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AMERICAN ATHEISTS
is a non-profit, non-political, educational organization dedicated to the complete and absolute separation of state
and church. We accept the explanation of Thomas 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 all religions and promote a more thorough
understanding of them, their origins, and their histories;
to advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawful ways the complete and absolute separation of state and church;
to advocate, labor for, and promote in all lawfulways the establishment and maintenance of a thoroughly secular
system of education available to all;
to encourage the development and public acceptance of a human ethical system stressing the mutual sympathy,
understanding, and interdependence of all people and the corresponding responsibility of each individual in
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Materialism declares that the cosmos is devoid of immanent conscious purpose; that it is governed by its own
inherent, immutable, and impersonal laws; that there is no supernatural interference in human life;that man finding his resources within himself - can and must create his own destiny. Materialism restores to man his dignity
and his intellectual integrity. It teaches that we must prize our lifeon earth and strive always to improve it. It holds
that man is capable of creating a social system based on reason and justice. Materialism's "faith" is in man and
man's ability to transform the world culture by his own efforts. This is a commitment which is in its very essence
life-asserting. It considers the struggle for progress as a moral obligation and impossible without noble ideas that
inspire man to bold creative works. Materialism holds that humankind's potential for good and for an outreach to
more fulfillingcultural development is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.
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American Atheists - P.O. Box 2117 - Austin, TX 78768-2117
July 1986
American Alhist
A Journal
of Atheist
Editor's Desk
R. Murray-O'Hair
Director's Briefcase
Jon G. Murray
Ask A.A.
Changing of the Guard - Dr. Madalyn O'Hair steps aside from the presidency of American Atheists - 7
Zion - Atheists, fundamentalists,
and the KKK meet in a small Illinois
town, the First Amendment is abused,
and controversy flares - 8
36
40
15
Historical Notes
42
43
Book Review
15
46
Crosswords
47
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July 1986
Page 1
American Atheist
Editor/R. Murray-O'Hair
Editor Emeritus/Dr, Madalyn O'Hair
Managing Editor/Jon G. Murray
Assistant Editor/Gerald Tholen
Poetry/Angeline Bennett, Gerald Tholen
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Tholen
Secretary/R. Murray-O'Hair
Treasurer/Brian J. Lynch
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Ellen Johnson, Scott Kerns, Minerva Massen,
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O'Hair, Henry Schmuck, Noel Scott, Gerald
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Officers and Dir~ctors may be reached at P.O.
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SOl(c)(3).)
Page 2
REGRETS
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July 1986
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American Atheist
A DECLARATION
OF AN HONEST MAN
~~
(\
~~
)--------------------------
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 3
Page 4
Atheist Wimps
I am fed up with pseudo-Atheists, too.
I now find myself in the position of not
being able to talk on the telephone to some
persons who call themselves Atheists without getting into an argument. I can't attend a
meeting of any Chapter without getting into
an argument with one or more of the persons in attendance. I can't answer some of
the letters directed to The American Atheist
Center without creating an enemy. Why?
All of you Atheists seem to be stuck on a
list of subjects that you cannot get past to do
anything else. Let me enumerate the most
prominent ones.
Agnosticism
I am asked "Wouldn't agnosticism be a
better position for the organization to take
than Atheism?" No, it would not. If you
have a belief system and you believe in
supernatural powers of any kind, by any
name, then you are a religionist plain and
simple. Religion is a matter of faith, or belief.
Either you believe or you don't. If you don't
have a god belief system, you are an Atheist.
Ifyou do, you are a theist. There is no middle
ground. It is like being a little bit pregnant;
either you are pregnant or you are not. Ifyou
harbor any doubts that there may be "something out there that we don't know about
that could be 'God,' " then you are a theist.
An Atheist knows that the concept of "god"
is not possible or logical, and that is that. He
does not waste his time going round-theroundabout "whether or not there is a god"
in a pointless "which came first - the
chicken or the egg?" type argument.
We have said all we are going to say and
wasted as much print as we are going to
waste on agnostics in the September 1985
issue of the American Atheist. It's a closed
subject.
I am an Atheist and not an agnostic. I head
an Atheist organization, not an organization
of wimps. I willspeak as an Atheist, and I will
say that there is no such thing as a god as
long as I shall live, in the same way as I shall
say that Peter Pan does not really exist.
An agnostic is basically an intellectual
wimp. Just add enough courage and you
have the makings of a primitive Atheist.
Dialogue With Religionists
I once went to Reno, Nevada, and appeared on a talk show with a priest. I refused
to shake his hand when he came onto the
set, and I have been refusing ever since. It
would dirty me to shake the hand of an
enemy of humankind. Many Atheists don't
like that. Many of you want me to be kind
and to show respect to religious leaders and
to try to dialogue with them to work out our
July 1986
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
July 1986
PageS
Page 6
ASK A.A.
July 1986
THE YATICAII
MOSCOW
WASHIIIGTOI
ALlIAIICE
By
'''0 M.n
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 1
ZION
Sherman called The American Atheist
Center. Could we do anything about it?
There was only one question to answer: Did
we have a member of American Atheists
living in Zion? There was one; Sherman
decided to complain. On April 2, he was
back in Zion to attend a city council meeting
to ask the born-again mayor and city council
to take god out of the city slogan and the
emblem. The city chaplain opened the meeting with "a short religious message and
prayer," and a city commissioner told
Sherman "to go somewhere where you're
wanted." Even as the city attorney and the
mayor were agreeing to at least discuss the
idea, amid the shouting of "Amens," a resident stood up to say that since "this country
was built on Christianity," if he [Rob Sherman] did not like it, "he can leave."
To no avail, Sherman pointed out that the
city, awash in religious signs, reflected a
theocracy instead of a democracy. To his
astonishment, the mayor agreed and gave
him a small book outlining its history.
The History
Rob Sherman
There probably has never been a nonnews story such as that of the seal of the city
of Zion, in the history of the Chicago area, or
of the United States for that matter.
It all began innocently enough, on March
30, 1986. Robert Sherman, director of the
Chicago Chapter of American Atheists
decided to take advantage of the light traffic
on other people's Sabbath to drive north to
Winthrop Harbor on the Wisconsin border.
to visit one of his business clients. As he
passed through Zion his attention was directed to the city's water tower, which
sported a cross, a dove, a crown, a scepter,
and a ribbon in which were the words "God
reigns." Stunned, he could not believe it and
decided to drive through the town, where he
found that everything in the city bore the
seal: police cars, stop signs, garbage trucks,
ambulances, street signs, police shoulder
patches.
The names of the streets on which he
drove all were biblical references.
Page 8
Zion was founded in 1902 by John Alexander Dowie, a Pentecostal minister and
faith healer from Australia, a leader in the
Christian Catholic church. Dowie's chief
claim to fame among his followers was that
he could cure cancer. He envisaged Zion as
a place of salvation, what he designated as
the "City of God." For its motto, he chose,
"Where God Rules, Man Prospers."
People could not buy land in Zion; rather,
they were required to sign 1,100-year leases
in god's name since Christ was expected to
return before the leases expired. The practice of medicine was forbidden, and hence
there were no doctors in this city of faith
healing. Residents were forbidden to drink,
smoke, swear, or spit. Women were forbidden to wear male attire, particularly pants.
Even today the ban on alcohol persists.
Looking back now, its declaration of
intent is peculiar even for 1902:
Zion City was founded, and is being
built, for the purpose of the extension
of the Kingdom of God upon earth.
It is to this end that it is made a City
where God shall rule in every department of family, industrial, commercial, educational, ecclesiastical, and
political life.
July 1986
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 9
The Challenge
When Rob Sherman faced off with the
City Council and the mayor, a promise was
made that the seal and city motto would be
reviewed and that the city attorney would
get back to Sherman within six weeks. Yet,
their hostility showed through enough that
newspaper reporters covering the Council
meeting remarked on it. At the time of the
confrontation, however, Mr. Sherman did
not know of the history of Zion. The minister
of the Christian Catholic church meanwhile
was putting the finger on what would be the
tender spot of the entire confrontation:
"Why is this guy raising a ruckus? He's an
Page 10
July 1986
American Atheist
one night shortly thereafter an Atheist electrical engineer put the lights out.
