American Atheists. He is also the
Kentucky State Directorfor American Atheists. Along with his wife
Helen, he co-founded Camp Quest,
a nationally prominent secular,
summer camp for Atheist youth.
His recent book Baubles of Blasphemy is a gathering of scholarly
insights, outrageous humor, and
cunning verse. Mr. Kagin can be
reachedat ekagin@atheists.org
SEPTEMBER2007

AMERiCANATHEIsr

11

Atheist Singles
09-01-07 - SWM (Short, Wiry, Mammalian), 24. Completing my state paid education at State Penn U. in November. I have spent most of my adult life paying for youthful
turpitude. A loving relationship is the goal, but a positive
relationship is a great consolation. I have taught myself
Spanish, Logic and an appreciation for knowledge. I'm a
member of the Bertrand Russell Society, and hope to be
enrolled in the university of the west, near LA, (I'll be in
Philly until then), by Spring 2008 to study Chinese. I hope
to hear from you.
09-02-07 - I am 32 y/o, single, never been married, no
kids. I am 5'6'; very slim. I am into writing poetry, playing
music, and reading about religion and philosophy. My
friends would say I have a good sense of humor, and I
don't take myself too seriously. I speak fluent Spanish. I'm
looking for a woman between 25-35 who is ready to settle
down, but who is not in a great rush to do so, either. I am
very laid back, and I like to adapt to the situation at hand.
If you are the type that needs to have everything just so,in
a specific way, or else you get upset, please move on. Life
is too short to get caught up on details. (The writer lives
in Florida. Ed.)
07-01-07 - (The writer lives in Milan, Italy.) I'm a man approaching 39 years old but Ilook younger than that. I have
been a member of American Atheists for a long time. I'm
single and unemployed. I wish to try to join the US Army
but I lack an 1-551,soit ends there. Here I am looking for a
woman who will also have to follow me into what I would
like to do next - be a soldier. That's all. And more difficult
than all, I will appreciate only a good looking woman who
is not more than 25 years old without children.
07-02-07 - (The writer lives in Pennsylvania) Marvelously mature male (81) seeks senior rock-hard, intelligent
Atheist pen-pal, preferably fellow bookworm.
07-03-07 - Greetings from St. Petersburg, FL. My name
is Pat and I'm a 67 yr. old female. I can't believe it myself!
When I was a kid I thought you were over the hill at 50!
Blonde hair, blue eyes, average weight, look young, very
active, intellectual, too many interests to list, love to try
new things, curious about everything. Looking for someone with a sense of humor, young at heart, generous of
spirit, likes to explore the waters and the woods. Would
love to be a "snow bird," my place in the winter and yours
in the summer. I will answer all replies.
07-04-07 - My name is Jerry (JC) Calvin Bible and I live
in Tennessee. I am 58 years old, am in good health and
still working. I am 5'6" tall with an athletic build. I have
been married twice and have two daughters and two
grandchildren. I am an avowed Atheist and proud of it.
Living where I do makes it very hard to meet someone
with similar interests and I am tired of believers. Ethnicity
does not matter but I do not prefer overweight people as
I am health conscious - but not fanatical. Thank-you. P.s.1
have been called handsome.

12

AMEiuCANATHEIST

SEPTEMBER2007

.
Thea
.F0 Il! ers

nenCls...

So many of you help American Atheists with donations

and other financial support-and
we want to find a way to
say"Thank You!"We are pleased to announce the re-establishment of an American Atheist tradition-The
Founders' Friends,
begun by the Murray O'Hair family.
Those contributing $50 or more to American Atheists will
have your name and amount entered in subsequent issues of
the AA Magazine. Just fill out the blue card with the information requested, include your gift, and mail it back to us in the
enclosed envelope. Be sure to check the appropriate box
authorizing us to thank you by printing your name and contribution amount in the Magazine. Mailing addresses will not be
mentioned.
This is our way of saying THANKYOU to an extraordinary
group of people-those of you who want to "do more" and
financially support the critical work of American Atheists!
American Atheists Thanks The Following Persons For Their
Generous Contributions To Our Cause.

Shane W. Roper, AZ - $60

Phillips B. Gilbert, FL - $100
Dorothy Johnson, NJ - $50
Margaret Marshall, NY - $400
PhUlip Meade, GA - $50
Hasnain Rangwalla, (T - $50
Robert Finch, NY - $100
Frank Titus, OK - $50
Richard Hogan, TX - $150
Paul N. Dion, MA - $100

The "Atheist Singles" service is a benefit of membership in American Atheists.

It is intended to help members find that special someone. If you are a member and wish to participate in this service, please limit your "Atheist Singles"
ad to 100 words or less. Please include your name and postal address so we
will know where to forward your replies when they come in.
Entries should be mailed to:

Atheist Singles
P.O.Box 5733, Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733.
Members of American Atheists who wish to communicate with any of the
Atheist singles who placed ads should do the foliowing:Write your response
and place it in a stamped, self-addressed, sealed envelope. On the back of the
envelope, place the notation, "AS." and the reference number (for example
AS. 00-05-03) of the entry to which you are responding. Place the envelope
inside another envelope, seal it, and mail it after addressing it to the Atheist
Singles address in Parsippany listed above. When your letter arrives at the
American Atheist Center, the outer envelope will be removed, the inner envelope extracted, and the address corresponding to the reference number
you wrote on it will be written on the front of the envelope. The envelope
will then be mailed forthwith. Please include your phone number or e-mail
address in case we have questions with your ad. American Atheists reserves
the right to reject any singles ad.

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SEPTEMBER2007-

AMERiCANAnmSf

13

AIMS & PURPOSES

American Atheists, Ine. is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, educational organization dedicated to the
complete and absolute separation of state and church, accepting the explanation ofThomas
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 is 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 air religions and promote a more
thorough understanding of them, their origins, and t .eir histories;
To advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawful ways the complete and absolute separation of
state and church;
To act as a "watchdog" to challenge any attempted breach of the wall of separation between ....--#'"_
state and church;
To advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawful ways the establishment and maintenance-of a
thoroughly secular system of education available to all;
To encourage the development and public acceptance of a humane ethical sys em
stressing the mutual sympathy, understanding, and interdependence otall peol!>leand the
corresponding responsibility of each individual in relation to society,
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the source of strength, progress, and ideals for the well-being/and happiness of humanity;
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DEFINITIONS
Atheism is the Weltanschauung (comprehensive conception of the world) of persons who are
free from theism (free from religion). It is predicated on ancient Greek Materialism
Atheism involves the mental attitude that unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and
aims at establishing a life-style 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
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interference in human life; that humankind, finding the resources within themse~{es, can and
must create their own destiny. It teaches that we must prize our life on earth amdstrive alyvays
to improve it. It holds that human beings are capable of creating a social system based on
reason and justice. Materialism's "faith" is in humankind and their ability to transform the world
culture by their own efforts. This is a commitment that is,in its very essence, life-asserting. It
considers the struggle for progress as a moral obligation that is impossible without noble ideas
that inspire us to bold, creative works. Materialism holds that our potential for good and more
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. ','
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14

AMERICANAniEISf

SEI'TEMBER2007

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December 25, by the Julian Calendar, was the winter solstice. This day, originally regarded by the pagans as the day of
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A C~
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SE/UIlON
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A Christmas Sermon and the Controversy It Aroused

by Robert G.lngersoll
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SEPTEMBER2007

