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Furor Erupts Over Atheist Display At State Capitol
CBS ^ | 12/24/09 | Adam Harrington

Posted on 12/24/2009 7:49:55 AM PST by Former Fetus

A conservative activist and Illinois comptroller candidate was escorted from the Illinois State Capitol building Wednesday when he tried to remove a sign put up by an atheist group.

William J. Kelly announced Tuesday that he planned to take down the sign put up by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and on Wednesday, he tried to make good on his plan.

But Kelly said when he turned the sign around so it was face down, state Capitol police were quick to escort him away.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbs2chicago.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: antichristmas; atheists; christmas; illinois; nativity; publicsquare
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To: Former Fetus

This is actually the second year the sign has been placed at the Capitol. The people who were responsibile for the sign aren’t even from Illinois.


21 posted on 12/24/2009 8:22:52 AM PST by stars & stripes forever ( Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness)
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To: Former Fetus

“There is only our natural world.”

The natural world is a very cruel and hard place.


22 posted on 12/24/2009 8:25:29 AM PST by artichokegrower
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To: bitterohiogunclinger
What gives them the right to post their religious views in a public building while banning Christian displays? Nothing. Allowing a display endorsing atheism while disallowing other beliefs is exactly what the Constitution prohibits.

No Christian display was banned. The atheist religious view was posted alongside a nativity scene. They even had a Festivus display. I'm just disappointed the Pastafarians weren't represented.
23 posted on 12/24/2009 8:27:13 AM PST by drjimmy
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To: artichokegrower
The natural world is a very cruel and hard place.

I disagree. It is, however, utterly indifferent.

24 posted on 12/24/2009 8:29:32 AM PST by GL of Sector 2814 (One man's theology is another man's belly laugh -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: drjimmy
I'm just disappointed the Pastafarians weren't represented.

They were at the Italian restaurant across the street.

25 posted on 12/24/2009 8:31:21 AM PST by mnehring
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To: Former Fetus

What an exclusionary sign! It must have come from one of those narrow-minded religious groups.


26 posted on 12/24/2009 8:32:03 AM PST by Lonely Bull
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To: GL of Sector 2814
Go ride your festivus pole you big dope! Gosh...what can I say when presented with such a calm, reasoned argument?

The time for calm reasoned arguments is past.

27 posted on 12/24/2009 8:35:22 AM PST by frogjerk
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To: JoyjoyfromNJ

That’s my favorite argument against atheism — the mind. The fact that our thoughts and perceptions can’t be measured yet still exist blows a hole in atheism’s materialist premises big enough to drive a Mack truck through.


28 posted on 12/24/2009 8:39:21 AM PST by Yardstick
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To: frogjerk
The time for calm reasoned arguments is past.

This being the case, you seem to think that the best way to resolve a disagreement over a public display in a state capital is with arson.

Call me Caspar Milquetoast, but that seems to be a bit of an overreaction.

29 posted on 12/24/2009 8:51:18 AM PST by GL of Sector 2814 (One man's theology is another man's belly laugh -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: GL of Sector 2814

Please go soak your head


30 posted on 12/24/2009 9:06:54 AM PST by frogjerk
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To: frogjerk; GL of Sector 2814
This being the case, you seem to think that the best way to resolve a disagreement over a public display in a state capital is with arson.

Who is attempting or asking to burn down the capital house? Talk about overreacting and overstating the situation.

Please go soak your head

And Merry Christmas. And please lighten up, not with "arson" of course.

31 posted on 12/24/2009 9:14:02 AM PST by frogjerk
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To: mnehring
Are the Pastafarians people who believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster*?

* (a contemptuous term for an imaginary deity invented by aggressive atheists)

32 posted on 12/24/2009 9:14:19 AM PST by hellbender
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To: frogjerk
Please go soak your head.

Well, I am about to shampoo my hair, so...

Oh, wait. That was another sophomoric gratuitous insult, wasn't it? Well, you did say that the time for calm and reason was past, so fair enough. At least you're being consistent.

33 posted on 12/24/2009 9:16:01 AM PST by GL of Sector 2814 (One man's theology is another man's belly laugh -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: frogjerk
And please lighten up

You want to burn other people's property and you're telling me to lighten up?

34 posted on 12/24/2009 9:18:40 AM PST by GL of Sector 2814 (One man's theology is another man's belly laugh -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: hellbender
Are the Pastafarians people who believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster*?

Yes, with the caveat that Pastafarians don't actually "believe" in the FSM.

* (a contemptuous term for an imaginary deity invented by aggressive atheists)

The FSM is the deity of a parody religion created with the express intent of mocking the Intelligent Design movement.

35 posted on 12/24/2009 9:24:19 AM PST by GL of Sector 2814 (One man's theology is another man's belly laugh -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: frogjerk
Who is attempting or asking to burn down the capital house? Talk about overreacting and overstating the situation.

I acknowledge the misuse of the term, you're merely advocating the burning of other people's private property.

36 posted on 12/24/2009 9:26:00 AM PST by GL of Sector 2814 (One man's theology is another man's belly laugh -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: bitterohiogunclinger
From the Article:
But Kelly called the sign "hate speech," and said he does not believe it is appropriate for a sign that "mocks" religion to be placed next to a Christmas tree and also near a nativity scene.

"I don't think the State of Illinois has any business denigrating or mocking any religion," Kelly said, "and I think that's what the verbiage on the sign was doing."

So as you see, they HAVE a nativity scene, this isn't about allowing one while banning another, this is about a person deciding not to respect freedom, and thereby risking us losing the ability to put up a nativity scene at the capital.

Imagine if an Atheist, rather than putting up their offensive sign, simply burned down the nativity? Would your argument about only allowing certain religious views give him that right?

37 posted on 12/24/2009 9:27:04 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: GL of Sector 2814

In the natural world I would over power you, take your food, shelter and women leaving you out in the cold. Through the moral values instilled in humans, by their religion, I instead, if you were nearby, would bring you a gift and wish you Merry Christmas.


38 posted on 12/24/2009 9:28:27 AM PST by artichokegrower
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To: GL of Sector 2814; frogjerk

Maybe it was a typo, and he meant “Light-em up”.


39 posted on 12/24/2009 9:29:13 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: artichokegrower
In the natural world I would over power you, take your food, shelter and women leaving you out in the cold. Through the moral values instilled in humans, by their religion, I instead, if you were nearby, would bring you a gift and wish you Merry Christmas.

And through the moral values instilled in other humans by their religion, they would declare a Jihad on me and cut my throat.

Moral values and religion are part of the "natural" world. Actually, the term is redundant, since nature by definition encompasses everything that exists.

40 posted on 12/24/2009 9:39:56 AM PST by GL of Sector 2814 (One man's theology is another man's belly laugh -- Robert A. Heinlein)
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