But during it all there was a continuing
fight in Bernalillo County, New Mexico,
where the county seal sported a cross and
the words Con esta vencemos. Any student
of religion knew, of course, that these were
the words of the Emperor Constantine when
he (allegedly) saw a cross in the sky and
(allegedly) turned to Christianity from paganism. The only new addition was that in
New Mexico the language was Spanish; in
Rome it had been Latin. In either language
the intent was clear: "With this sign [the
cross] we conquer." The seal was legally
challenged there also. But on December 21,
1981,a federal district court handed down a
decision in Johnson v. Board of County
Commissioners of Bernalillo County, 528
F.Supp. 919, to the effect that separation of
state and church is not possible. The seal
was found to have a "secular purpose" for its
existence and that was one of authenticating
officialdocuments and facilitating identification of county property and personnel. This
case was appealed to the U.S. Court of
Appeals, Tenth Circuit, and a divided panel
affirmed the lower court. An appeal was
made for a rehearing before the full court
panel, which was had, and a 5-2 decision was
finally handed down in that case, Friedman
v. Board of County Commissioners of Bernalillo County, 781 F.2d 777, on December
26,1985.
Basically the court held that the seal, as
used, conveys a strong impression to the
average observer that Christianity is being
endorsed by the county, that this offended
the Establishment Clause of the First
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and that the use of such a seal
was, therefore, unconstitutional.
Bernalillo County, using taxpayer funds
for this case which was then already five
years in litigation, appealed the decision to
the United States Supreme Court. That
body has granted certiorari (review) and the
case of the Bernalillo County seal will be
heard in the next session of that court.
Sherman was apprised of this. He honestly thought that he might be able to persuade the officials of the City of Zion to
change their seal and habit of displaying the
seal and motto everywhere. The American
Atheist Center officials gave him approval to
see what he could do.
He went back again and again to Zion to
negotiate however he could. "This is the
most clear-cut and dramatic case in American history of a town flouting the constitutional rule of separation of state and
church," he told them. The media began to
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 11
Black Zion police officer protecting Klansmen who threaten constitution defender
Rob Sherman.
and the Ku Klux Klan residents in Zion had trary to the Establishment Clause."
And by the end of the first week of contaken an interest in the matter, supporting
both the city and the seal. This did not deter
troversy the mayor was stating that "It's a
struggle between Satan and God." But, by
the minister-mayor from spreading the
biased word about "the Atheist" on his radio April 9 the newspapers in the area had
something to say about it all, editorially.
program titled "The Heart and. Heaven
Hour." He declared that his own earnest
The Chicago Tribune thought that the
prayers were simply for Sherman to repent.
"theoretical flap" could be "easily resolved
with common sense." The Christian seal of
Finally, one small media item appeared
Zion "has lost whatever connotations it
concerned with an octogenarian couple
might once have had. The emblem has
found, who had an oil painting of the founder
passed into the status of historical artifact."
of the city, done by "a man whose daughter
was the first Chicago person to be cured of The only one who has a right to be offended,
the editorial writer thought, was the Chriscancer by Dowie's faith healing." (Mother
tian who might "think it blasphemy to put a
Seton, eat your heart out!) "The cancer
came out of the little girl's mouth. It was cross on a garbage truck." There is no reastored in a jar of alcohol as proof of the faith son, he concluded, that a "secular nation
must scourge itself of all traces of its past in
healing." But another resident wasn't allthat
enthusiastic about Zion: "There's no video order to live up to the current interpretaplaces, no pool halls, nothing for kids to do. tions of its religious liberties."
The entire editorial was an artful, albeit
It seems like they want to keep it the way it
was one hundred years ago." Another said devious, support of Christian symbolism in
that the controversy masked the crime and Zion. The blatant misinterpretations and
errors in just the last quote (above) would
the need for street repairs, that the citizens
didn't care whether the street signs had take a book to answer.
The News-Sun editorial of the same day
crosses or not, or ifGod really reigns in Zion.
When Sherman did contact the A.C.L.U.
made a subtle endorsement of the Atheist
for assistance in any case ifit should come to activity. It backhanded Sherman, "Though
many would question the wisdom of the
that, the Illinois Civil Liberties Union attorney had an extended conversation with Dr. Atheists who screamed when they found
O'Hair at The American Atheist Center in what they perceived as evil in such an obAustin, Texas. That attorney felt that "a scure location, ... there is something to be
said for official restraint. The authors of the
more appropriate plaintiff" than an Atheist
would be needed, although the seal was "an U.S. Constitution refrained from religious
explicit endorsement of religion; clearly con- comment in that respected official docu-
Page 12
July 1986
ment."
The Zion-Harbor
News, apparently
owned by the church, depicted Sherman as
"an intruder" who wanted to "destroy"
Christian symbols because he was "a selfproclaimed Atheist."
Sherman, meanwhile, knowing that he
was in a no-win situation, presented a compromise plan that if the city of Zion would
but agree "not to paint the seal on anymore
public buildings or instigate anymore large
displays of it," he would delay any court
action. Of course, this was the solution
which the Georgia federal district court had
found. Sherman also suggested that since
the New Mexico case was in the U.S.
Supreme Court, "if the city officials want to,
we can both sit back and wait to see what the
final decision is before we move ahead. This
[the Zion seal] is not an emergency situation .
. . . It's been going on for eighty-six years and
a few more months doesn't have to be a
major concern." A City Commissioner replied, "I'll make a deal with that clown when
hell freezes over. We just got a new $100,000
garbage truck, the seal has already been
painted on that, and I just might have
another couple painted on it."
It was April 11, and Rob Sherman was
taping a cable television show in the same
building that houses the Palatine Police
Department when he noticed a display of
police patches from across Illinois. One of
those, bearing religious symbolism, was that
of the City of Palatine, near Chicago. He
determined then to complain about that seal
also.
The mayor of Zion was at the same time
announcing that five attorneys had come
forward, all of whom would defend the city
seal at absolutely no cost ifa case was begun
to challenge it. Meanwhile, suggestions
rolled in: that every Christian home should
have a lighted cross on its rooftop; that
crosses "should be erected everywhere to
befuddle Atheists and fellow travelers."
Undaunted, Sherman stopped in Palatine
during the regular board meeting to announce, 'The time has come for government to get out of the business of promoting
religion in general and Christianity in particular." He was met with angry residents,
wearing crucifixes and waving dollar bills on
which the phrase "In God We Trust" is evident. The city fathers of Palatine declined to
accept any complaint dealing with the religious symbolism on its seal.
On April 16, there was a turn to the ominous when four members of the Ku Klux
Klan turned up in full regalia at the Zion City
Council meeting. The first order of business
was to refuse Sherman the right to speak.
American Atheist
';.'~/c~:;~WV~;
" ,?~/.:~f:
<
Shiloh Tabernacle -1902. The Tabernacle was built to seat the entire population of the town, which Dowie built as a theocracy
- an early model of a North American Jonestown. The building seated 8,000 persons and was filled often to capacity with
required attendance.
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 13
Page 14
July 1986
Duplacey, Hainesville.
Ibid., p. B4, "Atheist's Baptist client not
here."
Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL, May 12,
1986, in Tempo, pp. 1,3, "Atheist patrolling war zone between church and state,"
"Field marshal of atheists patrols war
zone between church, state." by Jim
Spencer, photos by Ron Bailey and Don
Casper.
The News-Sun, Lake County, IL, May 21,
1986, p. 1, " 'Circus' in Zion, Klan
arrested; council firm on seal," by Tony
Gordon, staff writer, photos by Jonathan
Daniel.
Zion-Harbor News, Zion, IL, May 22, 1986,
p. 1, "Deny Sherman right to speak,
Council refuses to change city seal," by
Jack Hagler, photos by Ray Scifo.
Ibid., p. 1, "9 Klansmen arrested."
Ibid., p. 17, Raymond Mostek, in "Our
Readers Write."
Agenda, Zion City Council Meeting, April
15,1986.
An Ordinance providing for the Corporate
Seal for the City of Zion, Passed and
approved May 16, 1902.
A Zion Community non-Christian person,
Will Zion Illinois have an inquisition?
mimeographed sheet, dated April 6, 1986.
Cook, Philip L., Zion City, Illinois - John
Alexander Dowie's Theocracy, Zion, IL,
Zion Historical Society, Series 2,1970.
Dowie, John Alexander, Leaves of Healing,
"The City of Zion," May 3, 1902, p. 66.
Edgar, Jim, Secretary of State, Handbook of
Illinois Government, 1985-1986, printed
by the authority of the State of Illinois,
April 1985.
Friedman v. Board of County Commissioners of Bernalillo County, 781 F.2d 777
(lOthCir., Dec. 26, 1985).
Johnson v. Board of County Commissioners, 528 F.Supp. 919, (N.M., 1981).
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Zion
City Council, April 1, 1986.
O'Hair, Madalyn, "Mottoes," in "News and
Comments," American Atheist, February
1984, Vol. 26, No. 21, p, 8.
