SEATTLE ATHEISTS CONDEMNS DEATH THREATS ON SEATTLE CARTOONIST BY MUSLIM CLERIC

SEATTLE — Seattle Atheists denounces the threats made to Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris by Yemeni-American cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki in the English-language publication affiliated with al-Qaeda.

Al-Awlaki wrote that Norris, who initiated “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” earlier this year, had earned a place on among other cartoonists, journalists and writers who had offended their religious beliefs and that “the medicine prescribed by the Messenger of Allah is the execution of those involved.”

“We live in a society that guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression,” says Paul Case, president of Seattle Atheists. “The cost of that freedom is that you’re occasionally going to see or read things that offend you. When that happens, you can respond with free speech of your own. What you can’t do is silence speech you don’t like with threats of violence.”

Seattle Atheists supported Molly Norris and “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” — not because it singled out Muslims or Islam, but because they should have no special protection against criticism or satire.

The law “wouldn’t tolerate Christian groups using threats to enforce their religion’s laws on people who aren’t members of their faith,” said Case. No religion has any special rights in this respect.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism and the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Case, President of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770,
president@seattleatheists.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Case
President of Seattle Atheists
P.O. Box 283, Seattle, WA 98111-0283
(206) 826-0770
president@seattleatheists.org
www.seattleatheists.org

SEATTLE ATHEISTS WINS 2010 AMERICAN ATHEISTS AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR AWARD

Seattle — Seattle Atheists is deeply honored to be the recipient of the 2010 American Atheists Affiliate of the Year Award.

Blair Scott, the National Affiliate Director of American Atheists said, “Over the past year Seattle Atheists have shown outstanding dedication to activism, community support, and the advancement of a positive view of atheism.

“The personal drive of the leadership and members of Seattle Atheists, their dedication to activism, community support, and a positive view of atheism, their unselfish application of time and talent, are a great credit to themselves, atheist groups across the United States, and atheists everywhere.

“Each year, American Atheists gives away the Affiliate of the Year award at the American Atheists Convention. Affiliate of the Year is not a random award: it actually means something. It means the Affiliate earned the award through hard work and dedication. The criteria looked at for consideration of Affiliate of the Year is:

• Activism for the separation of church and state and civil rights of non-theists (protests, demonstrations, letter-writing, action alerts, etc.).
• Events, activism, or programs that promote a positive image of atheists and atheism (public events, parades, editorials, etc.)
• Events, activism, or programs that advance science and reason (Darwin Day, etc.).
• Provides a social outlet for local atheists (in addition to regular monthly meetings – unless they are exclusively social).
• Charitable works, community outreach, or some other social programs or events (such as blood drives, feeding the homeless, donations, etc.). Please note that as a policy, American Atheists does not participate in charitable works or social programs. While American Atheists certainly does not discourage affiliates group from participating in charitable works and engaging in social programs, such activities are by no means required or expected of Affiliates.

“It is our hope that their activism and community outreach promotes the same in Affiliates across the nation and American Atheists encourage all Affiliates to increase activism and outreach!”

Seattle Atheists extends its congratulations and thanks to our volunteers, members, and board, whose tireless work in the community, and unflagging enthusiasm for charity, education, and outreach have made this award possible.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism, and for the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Case, President of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770, president@seattleatheists.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Case
President of Seattle Atheists
P.O. Box 283, Seattle, WA 98111-0283
(206) 826-0770
president@seattleatheists.org
www.seattleatheists.org

PRESIDENT IS NOT OUR PASTOR-IN-CHIEF — SEATTLE ATHEISTS LAUDS FEDERAL COURT DECISION

SEATTLE — Seattle Atheists would like state our support for the ruling made by U.S. District judge Barbara Crabb’s ruling that the National Day of Prayer violated the Establishment clause of the First Amendment and was therefore unconstitutional.

The National Day of Prayer was first introduced in 1952 at the height of the Cold War, and officially set as the first Thursday in May by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. It is a day when the President of the United States calls upon the nation’s citizens to pray, which Judge Barbara Crabb ruled, “is an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function.”

“I have heard the argument that the National Day of Prayer doesn’t promote a particular religion,” says Paul Case, president of Seattle Atheists, “but go to the official website and click on the ‘Why Pray’ link, and it is immediately obvious that this is promoting a wholly Christian endeavor. And that should be offensive to people, and not just atheists — but to all of us. How can that be seen as anything but respecting an establishment of religion?”

The law reads, “The President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.” This clearly demonstrates the sectarian and exclusionary nature of the law.

“Our President is the leader of a nation with a secular constitution,” says Case. “He isn’t our pastor, minister or priest. It isn’t just that he shouldn’t compel us to pray, it’s that he’s constitutionally barred from using his public office as a church pulpit.”

