The town of Starke, Florida with a population of only 5800
(estimate) came under attack by the followers of Madalyn Murray O’Hair,
founder of the American Atheists, who in 1964 Life magazine referred to
as “the most hated woman in America“.
In 1954, O’Hair and her two illegitimate children traveled by ship to Europe, planning on defecting to the Soviet embassy in Paris and residing in the Soviet Union, however, the USSR denied them entry. Murray and her sons returned to Baltimore, Maryland in 1960. O’Hair’s notoriety is best known for the Murray v. Curlett lawsuit, which led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling ending prayer in public schools in 1963. Following the lawsuit O’Hair fled to Austin, Texas where she founded the American Atheists group, and acted as the group’s chief executive officer. In 1995 she was kidnapped, murdered, and her body mutilated, along with her son Jon Murray and granddaughter Robin Murray O’Hair, by former American Atheist office manager David Roland Waters. Along with the kidnapping/murders, Waters extorted $500,000 worth of the $600,000. gold coins that the Atheist organization was holding in a bank.
Since the death of O’Hair, leadership of the American Atheist organization has changed numerous hands. The current president David Silverman was elected in 2010. Silverman has been with the organization since 1996 in a variety of roles. Prior to being president, Silverman was New Jersey State Director, Communications Director, and Vice President. Silverman has over the past three years been more of an attention seeking media and protest provocateur. Silverman’s time is spent mostly cohosting the Atheist Viewpoint television program, writing for the NoGodBlog, and attending protests.
Silverman made a national spectacle of himself in two recent challenges attacking Christianity.
An atheist-awareness billboard campaign launched in the winter of 2010 sparked controversy and increased media exposure for the organization. In American Atheists v. Port Authority (2013) under Silverman’s direction the American Atheists group sought to block the preservation of a cross-beam section of the World Trade Center skeleton that resembled a cross. Silverman stated: “The World Trade Center cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their God, who couldn’t be bothered to stop the terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being, killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross.” On March 28, 2013, United States District Court Judge Deborah Batts granted a motion of judgment in favor of the defendant. American Atheists stated at the time that they would appeal this decision.
In 2012, Silverman attempted to have the traditional Christmas tree removed. David Silverman’s group put up an ad in New York City reading, “keep it merry, dump the myth,” the latter being a reference to Jesus. Silverman seemingly wants to keep the “Christ” out of Christmas and insists the ad is meant as a way of targeting atheists who go to church every Christmas because they believe its tradition or their families pressure them into it. However, Silverman has gone public against Christmas arguing that his agenda is simply to make sure the government does not promote one religion over another. Silverman states that Christmas being a Federal Holiday is preferential to Christians and should remove the holiday and replace it with celebration of Winter Solstice. Silverman said that the “Winter Solstice has been celebrated since the dawn of time”
I hate to inform Mr. Silverman; yes winter solstice has been celebrated since ancient times, not the dawn of time. The holiday timing of the winter solstice is rooted in ancient mostly pagan religions.
Silverman
with his group of Merry Fascists from the north flocked down to a small
town in north Florida for their most recent attack. Starke, the
county seat in Bradford County, Florida, has been dragged into court by
Silverman’s group due to an area designated by the local government
which was set aside for free speech. The Community Men’s Fellowship
erected a stone slab monument of the Ten Commandments in what’s
described as a free speech zone on the courthouse lawn. American
Atheists sued to try to have the stone slab with the Ten Commandments
taken away. During mediation on the case, the atheist group was told it
could have its own monument, too.“We’re not going to let them do it without a counterpoint,” Silverman said. “If we do it without a counterpoint, it’s going to appear very strongly that the government actually endorses one religion over another, or – I should say – religion in general over non-religion.”
Silverman’s slip of tongue which he rapidly corrected was self-defining, atheism is in fact a practice/religion to preach and minister against recognized Faiths. American Atheist Group president David Silverman represents what has become called New Atheists (and the nontheistic movement as a whole). Silverman has formed this organization with social groups with their own guiding documents, gathering places including the Web, and a quasi-religious sense of community. The tacit ring of ‘come join us’ is apparent on their Web pages and in their public lectures. To me, these organizations of nonbelief can start to sound a lot like the ones they vilify.”
The
opposite of theism is not atheism, everyone worships. Everyone sees
value in something, they give themselves wholeheartedly to it, they make
sacrifices for it, and it then receives the bulk of their affection. At
this point, we get into the concept of idolatry. This Idolatry is
apparent with newly erected monument Starke. They came to erect it,
celebrate it, posed with it, and upon it adored with their symbol of
worship.Atheism has been used as a tool for centuries by tyrannical leaders to separate those of Faith, who recognize something greater than themselves, and answers above all to their creator and not a government. Atheism is the tool used by Socialists, Communists, Fascists, and Marxists to control the citizens to do their bidding uncontested. Removal of Faith, removes Hope, removes Consequence, and removes Morality.
“We reject outsiders coming to Florida, especially from outside what we refer to as the Bible Belt, and trying to remake us in their own image,” said Michael Tubbs, state chairman of the Florida League of the South. “We do feel like it’s a stick in the eye to the Christian people of Florida to have these outsiders come down here with their money and their leadership and promote their outside values here.”
After a cover was taken off the 1,500-pound granite bench Saturday, people rushed to have their pictures taken on it. The bench has quotes from Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the founder of American Atheists. It also has a list of Old Testament punishments for violating the Ten Commandments, including death and stoning.
Countering Silverman’s act of standing on the Ten Commandment Monument to make his speech, Eric Hovind, Pensacola jumped atop the peak of the Atheist’s monument and shouted his thanks to the atheists for giving him a platform to declare Jesus is real. Atheists shouted at him with one man yelling that religion is a fairy tale.
“The problem is it’s not a fairy tale,” Hovind said. “We definitely have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.”
Wild Bill on Atheism Video: Click link to see and hear video: http://www.lady-patriots.com/small-town-subjected-to-the-false-idol-of-atheism/
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