Pope's Meddling Unacceptable, Say Atheists

For Release: 31 March 1995

Contacts: AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC. 
                Jon Murray or Robin Murray-O'Hair
          Telephone: (512) 458-1244

     American Atheists today deplored the intrusion of the pope into
the affairs of sovereign nations. 

     Jon Murray, president of American Atheists, noted that in
issuing the Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) yesterday the
seventy-four-year-old pope claimed to be speaking for Jesus Christ
himself:

          .  . . by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter
and his Successors, . . . I declare . . . 

     In the document, John Paul issued orders to 960 million Roman
Catholics worldwide, demanding obedience to his commands regardless
of the laws and the constitutions of the countries in which Roman
Catholics live. There are 59 million Roman Catholics in the United
States.

     "This," said Jon G. Murray, "is the height of arrogance. When
the head of a foreign nation addresses our citizens and tells them
that 'there is no obligation in conscience to obey the laws' of our
land, that 'health workers' are 'agents of death,' and that our
legislators are in 'a conspiracy against life' in passing measures
for abortion and euthanasia, which he dubs 'evils no law can justify'
-- he goes too far. Those women who have sought abortions, for
whatsoever reason, he accuses as having 'killed an innocent human
being.' The pope has no prerogative to lay sins on our American women,
or to order the free citizens of the United States to either do or
cease to do anything."

     Mr. Murray called upon Atheists in the United States to join the
picketing of the pope when he addresses the United Nations on October 5.
Americans Atheists will sponsor the protest to draw attention to the
political meddling of the Roman Catholic church nationally and
internationally. In addition to the picket, the group will hold
lectures and workshops for activists and the public. The pope will
be in the U.S. from October 5 to October 8.

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