Sherman, Robert, "Address to Palatine, Illinois, Village Board of Trustees," April 14,
1986.
Taylor, Jabez, The Development of the
City of Zion, 24 page booklet, no publication date.
Zion, Illinois, Oklahoma City, OK, MosherAdams, Inc., 1984, 18 page booklet.
American Atheist
SWEET
SIXTEENTH
That's what the Sixteenth Annual National Convention of American Atheists was
like - if you stripped the description of it
down to the bones. But "the Convention"
cannot be described in just one sentence.
The conventions are blurs of activities,
greetings, friend-makings, discussions, lectures, and exchanges. Each one has its O\Nn
distinct taste, flavor, and feel that only participants can really appreciate.
Held in Somerset, New Jersey, on April
18, 19, and 20 (American Atheists had not
had a convention in the New York area since
1976), this year's American Atheists Convention began quietly enough. On Friday,
April 18, the Board of Directors of American
Atheists met to discuss business matters,
while the registration table tried to keep up
with the chore of providing each conventioneer with his or her tickets, packets, and
folders. (Allconventioneers receive specially
prepared souvenir presentation folders every year.)
Outings to area sites of special interest to
Atheists are an annual convention event.
Several busloads of Atheists participated in
special tours of Edison's West Orange
Laboratory during the early afternoon.
Later in the day a press conference was held
for the local media, and Chapter officers
from over twenty states met to discuss local
strategies.
Atheists rarely have a chance to socialize
and speak their minds at the same time,
because of the religious hostility to reason
and, hence, the Atheist position. It is no
wonder that they look forward to the annual
members' cocktail reception and banquet.
Stunningly-dressed
Atheist women and
sharp-looking Atheist men gathered Friday
evening and filledthe banquet room with the
sounds of good conversation. Outstanding
members of American Atheists were honored with awards during the course of the
dinner.
The banquet wasn't all just jocular fun,
Austin, Texas
however. First, Madalyn O'Hair, the founder of American Atheists, announced to the
surprised celebrants that she was stepping
aside from her position as president of
American Atheists and its affiliates. She
introduced a new Board of Directors (see
"News & Comments") and, with special
fondness and pride, announced a unanimous vote of the Board that Robin MurrayO'Hair was to take the previous position of
Jon G. Murray as the Secretary to the corporation, Society of Separationists, Inc.,
while Jon Murray moved into the presidency. The announcements were met with
enthusiastic applause.
Dr. O'Hair then asked all members to
stop to honor previous Atheist heroes in a
candlelight memorial which she delivered in
praise of Atheists of the past. Gerald
Tholen, the poet laureate of American Atheists, delivered a specially prepared poem for
the event. Afterwards, Frank Zindler of
"The Probing Mind" tickled everyone's
funny bone with his presentation of "Fun
with Dial-An-Atheist."
Saturday
July 1986
Page 15
SO
WHAT
~EAR~
Page 16
July 1986
American Atheist
...,....
AWARD-WINNING
ATHEISTS
American Atheists is filled with special
people - from the member who faithfully
brings refreshments to every meeting of his
Chapter to the volunteer spokesperson who
puts his living on the line by appearing on
talk shows. It's difficult to enumerate and
thank each person who has done something
- however large or small- to make Atheism move forward. But an attempt to do so
has to be made.
Every year, American Atheists gives out a
handful of awards to individuals and Chapters which have made a particularly outstanding effort on behalf of "the cause."
Often the award-bestowing decisions are
quite difficult. This year, for instance, five
Chapters of American Atheists seemed to
deserve the "Chapter of the Year" award; all
five had been doing extraordinary jobs during 1985. The decision was only reached
through hairsplitting.
Some awards are given irregularly, and of
course, it is impossible to give recognition to
everyone. But American Atheists tries.
So - drum roll, please - the awardwinning Atheists of 1985 were:
American Atheist of the Year: To Larry
A. F. Ford of Findley, Ohio, for his participation in the law suit Ford v. Manuel, which
removed Bible classes from the Findley public schools. The story of his suit was
recounted in the November 1985issue of the
American Atheist.
Most Hated Atheist of the Year: To
Frank Zindler, director of the Ohio Chapter of American Atheists, for his total defiance of the theists of Ohio as he battled
through presentations before the Ohio legislature, at seminars, in the media, and on
campuses, against the onslaught of the creationists, the pro-lifers, the tuition tax-credit
maniacs, and others, while skillfullyguiding a
Chapter. At the same time, he was involved
in research and writing for the American
Atheist - and working full time.
This award is given each year by Arnold
Via, founder of the Prison Atheist League of
America, to the Atheist spokesperson most
disliked by the religious community because
of his tenacity in putting forth the Atheist
position. Previous recipients included Jon
G. Murray, director of the American Atheist
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 17
and did a dozen other jobs with such efficiency and cheerfulness that the director of
her Chapter mounted a campaign with the
National office of American Atheists to see
that she received this award.
Pioneer Atheist Award: This is given to
individuals who have in their lives made significant contributions to the furtherance of
the Atheist cause. This is a once in a lifetime
award. The recipient this year was John
Marthaler of Mississippi. He has shown
.w,
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:.
Page 18
July 1986
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
--
--
<:
July 1986
Page 19
,.w, :
:.
Page 20
July 1986
The Sermon
The Bible itself claims not only to be
inspired, but also to be an irreproachable
moral guide:
2 Timothy 3:16-17:
All scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may
be complete, equipped for every good
work.
Yet, Robert Ingersoll astutely observed
that it does not actually matter whether or
not the Bible is inspired - it only matters
whether or not the Bible is true. I recently
debated with a Baptist minister and pointed
out that in the area of sex the Scriptures
reveal nothing but superstition, fear, primitive thinking, and gross misunderstanding
of even the most basic sexual functions. His
answer was that Jehovah chose not to
reveal everything to Israel because they
were not ready for it. This fundamentalist
preacher equates ignorance and irrational
belief with impartial revelation from on high.
Ah, the workings of the mystical mind never
cease to amaze and confound me!
In today's address, I wish to consider
twenty examples that I call biblical sex principles. Unlike the Ten Commandments,
which were given by Jehovah to Moses on
Mt. Sinai and engraved in tablets of stone,
these twenty rules for sexual conduct are
my own invention, and I shall enumerate
them for you with my tongue very much in
cheek.
Part A. Incest - Implied And Real
Section L In The Beginning Was Incest
The opening chapter of Genesis gives two
versions of the creation myth - one in
which man and woman are created simultaneously arid another in which Eve is formed
from one of Adam's ribs. True believers are
free to choose which viewpoint they find
more appealing. But with regard to how the
rest of the world was populated beyond their
sons, Cain and Abel, there is only one inescapable conclusion - they cohabited with
their own unnamed sisters.
Fundamentalists attempting to rationalize
American Atheist
goes.
Baptist Minister: In your The X-Rated
Bible, are you saying that the Word of God is
as bad as pornographic magazines like
Playboy, Penthouse, and Forum?
Me: I'm saying that Playboy, Penthouse,
and Forum do not claim to be inspired.
Baptist Minister: Oh sure, there's a lot of
immorality mentioned in the Scriptures, but
God always uses those examples to teach us
a moral lesson about what we should not do.
Me: What about Lot's two daughters getting
their father drunk and then becoming pregnant by him?
Baptist Minister: They did that because
they were the only survivors after God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their perversion and terrible sinfulness.
Me: But the account says that they hid in a
cave near Zoar because Lot was fearful of
the people nearby.
Baptist Minister: Well then his daughters
thought they were the only ones left on
earth.
Me: So why did they have to get Lot drunk?
Wouldn't he have understood the wisdom of
their plan to repopulate a devastated world?
Baptist Minister: God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform!
Part B. Sexual Pollution
Section 3. The Female Curse
Biblical Sex Principle #3 exhorts: "Although I, Jehovah, have created all women
with a menstrual cycle as part of their reproductive system, every time your monthly
period occurs, you are dirty, you are filthy,
you are unclean. If you engage in sexual
intercourse while menstruating, you shall be
put to death. You are similarly defiled when
giving birth. Upon producing a male child,
you are polluted for only forty days, but after
bearing a female baby, you are twice as contaminated for a period of eighty days.
Remember that all you females deserve this
fate because Eve ate that forbidden apple in
my Garden of Eden and, by tempting Adam,
caused the downfall of the entire human
race, the beginning of original sin, and, most
important of all, a brand-new use for the fig
leaf."