Don't Let The Dark Ages COOle Again

An address given by Frank R. lindler, Editor, American Atheist Press,
on Sunday, May 27, 2007, before the opening by Answers In Genesis Ministries
of its creationism museum in northern Kentucky near Cincinnati, Ohio.

was
t Christmas Eve, December 24 of 1968. Apollo 8, the first
manned mission to the Moon, entered lunar orbit. Aboard the
spaceship were the astronauts Commander Frank Borman,
Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders. At a moment carefully scripted by creationist
Christians at NASA, the astronauts were suddenly overcome by a
"spontaneous" sense of awe induced by sight of both the earth and
the lunar surface. Just happening to have a Gideon Bible along with
other life-support materials, the three grown men began to broadcast
to earth their reading of the first creation myrh recorded in the book
of Genesis.
At the exact time when their craft should have been crashing
into the firmament to which Genesis indicates the moon is attached,
they read "And God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made
the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was
so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day."
If ever there has been a more dramatic disproof of biblical
cosmology than this event was, I would certainly like to know what
it might have been. The science of the twentieth century CE had
smashed to smithereens the superstition of the twentieth century
BCE. But hardly anyone noticed. Instead, most of America marveled at the wonders of their missionaries bringing Christianity to
the moon.
Madalyn Murray O'Hair, however, quite properly declared
that this literally was "lunacy." Using the freedom of information act,
she sued NASA to release documentation showing that the celestial
witnessing to the world had been scripted and was, in fact, an official
endorsement of religion and thus violative of the First Amendment
guarantee of freedom from religion. She got a court injunction to
prevent further proselyrizing in outer space. Shortly thereafter, the
US Supreme Court ruled against the principle of separation of state
and church in some case that I no longer can identify,
Instead of going to court, which at that point would have been
hopeless, I wrote a poem. Today, as we face an even more determined
assault upon both science and secular society, I have dusted off that
poem, changed a few lines here and there, and wish to share it with
you this evening. You will understand the allusions to the Christmas
moon and the Supreme Court's black-robed, paladins of justice easily
enough. You also will be able to discern the Dark-Age descendants
of Ham - the myriad men and women and children who now are
the worshippers of Ham. I speak, of course, of Kenneth Ham, the
Australian- evangelist who seeks to drag America back into an age far
darker than the thousand years without a bath normally identi-fied
as the Dark Ages. Appropriately enough, my poem is entitled, "The
Dark Age Comes."

The Dark Age Comes

The Dark Age comes:
Shadows form, and shadows fall
Upon the threshing-floor of thought.
Free reason's radius is shrunk
To fit prescribed Procrustean spheres,
While black-robed paladins
Of highest justice drowse Their Grecian hall a sepulchre
Where stalk, immured, the ghosts
Of freedoms, dearly won so long ago,
Now but softly rattling relics
In the memories of the old
Or out-of-style.
Guardians of the torch of learning nod,
Their eyes grown heavy in the fading light
Of art and ethic, sense and science.
The odor of dead dreams
Hangs heavy in the air.
At every side the supernatural
Billows up like darkling cuttle-fish's clouds,
As hope and heart are come undone,
As wisdom dims and science sleeps.
Words fall upon us from the Christmas moonPrating of the phantom worlds
Created by the fear-filled minds of men
When first they fled the lightning,
Or quailed before the storm.
With nowhere enemy in sight,
Without a battlefield, without a war,
The credulous, the timorous,
The Great God Demos and his mob
Sound everywhere the trumpet of retreat.
They flee the field wherein, near-ripe,
Truth's greatest harvest stands:
Glorious, gold, ungathered,
Exposed to locusts of illogic
And rodents of deceit.
Back, backward from the border
Of the known, they slink.
Solemnly, in B-flat minor,
They creep back to the womb of faith
Where once, without one reasoned thought,
SEPTEMBER2007 ~

AMERICANATHEISf

21

They slept a thousand years

Through demon-haunted nights,
And plague-infected days.
But then at last the shocks of science
Convulsed the womb and purged the gloom,
Inducing sleepers to be born again.
Emergent from Faith's tomb of thought,
Believing sleepers roused themselves
And came to sense and then to see
A bright-lit world beyond Faith's ken,
A world undreamed of
Through epochs-lingering slumber.
Frightened by reality,
Alarmed by liberty,
Disavowing all responsibility,
Recalling now an age-long nightmare
As though 'r were really just
A pleasant dream,
They seek again the matrix comfort
Of their ancient mother, Faith.
So let us sleep, then,
, Let us sleep.
The spark of science sears the eyes,
And burning eyes must close,
And tired eyes must sleep.
More pleasant is the world of dream
And easier attained
Than worlds we sought to build.
What deuced bore, how tiring,
The freedom that we gained!
How frightening is our brave, new world.

Though bought with brains and blood,

It rivals not the fantasies of Faith That specter which, when sense submits,
Draws shut thick curtains o'er the mind
And lets an inner play proceed.
Enshroud, proud universities, and sleep.
Your hard-won wisdom is not wanted.
Somnambulists possess the power
And habit not the world you mapped.
Their shadows darken every path,
And all horizons fade to black.
Cocoon yourselves, secrete your treasures,
Endure the stellar twilight chill.
Copernicus and Galileo:
Where light their stars today?
Has Darwin's star gone down as well?
Their light first scattered,
Then occulted by the crowd,
One-by-one, the lamps burn out.
One-by-one, the shades are drawn.
And, one-by-one,
The sentries slip away to sleep.
The shadows form, the shadows creep.
22

AMERICANArHEiSf

SEPTEMBER 2007

And darkness deep enfolds the sheep.

The Dark Age comes again.
The Dark Age comes.
-F. R. Zindler
Today another shadow falls across the path of science, as another attempt is made to shutter shut a window to the world, as once again
benighted minions of an evil god seek to bring to naught three centuries of progress, discovery, and learning. The opening of Ken Ham's
creationism museum is not the first time science has had to surmount a
problem created by those who seek answers in the book of Genesis instead of science, nor will it be the last. It is doubtful, however, that science can long withstand the unrelenting assault and siege now hurled
against it by everyone from the President of the United States to the
lowly innocents who have pledged their widow's mites to help build
the Babel Memorial Museum whose opening we lament today.
From its secular conception as the first government in the history of the world without a god in its governance, the Democratic
Republic of the United States of America has had to fight off unending treasonous attempts by reactionary religious forces to make this a
theocracy, a Christian nation. The enemies of our godless Constitution made, however, little progress until the 1950s, when the followers and fearers of Senator Joseph McCarthy succeeded in frightening
Congress into putting their god on our money, force allegiance to
their god in the pledge of allegiance to our flag, and making us honor
that god in our national motto.
Professional creationists - those who make money by pretending to believe the creations myths of the Christian bible - have been a
major force in the war against the Constitution of the United States.
They have woefully undermined not only the teaching of science in
America but the teaching of history and civics as well. It is a wellknown "fact" to them that ALL the founding fathers were devout
Christians and there was never any intent to create a "Wall of Separation" between Church and State. The creationists are the vanguard of
the armies seeking to overthrow the constitutional foundation of our
government and put an end to more than two centuries of experimentation with a secular form of government.
Answers in Genesis - the organization led by Ken Ham, the
motive force behind the creationism museum now opening here in
North Kentucky - has grown from modest beginnings to become a
significant threat not only to science education but, through its newly
gained lobbying potential, a threat to science itself. Any organization that can cough up $27 million for a theme park is going to be
viewed by politicians as a force to be reckoned with. We can expect
funding for research to sink ever lower if it offends the superstitious
constituents of politicians who control the budgets of scientific granting agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the
National Science Foundation (NSF).
We are witnessing the grand opening of what might fairly be
called the Eighth and Ninth Wonders of the Ancient World. The
Eighth Wonder is, of course, the museum in which the technology of
the twentieth century CE is used to illustrate the scientific misunderstandings of the twentieth century BCE. The Ninth Wonder just has
to be the amazing iron fence that protects it - along with its armored
guards and attack dogs - from the demonic forces that Kenneth Ham
imagines haunt the northern regions of Kentucky. Yes, indeed: the
Great Fence of Kentucky is the Ninth Wonder of the Ancient World.
I cannot help but think the $27 million could have been
better spent. Of course, I speak as someone who values education,
knowledge, and truth. I speak as someone who values health, who

