Atheists sue to keep 'In God We Trust' off Capitol Visitor Center

[babylonsister]

Atheists sue to keep 'In God We Trust' off Capitol Visitor Center

By Rob Hotakainen | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — A California Republican congressman wants to do a little writing on the walls of Washington's newest federal building. If Rep. Dan Lungren gets his way, Congress will spend nearly $100,000 to engrave the words "In God We Trust" and the Pledge of Allegiance in prominent spots at the Capitol Visitor Center.

Lungren's proposal drew only a whimper of opposition last week when the House of Representatives voted 410-8 to approve it. Now, however, Lungren finds himself tussling with a national atheists and agnostics group.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation Inc. sued this week to stop the engraving, accusing Lungren of trying to force his religious beliefs on as many as 15 percent of all U.S. adults. That comprises "atheists, agnostics, skeptics and freethinkers, none of whom possess a belief in a god," according to the lawsuit.

"It really is a Judeo-Christian endorsement by our government, and so Lungren is wrong," said Dan Barker of Madison, Wis., a co-president of the foundation. "Lungren and others are pro-religious, and they want to actually use the machinery of government to promote their particular private religious views. That is unconstitutional, and that's what we're asking the court to decide."

The Senate has approved a similar plan introduced by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina. The congressional directive orders the Capitol architect to make the changes in the design of the $621 million center, which opened last December.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/72058.html

[Ian David]

1. Thank god for Atheists. n/t

[rhett o rick]

27. Gotta love that. nm

[TokenQueer]

2. Hooray!

:applause:

[Chemisse]

3. Keep your god in church, for god's sake!

I can understand having "In God We Trust" on old buildings. I can sympathize with those who do not what to take God out of the Pledge. But in this day and age, to engrave it on a NEW building is simply a kick in the teeth to all non-Christians.

[ensho]

12. kick

nt

[Senator]

4. It's Actually A Blasphemy For Most

Because most faiths (not all) hold that we have been endowed by our creator with free will. Therefore, we are free to trust in the deity or not. But...

...to declare that decision for others, let alone an entire nation, is arrogating to oneself a god-like authority.

Lungren is leading us all directly to hell.

---

[blondeatlast]

10. Very good point. I always thought that the divine spirit in which I believe would be

offended by this stuff--s/he doesn't need the help, thank you very much.

[Senator]

22. Still, your DS sounds like...

...the more tolerant, forgiving end of the spectrum.

If Lungren's trust is in an Old-Testy Wrathful One type, he might be in for the Big Smite.

--

[BlueJazz]

5. Why don't we just put a Altar and some Pews in the place ?

..Or better yet, inscibe the beliefs of every Religion on earth ??

[jgraz]

6. The "Elite Eight" who voted with the Constitution

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll515.xml

John Conyers (D-MI)
Donna Edwards (D-MD)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Mike Honda (D-CA)
Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Ron Paul (R-TX)
Bobby Scott (D-VA)
Pete Stark (D-CA)

If your CongressCritter isn't on this list, mebbe you should call them and ask why.

[BolivarianHero]

23. Kucinich? Sanders?

WTF?

[jgraz]

24. Bernie Sanders has missed a lot of House votes lately

Being in the Senate will do that to ya. :P

[rhett o rick]

29. Still that's no excuse.

:sarcasm:

[jgraz]

32. Hey, I'd be in favor of letting him vote in both houses.

While we're at it, let's put him on the Supreme Court and elect him president.

[rhett o rick]

36. I'm in. Is a Constitutional amendment needed? nm

[Ikonoklast]

41. We can pray for one.

[subcomhd]

39. I'm up for all of that. n/t

[Vickers]

7. Are they going to give the stonemason an IOU?

:eyes:

Way to spend money you don't have, dumbasses.

[Deja Q]

26. Agreed, wholly.

[S_E_Fudd]

8. Good...go get em...nt

[blondeatlast]

9. Good for them--and I'm a Christian. We built the best government (at its heart) in the world--

let's stick to honoring that.

At times, they piss me off, but mostly I give thanks for the atheists, etc.

[rhett o rick]

30. OK. You got some 'splainin' to do.

What do you mean "we built the best government"? Who do you mean we?

And when do atheists piss you off?

[lunatica]

11. Why are atheists getting all the credit for wanting separation of church and state

?

I'm neither an atheist or a christian nor a follower or believer of any other religion, but I want church and state to remain separate.

[Fumesucker]

13. Who stepped up to the plate?

If non-athiest organizations oppose this sort of thing then I welcome their lawsuits against it.

[lunatica]

15. Are you saying only atheists are stepping up to the plate?

Because if you are then you're wrong. And I don't need to give you any link to prove the truth

[Solomon]

18. No, the poster is saying that it's the athiests who are

filing the lawsuits.

[Fumesucker]

35. From the title of the OP....

Atheists sue to keep 'In God We Trust' off Capitol Visitor Center

I don't see anything there about anyone else suing, perhaps you could provide a link to "the truth"?

[Obamanaut]

14. Waste of $. Can't afford it. NT

[anonymous171]

16. I agree with the atheists. These theocrats need to be put in their place. nt

[sarcasmo]

17. Kick for another good Atheist move, I mean how can it be In God we trust when

We are a nation of multiple religions and non believers.

[JitterbugPerfume]

19. I am sick and tired of being assulted with GOD

everywhere I look . Believers have the same rights as athiests , and vice versa but they try to take over the public square at every opportunity and I for one am sick of it.

[Arugula Latte]

40. Yo tambien. nt

[Fearless]

20. How about something else...

In Americans We Trust? In You We Trust? In The Flying Spaghetti Monster We Trust?

Or something more realistic. In Oil We Trust. In Debt We Trust.

:shrug:

Why is this even a point of contention at all?

[johnaries]

21. Whatever happened to E Pluribus Unum?

"From Many, One"? I thought that was supposed to be our National Motto. Or is it because it's in a "foreign" language?

[dana_b]

25. the God warriors have taken over

E Pluribus Unum isn't reflected in many parts of our society anymore - although neither is In God We Trust. The whole thing is just a ploy by these right wing fundies to get over their POV that we're a Christian nation. sigh. Let's save the $$ and leave it as is.

[rhett o rick]

28. He was banned. nm

[The Straight Story]

34. Got unrec'd

:rofl:

[RobinA]

38. Sounds Communistic

to me. One? ONE? Collectivism creeping when no one is looking.

[Ladyhawk]

31. OK, my disability gets docked over $50 and they take away my health care.

...And they wanna pay $100,000 to put "in god WE trust" on a fucking building? I'll never see that much money in my lifetime. And no "WE" don't all trust in god. I am an atheist.

[Warren DeMontague]

33. "All others pay cash" nt

[readmoreoften]

37. awesome.

I'm for it.

[ColbertWatcher]

42. Someone should add an amendment that says ...

... for every new addition of some Christian phrase in a public space, Reagan's name is removed from another.

That should slow the GOPers down a bit.