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Jun. 21, 2002
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In the Land of the �Free� we are inundated on a daily basis with the over baring christian mantra �GOD BLESS AMERICA!� From the bumper stickers on your cars, to the t-shirts that you wear, this slogan is everywhere. Even extending to the billboards littering the city sky lines. But have you even taken one minute to think about the actual meaning behind the words in this collectively trendy, patriotic phrase?
The only religions in the world that refer to it�s god as �God� are the ones based on christianity and on christian-principles (well, and Scientology, but when did they ever count?). America is a melting pot of so many different cultures and religions that claiming �God� to be the strong-holder of it�s fate is actually vastly insulting to the neighboring cultures and creeds who do not practice or believe in the christian faith. That being said, in all fairness, one must ask where all the �Krishna Bless America� bumper stickers are located? Or how about �Buddha Bless America� t-shirts and billboards? How about anything for Diana, Allah, Zeus, Ra, Horus, Set, Anubis, Satan, or David?
And where is the voice for us nonbelievers? It has been said by many atheists, especially in modern times, that if they decide to stand up for their beliefs, they are often told to
�get the hell out of the country!� Many people do not realize how often we bite our tongues and grit our teeth when we get this type of reaction, especially when it�s intermixed with the current trend of constant pure pressure that is usually imposed on us to equate God and patriotism as being one and the same. Those of us who choose mild mannerism towards this bigoted attitude do so only because we deeply believe in the right to free expression of beliefs and culture, even if it isn�t in agreement with our own. America was founded on the principle that each citizen has the freedom to believe whatever they felt was right for them and that they may express those beliefs without harmful repercussion from their fellow americans. This expands the melting pot to not only those of other religious beliefs, but also to those who hold a lack there of.
With this in mind, I feel that my fellow atheists and I have taken in stride the humble approach towards the injustices directed at our beliefs and freedoms for far too long. And to this humble approach I say
NO MORE! Keeping to ourselves in a christian-based society has only allowed us to be persecuted and belittled, with very few moments of tolerance, by those who claim to follow in the foot steps and teachings of the peace-loving symbol of Jesus.
No particular deity makes a country what it is � it�s residents do. And since christians and the christian-minded have taken
full advantage of their freedom to parade their out-spoken words around in the name of patriotism, SO WILL WE.
So in the spirit of the First Amendment, which guarantees the freedom to express ALL religious view points (even a lack there of), I here by slightly alter your popular slogan so that I may creatively express my desire for a more tolerant and a more
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