wishes that human suffering could be reduced or eliminated. I realize

that these are not the motivations of the builders of the Science Mausoleum, but I can't help thinking that $27 million could have been
better spent if the values I have expressed had been anywhere close to
the top of Ken Ham's list.
For example, let us consider the human genome projects that
resulted in sequencing the entire genetic message spelled out in the language of DNA - the set of instructions telling how to make a human
being. That is the recipe that, when compared with the DNA recipes
for making chimps, gorillas, and other primates, are now beginning
to show us exactly what is means to be human. These are the genetic
messages that record the evolutionary history of the Primates. These
are the messages that remind us we are 98.5% chimp, 98% gorilla,
and more than 90% rhesus monkey. This is, of course, knowledge that
the creationists don't want made known. But what if Ken Ham was
actually interested in human welfare? What if he really was a seeker of
truth? What would his $27 million have bought in this regard?
The project led by the Atheist Craig Venter only required
$300 million to sequence the approximately 25,000 genes that spell
out H-U-M-A-N. Ham's $27 million could have paid for Venter's
sequencing about 2,250 genes. If Ham wasn't THAT interested in
scientific truth and only contributed the cost of his frivolous fence, he
still could have covered the cost of sequencing 83 human genes. Who
knows? One or more of those genes might have provided another clue
as to what causes cancer. One or more might have given us a clue as to
why some of us are gay, some of us are straight, and some of us can't
make up our minds. What if one or more of those 83 genes could
shed light on why religiosity evolved, and why some people become
Republican Presbyterians?
If Ken Ham had any desire to help alleviate human suffering, he could have spent his $27 million to buy condoms for all the
people of Africa who have been prevented by the Christian American
government from receiving life-saving protection against the spread
of AIDS. Imagine how many lives could have been spared by the cost
of the Great Fence of Kentucky alone!
For the Africans already afflicted with AIDS, what might
Ham's millions have accomplished? What might his wrought iron
fence have wrought? Remember, in Africa AIDS is a heterosexually
transmitted disease, and so Ham's views that AIDS is Jehovah's punishment for homosexuality or that homosexuality is caused by teaching evolution in public schools are not relevant in this case.
Currently, use of Roche's drug Fuzeon is the most promising - and expensive - treatment for AIDS in Africa. It costs around
$20,000 per patient per year to maintain life. $27 million at this rate
would pay for treatment of 1350 men and women. Ham's feckless
fence would keep 50 alive for a year. Would that be worth doing? We
might ask the orphans whose parents died because that help did not
arrive. According to BBC News, however, this cost could be reduced
to just one dollar per day if political and economic understandings
could be reached - agreements that surely could be affected by pressure from religious groups such as Answers In Genesis. At a dollar a
day, money spent on Ham's Cemetery For Science could sustain the
lives of nearly 74 thousand men and women. The Great Wall of Kentucky could have sustained 2,740. But maybe Mr. Ham thinks that
suffering is good for the soul and that these people have souls in addition to the biochemical processes we scientists call life. Perhaps Ken
thinks he is'helping the Africans by doing nothing to help them.
The Department of Health and Human Services recently published the 2008 budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
NIH is a major source of funds for both scientific research and sci-

ence education. Its funding has been crucial for studies of Alzheimer's
and Parkinson's diseases. During FY 2006, NIH funded more than
two thousand investigators in this area. Ham's folly could have paid
for the research of 37% of those 2000 scientists.
NIH also funds the Science Education Partnership Award
whose purpose is to increase the pipeline of future scientists and clinicians, especially from minority and rural students. SEPA also provides
professional development for teachers and mentoring opportunities
for students. The budget for this worthy program for 2008 is a mere
$15.3 million. Thus, almost twice as much has been spent on Ham's
house of horrors than will be spent by NIH on Science Education
partnership Awards for the entire United States.
Finally, NIH funds programs of care for research animals and
improves the welfare of laboratory animals. This program supports
mentored research projects on cardiovascular disease, aging, epidemiology, obesity, and diabetes. A mere $22.4 million is earmarked for
2008. I remind you, this is almost five iron fences less than was spent
on Ken's Cabal - the completion of which we decry today.
For evil to triumph it is sufficient that good men and women
do nothing. If you want to prove my dismal poem to be false prophecy, you must do everything in your power to challenge Dark-Ages
superstitions wherever they are manifest. Those of you who are scientists or who are knowledgeable of the facts of evolution must miss no
opportunity to educate children, parents, teachers - yes, even teachers - preachers, politicians, and the media about the facts of life. No
public assertion of superstition of any kind - not only creationism or
its virtual-unreality morph misnamed "Intelligent Design" - should
ever be allowed to go unchallenged. Every effort by reactionary religionists to censor or curtail the teaching of good science must be
repulsed. Science teachers must be able to count on your protection
when they teach good science and they must expect your opposition
when they teach the bogus claims of Answers In Genesis.
It would be a litmus test of incompetence in a math teacher
if he or she taught that the value of pi is 3.0 as the Bible reveals [1
Kings 7:23; 2 Chron 4:2]. It would be a litmus test of incompetence
in geography for a teacher to teach that the earth is flat. No less an
indicator of incompetence would be for a biology teacher to claim
the earth to be less than ten thousand years old and that humans are
unrelated to apes.
Each of you must do everything you can do to defend science
and secular society. Each one of you must recruit at least two others to
join in this defense, and they in turn must each enlist two more. Only by
exponential mobilization of our defense can we hope to save our society.
I close with the words of the Atheist Persian poet Omar Khayyam:
"Oh, make haste! ... The Bird of Time has but a little way to
flutter-and the Bird is on the Wing."

Formerly a professor of biology and

geology, Frank R. Zindler is now a
science writer and editor of American Atheist Press. He is a member
of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, the New
York Academy of Sciences, the Society
of Biblical Literature, the American
Schools of Oriental Research, and
the newly formed Jesus Project. A
somewhat longer version of this article
appeared in the December, 1988,
issue of American Atheist. He can be
reached at ftindler@atheists.org.