Seattle Atheists would like to express its appreciation to the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (ffrf.org), who initiated the lawsuit, and give our moral support for the inevitable appeals still to come. We stand firm in the assertion that people of all religious denominations, or none, are best served by the secular government laid out by the Founding Fathers — a government that neither encourages nor discourages religious belief or practice. We feel that President Thomas Jefferson summed it up best when he said, “The President of the United States has no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism, and for the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Case, President of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770, president@seattleatheists.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Case
President of Seattle Atheists
P.O. Box 283, Seattle, WA 98111-0283
(206) 826-0770
president@seattleatheists.org
www.seattleatheists.org

SEATTLE ATHEISTS TO OBSERVE NATIONAL DAY OF REASON

SEATTLE — On May 6th, members of Seattle Atheists will observe the National Day of Reason by donating at Puget Sound Blood Centers.

The National Day of Reason is the secular response to the National Day of Prayer. It is intended to inspire secular Americans to be visible and to set an example through actions which directly benefit the community. It provides a positive and visible alternative for the non-religious to the unconstitutional National Day of Prayer.

Seattle Atheists chooses to set an example on the National Day of Reason by donating blood. We wish to provide real, tangible benefits to our community, rather than engage in fruitless appeals to invisible authority figures.

The National Day of Prayer being promoted by the federal government is in violation of Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution. It asks federal and local government entities to set aside time and space to engage in religious ceremonies. This is supported by tax dollars.

The Supreme Court has ruled that state-sponsored prayer in schools is exclusionary. A nationally-sponsored day of prayer is equally exclusionary. The National Day of Prayer is geared toward a specific segment of religious practice, and is clearly outside the bounds of proper governmental authority. Indeed, the National Day of Prayer excludes other faiths in the United States, including Quakers, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, and Jews.

For those who do not pray, the National Day of Prayer is exclusionary and elitist. And, those Americans who do pray don’t need the government to remind them to. Government has no business telling Americans to engage in religious practice, or in how they should do it.

“Its not the job of the federal government to encourage and validate religious activity,” says Paul Case, president of Seattle Atheists. “It’s illegal for them to give de facto endorsement belief over non-belief.”

“Millions of Americans are atheists, agnostics and non-believers,” says Paul Case. “On May 6th, we’re asking them to join us not by appealing to an invisible authority figure, but to do some real good in their communities.”

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism and the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Case, President of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770, president@seattleatheists.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Case
President of Seattle Atheists
P.O. Box 283, Seattle, WA 98111-0283
(206) 826-0770
president@seattleatheists.org
www.seattleatheists.org

SEATTLE ATHEISTS CONDEMNS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S COVER-UP OF CHILD RAPE AND DISMISSIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD ITS VICTIMS

SEATTLE — Seattle Atheists would like express its sympathy for the pain suffered by the victims of rape and abuse by Catholic priests, and its disgust at a callous global organization which has enabled and covered up that rape and abuse for decades.

As the list of charges grows, and more victims find the courage to speak out, the Vatican’s attitude towards its victims has grown more cynical and flippant. Pope Benedict recently referred to growing evidence that Catholic priests raped children in their charge, covered up the abuse, and protected the abusers, as “petty gossip.” At the Good Friday service attended by the Pope, Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa compared media scrutiny to the persecution of the Jewish people — doubly offensive given the Church’s centuries-long history of anti-Semitism and their complicity in the Holocaust.

The New York Times reported that the Pope has personally played a hand in internal investigations of abuse against its priests. They reported that he squashed an investigation against Lawrence C. Murphy, who may have abused and raped as many as 200 deaf children under his charge in Wisconsin from the 1950s to the 1970s. Murphy died as a priest and was never punished for his crimes. Church officials in Germany recently admitted that Rev. Peter Hullerman, transferred to an archdiocese led at the time by Pope Benedict, could have been committing sexual abuse since the 1970s. And, in Ireland, Bishop John McGee resigned, apologizing that he failed to respond to allegations of abuse within the church.

“The sexual abuse of children is terrible enough,” says Paul Case, president of Seattle Atheists, “but to actually cover it up, silence the victims with confidentiality agreements, and pass on the priest to a batch of new potential victims is just unforgivable.”

The decades it took to bring these crimes out into the open, and the callous responses by the Pope and the Vatican, clearly illustrate what Seattle Atheists feels is the privileged role that religion gives to an organization that holds itself up above criticism or scrutiny.

“I can’t imagine that a CEO whose employees sexually abused children would be shameless enough to cover it up and have the audacity to play the victim,” Case says, “especially an organization that claims to be the arbiter of morality.”

Seattle Atheists bears no ill will toward the millions of moral Christians and Catholics. We share their outrage with the growing evidence of wrongdoing, and offer our support to the victims and their families. To remain silent is an insult to the secular conscience.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism and the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Case, President of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770, president@seattleatheists.org

Contact:
Mike Gillis
Board Member of Seattle Atheists
P.O. Box 283, Seattle, WA 98111-0283
(206) 826-0770
seattleatheists@seattleatheists.org
www.seattleatheists.org

SEATTLE ATHEISTS CELEBRATE DARWIN DAY

SEATTLE — On Saturday February 6th, Seattle Atheists will join other free-thought groups to celebrate the 201st birthday of Charles Darwin, the brilliant scientist whose revolutionary work became the foundation of modern biology.