Section 4. Onan's Fatal Orgasm
Onan's fateful act of spilling his seed on
the ground was not an act of sexual selfgratification, despite the nearly universal use
of the term onanism as a synonym. for masturbation. It was simply a case of Onan
deciding not to fulfillthe Levirate law, which
required that he impregnate his deceased
brother's childless wife. His defiant act of
disobedience and coitus interruptus cost
him his life and specifically points to Biblical
Sex Principle #4: (for men only) "If your
brother dies before fathering any progeny, it
is y.our obligation to go in to your childless,
widowed sister-in-law and to get her pregnant. But don't you dare to withdraw from
her vagina before ejaculating for I, Jehovah,
am a vengeful god, and ifyou do pull out, she
willthink you are coming, but you really will
be going."
Part C. Homosexuality
Section 5. Lot Thwarts A Gay Mob Assault
In Sodom
When the men of Sodom pounded loudly
on Lot's door and commanded him to send
his two male houseguests outside for a gay
gang rape, he immediately offered them his
two virgin daughters as substitutes. Lot's
unstinting generosity with the girls' virginity
brings us to Biblical Sex Principle #5: "If
some horny men want to rape your male
house guests, offer them instead your virgin
daughters to have their way with because
your house guests' rear ends are far more
sacred than your daughters' front ends."
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July 1986
Page 21
Part D. Rape
Section 6. The All-Night Gang Bang
In this shudderingly horrendous chapter,
the horny men of Gibeah, not to be outdone
bythe horny men of Sodom, surrounded the
house and demanded that the elderly host
turn loose his single male houseguest for
them to rape. The old man offered them
instead his virgin daughter and the Levite
guest's wife, but they were not placated.
Finally, the Levite, with a gallant display of
true biblical chivalry, pushed his wife out the
door, and the raucous mob took turns banging the poor wretch all the night long.
The following morning, the Levite, who
slept safely and probably very soundly inside
that night, wanted to continue his journey.
Upon opening the door, he spotted his wife
lying prostrate on the ground, and as casually as though nothing out of the ordinary
had happened, he said, "Come on, let's get
going!" It was only when she failed to
respond that he discovered that she was
dead. He dutifully loaded the corpse onto his
donkey, took her home, and there dismembered her abused body into twelve parts,
sending one piece to each of the twelve
tribes of Israel to apprise them of the rape
and murder of his spouse. Thus we arrive at
Biblical Sex Principle #6: (for married men
only) "Ifsome horny guys want to gang bang
you, in order to literally save your ass, offer
them your wife instead."
Part E. Adultery - Attempted And Real
Section 7. Potiphar's Wife Attempts To
Seduce Young Joseph
With a narrative that sounds like an episode from a contemporary TV soap opera,
the story of the handsome young hunk
Joseph being pursued by the horny wife of
his master Potiphar stands out in the Holy
Writ as a unique example of a youth with
unbending principles. But as Joseph soon
learned, hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned, or in this case a woman rejected,
and the desperately frustrated lady accused
the young stud of trying to rape her anyway.
So poor Joseph ended up injail despite his
innocence. After all, it was his word against
hers, and Potiphar, being a typical husband,
naturally preferred to believe his own wife.
Joseph's dilemma sums up Biblical Sex
Principle #7: (for men only) "If your boss's
wife tries to seduce you, go for it because
you'll be damned ifyou do and damned ifyou
don't."
Section 8. Coveting Thy Neighbor's Wife
The seventh commandment of the Decalogue spells out its only sexual prohibition in
unequivocal terms: "Thou shalt not commit
adultery." When those stern and forbidding
words are coupled with Christ's New Testament pronouncement in Matthew that
"whosoever looketh on a woman to lust
Page 22
July 1986
American Atheist
AMER\CAN
~MERICAN ATHEIST
r'
Scott Kerns, director of the Houston Chapter, is rewarded for his good work as Jon G. Murray hands him the
"Chapter Director of the Year Award."
J
With slide screen at hand, Frank Zindler explains "The
Stalking of the Elusive Mountain Boat."
Atheists have candles and hearts aflame during a memorial for past Atheist heroes.
~.
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 23
July 1986
!d Service Award."
...
air,
ther
'S at
Board member Henry Schmuck has a chat with John Marthaler, recipient of the "Pioneer Atheist" award.
July 1986
Page 25
....
"The Founder" - the original; the copy; and the artist,
Gustav Likan. (Photo by John M. Allegro)
IERICAN . ATHEIS'
Arnold Via calls Frank Zindler to his side to give him "The
Most Hated Atheist Award" for 1985.
Page 26
July 1986
American Atheist
Donkey Serenade nicely summarizes Biblical Sex Principle #10: (for men only) "It's
great to be hung like a horse, but even better
to be hung like a jackass."
Part G. Circumcision Of The Living
And The Dead
Section 11. Jehovah's Foreskin Covenant
In any court of law, ifjust one fabrication
- just one little falsehood - can be found in
the testimony of a witness, then any and all
statements by that witness are rejected
completely, In the biblical canon, if there
were no other fallacy than that of Jehovah
making a foreskin covenant with Abraham,
that, in and of itself, would be reason enough
to reject the entire Bible.
If I asked you what you thought of an
ordinary human father who subjected his
helpless and defenseless infant son to a
totally unnecessary and excruciatingly painful amputation operation, you would surely
condemn that father as being sadistic, cruelly
inhumane, and guilty of the grossest form of
child abuse. Yet we are asked to believe that
a kind, loving, and caring heavenly father,
namely Yahweh or Jehovah, insisted on the
amputation of the foreskin of all Hebrew
male infants just eight days after their birth. I
therefore submit that Jehovah, by virtue of
his covenant with Abraham requiring permanent mutilation of the penis, qualifies as
the number one child abuser of all time.
Today we have ample scientific evidence
that the foreskin is an erogenous membrane
and a protective covering. Its removal by
circumcision has nothing to recommend it
other than being a hallowed religious tradition unquestioned by Jews and some others
since time immemorial. And even in biblical
times, it was already clearly a ritual rather
than a hygienic practice, since it was routinely performed both on stillborn infants
and on babies who died prior to their eighth
day of life. Ritual, of course, is nothing more
than ossification of the mind that readily destroys all rational thinking. Consequently,
from Jewish historical sources, we learn of
the barbaric practice of insisting on circumcision even when there was a history of
hereditary hemophilia in the family. It was
only after two hemophilic sons hemorrhaged
to death that the third son was mercifully
excused from the operation and from certain death.
We are all familiar with the old adage "Use
it before you lose it." Well, with regard to
circumcision, Jehovah has provided us with
an interesting variation on that theme in the
form of Biblical Sex Principle #11: (for men
only) "As far as your foreskin is concerned,
you're going to lose it before you ever have a
chance to use it."
Section 12. Moses And The Flying Foreskin
The rite of circumcision was temporarily
suspended during the forty-year period that
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 27
Page 28
prepared to break off their engagement privately. But an angel of the Lord assured him
during a dream that Mary had been chosen
as the mother of the long-promised and longawaited Messiah, and that the fruit of her
womb was to be Jesus, the savior of the
world. Joseph's incredulity over this event
has been shared by countless millions of
fathers-to-be ever since and it underscores
Biblical Sex Principle #19: (for men only) "It
you're not sure how your girlfriend got pregnant, blame it on the Holy Ghost."
The best analysis I've ever heard of this
ecclesiastical fairy tale goes like this: The
virgin Mary gave birth to the little babe
Jesus, the innocent lamb of God, to be slain
for the sins of all humankind. Consequently,
Christian theology at its simplest boils down
to this very basic formula: "Mary had a little
lamb."
Section 20. Paul, The Compulsive Celibate
Paul ranted and raved that "it is good for a
man not to touch a woman," but he readily
admitted that not everyone was able to
"contain" as he could. However, he was also
vehemently opposed to a man touching
another man or a woman touching another
woman, or, horror of horrors, to anyone
touching oneself because, as a Jew, Paul
was well-versed in the rabbinical prohibition
against touching himself, even when urinating, since it just might lead to bigger and
better things. He had not yet been exposed
to the newer and more liberal rabbinical
teaching that if god did not want us to masturbate, he would have made our arms
shorter.
Paul decided that it is better to marry than
to "burn" with unfulfilled lust and he considered it essential to seek a spouse in order to
avoid the terrible sin of fornication. Yet his
message provides no solution for widows
and widowers, for all single persons, and
especially for the sexually mature and sexually capable youth with a fully-blossomed
and urgent sex drive and for whom marriage
is definitely out-of-the-question. So Paul's
instruction for the vast majority of us comes
in the form of our final behavioral guide,
Biblical Sex -Principle #20: "It it feels good,
for god's sake, don't do it!"
