Its Dangerous For Children To Know Atheism Exists

[Lennon]

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2008/04/rep-monique-dav.html

The following exchange between atheist activist Rob Sherman of Buffalo Grove and Ill. Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) took place Wednesday afternoon in the General Assembly as Sherman testified before the House State Government Administration Committee.

Davis: I don’t know what you have against God, but some of us don’t have much against him. We look forward to him and his blessings. And it’s really a tragedy -- it’s tragic -- when a person who is engaged in anything related to God, they want to fight. They want to fight prayer in school.

I dont see you (Sherman) fighting guns in school. You know?

I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where people believe in protecting their children.… What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous--

Sherman: What’s dangerous, ma’am?

Davis: It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!

[peacebird]

1. it's dangerous to be an athiest, science is a lie, and the Bible is the only truth....

:puke:

the nuns used to teach me that science and the Bible could easily coexist - Gods "day" and ours are not necessarily the same length so Bibilical truth AND evolution are BOTH okay...

of course that was before the fundies and "religious 'right'" came into being....

[elijah]

10. where does the Bible teach evolution?

That must have been before people started reading the Bible also.....

[klyon]

17. welcome to DU

and your point is? I think the bible pre-dates evolution. The point was that many religious people that have read the bible see no conflict with "God created" and evolution.

[elijah]

22. Thanks!

Thank you for the welcome....and I believe that you can't reconcile the Bible and evolution.

[dmallind]

32. I think otherwise

Since even generously we can date the oldest parts of the Bible to no more than 3500 years ago, and evolution has been going on for billions of years, I think I can confidently assume evolution started first.

Yes people who not literalists can integrate the Bioble and biological evolution quite easily. But then people who are not literalists can aslo deny a virgin birth, a resurrection and even a historical Jesus too. It pretty much becomes simply a blank canvas anyone can write their own feelings and opinions on to. Which renders it no more than a leatherbound dream catcher with a few more "begats". Which of course means why bother with it at all? If it doesn't mean what it says, and we can't understamd the mind of God (I assume that tautology is OK), then it's all guesswork surely?

[jody]

2. The reference to Lincoln is interesting because by most accounts he was an atheist. n/t

[elijah]

9. Lincoln on the Bible

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has
given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated
through this book."
Abraham Lincoln
Source: September 7, 1864 - Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore
upon Presentation of a Bible

[Bill McBlueState]

14. consider the circumstance, though

If I were President during the Civil War, and a group called the "Loyal Colored People of Baltimore" sent me a Bible, I'd muster up the most positive things I could say about the Bible, even if I didn't necessarily believe its contents.

Cherrypicking this particular quote out of everything Lincoln said and wrote doesn't prove much.

[elijah]

16. not a member of christian church

"That I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never
denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional
disrespect of religion in general, or any denomination of Christians in particular."
Abraham Lincoln
Source: July 31, 1846 - Handbill Replying to Charges of Infidelity

[smoogatz]

18. It appears that Lincoln was religious, but not a "Christian" per se.

"His wife, Mary... reported after the assassination that her husband had indeed been 'a religious man always,' and 'felt religious more than ever about the time he went to Gettysburg' in 1863. But he had never qualified as 'a technical Christian.'"

http://www.slate.com/id/2134450/

[elijah]

21. atheist?

and he wasn't an atheist....right?

[smoogatz]

28. A quick Google search suggests he was not.

In fact, he appears to have struggled mightily with the nature of the Almighty. But that's the extent of my expertise.

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. Dang, that didn't make any sense

There may be underlying class antagonism here. Buffalo Grove is a suburb in a solidly affluent area. Rep. Davis represents the far South Side of Chicago, which has its share of urban problems. From the above snipppet, she seems to regard Sherman's cause as trivial.

[Warpy]

4. Nah, she's just a typical religious bully.

Unfortunately, they're abundant everywhere.

She, along with the rest of them, have no clue in the world that their churches are untouched by tax or regulation because WE who don't go to them are TOLERANT of THEM.

Even believers are getting sick to death of religious bullying by a loudmouthed minority who give all believers a bad name.

[PassingFair]

5. God must have hit her with the ugly stick for a reason!

Here's a pic of the lovely lunatic:

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DeSwiss]

6. ...

