
By: Christopher Baker
AANEWS #231  Part 1 of 2

From: Cgastbook@aol.com
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 14:37:38 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Atheist] re: AANEWS for January 15,1997
Sender: owner-aanews@listserv.direct.net
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from: AMERICAN ATHEISTS
subject: AANEWS for January 15, 1997

        A M E R I C A N   A T H E I S T S
                 ~~   A A N E W S   ~~
     #231 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1/15/97
             http://www.atheists.org
               ftp.atheists.org/pub/
        e-mail: aanews@atheists.org

   In This Issue...
   * O'Hair Group Wins Another Round In Truth Seeker Trials
   * Bishop Wants To Stop Same-Sex Marriages In Hawaii
   * "Kabuki" Religionists Support RFRA
   * TheistWatch: Creationism In New Mexico
   * Join AACHAT
   * About This List...

            ATHEISTS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT IN TRUTH SEEKER FLAP
    "I Hope It's Over For Good," says American Atheists President...

   There was good news earlier this week for American Atheists, as the
U.S. Circuit Court ruled in favor of AA founder Madalyn Murray O'Hair
and other defendants in the controversial Truth Seeker trial.

   The decision marked the third consecutive court victory for Madalyn
O'Hair and her fellow defendants in a legal squabble dating back to
the late 1980's.  The suit arose out of an earlier action O'Hair and a
group of Atheists associated with the old American Association for the
Advancement of Atheism, the National Liberal League and the public
known as "The Truth Seeker."  The "group" sought an accounting of
Truth Seeker finances which were then under the control of the late
James Hervey Johnson.

   Details of the case were regularly reported in the American Atheist
Newsletter; and a full review of the matter was made in the Newsletter
issue of December, 1994 (Vol. 33, No. 12).  Ellen Johnson, President
of American Atheists, applauded the court's decision and saw it as a
vindication of Madalyn O'Hair and others on charges which have
appeared in the news media and elsewhere.

   "Since the disappearance of the O'Hair family, news coverage has
slavishly misrepresented the facts of the Truth Seeker case," Johnson
noted.  "The O'Hairs have been portrayed as scoundrels and thieves,
but this marks the third consecutive time that courts have ruled
otherwise and found no merit in these charges."

   Johnson observed that those court proceedings included a trial in
front of a jury, another court trial with a judge, and now the
proceeding in front of the U.S. Circuit Court.

                 Time To "Put This Behind Us And Move

   On..." Ms. Johnson also expressed hope that this latest decision
would finally be the end of the Truth Seeker matter.  "Both sides have
spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, and no one has
been helped by this situation."  She added that "It's been a windfall
for attorneys, clogged the courts, and interfered with our work.  A
lot of money donated by Atheists to the Truth Seeker has been
squandered on these litigious proceedings by the plaintiffs.  I really
hope it's over for good, and we can put this behind us and move on."

   Johnson said that the latest ruling would be discussed thoroughly
in the next American Atheist newsletter.

                                 **

     IS CATHOLIC CHURCH IN HAWAII ENGAGING IN POLITICAL ACTIVISM ?
           Bishop Calls For Rally Against Same-Sex Marriage

   Mitch Kahle, Hawaii State Director for American Atheists, reports
that the local Roman Catholic establishment is coming dangerously
close to engaging in political activism as it attempts to rally the
faithful over the issue of gay or same-sex marriage.  Church officials
have called for a January 24 rally at the capitol building in
Honolulu; in addition, Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo has issued a
statement which, in addition to urging believers to participate, also
implores them to "write, or fax your legislator that same day to let
them know that you want justice for marriage."

   The rally was announced last week in the Hawaii Catholic Herald.  A
"Dear Friends in Christ" letter from DiLorenzo warns that "If the
Hawaii Supreme Court upholds that (same-sex marriage) decision, as
they are likely to do, and if our state legislature does nothing, this
state will be the first place in history to approve and endorse 'same
sex marriage'."

   The letter repeats the familiar conspiracy motif that religious
values are under attack by secular culture.  "Over the past three
decades," wrote the Bishop, " economic, cultural and social attacks
have eroded marriage and family life.  Now, advocates for gay and
lesbian rights want to change the very definition of marriage itself."

   DiLorenzo called for a constitutional amendment to the state
constitution which "allows the people, not the lawyers and the courts,
to define marriage."

   The Catholic Church in Hawaii may be jeopardizing its privileged
tax-exempt status as a religious organization by actively laboring for
specific legislative remedies -- in this case a constitutional
amendment.
                  A Promise Keepers Rally In Honolulu

   The Church may also be getting help as a result of the fallout from
the interdenominational Promise Keepers group, which just held one its
males-only rallies on the island.  An AANEWS observer noted that PK
speakers referred to the Bible as the "absolute guide" for personal
behavior.  Critics of the Promise Keepers have noted the groups
hostility toward gays, and how the PK leadership overlaps with
organizations working against laws which would legitimize same-sex
marriages.

