Five Ridiculous Targets of Atheist Groups
Comprised of two intersecting beams from one of the WTC buildings, the cross was to be included in the museum, much to the chagrin of AA.
"They're trying to Christianize 9/11 with this cross and it's not American and it's not fair," stated David Silverman, president of American Atheists.
The move was an unpopular one, with many including atheist author Susan Jacoby denouncing the lawsuit as one of those things that "confirm negative stereotypes about atheists."
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"What I find dismaying about lawsuits of this kind is that they make it more difficult to focus public attention on real and serious violations of the separation of church and state," wrote Jacoby.
Even The Washington Post's editorial board, seldom a friend to the Religious Right, expressed opposition to the AA lawsuit.
"[AA] argues that the cross, a symbol of Christianity, has no place in a museum that is on government property and receives some government support, though it is run by a private foundation," read the editorial.
"Under that logic, it would seem the National Gallery of Art would have to banish its religious art — or that any group that receives government help must forfeit First Amendment rights of expression in choosing what to exhibit."
The legal system has also thus far given the effort a no vote, with U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts ruling against the suit in March 2013 and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the Batts decision in July 2014.
5. Mother Teresa Commemorative Stamp
Size does not appear to matter for some atheist groups when it comes to what they will denounce as violating the separation of church and state.
In 2010, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter of complaint to the U.S. Postal Service for issuing a commemorative stamp of Mother Teresa.
Apparently, FFRF took issue with the Nobel Prize–winning philanthropist being given a stamp due to her strong association with the Roman Catholic Church.
Never mind that the Post Office has had stamps commemorating various religious holidays and figures from diverse backgrounds for years now.
In an interview with Fox News, atheist writer Bruce Sheiman denounced the FFRF's efforts as "hypocritical" and "stepping over the line."
"Clearly there are a number of things that you can point to and say it's religious and a number of things you can point to and say that it's areligious … So it really doesn't make sense to protest it," continued Sheiman.
The FFRF's efforts also caught the attention of "The Daily Show," which made fun of the atheist group's letter writing campaign in a segment titled "Mail Mary."
"So just to be clear," said "Daily Show" correspondent Jason Jones to FFRF leader Dan Barker while holding up a picture of a smiling Mother Teresa, "this is the fight you are picking?"
That phrase is worth repeating for all the entries in this brief list and those that did not make the cut: "this is the fight you are picking?"