SEPTEMBER2007 -

AMEIuCANAnrnsr

23

God: Lies, Damned Lies And Statistics

by Gil Gaudia, Ph.D.

used to think that the most humorous criticism of the use of

statistics was: If your head is in the freezer at minus forty degrees farenheit and your feet are in the oven at rwo hundred
degrees, then, on average, you are quite comfortable.
Now, the humor in this joke is greatly surpassed by the use of
Bayesian statistics to prove the existence of god, as Stephen Unwin
does in his book, "The Probability of God: A Simple Calculation That
Proves the Ultimate Truth."
According to Wikipedia, "Bayesian inference is statistical inference in which evidence or observations are used to update or to newly
infer the probability that a hypothesis may be true. The name "Bayesian" comes from the frequent use of Bayes' theorem in the inference
process. Bayes' theorem was derived from the work of the Reverend
Thomas Bayes."
When I was thirty-five, (even though "it was a vety good year,"
I'll not try to sing the song) I used to have some facility with Bayesian
inference. Now I have to content myself with simply understanding
that it is a mathematical concept completely misused by Dr. Unwin
(in much the same manner that his name misuses the perfectly good
word "lose.") In other words, Bayes' theorem deals with the role of new
information in revising probability estimates.
What we have in the general application of Bayes' equation is
the obviously intelligent use of new information to recalculate an old
hypothesis, and thereby increase the likelihood that the hypothesis is
correct. (For those of you obsessive enough to want
to know what it is, go to the bottom of the page. Do not pass
"GO" and by all means, get out of jail free!) *
Crucial for understanding what I am writing about is the fact
that several of the terms in the Bayesian equation stand for assumed
values (or assumptions) created by the person using the theorem to
support a preconceived viewpoint.
Question: What do you think a believer in god would choose
for an assumed value for the existence of god?
a. zero
b. close to zero
c. not very high
d. prerty damned high
If you chose "d" there is no need to read the rest of this article,
because you have already gotten the point. Start with a false premise,
and you can prove, with a high degree of probability any thing you
want, and this is what Professor Unwin has done. He starts with the
assumption that the probability of the existence of god is 50%. Yes
that's right. Fifty-fifty; equally likely as not existing; "your guess is as
good as mine" kinda stuff, and he concludes after thousands of words
of reasoning and logic that there is a "67% chance that god exists."
Let me illustrate. Suppose you start with the assumption, based
upon previous evidence, that there is a 50% chance that any given
Rotrweiler will behave aggressivelywhen his space is intruded upon. In

24

AMiuCANAnmSf -

SErrEMBER2007

Bayesian Inference, this is called the "prior probability." The next time
you enter your neighbor's yard unannounced, his Rortweiler clamps
down on your buttocks. This is the new information, known as the
"likelihood." Applying the Bayesian rule (without all the Ps, As and
Bs) it would be advisable to increase your estimate of the probability
of being bitten in the future, ... perhaps to 67%. Coincidentally, this
is known as the "Posterior probability," but I assure you it has nothing
to do with the fact that the assault was upon your ass. It may just as
well have been your ankle-the posterior probability estimate remains
unchanged.
Now I ask you; would you rather use a simple average of the
temperature of a freezer and an oven to delude yourself into thinking you have found your comfort zone, or go through the laborious
and confusing tedium of using Bayes' theorem to really make an ass
of yourself?
On the other hand, one could give many exmples of the profitable use of Bayes in refining probable estimates, many coming from
medicine where the chance of false positives and false negatives in diagnoses are crucial for deciding on treatment options and other courses
of action. In a related area, the selection of drugs for marketing rely
heavily on these analyses; but less serious ones have to do with things
like the ratings ofTY shows and fashion designs. In all cases, however,
the validity of the assumptions determines the value of the outcome,
and as some sage decades ago said of the worth of computer analyses,
which still applies, "garbage in; garbage out (GIGO)."
Another way of interpreting GIGO would be "god in; god
out."
* Bayes' theorem is a logical consequence of the idea that the
probability of a hypothesis (P) is related to the probabilities of rwo
events (A and B), one that has already occurred, and the other that
provides new data. I had left out all the Ps, As, and Bs, plus and minus
signs, and division symbols, above, but here it is:
P(AIB) = P(BIALP(A)/P(B). Got it?

Gil Gaudia is professor

Emeritus at the SUNY college at
Fredonia. He was also a clinical
psychologistand afellow at The Albert Ellis Institute in Manhattan,
and now devotes his time to writing. His novel Outside, Looking
In, is a thinly-veiled autobiography
of an Atheist. Dr. Gaudia can be
reachedat jggaudia@comcast.net

OBITUARY
Albert Ellis
Pioneer Therapist And Atheist
lbert Ellis,the provocative
and pioneering psychologist who founded
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (R.E.B.T.)died
in his Manhattan residence on July
24,2007. He was 93.
His blunt, straightforward
approach to psychotherapy made
him one of the giants in the field of
psychology. Unlike the psychoanalytical approach of Sigmund Freud,
Ellis devised therapeutic strategies
that encouraged patients to focus
on immediate problems in their lives
and take action in order to effectively
alter behavior. He described neurosis
as"just a high-class word for whining."
"The trouble with most therapy
is that it helps you to feel better," he
told the New York Times in 2004. "But
you don't get better. You have to
back it up with action, action, action."
His iconoclastic style dated back the 1950s when he took the
bold step of treating couples in joint sessions. His 1958 book "Sex
Without Guilt" propelled him into the public spotlight during the
time Alfred Kinsey's exposes on American sexual practices were
all the rage. As Washington Post writer Matt Schudel observed,
though, Ellis"believed adult anxieties had nothing to do with supposed sexual hang-ups from childhood."
He instead viewed people as"responsibly hedonistic," adding
that human beings "strive to remain alive and to achieve some
degree of happiness." Ellis warned though that,"humans are prone
to adopting irrational beliefs and behaviors which stand in the way
of their achieving their goals and purposes. Often these irrational
attitudes or philosophies take the form of extreme or dogmatic
'musts.t'shoulds,' or 'oughts'; they contrast with rational and flexible
desires, wishes, preferences and wants ... "
Dr. Ellis was an Atheist who took a dim view of religion, especially its impact on mental health.
"If devout religiosity, therefore, is often masochism, it is even
more often dependency:' he wrote in a 1980 work, "Case Against
Religiosity." "For humans to be true believers anti also be strong
and independent is well nigh impossible. Religiosity and self-sufficiency are contradictory terms ... According to orthodox religious
'shalts and shalt nets/you become not only a wrong-doer, but an
arrant sinner when you commit ethical and religious misdeeds;
and, as a sinner, you become worthless, undeserving of any human
happiness, and deserving of being forever damned (excommunicated) on earth and perhaps roasted eternally in hell."
"The more sinful and guilty a person tends to feel."the less
chance that there is that he will be a happy, healthy, law-abiding
citizen ... He will become a compulsive wrongdoer."