    (Thanks to Mitch Kahle for information used in this story...)

                                  **

   RELIGIOUS GROUPS JOIN IN CALL FOR ''SPECIAL RIGHTS'' LEGISLATION
    Muslims, X-ian Fundamentalists, Humanists & Others Defend RFRA

   Should religious groups enjoy "special rights" by virtue of belief
in a deity?  Should churches, temples and other religious bodies be
exempt from laws which apply to everyone else?  And should religious
belief be a criteria in giving persons special protections not enjoyed
by the rest of the population?

   A coalition of religious groups think they should, and yesterday
urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of the
controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  Under the title of
Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion, the group also intervened
with an amicus ("friend of the court")  brief in the case of City of
Boerne, Tx. v. P.F. Flores, Archbishop of San Antonio et al. That case
is becoming the constitutional litmus test for the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act, legislation drafted and written by religious
organizations.

                          A Tainted History

   The RFRA controversy goes back to a 1990 Supreme Court decision
known as Smith v. Employment Division.  Smith involved the case of an
Oregon Indian tribe's use of the hallucinogenic drug peyote in sacred
ceremonies.  Although such use was a violation of the law, the tribe
insisted that the Native American church should still have to right to
use the substance as an exercise in religious liberty.  Attorneys for
the church insisted that the state could not "substantially burden"
religious exercise without demonstrating a "compelling interest" in
doing so.

   Ironically, it was one of the more conservative and faith-driven
Justices of the high court, Antonin Scalia, who disagreed.  Admitting
that the standard cited in Smith would place minority faiths at a
"disadvantage," Scalia suggested that this was an "unavoidable
consequence of democratic government."

   No sooner had the Smith decision been handed down than religious
organizations throughout the country swung into action, and enlisted
55 constitutional scholars in drafting the so-called Religious Freedom
Restoration Act, and urging a re-hearing on Smith.   Twenty religious
groups were initially involved in the effort representing such diverse
organizations as the National Association of Evangelicals to People
for the American Way.  American Atheists was one of the few groups
speaking out against the dangers of RFRA.  The group cited the
dangerous precedent of inventing "special rights" for religious groups
that persons gained apparently by virtue of merely being part of a
religion.  In other words, actions which were illegal for one segment
of society would be tolerated as long as they were carried out under
the guise of religious exercise.

                       Enter St. Peter Church

   The constitutional test of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
will be a case involving St. Peter Church, a 70-year old building in
the town of Boerne, Texas.  When the Archdiocese announced plans in
October to demolish the structure, city officials promptly invoked
local historic preservation ordinances to stop the project.  The
city's Major declared that the church was a "community landmark," and
that "this community values its visual and historical heritage,
whether it's a church or a 100-year-old library."

   The church is not arguing against the validity or constitutionality
of local laws affecting historic structures -- only whether there
should be an exemption in the case of religious organizations.  The
Archdiocese cites the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which
would require the city of Boerne to convince a federal judge that it
has a "compelling interest" in "burdening" a religious group.

                Are Some More "Equal" Than Others ?

   But critics in the Boerne and other RFRA-related controversies
insist that the Act offers "equal protection" to religious groups and
believers, but not to the rest of the population.  Under RFRA, the
City of Boerne (or any other government entity) could enforce zoning,
preservation or other kinds of laws on private citizens and
businesses, but would have to make a stronger case for doing so when
dealing with churches and religions.  Opponents argue that the RFRA
thus violates the Establishment Clause by providing religions with
special privileges over all other types of belief or non-belief.

             A Rogues Gallery Of Religious And "Kabuki"

   Religionists Support for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has
come from a wide range of religious organizations, as well as "Kabuki"
religious groups which ordinarily boast of their secularist or
separationist credentials.  The former category includes the American
Baptist Churches, American Jewish Committee, Baptist Joint Committee
on Public Affairs, Christian Legal Society, Episcopal Church, Guru
Gobind Sing Foundation, Presbyterian Church, National Sikh Center,
Muslim Prison Foundation and the Christian-Reconstructionist Home
School Legal Defense Association.  The reactionary Traditional Values
Coalition is also a member, along with the Rabbinical Council of
America, United Church of Christ, and the Church of Scientology.

   Curiously, the American Humanist Association is also listed as a
cheerleader for the RFRA, along with American Civil Liberties Union (a
great disappointment!), Americans for Religious Liberty, and Americans
United for Separation of Church and State.

