In this issue:

• Rochester Hills City Council passes motto resolution
• Review of our January Political Planning Session
• March press conference
• Announcing the Michigan Atheists website
• Salvation Army plans to build new complex in Pontiac
• Istook School Prayer Amendment
• National Convention
• About the newsletter

Rochester Hills Puts A Twist On National Motto Display

In a 6-1 vote, after 90 minutes of deliberation, the Rochester Hills City Council passed a resolution that allows the "prominent display of expressions of patriotism, including 'In God We Trust' and 'God Bless America'" in the city hall. Michigan residents who have been following the stories about motto displays in various communities have probably already heard this news. What very few know is what occurred during the lengthy period of discussion that followed five speakers from the audience, and it is worth recording. The following is the full story.

First, three speakers stood up in opposition to the display. Lee Helms, Rochester Hills resident, gave a speech that outlined the history of the motto, which is unmistakably sectarian, and said: "If that motto is put up in government buildings and public schools, I should hope that lawsuits will be filed to have it taken down, or to at least make the display area into a public forum where other messages may also be posted, given equal space and equal protection from vandalism." (The full speech may be found at http://www.michiganatheists.org/RHCC_speech1.htm) George Christian, an Oakland Township resident who is affected by decisions made in Rochester Hills, objected to the motto, citing several atrocities that have been committed in the name of someone's god, especially the Judeo-Christian god of the motto. Chris Boyle, a Rochester Hills resident, opposed the display of the motto as a secular parent.

After the people who opposed the motto spoke, two people who supported the display said their piece. The second speech was an echo of the first, so only the points of the first speech are noteworthy. Ignoring the motto's more recent history, the first speaker went back to the Declaration of Independence--thirteen years before the formation of the United States under the Constitution--to attempt to demonstrate how the founding fathers never intended to separate state and church. He quoted various elected officials throughout history in an attempt to show the "religious heritage" of the United States. After eight minutes (the council allows only three minutes for each citizen when it hears public opinion) of coming back to the same point about the Declaration of Independence having references to a "Creator", the speaker sat down of his own accord.

When the public opinion portion of the hearing was over, Councilwoman Barbara Holder mentioned that she had received several phone calls concerning the display because a radio station--she failed to mention the call letters--gave out her phone number. She took the results of this unscientific, informal poll and shared them with the council: thirteen Rochester Hills residents had called in support of the motto, while none opposed. Later, during a short recess, Lee Helms learned that the radio station was a Christian one. Of course, this may not have mattered to the council, as not one member opposed the display; all deliberation focused on whether to pass a resolution, how to display the motto, and the wording of the resolution itself.

During the council's deliberation, the council members made several statements that may never be seen in mainstream media, but probably should:

