Atheists win fight over high school football team’s religious monument
Source: Washington Times
By Jessica Chasmar - The Washington Times - Thursday, October 16, 2014
A controversial monument at the entrance of a Georgia high school football stadium will be altered to remove its biblical scripture after atheists complained it was offensive.
The Madison County school board voted unanimously Tuesday night to have the monument altered, following a nearly two-hour closed session to discuss the issue, Madison Journal Review reported.
The monument gained national attention when it was erected in August. Two different groups sent letters to the school system arguing that it violates the separation of church and state and demanding it be removed.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/16/atheists-win-fight-over-high-school-football-teams/
The original article in the Georgia paper ran yesterday, and the meeting was on Tuesday night.
Updated: Biblical scriptures will be removed or covered on monument
Posted by Margie Richards
Wednesday, October 15. 2014
Updated: 3 hours ago
The controversial monument bearing Biblical scripture in front of the high school football field house will be modified to comply with state and federal laws, which means the Biblical scriptures will be removed or covered.
That was the unanimous decision of the Madison County school board Tuesday night, following a nearly two-hour closed session to discuss the issue.
The closed session followed public comments from three citizens who had signed up to speak on the issue. All three speakers, Anna Martin, Jess Martin and Theresa Gordon, spoke in favor of leaving the monument just as it is. Loud applause followed each speaker’s comments.
....
Gordon spoke on behalf of the monument first, saying she believed it was her duty as a Christian to speak up for the monument. ... “We are not here as haters, we are here to love all,” she said. “It seems as if these (atheist) groups are here as haters, willing to spend millions to remove God from (our society), which means they are antichrists by definition – they must have hatred in their hearts to fight so hard to remove Him from this small object that was placed for others to enjoy.”
Apparently, the words from the Bible were not part of the original design. From the article:
The monument has gained state and national attention since its unveiling in August.
....
Meanwhile, the identity of who decided to place the scripture on the monument remains a secret. The monument was donated by North Georgia Monuments and All Sports Consulting and Construction. Tim Huguley of North Georgia Monuments said recently that the plans for scripture on the monument were made by someone from All Sports. He said he thought the first name of the person was “Clint,” but he didn’t know the last name.
There is a large sign for All Sports at the high school football field, but it includes no phone number. The Madison County Journal filed an open records request last week with the county school system seeking any documents related to All Sports. {Superintendent Allen McCannon} said there are no such papers to turn over.
“There are no documents with All Sports,” he said, adding that the only record of All Sports being involved with the monument is the inscription on the actual monument.
= new reply since forum marked as read
state and federal laws, and refers to those seeking compliance 'haters.'
I have little hope for us all.
never really thought of it that way
Never too old to learn 
I was deeply moved by the reported comments of Theresa Gordon:
We are not here as haters, we are here to love all,” she said. “It seems as if these (atheist) groups are here as haters, willing to spend millions to remove God from (our society), which means they are antichrists by definition – they must have hatred in their hearts to fight so hard to remove Him from this small object that was placed for others to enjoy.
They (Fundie Christians) really don't get us. They think we are haters. And truth to tell, there are a lot of non-Christians, who do hate them. That's why I keep telling DU and KOS folks not to hate them, even tho' they are bigoted and ignorant. This woman is so encased in her Christian belief system, that her sense of self is totally identified, attached, solidified with everything Jesus. She's like a fish in water that doesn't know what water is until it's hauled into the boat. Anything that challenges her religion being everywhere, including over my personal boundaries, is a threat not to her religion, but to her sense of self. BTW: I'm a Buddhist.
The supposed citations on the monument are really quite offensive.
If God be for us, who can be against us?” from Romans 8:31, and, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” from Philippians 4:13.
Of all the Bible quotes to be had, wouldn't you know it would be their rather supremacist sounding ones. Well for starters, the people, who are offended by having somebody else's religion shoved in their face everyday are agin ya. And no, Jesus isn't even going to overcome the County School Board to keep the plaque up. It just seems to me that if the purpose of the monument was to inspire students to measure up to challenges and achieve goals, which is what those scriptures are supposed to mean, there are a hell of a lot of other quotes that would not offend people. But not offending non-Christians never occurs to them because our religions/non-religions are simply not valid in their world view. We don't count, except for bragging rights if they bring somebody to Jesus.
Religious art does not belong in public schools. But ... if I had to choose one religious thingy to put up in a public school, it would definitely be Mark Twain's The War Prayer.
Found a photo of the "monument" and the school's football team, filing out of what looks like an aluminum shed.
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Georgia high school’s statue ignites ire of atheist groups
Published September 28, 2014
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/28/georgia-high-schools-statue-ignites-ire-atheist-groups/