Seattle Atheists and our fellow organizations in the Northwest Freethought Coalition (NWFC) will come to together to celebrate Darwin, science, humanity and in appreciation of verifiable knowledge that has been acquired solely through human curiosity and ingenuity.

The event is family-friendly and will include speakers, educational evolution-themed games, activities, and food. The public is encouraged to attend.

WHERE:
Juanita Community Club
13027 100th Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98034

WHEN:
Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism, and the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mike Gillis, Board Member of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770, seattleatheists@seattleatheists.org

# # #

SEATTLE ATHEISTS HOLIDAY SIGN ON CAPITOL GROUNDS

Seattle, WA, Dec. 5 2009 — Seattle Atheists has applied for a permit to display a sign on the state capitol grounds from Dec. 12 to Dec. 29, 2009. The sign will read:  “In this holiday season let us remember that kindness, charity and goodwill transcend belief, creed or religion. Happy Holidays, Seattle Atheists”

Last year, the Wisconsin organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), displayed a sign in the capitol rotunda which read, “Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” Seattle Atheists shares many opinions with the FFRF regarding the separation of church and state, and about the harm that can be done in the cause of religious belief. However, we feel that the message was needlessly provocative and inappropriate for the context of the capitol rotunda.

We feel that it is appropriate for a local organization, rather than a national organization, to have a voice in this matter in the form of our own display. We place a high value on the separation of church and state, and supported the removal of all private displays from the capitol rotunda, religious or not. We feel that the approval of religious displays gives the appearance of state sponsorship. Additionally, the state decides which displays are appropriate and which are not, which can be interpreted as an infringement on the free exercise of religion.

Seattle Atheists felt that a seasonal gesture of goodwill and equality would be more appropriate, while serving as a reminder that the wall of separation between church and state is a critical doctrine which serves to protect the rights of citizens to practice any religion they choose, or none at all.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism, and the separation of church and state.

CONTACT:
Jerry Schiffelbein, Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770,
treasurer@seattleatheists.org

# # #

SEATTLE ATHEISTS LAUNCHES SECOND WAVE OF BUS ADS

Seattle, WA, Oct. 2009 — Beginning on Nov. 2, and continuing through Dec. 27, Seattle Atheists will roll out a second series of interior ads on King County Metro downtown routes. The three new signs feature the following quotes:

“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” — Carl Sagan

“The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.” — Ben Franklin

“Religions are all alike — founded upon fables and mythologies.” — Thomas
Jefferson

These new signs, like those in our first series, are intended to educate people in Seattle about the rich American legacy of skepticism and critical thought, and to provide a rebuttal to religious fundamentalists who have spread the fallacy that the United States was founded as a
Christian state.

Seattle Atheists believes it is necessary to counteract attempts by the American religious right to retroactively and falsely cast our Founding Fathers and cherished public figures as posthumous members of their movement or supporters of their theocratic agenda. The United States is not, and was not, founded as a “Christian nation,” and these ads are intended to help illustrate that.

“The Founding Fathers could not have been clearer in both the First Amendment, their own writings, or the very first treaty the United States signed in 1796,” says Seattle Atheists president Paul Case. “There is a ‘wall of separation’ between church and state, and this country is founded on secular, not religious principles.”

Seattle Atheists will also be launching a fundraising campaign to expand our outreach efforts to include signs on the outside of buses as well for a future series of ads.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving the atheist community in the Seattle area. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by providing information, creating a sense of fellowship, actively opposing discrimination, and above all, emphasizing reason, critical thinking over supernaturalism and the separation of church and state.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Case, President of Seattle Atheists, (206) 826-0770,
president@seattleatheists.org

# # #

We at Seattle Atheists feel that the sentiments expressed in the sign are unfortunate.  We cannot endorse the language or sentiments expressed on this sign.  We feel it was divisive, hostile, and does not represent a good-faith attempt to promote the separation of church and state.  In fact, we feel it has done damage to the public perception of atheism.

Seattle Atheists feel that a statement relating directly to the separation of church and state, or a seasonal gesture of universal goodwill and equality would be appropriate if a non-religious sign is to be placed on public property.  While the State of Washington is ultimately responsible for giving permission to place private holiday displays on public property, we place a high value on the separation of church and state and support the removal of *all* private displays from the rotunda in Olympia, including the Winter Solstice plaque.

The FFRF is a nationwide organization is based in Madison, WI. It was founded to promote the separation of state and church. Its purposes are to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to non-theism.

Seattle Atheists is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to education and community. Through education, we strive to educate the public and change the image of atheism. We strive to promote understanding and respect toward all freethinkers by opposing discrimination and emphasizing reason and critical thinking. Seattle Atheists provides community services, including blood drives, participating in public radio pledge drives, and gift wrapping, of which 100% of the proceeds benefit the Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Seattle Atheists, 11008 NE 140th St., Kirkland, WA 98034, (206) 729-0327