Enjoy The X-Rated Bible! ~
I 1/
se/f-f/a
elliJft on
~
July 1986
American Atheist
,.w,
John M: Allegro
:.
Austin, Texas
July 1986
his teaching and Essene thought and practice due to such direct contact, or did they
come by way of that mysterious desert
prophet, John the Baptist?
Alas, the Scrolls make no mention of the
Nazarene teacher by name. Indeed, the
gospel traditions of a wine-bibbing associate
of whores, pimps, and Quislings, a friend of
Roman officers, and an advocate of paying
taxes to the hated occupying power, have
no parallel at all in what little we can glean
from the Scrolls about the manner of life of
Jesus's Essene counterpart, their revered
leader, the so-called Teacher of Righteousness. But then, the Qumran writings have no
literary parallel to the synoptic gospels, nor
do the Essenes appear to have shown any
interest in recording events in such narrative
form. For them, the experience of their forefathers chronicled in the Old Testament was
all the history they needed; their own situation was but a repetition of what had gone
before. In taking up their station on the outskirts of the Promised Land, they believed
that they were reenacting events in the time
of Joshua - another "Jesus" - of more
than a millennium earlier, when he led the
Chosen People across the Jordan to prepare themselves for their entry into Canaan.
The Essene sojourn in their so-called House
of Exile in the Judaean Wilderness was for
these latter-day Covenanters merely the
turn of the circle, the preordained rehearsal
for the establishment of the New Israel and
the institution of God's Kingdom on earth.
You willhave noted that in passing I gave
the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name of
the Israelite leader Yehoshlia', "Joshua" Iesous, "Jesus." That parallel with the gospel narratives may be of no real significance,
but it is an indication of the kind of clues we
shall look for in assessing the origin of the
Christian myth. No one in his right mind is
going to assert that the fact the two religious
leaders had the same name proves that they
were one and the same person, and that the
Galilean teacher therefore lived in the thirteenth century B.C. What it could mean is
that one element in the myth of the Nazarene prophet guiding his flock into the Kingdom of God was intended to reflect the biblical tradition of the part played by that earlier
leader and lawgiver, Joshua/Jesus, son of
Page 29
Page 30
July 1986
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
"You can't begin to imagine how distracting it is to have 40u sa4ing' Amen'
everu time I sa4 onqthinq."
July 1986
Page 31
,WI
'
.u
u.s.
Page 32
July 1986
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 33
here and with the now. Once we junk irrational ideas, we can get on with the task. All
that Atheists are asking is that we all use our
heads, that we all understand we are a part
of a whole, to realize that the human community is in need of some solutions. As a
member of the human race, you have an
obligation laid on you by nature: to see to the
survival of your species and the nest on
which we live. You cannot do that with complacency, with acceptance of the irrational,
with substituting a fantasy world for the real
one. And yet, we prepare for the Armageddon that Judeo-Christianity proposes, and
we give to the religious in our nation $100
billion a year. What could we do with that?
$100 billion one year to clean up our Great
Lakes;
$100 billion one year to save the Mississippi and its tributaries;
$100 billion one year to clean up the air
over Los Angeles, and Boston, and Pittsburgh;
$100 billion one year to clean up the slums
in New York City, and Chicago, and San
Francisco;
$100 billion one year to assist our public
schools - that's $2 billion to each of the fifty
states.
All that we could do in just five years.
Instead, Americans give that to moribund
churches as a price to get into a heaven that
doesn't even exist.
There is no reason that any or all of us
anywhere need wait even one day more to
bring some sense into the world. There are
enough educators, administrators, planners,
executives, and other personnel to do what
needs to be done. We have adequate farming, manufacturing, technology, transportation, communication, distribution, education, and every other facility and resource
upon which to draw. There is no need for
one person in the world to be hungry today,
to be ill-clothed, ill-housed, or subject to the
disease of poverty or ignorance. There is not
one rational, logical reason that the largest
expenditures of all nations in the world are
for armaments to blow each other to hell and
back. This is simply intolerable in 1986.
I don't see any group anywhere getting
after any of the problems in a concerned and
coordinated way. It simply is going to be the
duty, therefore, of us Atheists to seize the
lead and to get to it. ~
DIALANATHEIST
The telephone listings below are the various services where you may listen to short comments on state/church separation
issues and viewpoints originated by the Atheist community.
Tucson, Arizona
San Francisco, California
South Bay (San Jose), California
God Speaks
Denver, Colorado
Greater DC
South Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Northern Illinois
Lexington, Kentucky
Boston, Massachusetts
Detroit, Michigan
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Northern New Jersey
Page 34
(602) 623-3861
(415) 668-8085
(408) 377-8485
(408) 257-1486
(303) 692-9395
(703) 280-4321
(305) 925-7167
(404) 662-6606
(312) 506-9200
(606) 278-8333
(617) 969-2682
(313) 721-6630
(612) 566-3653
(201) 777-0766
July 1986
(505) 884-7360
(914) 338-0162
(718) 392-0556
(518) 346-1479
(702) 972-8203
(614) 294-0300
(503) 771-6208
(215) 533-1620
(412) 734-0509
Austin, Texas
(512) 458-5731
DIAL-THE-ATHEIST__
Houston, Texas
Outspoken Voice of Freedom
Salt Lake City, Utah
(713) 664-7678
(713) 527-9255
(801) 364-4939
American Atheist
w,
c. B. REYNOLDS
The 1986 Convention 0/ American
Atheists was held in honor 0/ C R Reynolds, a/reethought spokesperson who
was tried/or blasphemy in Morristown,
New Jersey, one hundred years ago: In
honor 0/ his struggles, Atheists gathered on the steps 0/ the courthouse in
which his trial took place: On the pleasant morning 0/ April 20, 1986, nearly
one hundred Atheists stood and listened as Mr: Reynold's fight was recounted: The following is the text 0/ the
memorial which was read by Dr: Madalyn O'Hair that morning: Also reprinted is the poem written and read by
Gerald Tholen:
- A TRIBUTE
that Ingersoll came to the rescue of a freethinker in such an arrest. But he was here,
climbing these steps, entering this building,
arguing this case, in this courtroom here. C.
B. Reynolds was with him, an elderly man,
wearing a black frock suit, a silk hat, with an
army badge pinned to his coat - his demeanor bespeaking simply of human dignity.
Ingersoll pled with the jury for over two
hours - to no avail. Reynolds was found
guilty of blasphemy. The judge gave a judgment of twenty-five dollars fine and costs,
amounting to a total of seventy-five dollars,
which was paid by Ingersoll.
Ingersoll's speech was considered to be so
sublime that copies of it were made and sold
through The Truth Seeker. That magazine
Almost one hundred years ago today, on a
also proposed to pay Ingersoll for his serbeautiful spring morning such as this,
vice, but he declined payment on June 2,
Charles B. Reynolds, an American Atheist,
1887.
was found guilty of blasphemy and fined. It
Following the trial, Reynolds was a recidivist. He went back to his criminal ways was the first time that the New Jersey law of
continuing to blaspheme against the Bible
blasphemy, which dated back to colonial
and religion as he had done before - and as
times, was ever used to arrest anyone naturally it had to be an Atheist.
any honorable and courageous Atheist
Mr. Reynolds was a traveling lecturer on
would do today.
We are here to honor C. B. Reynolds. It
Atheism. He had been given enough money
to purchase a tent so that he
has always been by the thin and
could go up and down the land
fragile thread of one man's courspeaking the truth about the
age that Atheism has been
IN MEMORY OF C. B. REYNOLDS
Bible and Judeo-Christian relipassed from one generation to
gion. He was a scholarly and
the next in the United States. We
At last we meet - in time - in space
peaceful man who wanted only to
don't know our heroes as yet And though this meeting (as it were) reflects alone in echoed words
liberate the minds of those ennot all of them - because their
Could we not know our paths would cross
slaved with religion. In his travels
dramas have not been written
- in memory's place
he came to New Jersey - and
large in the history of their times.
pitched his tent in Boonton on
We seek them out now, from
He spoke of god - at first - in youth
hidden crevices where the events
July 26, 1886.There the churches
But as he grew impassioned thoughts
immediately arrayed themselves
of their season had hidden them.