• At least three council members, Melinda Hill, Lois Golden, and Gerald Robbins, admitted their ignorance of the history of the motto and decisions made concerning its display in federal courts. The City Attorney did say that the council would be on constitutional grounds if they passed the resolution (in its original form), but nobody moved to defer deliberation on the resolution until after further research had been done.
• Gerald Robbins moved twice to amend the original resolution, withdrawing both amendments after the council had voted, causing major confusion for the council members.
• Melinda Hill, the one dissenting vote, objected only to the subjective wording of one of the whereas clauses in the resolution, which said (paraphrased): WHEREAS the council agrees with the decision of the Federal District Court of Appeals that the motto,
• In God We Trust" reflects the religious heritage of the United States. Hill wanted to change "agrees" to "recognizes".
• At one point, Gerald Robbins mentioned that "people are making this about being for or against someone's beliefs, when all we're talking about is displaying a poster." Maybe Mr. Robbins would support displaying a poster of Marilyn Manson with his penis between pages of the Bible [available for purchase at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH], by this reasoning.
• Lois Golden and Barbara Holder had similar opinions. They made statements like, "the motto means something different to everyone--it does not refer to one specific god". This first statement ignored the history of the motto, which Lee Helms had provided in his speech. Another statement, "Everyone is free to worship his own god or thing, according to his conscience", ignored the fact that 14.1% of Americans do not worship anything at all.
• Jim Duistermars would hear no compromise on the proposed resolution. He cited the "religious heritage" of the United States. He argued that the Declaration of Independence should not be ignored for purposes of Constitutional interpretation (although it came 13 years before the formation of the country, and before the Establishment Clause). He cited a book that he brought with him that contained quotes from the founding fathers that "proved" that the United States was a "religious nation". He said that "separation of church and state is nowhere in the Constitution", and went on to twist Thomas Jefferson's interpretation of the Establishment Clause. Referring to a portion of George Christian's speech, Duistermars said "I believe that the Holocaust was of Satan, not of God!", missing the point that the extermination of the Jews was Hitler's interpretation of "God's will", and that the act was still committed in the name of someone's god.
• After lengthy deliberation and a recess, Gerald Robbins proposed a new resolution. His basis for this proposition was a poster that was on the front door of the city hall already: it was a display of flags, two of which had "In God We Trust" and "God Bless America" on them. Based on this display, he proposed that the resolution include "expressions of patriotism, including 'In God We Trust' and 'God Bless America'". This resolution passed 6-1, with Councilwoman Hill dissenting. The council ignored the fact that no public opinion had been heard regarding the poster Robbins had seen, and it ignored the fact that "God Bless America" was a sectarian prayer that had not been held to a Constitutional test.

After the meeting, Lee Helms talked about creating his own poster to be displayed in the city hall auditorium. Stay tuned to see if the council accepts his contribution.

Put a stop to Displays of the nation motto in your community!

Resolutions to display the motto have already passed in Troy, Auburn Hills, and Rochester Hills, but that does not mean that they cannot be stopped in other communities. All people interested in protecting their First Amendment rights are encouraged to watch their city councils closely and stand up for themselves when this issue (and other First Amendment issues) comes to their communities. Anyone who hears about a community that intends to pass a resolution similar to that in Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, and Troy is encouraged to notify Arlene-Marie at michiganatheistsnewsletter@comcast.net.

Individuals who want to speak in their communities about keeping these displays out are encouraged to take a lesson from what happened in Rochester Hills. Talking points include:

• The religious history of the motto. Rochester Hills City Council admitted to a lack of knowledge of the history of the motto, and should have been invited to at least postpone the resolution in favor of more research. A great source for this information may be found at http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/igwt1.htm.
• 14.1% of Americans (approx. 38,000,000 people, or a minority about as large as the African-American population) are not included in the "We" in the national motto. These people do not worship any god, so the non-denominational or generic god argument does not hold up.
• The Declaration of Independence is often referred to as suggestive of the intentions of the Founding Fathers. However, several Founding Fathers later gave their interpretations of the First Amendment and their opinions on religion. Some rebuttal to misquotes/misused quotes of the Founding Fathers may be found at http://www.atheists.org/courthouse/charlotte.html#inaccurate. Some interesting quotes from the Founding Fathers may be found at http://www.infidels.org/~godlessheathen/Founders.html.
• In Article VI of the U.S. Constitution appears the following clause: "...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." Article 11, paragraph 1 of Michigan's Constitution expresses a similar sentiment.
• The First Amendment prohibits establishment of religion, and "In God We Trust", expressed in any official capacity, establishes--at the very least--a monotheistic philosophy. It is an unmistakable expression of religious faith, whether the faith is "non-denominational" or not.

Political Planning Session In Review

Many issues that face the secular citizens of Michigan were put on the table at the January 20 political planning session. Among the issues put on the table were:

National legislation:

• The Bright-Line Act and the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act both would give organized religion more of a foothold in the political process by allowing up to 20% of their tax-exempt income to be used in political campaigns.
• Legislation to make "God Bless America" the national hymn is also in Congress.
• National legislators are working on a compromise version of Bush's faith-based legislation called the "Community Solutions Act".