[JerseygirlCT]

7. No. That's stupid. Rather like asking whether it's dangerous for

kids to know rocks exist. Atheists exist. Don't like what they think? That's ok - or should be. But their existence is fact.

Now here's a return question, though: (and only asked with half a tongue in cheek) Is it dangerous for kids to know God exists?

As a believer, I can't grasp that some people seem to have such a shaky grip on their beliefs that they feel the need to restrict knowledge to their own particular way of seeing things. If they don't think that belief in God can withstand the light of day, or the existence of atheists, how strong can that belief really be?

Whether anyone else wishes to assert that God doesn't exist doesn't really affect me.

[elijah]

12. You're right the hypocrisy stinks

I can see the hypocrisy....and I also believe that everyone should have a right to their beliefs....no matter how wrong they are.

[Dorian Gray]

13. Well put, Jerseygirl!

I totally agree. :) Quelle surprise!

[SidDithers]

15. Kids know rocks exist. Kids can know religion exists...

Kids can even know that Christianity exits.

But kids, or anyone for that matter, can only believe that God exists.

Sid

[skepticscott]

8. I'll bet if you were to ask her

whether creationism should get equal time with evolution in science classrooms, she'd say "Yes, students should be given all points of view so that they can decide for themselves"

[smoogatz]

19. Atheism IS dangerous.

If you believe that the the thunder god is angered by non-belief, say, then you may feel it incumbent on you to punish non-believers in order to placate the thunder god. Who knows what disasters the thunder god will rain down upon us if we fail to believe in him with sufficient fervor? You just have to shake your head when you read this kind of stuff—it's so primitive, for lack of a better word. We are, unfortunately, a nation of magical thinkers.

[YankeyMCC]

20. "It is dangerous for children to know (insert anyother group with a minority view)

exist."

I'll bet a lot of people would come out in condemnation. I wonder if anyone other than the usual suspects, Freedom from Religion foundation, Humanist groups etc... will come out in condemn this statement directed at atheists?

Just wondering.

[maxsolomon]

23. children should not know that options to their indoctrination exist

for instance, once i learned about The Clash in 1978, Bad Company and their ilk SUCKED.

if i had never heard The Clash, or known of their existence, maybe i would have continued listening to cock rock.

[Taverner]

24. God has no business in a child's mind

My kid is growing up knowing that Churches are a sham

[JerseygirlCT]

26. That statement is only the other side of the same coin

While you are of course, free to teach your children as you wish, your view is equally intolerant, I'm afraid.

[Rhiannon12866]

25. As opposed to those ultra-religious polygamists in Texas,

who are guilty of abusing children, so the police have had to step in and rescue them... x(

[Lost-in-FL]

27. Davis: I dont see you (Sherman) fighting guns in school. You know?

Sherman: Ma'am, what are you talking about? The guns brought into school by xtian kids?

[onager]

29. Time for this useful quote again...

One of the most irrational of all the conventions of modern society is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected...

(This) convention protects them, and so they proceed with their blather unwhipped and almost unmolested, to the great damage of common sense and common decency.

That they should have this immunity is an outrage. There is nothing in religious ideas, as a class, to lift them above other ideas. On the contrary, they are always dubious and often quite silly.--H.L. Mencken

[SidDithers]

30. Olberman made her Worst Person in the World...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T35_vQms4Ck

Way to go, Keith!

Sid

[and-justice-for-all]

31. People with invisible friends are dangerous for children to know..

Dark age religious nonsense is just another lie they tell children, like Santa Clause, but for more damaging and dangerous than even a gun.

So fuck her and her invisible buddies.

"Gawds(s) don't kill people, people with gawds kill people."

[YankeyMCC]

33. Apology

Looks like KO's mention of here prodded her to make an apology:

http://www.wbbm780.com/Lawmaker-Apologizes-For-Comments-Against-Atheist/1980701

http://www.wbbm780.com/Lawmaker-Apologizes-For-Comments-Against-Atheist/1980701

[trotsky]

34. She deserves a hearty thank you for that.

Smaller people insult atheists and don't give a flying fuck.

I'll be sending her a note of thanks. I encourage others to do the same.

The Honorable Monique D. Davis
241-E Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706