Began to fillhis eager mind
and the religious against him. He
From their strength has come
- then he found truth
our resolve that no longer willthe
remained three days, but on the
final night he was pelted with
ideas of Atheism rest on the
And we are one - in deed - in thought
efforts of a single brave person. I
eggs and vegetables,. the guy
As if we'd stood beside him in that tragic courtroom drama
am certain that C. B. Reynolds
ropes of his tent were cut, and
- while he fought
the canvas of it was slashed with
stood here, where we stand, as a
knives. Reynolds' single activity
lone Atheist in the midst of a
So here we are - just you - and me
was to attempt to aid the men,
Christian mob. Look around
No C. B. Reynolds here to lead our worried way
women, and children leave beyou, today. He is not alone any- to set us free
fore the tent collapsed upon
more. And, no Atheist ever need
them. When he could not be
to be alone again. If we accomInstead, a stone - some words - a Village Green
found in the remnants of the tent,
plish that much in our generaPerhaps to wipe away a borough's guilt
it was destroyed by the loving relition, we know that the future will
- from history's scene
gious mob. Reynolds was then
not alone be secure, but will
arrested and needed to give a
Gerald Tholen
belong - as it rightfully should $300 bond for his release.
to Atheism. ~
He was angry, and the sole
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 35
OF ASTRO-NUTS
AND ARK-ONAUTS:
NOAH'S ARK IN THE SPACE AGE
n August 21, 1982, the Los Angeles
O
Times carried a report of one of the
most culturally embarrassing events of
modern times. The subject of the report was
the expedition of James Irwin - a man who
had walked upon the moon - to "Mt. Ararat." At the top of a volcano nearly 17,000
feet above sea level, this product of the flowering of American science and technology
expected to find the remains of a wooden
boat! Had he been looking for the remains of
a rowboat or a canoe, he would have been
locked in a soft cell. But since the boat in
question was supposed to be fifty percent
longer than a football field and over four
stories high, the press and electronic media
followed his every move and politely overlooked the fact that what was going on
would be judged insane by even the most
conservative criteria.
"Irwin's fundamentalist Christian expedition," The Los Angeles Times reported,
"was on the final leg of the climb to the
cratered summit of the peak in eastern Turkey when the former astronaut tripped and
felloff a cliff, injuring his legs and cutting his
forehead. Irwin walked on the moon in the
Apollo 15 mission in 1971, but ... [since
retirement] has devoted himself to religious
activities."
At about the same time, various newspapers reported how Irwin had slipped in a
snowfield at the 14,000-foot level, had fallen
about 100 feet, and had been rescued by a
Turkish military helicopter and flown to a
military hospital in Agri, 600 miles east of
Ankara. The Denver Post on August 20,
1982, reported that "Louise Matthews,
office administrator for the High Flight
Foundation, a Christian group founded by
astronaut James Irwin, ... [said that] Irwin's
motivation ... is to 'discover what he can for
himself, document it,' and use the information when dealing with 'non-believers.' " The
Post also revealed that Irwin had been climbing with Eryl Cummings, a New Mexico
Realtor and "ark expert."
According to the Denver paper, 'The
former astronaut is convinced the ruins he
seeks to inspect are authentic because of his
Page 36
July 1986
American Atheist .
Austin, Texas
For the twentieth century B.C., the universe model just described is excusable. But
what must we think of the case several years
ago when American astronauts were on a
Christmas trip around the moon for the first
time in the history of the solar system? Following a script written by NASA in cooperation with some still unidentified religionist, at
a certain carefully calculated time, the
astronauts were seized by "a sudden spontaneous sense of religious awe." Just happening to have a Bible on board, they took it
out and started to broadcast the thoughts of
the twentieth century B.C. to the world of
the twentieth century A.D.! Their college
educations apparently hadn't improved
their ability to think very much, for at the
precise moment when - according to the
Bible - they should have been crashing into
the firmament, they started to read about
Jehovah setting the sun and moon into the
firmament like jelly beans in frosting. It never
occurred to them that they themselves were
enacting the most dramatic disproof of
Genesis ever devised by the human race!
Nowadays even the vast majority of creationists realize that the earth is round, even if
a sizeable minority of them do believe that
the sun goes around the earth. In order to
save the firmament - and the imagined
scriptural inerrancy that hangs along with
the sun and moon upon the integrity of that
celestial dome - and to solve the double
problem of where the water came from and
where it went, these intrepid defenders of
the Faith of Babylon have decided that
before the Great Flood most of the earth's
water was suspended in a vapor canopy high
above the earth's surface.
The "firmament" was the vapor canopy "like you have on Venus today," a Columbus creationist told me recently. The collapse of the canopy in 2348 B.C. (the date of
Noah's Flood, according to the marginal
note in my King James Bible) and the breaking up of the "fountains of the deep" then
wiped out the wicked of the world. The surface of the earth was practically flat at the
time, diluvialists claim, and easily flooded.
This is fortunate, since ifMt. Everest existed
at the time of the canopy, it would have
punctured it - Mt. Everest being over five
miles high, and the canopy being only four
miles above sea level, according to the calculations of flood expert Joseph Dillow.1
Now of course the creationists assert that
Mt. Everest (and all other high mountains)
was only a low hill at the time of the flood. It
rose to its present height after the flood. Of
course, if this were true, there would be
geological evidence of the fact. But there
July 1986
Page 37
all infectious diseases (including half a million species of parasitic worms) along with
the crew on his plague-ship, since most diseases can't even survive on toilet seats -let
alone in world-destroying floods. The rats
had fleas, and the fleas carried plague. Shem
had shigellosis and shingles, Ham had hepatitis, and Japheth had Japanese river fever.
Noah's need to take diseases on the "holy
ark" must have caused enormous consternation among his seven companions. What
must they have said when Noah - described in Genesis 6:9 as "a just man and
perfect in his generations" - assigned one
of them to get gonorrhea, one to seduce a
syphilitic, and one to acquire AIDS? It is a
pity that the Bible does not record how and
by whom kuru was carried. Kuru is a mysterious disease transmitted only by cannibalizing the brain of someone else who dies of the
disease. Even greater is the pity that the
good book does not tell us how this disease
was transmitted in the Garden of Eden.
When the flood ended (James Irwin and
Eryl and Violet Cummings apparently believe), Noah and his crew debarked from the
Ark onto a recently erupted volcano 17,000 feet above the surface of the sea.
(The volcano must have formed only a day
or two before the grounding of the Ark,
since all the layers of sedimentary rocks had
to be deposited beneath the volcano, and
that must have required most of the flood
year.) From the highest point in Turkey,
whales had to belly flop their way back to the
foodless sea, fresh water angelfish had to get
to the Amazon basin, and the kiwi (which
can neither fly nor swim) had to get to New
Zealand.
But what of the dinosaurs and other
extinct animals? Perhaps they slipped and
fell farther down the mountain than Astronaut Irwin did. Or in their hurry to escape
the stench of Noah's ill-ventilated floating
outhouse, they might have jumped off the
Ark onto the still hot lava of which the boat
dock was constructed. Whether the dinosaurs went extinct by falling off cliffs or by
breaking through the crusts of fresh lava
flows, it seems odd of god to have made
Noah use up so much space in the Ark just
to save animals for extinction.
Despite all of these problems, millions of
people still believe there is a boat to be found
on the top of Mt. Ararat. The credulity of
these people is little short of astonishing, as
the following story shows.
April Fool!
Page 38
July 1986
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
and their daughter Phyllis knew the "correct" spellings of the outrageous names in
question: Stoneass, Mud, and Mrs. Putrid
Lousey.
By April 4, 1972 - exactly four
months to the day after he had given
what he sincerely believed at that time
to be the photos of Noah's Ark to Eryl
Cummings - even Dr. Willis was
beginning to entertain certain suspicions of his own. "The Stoneass story
might be a hoax, but time willtell," he
declared [Cummings, p. 175].
By May 11, 1972, another SEARCH
"scientist" wrote to them saying, "As I mentioned earlier, the names given the expedition leader and sponsor (Stoneass, Mud,
and Putrid Lousey), as well as the nonresponse of Yale University make me suspect that this may all be a great hoax."
Study of the original German article now
revealed a lot of new "facts."
"Professor Stoneass," it turned out, was
"an American archaeologist from the Royal
Yalevard University,
Massachusetts,
U.S.A., and an exchange professor to the
French Academy." His financial backing
came from one Mrs. Putrid Lousey, the
wealthy "widow of the American sugar
king."
After a thorough search of Massachusetts
and New England, the Cummings concluded sadly, "It [the Royal Yalevard University],
as well as 'Stoneass' and 'Mud' appeared to
be nonexistent." Did this end the search? Of
course not. The Cummings carried it to
Turkey!