Ellis was a friend and associate of American Atheists founder

Madalyn Murray O'Hair, and spoke at
the American Atheist Convention. He
was also named Humanist of the Year
in 1971 by the American Humanist
Association.
His innovative work led to the
founding of the Institute for Rational
Living, which later became the Albert
Ellis Institute. He made his residence
on the top floor of the building
where he held informal seminars for
students entering the field, and a
regular Friday night soiree for friends,
associates and other interested in his
therapeutic research.
Albert Isaac Ellis was born on
September 27, 1913 in Pittsburgh.
His family moved to the Bronx, N.Y.
when he was 4. He attended the
City College of New York where he
studied business administration,
and while a student, he wrote for
the school paper. He was a bit of a polymath with a wide range of
interests. He penned a 500,000-word autobiographical novel that
was never published, and invented a solitaire version of bridge. In
1942 Ellis enrolled in Columbia University, and later received his
master's degree and doctorate from that institution. He became
the chief psychologist for the State of New Jersey,and in 1952
embarked on private practice.
In addition to research, teaching and therapy, Ellis was a prolific writer, the author of more than 75 books. They include "How to
Live With a Neurotic," (1957),"The Art and Science of Love" (1960),
"A guide to Successful Marriage" (1961) and "The Road to Tolerance:
The Philosophy of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy" (2004).
His first two marriages, to actress Karyl Corper and then
dancer Rhoda Winter, ended in divorce. He lived for over three
decades with psychotherapist Janice L.Wolfe, and in 2005 married
protege Debbie Joffe.
During his lifetime, Ellis went from being considered an iconoclast and outcast to seeing many of his ideas accepted by the professional therapeutic community. A survey funded by the National
Institute of Mental Health released this year found that more than
two-thirds of therapists use the model first devised by Ellis. A 2003
poll by the American Psychological Association named him the
second-most influential thinker in the field, ahead of such giants as
Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and behaviorist B.F.Skinner.
His observations about religion were prescient. He did not anticipate the wave of fundamentalism currently sweeping the globe,
but writing in "Case Against Religion" in 1980 he warned/Devout
theists often ignore, deny, and hallucinate about reality; and the
more devout they are-as the long history of religion shows-the
more delusionary and hallucinatory they seem to be."

SEITEMllER2007 -

AMBuCANAnLElST

25

The Last Bridge

by Margaret Bhatty

he most popular Indian epics-the Ramayana and the

Mahabharata-are
compared to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.The Mahabharata is about a long drawn-out war, full
of heroics, treachery, and blood-shedding like the Iliad.
The Ramayana, dealing with the wanderings of Ram and Sita resembles the Odyssey but the story is one of Sita the wife-like Penelope-who remains faithful to her husband despite being wooed by
another and even abducted. The epic is idealistic, presenting Sita as a
woman impressive by her devotion. This epic has a strong emotional
appeal to Hindus. Ram, is worshipped as a perfect being (never failing in his duty as a son tohis father) and a husband for his commitment to his wife.
Briefly, the story about Ram and Sita provides a background
to one more religious absurdity rooted in their epic now revived in
this modern century. Once upon a time a king named Dasratha, with
Ayodhya as his capital, had four sons, the eldest being Ram. Ruling
over another kingdom was a king called Janaka who had an incredibly
beautiful daughter, named Sita. She was born from Mother Earth,
having appeared out of a furrow in a field.
Janaka declared that any suitor who could bend his mighty
bow would win Sita as his wife. A number of suitors tried and failed.
But Ram not only bent the bow, he snapped it. Ram and Sita were
married and travelled back to Ayodhya. Dasratha, old and feebleminded, had made a promise to one of his wives that he would grant
her any request she wanted. She immediately asked that instead of
Ram, her son Bharat should be placed on the throne. If the old man
didn't fulfill her wishes she would directly die, she said.
Her wish was that Ram should be sent in exile to the Dandakaya forests of central India for fourteen years, as a hermit with matted hair, wearing skins and living in a cave. The deeply grieved Dasratha agreed to send Ram and Sita away. With them went a faithful
brother, Lakshman. The Ramayana presents details of their long journey crossing the Ganges and then the Yamuna River into the deepest
forested region. They built a simple dwelling near the sources of the
Godavari River. From here, Ravana, the twelve-headed king of Ceylon, abducted Sita, grabbing her by her hair and lifting her into his
flying chariot yoked with asses. Having been away, neither Ram nor
Lakshman knew why or how Sita disappeared from their hermitage.
In the quest for Sita, the two travelled far south. Finally Hanuman, the monkey-headed god, located Sita's imprisonment in
Ceylon. Though there was a wide channel dividing the island from
the mainland, the god leapt through the air and discovered Sita was
confined in a garden of Asoka trees, protected by fierce female guards.
Hanuman gave her a token from Ram, and returned with a message
of her undying love and fidelity, despite Ravana's relentless wooing.
Ravana was thoroughly frightened by Hanuma's appearance.
Moreover the monkey-god set his tail afire and bounded through
the town and burnt more than half of it to ashes. But Ravana refused
to return Sita. Both sides sat down to make plans for war. Ram was
supported by countless chieftains and Hanuman and his monkey followers. Ravana enlisted rakshas (devils) on his side.
The island was separated by a passage of sea, dotted with a
number of small islands. To get his army across, Ram built a causeway
for them to march on and invade Ceylon. Ravana was killed and Sita
26

AMEiuCANAntElSf

SEPTEMBER2007

restored to Ram. This is a brief account from the 24,000 couplets

originally composed by Valmiki. The bridge - RaIDs Bridge-is supposedly evidence of the great scientific ability of Ram and his monkey
brigade as builders. This bridge is alleged to be a significant example
of Ram's existence as a real being.
In Ayodhya there are countless temples where each presiding
priest can point out to the exact point on which Ram was born in
his temple, proof of his identity as a real human and not a mere
mythological character. But Hindu fanatics have long decided the
true spot was under a mosque built by Babur the Moghul to erase the
original sacred site. The Babri Masjid was destroyed by the Hindu
political party, the BJP, triggering off a number of Hindu-Muslim
riots in the country, with many killed on both sides. This widened the
deep rift between the two communities. The Hindus have had pillars
and stone blocks cut to erect the temple to Ram on the spot of the
mosque. But a stalemate persists with the government preventing the
construction from going ahead.
The destruction of the Ayodhya mosque put Hindus in
conflict with Muslims. But now two sides again confront each other-the Hindus against the Congress-led government at the Centre.
Ram's Bridge is going to be knocked down, and fanatics claim if that
happens Hinduism itself will collapse. The countrywide agitation is
gathering strength.
In earlier maps the bridge made by Ram was called Adam's
Bridge. Its real name is Ram Sethu. What is the advantage from
breaking through this causeway? The idea came up in 1860, proposed
by an English marine engineer, A.D.Taylor. Smaller ships managed
to navigate the channel between Ceylon and India, but bigger ships
had to go round the island of Sri Lanka. A canal can be deepened
from the Gulf of Mannar to the Bay of Bengal through a separating
stretch of sea in the Palk Strait. Two channels can be created-one
across Ram Serhu (Adam's Bridge), the chain of islets linking the two
countries. Another channel could be made by deepening the Palk
Strait, providing a depth of 300 metres for two-way navigation of
the largest ships. The Project will reduce travel distance by 254-424
nautical miles (about 465-835 km.) and cut time by 21 -36 hours.
National defense will be easier and quicker between west and east
coasts ofIndia. Coast guard and naval ships won't need to go around
the island of Sri Lanka. The Project can be completed by 2009 and
promote industrial developments, and trade and commerce by sea.
The Project was cleared by Nehru's cabinet in 1965, and a
number of studies were done thereafter. The estimated cost would
be about Rs 2,500 crores (one crore is ten million). The present government has inaugurated the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project
(SSCP.) Hindu critics have claimed NASA has taken pictures of Ram
Sethu and announced it is a man-made structure. NASA has refused
to endorse this absurd claim put forward by RSS and BJP leaders.
However, the Geological Survey ofIndia which studied the Ram Setu
found the causeway is a natural formation, and about four or five
hundred thousand years old.
The four Shankracharyas of the four peethams of Hinduism
(like popes each with his own establishment) met in Bangalore on
May 20 to discuss the issue. They decided to intensify the agitation
peacefully against the project which is to demolish Ram's bridge.
They, according to a Times of India report, claim the bridge is 17
million years old. which would place Rama into an Age where there
were no humans as his subjects ruling a kingdom with only primitive
mammals and birds. They declared that Ram Sethu is not a natural
bridge of rocks and sand. It is a highly scientifically built bridge made
by Ram to rescue Sita It is proof of the oldest bridge ever built in the