For more national action alerts, visit: http://www.atheists.org/action/

State legislation:

• A bill that would allow the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings is still alive in the state legislature.
• A state-level version of Bush's faith-based funding proposal is being entertained in Michigan.
• A bill that gave half of the funds of a special license plate directly to the Salvation Army was signed into law last year.

The law that encourages "In God We Trust" to be displayed in Michigan's public buildings was signed on December 20, 2001. Arlene-Marie, the Michigan State Director, stated that the focus of Michigan Atheists during 2002 is the protest of this law.

Arlene-Marie spoke about her activism, the activism of others, and relayed instances where a single activist has made a difference. She also brought forward the idea of working toward making nonreligious people a protected class. She opened the discussion to others, and several ideas emerged. The suggestion of a poster to counter the display of the motto was made. Tips on how and what to write to legislators were presented. Several Atheists in attendence spoke passionately about the issues and what to do about them.

For more about the event, visit our new website, http://www.michiganatheists.org.

March Press Conference

At the Political Planning Session, Arlene Marie announced plans to hold a press conference on March 17. This event will consist of several speakers who will focus on the protest of the national motto legislation. It will be held at the China Star Palace in Westland. More details will be in future editions of this newsletter and on the website.

Announcing The Michigan Atheists Website

Another announcement made at the political planning session was the birth of http://www.michiganatheists.org. This website is under full control of Michigan's State Director, Arlene-Marie, and is dedicated to Michigan Atheists only. It contains legislative alerts, news about upcoming events, contacts within the organization, a "what's new" section that contains current events and updates to the website, and a links page that provides access to a wealth of information about Atheists, Atheism, and separation of state and church.

The Salvation Army is working on obtaining a change in zoning laws for property that is currently zoned single-family residential. The reason: they want to build a 270,000 sq. ft. complex that will include a worship facility, offices, and sorting facilities for donated items. The rezoning would make tax-free property out of land that would generate tax income if developed as it is currently zoned. To read the Oakland Press article on this issue, visit: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3154399&BRD=982&PAG=461&dept_id=467992&rfi=8

Letters Needed To Stop New Istook School Prayer Bill!

from American Atheists

Once again, Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Oklahoma) has introduced legislation that would amend the U.S. Constitution in order to permit organized prayer in public schools.

H.J. Res.81 was introduced last December. It has now been referred to the House Judiciary Committee's "Subcommittee on the Constitution" as a prelude to a full vote.

The measure reads:

"To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience:
"Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed.
"The United States and the States shall not compose school prayers, nor require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity."

The legislation is disingenuous. The Constitution already guarantees free religious expression; and government is prohibited from composing mandatory prayer. The goal of the Istook bill, though, is to legitimize coercive, "student led" prayer in public schools and other venues

• Learn more about the Istook amendment! Visit http://www.atheists.org/action for background on this important issue!
• CONTACT CONGRESS! Let your elected officials know that you oppose the Istook amendment, and want government to stay out of the prayer business! Get talking points on this issue, background and important tips for contacting officials.
• SPREAD THE WORD! Post this Legislative Action Alert to newsgroups and mailing lists. Write letters to the editor of your local paper to raise public awareness about the Istook amendment. Help us defeat this intrusive legislation!

Visit http://www.atheists.org/action.

Together we can defend the separation of church and state, and keep our public school free from "majority rule" prayer bullying!

Join Us For The 28^th National Convention of American Atheists

Boston, Massachusetts -- March 29-31, 2002

from American Atheists

Join us at the luxurious Hyatt Harborside Hotel in Boston Massachusetts for the 28th National Convention of American Atheists. This year's event includes the usual blockbuster roster of speakers, along with workshops, social events, a memorable luxury cruise of Boston Harbor, and a trip to historic Salem, and much more!

