Atheists sue to take God out of Kentucky terrorism law

[one...two...tree 2,762]

LEXINGTON, Ky. - An atheists-rights group is suing the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security because state law requires the agency to stress "dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth."

American Atheists of Parsippany, N.J., and 10 non-religious Kentuckians are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, set to be filed Tuesday in Franklin Circuit Court.

Edwin Kagin, a Kentucky lawyer and the national legal director of American Atheists, said he was appalled to read in the Lexington Herald-Leader last week that state law establishes praising God - and installing a plaque in God's honor - as the first duty of the Homeland Security Office.

The state and federal constitutions both prohibit government from getting involved in religion, Kagin said Monday.

"This is one of the most outrageous things I've seen in 35 years of practicing law. It's breathtakingly unconstitutional," Kagin said.

Gov. Steve Beshear's office had not seen the suit and therefore had no comment, spokesman Jay Blanton said.

The requirement to credit God for Kentucky's protection was tucked into 2006 homeland security legislation by state Rep. Tom Riner, D-Louisville, a Southern Baptist minister.

"This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky," Riner said last week.

Riner said he expects Homeland Security to include language recognizing God's benevolent protection in its official reports and other materials - sometimes the agency does, and sometimes it doesn't - and to maintain a plaque with that message at the state's Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort.

In the suit, American Atheists argues that Homeland Security should focus on public-safety threats rather than promote religion. The suit notes that the federal and state homeland security agencies were created as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by Muslim fundamentalists, and it refers to those attacks as "a faith-based initiative."

The plaintiffs ask for the homeland security law to be stripped of its references to God. They also ask for monetary damages, claiming to have suffered sleeping disorders and "mental pain and anguish."

"Plaintiffs also suffer anxiety from the belief that the existence of these unconstitutional laws suggest that their very safety as residents of Kentucky may be in the hands of fanatics, traitors or fools," according to the suit.

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/...ror1202-ON.html

[alienlovechild 75]

The plaintiffs ask for the homeland security law to be stripped of its references to God. They also ask for monetary damages, claiming to have suffered sleeping disorders and "mental pain and anguish."

"Plaintiffs also suffer anxiety from the belief that the existence of these unconstitutional laws suggest that their very safety as residents of Kentucky may be in the hands of fanatics, traitors or fools," according to the suit.

So for these plaintiffs, a mention of non-existent God in a state that is unlikely to ever experience a major terrorist incident is giving them sleeping disorders and mental pain? There are plenty of other actions by the government that drive people crazy.

[Heracles 417]

There is no question why this country is bankrupt any more. We are suffering the worst financial crisis since the depression yet you have clowns who are wasting time with this #######. What is wrong with these people? Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change you dumb asses.

[rocks 494]

Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change

do you ever do anything like that?

[Heracles 417]

Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change

do you ever do anything like that?

Yes. I also donate a hell of a lot of money to charity. After all I am an Aussie and we are a mates based society. Aka Together we do better.

[tmma 467]

There is no question why this country is bankrupt any more. We are suffering the worst financial crisis since the depression yet you have clowns who are wasting time with this #######. What is wrong with these people? Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change you dumb asses.

[rocks 494]

Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change

do you ever do anything like that?

Yes. I also donate a hell of a lot of money to charity. After all I am an Aussie and we are a mates based society. Aka Together we do better.

well that's nice of you, that is the best way to achieve change.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

There is no question why this country is bankrupt any more. We are suffering the worst financial crisis since the depression yet you have clowns who are wasting time with this #######. What is wrong with these people? Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change you dumb asses.

Yes! Attention all politicians and political activists! Stop what you are doing right this minute and focus on fixing this financial crisis RIGHT NOW! Harry Potter wizards...get out your wands and work on the right spell that will get us out of this. Because if you're aren't working on this...you're wasting time...dammit!

[Heracles 417]

well that's nice of you, that is the best way to achieve change.

Change is not always better. Stunts like these listed in the OP are an example of negative change. Why would you even bother? People need to get a life and stop trying to change others. They also need to get the dictionary out and read up on what diversity actually means.