world. proving Hindu culture was superior even thousands of years

~
ago. As is the custom, countless numbers of politicians have promptly plunged into the sea, each putting forward their claim to shake the
world. They declare the Rama Setu is like the Ayodhya site-a sacred
symbol of the Ramayana era. It establishes that Lord Rama did exist
and made a heroic effort to rescue Sita by building the bridge with
the help of "vanars" (monkeys) commanded by the monkey-god Hanuman. Hanuman is the official bridge-keeper and to prove that he
means to defend the bridge he has caused costly equipment, including dredgers and cranes simply tumble into the sea. Astrologers have
discovered omens in their stars of the Project dismally failing.
Inevitably, the culprit who wants to make Hinduism fall is
Sonia Gandhi. She is in collaboration with the Americans providing
dredgers, cranes etc. One spokesman says "We want Om not Rome!"
When the agitation turns violent, goons will target Gandhi.
The Ram Sethu movement is gathering momentum. Organised Hindu groups have promised to make the entire country rise up
to defend it. Another high seer has announced that Ram was a real
god who lived 17 lakhs years ago-that is, 1.7 million years ago.
Antiquity is always significant in Hinduism. Ages are easily
defined without the need of carbon-dating or any scientific investigation. We are told ancient rishis lived millions of years ago, their times
coinciding with the appearance of species of dinosaurs. They didn't
even bother those wise men who lived in forest dwellings and discovered every known science simply by their intuition.
Ram's age takes him into the Pleistocene period, which began
about a million years ago. Enormous woolly mammoths, shaggy, and
with large tusks, existed in the coldest regions, and sabre-toothed
tigers roamed in the jungles with many other mammals still at primitive stages of evolution. And here was when the prehistoric humans
such as the "Dawn Men" and Cave-dwellers appeared. It is laughable
to appoint Rama as a king over creatures half-way between apes and
humans.
There remains one other problem, which nobody has thought
of In Rama's tifi1;emuch of the earth was frozen with vast sheets of
ice spreading over many regions. This was the Ice Age. Actually during Rama's time the sea channel between India and Sri Lanka must
have been frozen, offering easy access of his monkeys and warriors to
invade the island. There was no need to haul rocks and sand to make
a bridge.
Seven million years or 1.7 million years have no reference to
the Ages devised by Western science. Only Hindu four Ages are
valid, with reference to all myths and fables. Hindu science is far
superior to Western science. Hindu science, supported by Hanuman
the guardian-deity, will save the Ram Sethu from being demolished
by modern technology.

Margaret Bhatty comesfrom

a Christian missionary family. She is a free-lance journalist
and author of books in English
for Indian children. She lives in
Nagpur, India. For many years a
columnist for American Atheist,
she is the author of the AAP book
An Atheist Reports From India,
which is a;ailable from American
Atheists ($9.00, Stock #5026).
She receives e-mail at
margaretbhatty@rediffinail.com

ask the expert

Biblical Contradictions
by Frank Zindler

I found your article on biblical contradictions very

amusing but was made curious by the approach used to
find these contradictions. As a student of religious text,
the proper hermeneutics were not used in interpreting
any of that text. Could you please explain why? Improper
interpretation leads people to see things that aren't really
there. I was just wondering if you could clear this up for
me. Thanks.
Allen Quartermaine

FZ: Thank you for writing to American Atheists concerning our biblical contradictions page. You ask how the contradictions were found.
The answer is very simple: rules of logic are applied when reading the
various books of the various bibles. Allowing for changes in the meanings of words in the English language (e.g., "servant" in King James
English meant "slave," and "the voice of the t tle" refers to doves,
not turtles), and allowing for context when-there is any, whenever
passages conflict either by verbal specificity or logical implication they
are selected as "contradictions."
Yqu refer to "hermeneutics" as a necessary component in finding contradictions. Alas, hermeneutics too often is a pseudoscience, a
branch of apologetics used to try to explain away clear contradictions.
Thus, the enormous number of contradictions between the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke are explained away by the hermeneutic fiction that the genealogy in Luke is really the genealogy of
Mary - an absolute impossibility for anyone able to read the Greek
texts of the passages in question. Another hermeneutic fiction is that
used to "interpret" what Jesus really meant to say in Matthew 19:12
("... and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for
the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him
receive it.") Orthodox hermeneutics requires this be interpreted to
mean Jesus is talking about celibacy and forgoing of marriage - as
though the Gree~14nguage could not have said exactly that if that was
what Jesus meant! Sorry to say,Jesus here is really saying, "Cut it off if
you are able." (The great church father Origen did exactly that.)
Scientific students of the
New Testament have little need
for hermeneutics in the traditional
sense of the term. Rather, they use
the contradictions discovered by
simple logic to serve as clues to the
theopolitical motivations and circumstances of the various authors
<and interpolators who created the
texts in question. All bibles are human inventions and, like all books,
their words and phrasing can tell
us much about their authors and
their concerns.

SEPTEMBER2007

AMERlO\N

ATHEIST

27

news

Despite Catholic
Feel, Developers
Say Ave Maria Is
Inclusive Town
by Brian Skoloff
Associated Press Writer
NAPLES, FL (AP)-No,
of course
nut, Ave Maria is not a Roman
Catholic town, its builders say. Why
would you think such a thing?
Yes, the streets have names like
Annunciation Circle and John Paul
II Boulevard. The town is laid out to
catch the sunrise at a certain angle
each March 25, the day Catholics
celebrate the Feast of Annunciation.
And the Catholic university whose
towering 10-story church dominates
the landscape bans the sale of condoms and warns that premarital sex
can be grounds for expulsion.
But Ave Maria is open to everyone, said Blake Gable, project manager for the Barron Collier Cos.,
which is building the new town in
partnership with Domino's Pizza
founder Thomas Monaghan, an ardent Catholic.
"When I lived in Washington,
D.C., I looked out my window
and I saw the National Cathedral.
I didn't feel like I was in a religious
environment," Gable said. "It's never occurred to me that it's a Catholic
community."
The builders of Ave Maria,
whose name is Latin for Hail Mary,
have been struggling to get the message out that anyone can live here
ever since Monaghan's headlinegrabbing comments in 2005, when
the site was still just a sod farm.
Monaghan told a Catholic group
at the time that the town would be
governed by Roman Catholic principles. He said stores wouldn't carry
contraceptives or pornography, and
cable TV would have no adult channels.
In response, a Wall Street Journal opinion column quoted a critic
of Ave Maria as calling it a "Catholic Jonestown." The American Civil
Liberties Union of Florida threatened
to sue. Critics called it un-Arnerican.
And Monaghan backed off.
Monaghan now says that Ave
Maria University, the school he is
also bankrolling, will follow strict