During the course of this further
investigation, Dr. Lawrence Hewitt, in
Turkey, even queried his native Turkish guide - who spoke fluent English
- about the "Stoneass" discovery
and the "Yalevard University." The
guide immediately professed familiarity with the "Yalevard University" and
claimed to have had an English professor in the University of Ankara who
was from the "University of Yalevard," this time in London [Cummings, p. 176].
Of course, this meant that the Cummings
had to carry their search to London! After
the London search turned up no Yalevard
University (and no British Massachussetts,
either, we may assume), daughter Phyllis
noted the April 1 date. Could it be an April
Fool's joke? She had to check with a German friend to see if April 1 has the same
significance in Germany as in America. After
learning that it does, mother Violet wrote,
"The puzzle had been partially solved."
Once more ... the overruling hand
July 1986
Page 40
July 1986
American Atheist
country."
It might seem ironical that a move to
evolve just laws inspired by common sense
and reason has been tranformed into a
monstrous bogey to exacerbate communal
hatred. But this is how religions operate in
this country. "For the Muslims today," said
one bigot, "the imminent danger is to their
culture and identity."
Dr. Taher Mehmood of Delhi University,
an authority on Muslim history and law in
India, says "If you look at it from the eyes of
the Muslim, he is saying: You have already
taken away everything else that was so
valuable to my faith. Now I will not let you
take away the last of my valuable possessions - my personal law." And yet threequarters of it has already been replaced by a
uniform criminal law, without any identity
crisis evident!
Fundamentalists and politicians have all
jumped on the bandwagon to endorse the
cry that Islam is in grave danger. They have
hustled Rajiv Gandhi into introducing the
present bill into Parliament. Its fate will be
decided in the coming weeks.
Liberal opinion in the community speaks
with the voice of sanity. Shahid Siddiqui,
editor of a leading Urdu weekly, said "Every
small town mau/ana has become a leader
now with narrow objectives and narrow
interest. If the controversy is not resolved
quickly, these people willtake the cornmunity behind by two to three decades."
The ultimate lesson to be learned is a
familiar one - only women can change their
status through an educated awareness and a
refusal to be victimized for any reason
M~.,.IOLIR l~A~
1HOU -Al1lTllDf
1c:J BEGINNING
10 NA\J:?EA1'
ME ql
..
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 41
HISTORICAL NOTES
70 Years Ago ...
The July 1916 edition of The Melting Pot
had "The Right of Free Speech Strangled in
St. Louis" as its main headline. Excerpts
from the article about Margaret Sanger (a
member of American Atheists before her
death) follow:
"The blood-bought right of free speech
was strangled in the city of St. Louis for one
night.
"The strangling was done by emissaries of
the ancient enemy of free speech, free
thought, or anything else that smells of
freedom to a pope's nose.
"It was done by the originators and operators of the Holy Inquisition, the inventors
and inflictors of the religious rites of rack and
torture, the thumbscrew and stake, the auto
da fe and flaying of heretics alive.
"It was done by the assassins of science
and knowledge, the foes of human progress.
"The following paragraph, taken from the
report of the outrage that appeared in the
press of Monday, May 22, tells the story of
the strangling:
Protests from Catholic priests and
laymen against Mrs. Margaret Sanger's scheduled lecture on birth control
tonight at the Victoria Theatre resulted today in the management's
announcement
that Mrs. Sanger
would not be permitted to speak in the
theater.
"Mrs. Sanger had been invited to come to
St. Louis and deliver her lecture on 'Birth
Control' by a number of the more advanced
thinkers and physicians of the city. The
Victoria Theatre had been engaged for the
occasion, the customary deposit had been
paid, and the management had made a legal
contract for the use of the theater. The
lecture had been widely advertised, hundreds of tickets had been sold among the
men and women of the highest thought and
noblest purposes of the city, the morning
papers of the day of the lecture had
published extensive interviews with Mrs.
Sanger regarding her message of birth limitation to the wives and mothers of the
workingclass, and no protest whatever from
any quarter had been heard.
"The Dark Age clericals cunningly waited
until the last minute to do their dirty work.
"And then they did it.
"Archbishop Glennon and his pack of
priests, Knights of Columbus and other
Roman Catholic agencies, sworn body and
soul to the Roman Hierarchy, commanded
that the management of the Victoria The-
Page 42
July 1986
whole matter.
"But even more pleasing is the many
letters we have received from all over the
country from our readers and friends.
Without exception they express approval of
our efforts and promise continued support.
One longtime subscriber and associate
member of the League, Dr. P. J. Cerasoli, of
Brooklyn, N.Y., drove to Philadelphia to see
us. He was shown the property we are
negotiating for and was so pleased that he
made a contribution of $100 on the spot and
pledged four more donations of similar
amounts. He says he challenges all other
members and readers who are financially
able to do so, to match him, dollar for dollar.
"It is impossible to write letters of acknowledgement to all who contributed, we
cannot even write an individual reply to all
who wrote us word of praise and encouragement .... "
American Atheist
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 43
/
1 CAN'T
WHY MY PARACHUTE
UNDERSTAND
'\
(~
-;
,/
r '
'UI?
Page 44
July 1986
American Atheist
BOOK REVIEW
The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
Boston, Massachusetts
Houghton MifflinCompany
311 pages, $16.95, Hardback
Margaret Atwood's futurist
Thefable,seedsTheofHandmaid's
Tale - which
appears to be set at the turn of the next
century, about fifteen or twenty years from
now - are today already planted and
sprouting: the growing militancy of rightwing religious fundamentalists; pandemic
pollution of food chains, water, soil, and the
air itself by radiation and toxic wastes;
sexually-transmitted incurable diseases; decline in the white birth rate and growth in the
non-white birth rate; and in a time of mediahyped urban crime and terrorism, an apparent willingness of many Americans to
sacrifice their personal liberties in the hope
of greater security.
Atwood, a Canadian, has looked askance
at her neighbor to the south, stirred all these
elements into her imagination, and come up
with a witty and chilling study of the United
States as it might exist in the dreams of Jerry
Falwell, Ed Meese, Phyllis Schlafly, or
Ronald Reagan.
Of course it's not the United States any
more, but the Republic of Gilead. Christian
fundamentalists, aided by elements of the
military, in one bloody attack have slain the
President, machine-gunned the Congress,
and blamed it all on "Islamic fanatics." The
public, torpid before its television sets,
waited for instructions while the Constitution was "temporarily" suspended. "Things
continued in that state of suspended animation for weeks," Atwood writes, "although
some things did happen .... The roadblocks
began to appear, and Identipasses. Everyone approved of that, since it was obvious
you couldn't be too careful."
Now Gilead is a fundamentalist, white,
Christian theocracy. Birth control, adultery,
abortion, homosexuality, and even "unchastity" are punished by hanging. Funerals
are held for miscarriages (with a black jar
instead of a casket, ifthe embryo is less than
three months along). Blacks are being
resettled in "homelands" in what used to be
North Dakota, and Jews are given the
choice of conversion or emigration (though
the government turns a blind eye if a profithungry ship's captain well out to sea simply
throws the refugees overboard to drown).
Women are forbidden to read or to write (a
hand is cut off, at the third conviction), and
exist only to bear children and serve their
households.
At the top are the Commanders of the
Faithful, the ruling elite, and their Wives
(always with a capital W), dressed in light
blue. Because the Wives are almost always
past childbearing age, and Gilead's highest
value is human reproduction, each Commander is assigned a Handmaid for a "posting" of two to three years, during which time
she is expected to produce a child for the
Commander and his wife to rear. The
Handmaid is no frolicsome mistress, however. Enveloped in a long-sleeved voluminous gown like an Iranian chador, but in red,
with red gloves and shoes, and a winged
white headdress that funnels her vision
straight ahead like blinkers, a Handmaid
spends endless hours confined to her small
Spartan room. Her only diversions are a
daily walk with another Handmaid to nearby
shops (with names like Lilies of the Field,
Milk and Honey, and All Flesh), an occasional state festival like a Prayvaganza, a
Salvaging (public execution) or Particicution
(at which the Handmaids may release their
fearsome repressions by literally tearing
apart an accused rapist) - and, of course,
the monthly Ceremony: a grotesque and joyless copulation, preceded by household
prayers and Bible-reading, between the
Commander in full uniform and the fullyclothed Handmaid cradled between the
fully-clothed Wife's thighs as the two women
clasp hands.
If she's very lucky, the Handmaid becomes pregnant, an object of awe and veneration, and produces a normal baby in a
grotesque ceremony, during which the
nightgowned Wife writhes in simulated pain
before crouching on the top step of a twolevel birthing stool, with the Handmaid on
the lower step, symbolically between the
Wife's thighs. Amniocentesis, ultrasound,
and other diagnostic tools having been
banned as blasphemous, however, what
comes forth, more often than not, is pronounced as Unbaby and consigned to "the
shredder."
