Posted by Tina
Atheists will be distributing Satanic literature in a Colorado school district soon. The organizations responsible cited the distribution of Gideon Bibles to anyone who wanted one as the motivation. Breitbart reports:
After coming under fire from atheist groups for the distribution of free Bibles, the Delta County School District (DCSD) has approved the circulation of atheistic, secular and Satanic literature to middle and high school students.
Several atheist organizations, including The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers (WCAF) and the Satanic Temple, applied to distribute their literature as a challenge to the school district’s “open forum” policy that allows any group to distribute non-curricular literature to students, as long as it conforms to policy guidelines.
Kurt Clay, the Assistant Superintendent of the Delta School District, said if they are going to make literature for things such as Boy Scouts, 4H or other organizations available, they have to allow all types of information to be available to students.
Exceptions to the open and free speech policy include, “…the materials can’t advocate criminal behavior, violence or drug use, advertise commercial products, or be pornographic.
A reasonable compromise. How sad that a book is so threatening. What are atheists afraid of? Do they think of kids as being so stupid that they would come under some kind of spell after being exposed? what are the big objections to the material, in particular to an overall message that depends on choice and conscience?
I agree with you that this is a reasonable compromise.
But the title and first line are incorrect. Why would atheists, who don’t believe in Satan, distribute Satanic literature? They’re not; according to the Breitbart article, the atheists and Satanists are two different groups handing out two different types of literature. You’ve once again conflated two different groups together into one common enemy.
(As a former Christian, I wonder if this is something people learn to do in church. I remember this was a common strategy of some of my pastors growing up, who sometimes insisted that there was some grand conspiracy of atheists, homosexuals, feminists, witches, communists, Muslims, and basically everyone who wasn’t the right kind of Christian to destroy our religion and bring the world to Satan. Of course, most Christians I know don’t believe this, but this was a pretty mainstream church, and it’s something I see a lot of among more conservative Evangelicals. [And before I get accused of anti-Christian bigotry, Lord knows many mosques have their own problems.])
Chris thank you for clarifying what was reported in the article. I admit that I posted this quickly before I had to leave for work.
The groups were identified as “atheist” in the sentence from the article, “Several atheist organizations, including The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers (WCAF) and the Satanic Temple.”
I saw no indication that “Freethinkers and/or the “Satanic Temple” were not atheists.
From Wikipedia
This definition would make the atheist groups strange bedfellows with the Satanists. working at cross purposes, so to speak. Whatever.
FYI: I (this “people”) had no such instruction in churches I attended growing up or in churches I’ve attended since. The error had nothing to do with my religious teachings.
Thanks for revealing how your mind works, though.
Upon further reflection, I remembered that there are some who identify as “Satanists” who are really just atheists or secular humanists who use the iconography of Satan while not believing in any literal supernatural beings. So I could be wrong, and your original title and first line may have actually been correct, making my comments about you conflating them into a “common enemy” unfair in this case.
Sorry.
Thanks Chris, no problem. We all make mistakes in communication, which is why it’s important that we care about hearing what another says and not what we think they have said and respect each other enough to leave room for clarification.
I really appreciate that you took the time to reflect and reconsider. Whether you believe it or not I’d like you to know that I do care about the truth and I also care about civility and tolerance.
Jeeze why all the commotion? I could care less. We have textbooks in LA and TX that lie about science and call salves agriculture workers. I say let it all be seen. Until we clean up the media, propaganda textbooks, and even some of these false Bibles that teach to suppress women in the sidebars let it all be seen.
Also trying to group atheists is as silly as trying to group all religious.
Bottom Line Religion is back to being propaganda to control the population.
We now see the term “Religious Liberty” which is being used to dictate one religious belief to all. I say the Conservatives invited this. Let it play out.
Religion is being used to hate as we see in NC right now. Jesus would be sad and preach against all this.
Also #BribeBart? really? They are not know as a reliable source.
I also ask you what do you know about the Satanic Temple? What you read on conservative sites? I will say Opes Dei a Catholic branch is not pure as well. You realize the abuse of children in that religion is very very real right?
You can not group religious people into any one pot.
You do not get to dictate your religion to the world or US Citizens. We are not slaves to one ideology.
The word “atheism” means lack of theism, a lack of religion. Broadly defined, atheism is the absence of belief in a god, gods or deities. Atheists believe that people should take full responsibility for their own actions and treat other beings with respect and dignity simply because it is the right thing to do, and not because we feel coerced into doing it out of fear of punishment in a life after death.
http://westerncoloradoatheists.org/about-atheism/