Catholic guidelines, but the town

will be largely allowed to grow uninhibited-except
for no adult novelty
stores or topless clubs. The developers say they will merely suggest that
merchants not sell contraceptives or
porn, and cable TV offerings will
not be restricted.
Even with that, Monaghan seems
disappointed. If he had his way, Ave
Maria would be God's town.
"I thought we owned the real
estate, so we can lease to whoever we
want and put things in the contract,
but there are laws and there were
lawsuits out there," Monaghan said.
The developers say that they will
allow any denomination to build a
house of worship in Ave Maria, and
that gays are welcome, too.
In fact, the Web site for the town
and university makes no mention of
Catholicism at all, not even noting
that the school will be Catholic.
"Ave Maria reinvents hometown
living with a flourishing new community complementing a new university," the site says. ''Ave Maria is
an exciting place to live, work, play
and learn for every family, every lifestyle and every dream."
Monaghan has spent more than
$200 million building the school,
which opens next month and hopes
to attract 5,500 students. It is the
first Catholic university built in the
United States in four decades. Gable
and Monaghan repeatedly note that
the university and town are two separate entities.
But the school's 1,100-seat
church will be the undisputed focal
point of the community, with the
town center wrapping around it like
a pastel-colored Italian village with
overhanging balconies, verandas and
glass storefronts.
Ave Maria University President
Nicholas Healy Jr. said the school
would "encourage students to live a
Catholic moral life."
"At a number of schools, there's
a problem with binge drinking or
recreational sex," Healy said. "We
don't permit that. ... It would be
a very serious violation. We teach
what the Catholic church teaches,
and the Catholic church teaches that
contraception is a grave moral evil
and we accept that."
Barron Collier has spent about
$200 million constructing the town
and aims to house more than 20,000

residents. Gable said sales have exceeded expectations, with about 250
homes sold since February, though
just a few of those people have
moved in.
As for whether Jews or others
might be uncomfortable living in a
town called Ave Maria, he said: "Do
people who live in San Francisco feel
offended? San Antonio?"
New York retirees Henry and
Roseann Knetter moved into their
home about a month ago. As Catholics, the religion aspect was a big
draw.
"It just appeared to be a really nice concept with the church in
town," said Roseann Knetter, 64.
But they said it wasn't just religion that attracted them.
"We wanted to be in a town that
was going to grow up from its grass
roots," Knetter said.

Cheyenne
Councilman
Opposes City
Bonds For
Religious School
CHEYENNE,WY (AP)-A Cheyenne
city councilman says he opposes
lending the city's name to bonds that
would finance a construction project
by a local Catholic school.
St. Mary's School is asking the
Cheyenne City Council to endorse
a $9.5 million bond issue. Getting
city support would give the school
a lower interest rate while the city
would receive $10,000.
Councilman Pete Laybourn has
said the city should not endorse the
bonds.
"The City of Cheyenne should
stay out of it," Laybourn said on a
local radio program last week. He
said the plan would breach the separation of church and state.
Laybourn said the proposal is
"something that's just plain wrong."

Gerry McGowen, acqUlSltlOn

and project coordinator for St.
Mary's School, said the school has
$5 million in cash for the project
and intends to issue bonds for the
remainder.
Under the proposal, the bonds
would be issued in the city's name.
That would give investors who
buy them some tax advantages
that would allow the school, which
would be responsible for repayment,
to pay a lower rate of interest.
State law requires projects serve
a public purpose to qualify for support by municipal bonds.
Laybourn said the arrangement
would show city council approval of
"one particular religion." He said he
didn't see how helping the religious
school would serve any public purpose.
Mary Groves, a Denver bond
attorney who represents the school,
said the courts have ruled in favor of
allowing the issuance of municipal
bonds to support religious projects.
Groves said that the school project would serve a public purpose
by allowing the school to add more
faculty and staff jobs. The school
currently employs 28, but plans to
increase the staff to 34 by the year
2011.

Cambodia
Issues Directive
Limiting
Activities Of
Christian Groups
by Sopheng Cheang
Associated Press Writer
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)Cambodia's government issued a
directive preventing Christians from
promoting their religion in pub-,
lic places, or using money or orheimeans to persuade people to convert, officials said Tuesday.
"They can do any activity inside
their institutions, but are not allowed to go door-to-door," said Sun
Kim Hun, deputy minister of cult
and religion.
He said the directive, dated June
26 but distributed Tuesday, follows
similar proclamations in 1999 and
2003 and is a reminder to Christian

Atheists & Co.

groups not to break the law. The
directive did not mention other religions.
There were fewer than 70,000
Christians and about 170 churches
in Cambodia in 2006, according
to government figures. Cambodia's
nearly 14 million people are more
than 90 percent Buddhist.
Cambodian Buddhists generally
tolerate other religions, but last year
about 300 Buddhist villagers razed a
partially built Christian church near
Phnom Penh.
Also last year, a group of Christian worshippers was caught distributing sweets to young people in the
countryside while trying to convert
them, Sun Kim Hun said. Such activities are illegal.
Nhean Song, a Cambodian
pastor with the Union Church in
Phnom Penh, said none of its 300
members has broken the directive,
but he knows other churches have.
"We will follow the directive,
we have no purpose to do anything
against the Cambodian government," he said.

Three Men
Get Six Years
In Prison For
Muhammad
Cartoon Protest,
Another
Sentenced To
Four Years
by Raphael G. Satter
Associated Press Writer
LONDON (AP)-FoUR
men were
sentenced to prison Wednesday
for offenses including incitement
to murder during a protest against
the publication of cartoons of the
Prophet Muhammad.
Mizanur Rahman, 24, Umran
Javed, 27, and Abdul Muhid 25,
were convicted of incitement to
murder and sentenced to six years
each. During a February 2006 protest in front' of the Danish Embassy
in London, they had called for the
deaths of those responsible for the
publication of the cartoons, prosecutors said.