   The amicus brief was prepared by a panel of members drawn from many
of the coalition member groups.  Authors of the document include: Marc
D. Stern (American Jewish Congress), Oliver S. Thomas (National
Council of Churches), Steven McFarland (Christian Legal Society),
Elliot Mincberg (People for the American Way), Steven Green (Americans
United), Michael Farris (Home School Legal Defense Association) and
Melissa Rogers (Baptist Joint Committee).  Arguments in the case will
be heard by the high court on February 19; a decision is expected
before the end of June.
                                 **

                       THEISTWATCH SHORT SHOTS

   There are serious problems concerning the historicity of "Jesus
Christ," said to be the founder of the Christian religion.  Many
scholars consider Jesus to have been a combination of several
different persons, or even a metaphor; there is precious little
evidence that such an individual ever existed.  Indeed, would be god-
men, messiahs said to have been born of a virgin who suffered and
died, then rose from the grave to fly off to heaven populate the
hagiography of the world's religions.

   But those concerns haven't stopped the Italian Parliament from
approving a bill which would grant nearly 3,500 billion lire --
approximately $2.3 billion U.S. -- to projects designed to mark the
2,000 anniversary of Jesus's alleged birth.  The cash will be
funnelled to a Millennium committee headed by an official Monsignor of
the Catholic Church.  One Vatican official gushed that this latest
raid on the public treasury was "a real Christmas present." Up to 40
million pilgrims are expected to pour into Italy for the celebrations
focused on the year 2000.  The Church has declared an official
Jubilee, and now -- with a bit of help from hard-pressed Italian
taxpayers --will have even more money to spend on this lavish display
of religious fervor.
                                **

   An article in a recent issue of the Journal of Church and State
observes that in the 1996 election campaign, shrill religious rhetoric
managed to reach an all-time high.  Both parties, it seemed, attempted
to one-up the other in appealing to god and the wholesomeness of the
religious lifestyle.  How many times was "god" implored to bless the
politically faithful, anyway?

   And politicians just couldn't keep their hands out of the religious
collection plate.  Religious right groups poured millions of dollars
into Republican coffers; and not to be outdone, Democrats tried to
grab as much as they could even if the contributions took the form of
"soft money" funnelled through religious groups.

   There is now more news about the notorious "temple fund raiser", an
event held at the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple in Hacienda Heights,
California, which featured Vice President Albert Gore.  Recall that
Demo operative John Huang put together the event, which raised over
$140,000 in highly questionable donations from monks and others
associated with the Buddhist cult.

   In October, Mr. Gore described the meeting as "just a community
event...not billed as a fund-raiser."  But Associated Press now
reports that the Democratic National Committee had sent the Vice
President (who had met with the sects "Venerable Master" at least once
during a visit to Taiwan) a list of "major supporters" and suggested
that he "extend appreciation for participant support and inspire
political and fund-raising efforts." Gore spokesperson Lorraine Voles
insists that "He (the Vice President) knew it was a finance-related
event."
                                 **

   Creationism -- the religious view that life and the universe arose
in accordance with the literal Biblical story of Genesis -- is
becoming an issue again in New Mexico.  The Creation Science
Fellowship has offered a prize of up to $1,000 to participants in an
annual science fair who have "an outstanding project...that
demonstrates designs in nature or a catastrophic process in nature."

   According to the Albuquerque Journal, the director of the
Northwestern New Mexico Regional Engineering and Science Fair says
that the group's advisory board will decide next week whether the fair
will accept the prize offering.  Randi Buck told reporters "This kind
of thing with a semi-controversial or religious issue has never
happened before.  We're trying not to pull a controversial issue into
a student competition, and there is a feeling that this was an issue
that involves religion."

   But a spokesman for the Creationist group argued that "designs in
nature" could simply involve patterns of genetic material, while a
"catastrophic process" might be an exhibition about volcanos.  Jerry
Simmons of CSF admitted that most of the 200 members of the group are
"Christian-oriented and Bible-based," and that the prize was meant to
offer young people "choices."

                                 **

               INTERESTED IN MEETING OTHER ATHEISTS ?

   Then you should join American Atheists and participate in our
moderated on-line discussion forum, aachat.  It's a great way to
communicate with other Atheists; and it is a stimulating discussion
forum for a range of provocative topics including Atheism, state-
church separation, problems of being an Atheist in a religious culture
and much, much more.

   To participate in aachat, you must be a member in good standing of
American Atheists.  For membership information, send mail to
info@atheists.org and include your name and postal mailing address.
If you are already a member, contact Margie Wait, the moderator at
aachat@atheists.org.
                                  **
ABOUT THIS LIST...

   AANEWS is a free service from American Atheists, a nationwide
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Atheists is Margie Wait, irep@atheists.org.