The unlucky Handmaid produces no child
during her three chances at "posting," is
declared an Unwoman, and is exiled to "the
Colonies" for a short, brutish life of cleaning
up toxic and nuclear wastes. And there's no
question of her fault. "Sterile" is now a forbidden word, Atwood explains: "There is no
such thing as a sterile man anymore, not
officially. There are only women who are
fruitful and women who are barren, that's
the law."
Orbiting about the Commanders, Wives,
and Handmaids are the rest of Gileadean
women - the Marthas, household servants
Austin, Texas
July 1986
Page 45
Page 46
The death of Simone de Beauvoir on April Things" narrated by David Suzuki. The first
14, 1986, caused me to reflect on my maturasegment was not too bad in presenting an
tion as I entered young adulthood. I was
outline of the evolution of life on earth in a
brought up as a Roman Catholic and entered . matter-of-fact manner- But little by little he
college as a naive teenager afraid of both sex
wove into it other "theories." In the second
and a god. Several courses in my freshman
segment he stressed entirely the religious
and sophomore years opened my eyes to
forces in human development and how
the vindictive and groundless nature of humans realized their superiority over aniChristianity. In both my French literature
mals, as ifhe were not an animal himself. But
and educational psychology courses, I was
the bottom line was when he said Charles
introduced to Ms. de Beauvoir. Her book
Darwin believed in the biblical creation.
The Second Sex had just been released in According to all accounts that I have read,
the United States and was to have a proDarwin was educated in a religious institufound impact on both men's treatment of tion, as that was where the education was.
women and how women were to view themHe was preparing to be a religious leader
selves. Parenthetically, the book instilled in himself and was introduced to science by his
me a universalist opinion - free of religious
religious teacher and inspired by his interest
dogma.
in living things. However, as Darwin's
Simone de Beauvoir's obituary in The Los
teacher reached all his conclusions within
Angeles Times pointed out the strain upon
the limits of theology, Darwin transgressed
her early life as she was torn between a into concluding according to his unrestricted
strictly Roman Catholic mother and an Athesearching and finding. This was scientific
ist father. She possessed the intellect necesthinking. So when Mr. Suzuki said, based on
sary to choose Dad as her role model. Ms.
the example of Darwin, that religion and
de Beauvoir saw the obscenities of marriage
science combined, I could no longer contain
laden upon the women of her time and chose
myself. No such combination is possible.
to live with her lover, the novelist Jean-Paul
The lines were drawn then between theoloSartre, instead of marrying him. Her Exis- gy and science a la Darwin, and the battle
tentialist beliefs guided her life. She felt that
still rages.
humans are not part of an ordered metaI remember another program a few years
physical system, but are free individuals who
back titled "The Joy of Finding Things Out."
are responsible for what they make of themThis was by a physics professor at Cal.
selves. She had the good sense to also
Tech. who found it totally unacceptable to
realize that her death would not reunite her
handicap oneself with a belief in a god. A god
with the man she always loved. She once
cannot be questioned, and science must
said, "It is already beautiful that our lives question everything.
could intertwine for so long.';
Recently Linus Pauling appeared on Phil
The curtain is drawn on the exceptional
Donahue's show, primarily to review Dr.
life of an Atheist who influenced a generaPauling's book about vitamins. I really don't
tion.
take to stuffing on vitamins; but I perked up
my ears and felt a warmth toward him when
Gerald Lunderville
in answer to Donahue's query, "Do you
California
believe in God?" he replied with a resounding, "No." The audience let out a groan, so
c:...''''':)
Donahue said "You see, our audience is disappointed." But Dr- Pauling emphasized
In your newsletter, you mentioned the
angry response you felt upon reading in the
that there were no grounds for such belief,
Journal of the American Medical Associaas there is absolutely no evidence. Sometion about the "Physical Death of Jesus
times a word of truth breaks through the
Christ." I read a summary of same in one of obstacle courses set up by the media.
our local newspapers, that is, as much as I
could stomach of it. It is bad enough to see
Helen Johnson
California
such trash shoveled up by fanatics and fools,
but worse from such a prestigious source.
c:.,..''''':)
Again, my indignation was raised to heavenly heights upon watching a two-part presAlene Smith's statements in "Letters To
The Editor" and "Me Too" (February 1986)
entation on our PBS-TV station that Ibelieve
intrigued me: "Religion is a major source of
is being shown throughout the national PBS
self-inflicted problems." Just look at the
network almost as prominently as "Nova."
sympathetic-magic ... blood-rite _.. of sexThe title was "A Planet for the Taking," and
it was a scientific and educational producual mutilation ... which has become "roution in keeping with the regular "Nature of tine circumcision" under the guise of
July 1986
American Atheist
NOTICE
"Letters to the Editor" must be
either questions or comments of
general concern to Atheists or
Atheism. Submissions should be brief
and to the point. Space limitations
allow that each letter should be two
hundred words, or preferably, less.
Please confine your letters to a single
issue only. Mail them to:
American Atheist
P.O. Box 2117
Austin, TX 78768-2117
(7)
11. What the lad clears could be sort of poetic. (7)
12. Sparked something made by two famous horses? (9)
13. A star, perhaps, in Jamaica. (5)
14. Getting along with a gin cocktail after a period of time
(6)
16. Does the parrot sort of grow into a larval form without
the right? (8)
.
19. Would the black sheep have one without wool? (5, 3)
20. Like some bloomers for all sorts. (6)
22. Does gasoline make this something to haul? (5)
23. Unfortuitous crossing by one? (1, 5, 3)
25. One is heard violently to expire. (1,6)
26. City where I nab eel thrashing wildly. (7)
27. Some bad things are said to be. (5,4,4)
DOWN
2. I've seen nuisance reveal apathetic response. (5)
3. They are good to have when you need them, but let's
hope Ronnie does not use them. (9,6)
4. Such a vacation spot should not be your last. (6)
5. Part sold in another form. (Some things are good to it!)
(4,4)
6. In a democracy the military does not make use of this.
(7,8)
7. Legendary Chapman makes Swede sore with his
broadcasting? (4, 5)
8. Fixed amount reveals a collection with what's at the
center of crater? (1, 3, 4)
9. Together on the boat a separation reveals one of seven.
(4)
15. Zamenhof's baby shows sixth sense before time to
include point. (9)
17. You can use them with, but not in, the woods. (4,4)
18. Saucy Pam alert but mixed up. (8)
21. Common sort of structure associated with chickens and
toads. (6)
22. Is something worn so? (4)
24. Wash a hundred thin types? (5)
(Solution on page 48)
Austin, Texas-
July 1986
Page 47
BOOK REVIEW
CROSSWORDS
(From page 47)
SOLUTION
machines run by themselves. You
can't hear the voices from outside;
only a murmur, a hum, like a devout
crowd on its knees.
ACROSS: I-METEOROLOGIST 10-SUNSETS ll-SONNETS 12-TRIGGERED13-RASTA 14-AGEING 16-POLLYWOG 19-EMPTY BAG 20FLORAL 22-CARGO 23-A
BLACK CAT 25-A SNEEZE
26-ABILENE
27-WORSE
THAN NONE
- James E. Brodhead
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The
HOUSTON CHAPTER
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now has available, on standard audio cassette tapes, all of the major speeches made at the
Sixteenth Annual National Convention of American Atheists held in Somerset, New Jersey, on
April 18, 19, & 20, 1986! (see listing below)
#1. Side one: Convention opening. Welcome address by
'Ellen Johnson. Greetings from Lavanam, Indian Atheist,
and Avro Manhattan. Orientation by Jon Murray.
Side two: Highlights of Members' Banquet. Memorial to
Atheist heroes. Poem by Gerald Tholen. Special announcement by Madalyn O'Hair, founder of American
Atheists.
#2. Ben Akerley, author and educator, gives "A Sermon from
The X-Rated Bible."
#3. Frank Zindler, science expert and American Atheist
columnist, speaks on "Stalking the Elusive Mountain
Boat: The Quest for Noah's Ark."
#4. John Allegro, archaeologist and biblical scholar, speaks
on "The Historicity of Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls."
#5. Bill Baird, nationally-known pro-choice advocate, delivers a powerful and moving speech entitled "The Politics
of God, Government, and Sex."
The price for each individually-boxed, 60-minute tape is $6.00 (including postage), which is a tremendous bargain. We sell them
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