A fourth defendant, Abdul Saleem, 32, was sentenced to four years

in prison for inciting racial hatred.
The defendants, who were convicted in seperate trials, had argued
that they were venting their rage at
the cartoons, which they considered
an assault on Islam, and did not
intend to incite murder. But Judge
Brian Barker called their actions "the
complete opposite of peaceful pro-

Mark Lukes

test,"

"No one is entitled to propagate an ideology of destruction and

death," Barker said. "However deep
your belief, that is not an excuse for
breaking the law of the land."
The four were among a crowd of
200-300 demonstrators which coverged on the embassy, waving placards which read: "Massacre those
who insult Islam" and "Prepare for
the real Holocaust" and chanting:
"UK, you will pay, Islam is on its
way."
Some commentators criticized
the police who monitored the protest for not intervening to arrest the
demonstrators
immediately. The
defendants argued that, had they
known what their actions were illegal, they would have stopped.
Barker rejected those criticisms,
saying that moving to thwart the
protestors could have sparked violence. He said the defendants knew
"perfectly well" what they were doing.
He also rejected the argument
that they had been carried away by
their anger at the perceived insult to
their religion.
"These trials are not about ...
deeply felt insults to a religion,"
Barker said. "These are about the
words shouted by British citizens in
the streets of London."
Muslims from Morocco to Indonesia protested the publication
of the cartoons, which showed the
prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban, clutching a dagger, or berating
a group of suicide bombers.
Islamic law is interpreted to forbid any depiction of the prophet for
fear it could lead to idolatry.

arkLukes is the president and CEOof LMJ Marketing Group, located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mark's philosophy behind the company he
founded in 1989, is that

"Inspiration and artistic creativity can be found

throughout history; from the ancient civilizations leading through the entire Middle Ages into the modern
world. The outlets may have changed but the task
remains the same; to encourage people to stand up and
take notice.
LMJ Marketing group's approach to creativity is like
the great artists of the past. Develop a masterpiece and
allow it to stand the test of time."

Mark Lukes studied graphic arts and computer-aided

design at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. After college
he worked in the ad/marketing industry for many years doing
both design and print work. "Working for a small print company gave me the opportunity to deal more closely with clients
and to learn the business side of the profession. I work with
some of the most talented and creative people in the industry and they are the driving force behind the quality of work
that we do. I have often said that I would put my small band
of people against any agency in Utah and the Western United
States."
LMJ has made small but steady in-roads into the advertising world and Mark says that he continues to grow as a business owner, father and significant other.
LMJ Marketing Group
PO Box 1251,
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
www.lmjmarketinggroup.com
sales@lmjmarketinggroup.com
801-725-4552

SEPTEMBER2007

AMERiCANATHEISf

29

Blasphemy
by Michael Schein
"Imagine there's no heaven; it's easy if you try; no hell below us; above us, only sky."
- John Lennon

Dear Lord, who ain't in Harlem,

who turned Lot's wife
into a pillar of dried tears,
hollowed be thy name.
Thy will be better
left undone;
I still get a chill
when I read Ezekiel:
I'll scatter the bones
of the children of Israel
round about their altars
for worshipping stones,
And when I'm done
killing everyone
they shall know that
I am the Lord.
Great motto for a batterer
or an ax murderer, God,
but not for a divine being
unless being divine means
delusions of grandeur
& inability
to manage anger.
Go ahead, God,
strike me down on the spot,
I don't believe in saviors,
I don't pray,
don't believe Jesus rose,
think abortion is ok,
think you & your fanatics
caused most
of history's misery,
Arabs versus Israelis,
fatwas & cartoon riots,
harmless eccentrics
burned as witches,
the massacre at
Mountain Meadows,
five-year-old widows
dead in Krishna's eyes,
the Satan shell game,

fear of Hell,
abused altar boys,
human sacrifice,
the Spanish Inquisition,
crusades & crucifixion,
jihad, nine-eleven,
shame & ostracism,
72 virgins in heaven,
Galileo, repressed libido,
& the whole damn
torture museum
in San Gimignano.
Before I wrap
this catalog of fright,
my dictionary says
rapture
is "ecstatic delight,"
but your most fervent pastors
& their followers
boast it's global genocide!
I might have guessed
from the woes applied
to your Chosen People
that you were into bondage,
but are you God
or the Marquis de Sade?
Ask yourself, dear God,
who created whom, & why?
Wouldn't it be odd
if we created you to succor
our fear of mortality,
& you used your power
to spread deaths grim pall
just because we can't agree
on how best to pray or is that what Holy Men call
working in mysterious ways?
Humans are not
the eat's meow
but surely we are no worse
than sacred cows.

There are mysteries

in the universes
& plenty of room
for wonder
without Godfather Doom
to plunder
from the gloomy clouds;
the Golden Rule
requires no faith
& faith requires no You;
no status-quo
nose-to-the-grindstone
paint-by-numbers
do-as- I-say-not -as-I-do
deity will ever make
nirvana out of a sow's ear.
Need I go further?
Why are you even taking this crap
from a punk like me, God?
C'mon, strike me down,
& don't cheat by acting
through some self-deluded zealot
who feels threatened by a poem do it yourself! with lightening!
You obviously don't give a damn
about human suffering,
how my children would weep;
remember Auschwitz
& the first-born in Egypt?
Even roday you stand by
while shamans with no shame
bomb children in your name
& you don't silence them
or wrapping killing lies
in ribbons of "God Bless" so I say,
What about
your trespasses?
If! were you
I'd be the one
asking forgiveness.

Michael Schein is a writer whose work appears in Slow Trains, Chrysanthemum, The Ledge,
Penitalia, Pontoon 8 & 9 (Floating Bridge Press), American Drivel Review, Elysian Fields, RockSalthlum, when it rains from the ground up, and an anthology, The Art of Bicycling (Breakaway
Books 2005). He has received several honors, including a recent Pushcart nomination. He is the
author of two historical novels. You may find out more about him at www.michaelschein.com

30

AMERICANATHEIST -

SEI'TEMBER2007

Foxhole Atheist of the Month

William F. Richards
A Posthumous Profile by Karen A. Richards
s a regular reader of your continuing series about Atheists in the military, I feel
compelled to share this story with you. No, I am not the Atheist in a foxhole,
but I can tell you of one. As a seventy-five year old female, and a lifelong
Atheist, I can now look back at the major influences in my life. Most certainly
the most influential person of my younger years, and a lingering influence
throughout my life was my father, William F.Richards.
Born in 1896 into an immigrant Irish-Catholic family, he
was the youngest male of eight children, and his early years
were captured by the strict dogma of the church. He saw
the inside of a church each day before attending parochial
school, and on each Sunday, he was an altar boy.
Shortly after high school graduation, the First World
War erupted, and the young William saw an opportunity to
escape the oppressive hold that the Catholic Church had
on his life, and he enlisted in the infantry, volunteering for
the medical corps. He had many questions about the life he
came from and its complexities, so he set out to find some
answers. Each time he encountered a priest or clergyman in
England or France, he asked very pertinent questions about
religion. From these supposedly learned "holy men" the only
answers he got were,"lt is not for us to question, but to have
faith, my son."
While with his company and serving as an ambulance
driver and weaving his way through a particularly fierce
battle to pick up the wounded, his vehicle was hit by a shell.
He managed to dive under the ambulance but was severely
wounded and was blinded in one eye, but his partner was
killed. After a long recovery, including many surgeries, he
was out to face the world and he was completely devoid of
religion.
After college and training to become a chiropractor he
and Mother started a family, which included myself, a sister
and a brother. Our father steadfastly maintained that no
religion should be cluttering small immature minds, and often said that, "If the church could indoctrinate children early
enough, they could have them for life." When we were old
enough to have questioning minds, we would be free to explore any religion, or no religion. He was a passionate advocate for education, knowledge
and reason. This philosophy has permeated throughout the lives of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, most of whom have explored education and freedom
of thought. What a legacy this foxhole Atheist has given his descendants. What a great
understanding of reality and freedom from supernatural dogma.