Newspaper Editor Apologizes to atheist(s) re: Hurricane Katrina (MS)

[Synnical]

SWEET! Keep up the letters, folks! We're making an impact.

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/news/editorial/12870081.htm

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Now to the second item: a gratuitous comment in an Editor's Notebook that picked up on the adage that atheists can't be found in foxholes. I opined that you could replace "foxholes" with "hurricanes."

I was wrong; atheists, like persons of many faiths, can be found in hurricanes. One of them, Steve Schlicht, a Gulfport police detective, wrote to me and gave a good accounting of how he, an atheist, survived Hurricane Katrina.

His home was wrecked by the storm, his family displaced, and he continues to work tirelessly for the people of Gulfport.

Sgt. Schlicht says that he is among 30 million atheists in America and a great many on the Coast, including at least two other officers in his force.

He says that atheists have raised money and brought clothing and other goods for our Katrina victims and that they accomplish much good both here and in the world.

Upon receiving his letter I invited the 41-year-old detective in for a visit. He is a caring and articulate spokesperson for his worldview and I was immediately sorry that I had employed the adage about atheists in foxholes in my discussion of how faith has been an important bedrock for many in the days following the devastation wrought by Katrina.

As Sgt. Schlicht points out, the assertion about atheists in hurricanes was simply wrong. Furthermore I should never have doubted that the storm was harmful to all people; clearly, we all suffered together. And while I have sought to constantly speak of our common plight and common hope, in this instance I did not.

My apologies go out to Steve Schlicht and those others who share his viewpoint, and I thank those atheists who have been helpful to us in the post-Katrina period.


Stan Tiner is vice president and executive editor of the Sun Herald, P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567; phone [phone]; e-mail, [e-mail]

[WhollyHeretic]

1. Thanks for posting this. It's nice to see stories like this. n/t

[onager]

2. Yes, thanks!

It is good to see this sort of story. The more this happens, the more people will think twice before they stereotype us.

I just realized: it feels good to even type about an "us."

[trotsky]

3. Stan Tiner is a brave and good man.

Lesser Christians would have shrugged their shoulders and said nothing when confronted with the reality of atheists being just as normal and moral as can be. Send a note of support to Mr. Tiner!

[progressoid]

4. Wow. I mean really. Wow.

Nice apology and kudos to Sgt. Sclicht for standing up and helping to break those stereotypes.