The 2002 National Convention will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the historic BAIRD v. EISENSTADT (1972) case which reversed the conviction of pro-choice activist Bill Baird, who was tried, convicted and jailed for violating a repressive law criminalizing the mere act of providing birth control information to women. After five years of legal battling, 21 judges and six courts, Bill Baird finally prevailed. We honor him and this historic case which laid the groundwork for another historic decision in ROE v. WADE. Mr. Baird is one of our featured speakers at this year's Convention.

Other speakers (confirmed) include:

• JOE BOB BRIGGS, commentator and film critic
• STEPHEN NISSENBAUM, professor history, author of "Salem Possessed"
• IBN WARRIQ, author of "Why I Am Not A Muslim"
• FRANK ZINDLER, "Cloning and the Cult of Christ"
• EDDIE TABASH, Constitutional and Civil Rights Attorney.
• KEITH WOOD, General Secretary of Britain's National Secular Society.
• BRIAN LEE of the Jesus Museum.
• LARRY DARBY, Alabama State Director, American Atheists.
• M.J. PHILLIPUS, historian, speaking on "The Malleus Maleficarum..."
• ARLO PIGNOTTI, The Holy Paraphernalia Mania Road Show
• CONRAD F. GOERINGER, "Holy Terror: Religious Violence, Cosmic War and Other Anti-Modernist Fashions"

(Visit the Convention web site at http://www.atheists.org/convention as more outstanding speakers are confirmed!)

We also include a "Jump-start" event on Thursday, March 28, 2002 -- a trip to historic Salem. This fascinating tourist attraction includes the famous Salem Witch Museum, House of the Seven Gables, Maritime National Historic Site, along with a bevy of eateries and other destination activities.

• SPECIAL HOTEL RATES are available throughout the week prior to the start of the Convention. The Hyatt Harborside is one of the premier hotels in the region; and a special American Atheists Convention rate allows you to visit Boston before and after the weekend activities, and still save money! Special Harbor View Suites are available on a limited basis.
• THE BOSTON HARBOR CRUISE is one of the most famous tourist attractions in this historic region. Transportation to and from the wharf is provided, and the cruise features the incomparable Odyssey ship complete with a gourmet brunch, live entertainment and stunning views of the Harbor.
• WHETHER YOU'RE A MEMBER OR JUST CURIOUS, come to the Convention. Get to know us! Take advantage of special rates, including discounts for Members of American Atheists, and Members of Affiliated organizations!
• The Convention features the annual Members' Awards Banquet where we recognize those Atheists who have made outstanding contributions on behalf of American Atheists and the First Amendment separation of church and state. The event includes the Report from the President, presentation of the annual American Atheist of the Year Award, and other recognitions. In addition, there is the exclusive Life Member and Legacy Member banquet.
• ACTIVIST TRAINING WORKSHOPS for State Directors.
• Annual Meeting of the MILITARY ASSOCIATION OF ATHEISTS & FREETHINKERS.
• EXTENSIVE BOOK AND PRODUCT are featuring a full assortment of publications and other materials from American Atheist Press.
• ORAL HISTORY PROJECT (by special appointment) will record on tape the recollections of Atheists as part of the Charles E. Stevens American Atheist Library & Archives. These personal histories will become part of the largest private gathering of Atheist and Freethought materials in the country.
• REGISTER on line for this year's exciting National Convention of American Atheists! For more information, and to use our secure-transaction server, visit http://www.atheists.org/convention.

WHAT: The 28th National Convention of American Atheists

WHEN: March 29-31, 2001 (Jump-start Thursday, March 28)

WHERE: Boston, Massachusetts

MORE INFORMATION: http://www.atheists.org/convention

About The Newsletter

The Michigan Atheists Newsletter is an electronic publication containing news about separation of state and church, the events of Michigan Atheists, and the civil rights of Michigan's godless citizens. All content of the newsletter is the intellectual property of Greg Reich and Michigan Atheists, unless otherwise credited.

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