If someone has such a pitiful life that their number one priority is to take God out of everything, #### let them have it. I feel sorry for them. I encourage and endorse diversity rather than trying to put others beliefs and traditions down. But hey I am a conservative so what would I know right. I should just become an opened minded atheist and focus on the real issues such as taking religion out of society. I can see how well this worked in the past and in places like communist Russia.

[Heracles 417]

There is no question why this country is bankrupt any more. We are suffering the worst financial crisis since the depression yet you have clowns who are wasting time with this #######. What is wrong with these people? Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change you dumb asses.

Yes! Attention all politicians and political activists! Stop what you are doing right this minute and focus on fixing this financial crisis RIGHT NOW! Harry Potter wizards...get out your wands and work on the right spell that will get us out of this. Because if you're aren't working on this...you're wasting time...dammit!

Well it's not my 401K that has gone down the toilet. Guess how many banks have failed downunder. ZERO. Guess what the OECD prediction is for the Australian economy. Once again it will weather the global financial storm. But hey what would they know right. Maybe they should take the liberal (SVRTish) approach of focusing on the real issues like taking God out of the government. I can see how well that has worked for America and CA over the past 30 years. What is CA projected deficit again, $32 billion.

Oh noes I am going on a tangent again. AKA aspects of a society intertwined with one another. 411: NHS is not the sole reason Canadians are doing so well.

Edited December 3, 2008 by Aficionado

[one...two...tree 2,762]

There is no question why this country is bankrupt any more. We are suffering the worst financial crisis since the depression yet you have clowns who are wasting time with this #######. What is wrong with these people? Go volunteer at a charity or actually help a fellow American for a change you dumb asses.

Yes! Attention all politicians and political activists! Stop what you are doing right this minute and focus on fixing this financial crisis RIGHT NOW! Harry Potter wizards...get out your wands and work on the right spell that will get us out of this. Because if you're aren't working on this...you're wasting time...dammit!

Well it's not my 401K that has gone down the toilet. Guess how many banks have failed downunder. ZERO. Guess what the OECD prediction is for the Australian economy. Once again it will weather the global financial storm. But hey what would they know right. Maybe they should take the liberal (SVRTish) approach of focusing on the real issues like taking God out of the government. I can see how well that has worked for America and CA over the past 30 years. What is CA projected deficit again, $32 billion.

Oh noes I am going on a tangent again. AKA aspects of a society intertwined with one another. 411: NHS is not the sole reason Canadians are doing so well.

Stop wasting time, man.

[rocks 494]

well that's nice of you, that is the best way to achieve change.

Change is not always better. Stunts like these listed in the OP are an example of negative change. Why would you even bother? People need to get a life and stop trying to change others. They also need to get the dictionary out and read up on what diversity actually means.

If someone has such a pitiful life that their number one priority is to take God out of everything, #### let them have it. I feel sorry for them. I encourage and endorse diversity rather than trying to put others beliefs and traditions down. But hey I am a conservative so what would I know right. I should just become an opened minded atheist and focus on the real issues such as taking religion out of society. I can see how well this worked in the past and in places like communist Russia.

i agree with you that it is petty but some of the "god stuff" is really quite disgusting. alabama had a standard tag that had the background of the american flag and it said "god bless america" on it. a standard tag. i'm not about to protest about it and claim it causes me mental anguish but i do find that offensive. i'm obviously not about to go out and try and get it changed either. luckily for me they withdrew that stupid tag.

can you see how that might be offensive?

Edited December 3, 2008 by rocks

[Danno 1,228]

HERE WE GO AGAIN....

Somehow these clowns see the mention of "God" as an "establishment of a church".

[Scott & Lai 12]

I wonder if these people are losing sleep and suffering mental anguish over the fact that our money has "In God We Trust" on it....

[Heracles 417]

Stop wasting time, man.

People only tend to read things that support their viewpoints rather than be objective. You suffer from this greatly. While I understand you probably mean well, your bias blinds you rather than allowing you to see the bigger picture.