'Imagine no religion,'

[Soldier4Christ]

'Imagine no religion,'
says atheists' display 
Residents irked by city-approved sign
in public park blaming faith for 9/11

Connecticut atheists, taking advantage of a town's policy of allowing holiday-season displays in its public park, have erected a 10-foot tall sign in celebration of the winter solstice that includes a message blaming the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, on religious believers.

The 3-sided sign was erected in the Town of Vernon's Central Park on Dec. 1 by the Connecticut Valley Atheists. The two sides facing Main Street feature a pre-attack image of the Twin Towers with the sun shining between them and the message, "Imagine no religion," drawn from the John Lennon anthem, "Imagine."

Use of the image is meant to say the Twin Towers would still be standing were it not for religion, CVA coordinator Dennis Himes told the Hartford Courant.

The goal is to "simply emphasize an advantage of atheism, something good about atheism," Himes said. "Al-Qaida is not a terrorist organization that happens to be religious, it is a terrorist organization that is inspired by its religious beliefs."

The third side of the sign faces town hall with a message about the winter solstice – the basis for the group being given a permit. It reads:

"In late December the sun is lower and days are shorter than any time of year. Throughout the rest of winter the sun gets higher and the days get longer. Because of this people have celebrated the winter solstice from time immemorial. People used to believe that gods moved the sun across the sky. Today we know that there are no gods, and that the sun moves by natural causes, and we celebrate not only the movement of the sun but our ability to understand that movement."

"We would prefer no displays promoting theological worldviews be displayed at all, but as long as they are we thank the Town of Vernon for permitting atheists equal access," the group says on its website

"The town marked off three spots in the park," Himes said. "The notice to groups said first come, first served, so we picked the one right in front of town hall. We fully expected the other displays to be up around the same time we put ours up."

While the town issued permits to a local synagogue for a menorah display and to a group of churches that plan to place a creche in the park, the atheists were the first to erect their display – indeed, as of the weekend, theirs remained the only display except for a large Christmas tree Mayor Jason L. McCoy had a town crew erect 10 feet from the atheists' sign.

McCoy rejected suggestions placement of the tree is meant to obstruct views of the atheists' display. When told that it did, in fact, obstruct the view, McCoy responded to the Courant, "Oh, really – that's unfortunate."

McCoy and other town officials have been fielding complaint calls for a week from residents angry at the group's suggestion their religion was responsible for 9/11.

"People are not offended the atheists have something up there, and they're not offended by whatever they celebrate. What they're troubled by is they feel [their] religion is equated with being involved in terrorism," McCoy said.

Officials also said the tone of the atheists' display appeared to be more political and not consistent with the description given on their permit application of a "triangular stand displaying information about the winter solstice, atheism and human light observance."

Himes insists the town made the issue political when it decided to allow religious displays on public property.

"The original question was whether Vernon would have a nativity scene on church property or town property," Himes said. "The difference between those two is a political difference."

For generations, Vernon has displayed its circa-World War II creche in the park, but it was moved to St. Bernard Church last year after Hines complained, saying the town was violating the separation of church and state.

Republican town committee members passed a unanimous resolution calling for the creche to be returned to its traditional location in the park in 2007. A new policy, crafted last August, grants equal space for any group wanting to set up traditional displays or symbolic messages during the month of December.

Sandi LaChapelle, owner of Russ' Time Rock 'n' Roll Diner, told the Courant visitors to her business have been commenting on the photo of the sun streaming between the Twin Towers.

"The sun forms a cross," she said.

"That certainly wasn't intentional," Himes said.

[Soldier4Christ]

'Imagine no religion,'

A power structure that has no allegiance to any authority higher than itself will inevitably turn rancid.



What would it be like to live in...
A World Without God?

We would live in a world filled with immorality. In the book of Romans we read of those people who “did not like to retain God in their knowledge” (1:28). Notice what is said of their “lifestyle” in the verses that follow. They were “filled” with such things as fornication, wickedness, covetousness, murder, despiteful, disobedient to parents, unmerciful .... How tragic! But of course they could say, “I did it my way.” Perhaps the saddest epithet given these people is found in verse 32 where we are told that they “not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” They desired that others join them in their way of life ­ a life without God.

We would live in a world without answers. Have you ever wondered where everything came from? Without God there is no answer to that question. Every “answer” that man derives at by himself contradicts his own knowledge. But God gives the answer (Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:11). Have you ever faced a choice and didn't know which was right ­ men were giving different answers to the same question. But God can give the answer (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). You see man's answers change depending on what he wants. God's answers stay the same because He looks to what man needs.

We would live in a world without hope. Have you noticed the rising suicide rate ­ those who say life is not worth living? Have you noticed the rise in the number of homeless ­ those who simply decide life is not worth the effort? Have you seen the increase in the number of those overcome with depression ­ who see no way to cope with the pressures of life? A world without God is a world filled with hopelessness and despair. Man cannot find in himself the answer to “Why should I keep on?” Life without God has no purpose that gives hope. God has the answer (Revelation 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Philippians 3:14).

We would live in a world of loneliness. How many of those who want a life without God have someone they can truly trust. Someone they can say loves them above all else? Paul painted the sad picture of those who lived for self and left God out when he said “all seek their own” (Philippians 2:21). Without God there is no reason for anyone to seek anything other than their own reward or self gratification. God has a better answer (John 13:35; Galatians 6:1-2; Hebrew 3:12-13).

A world without God? A world of loneliness, immorality, puzzles with no answer, hopelessness.... How terrible that so many think that is the way things should be. It is obvious that in the world in which we live there are many who have fallen prey to this horrible way.

Something though, that is stranger is that so many go headlong into a world without God because they look at the world about them and think, “If there is really a God, how can the world be like this?” Because they see a world filled with all that is ungodly they reject God. But what they fail to see is that the world is “like this” because so many still refuse to “retain God in their knowledge.” The distressing things we see in the world are not the result of an unloving God, but the result of a people who do not love God. Life with God is never lonely, it is moral, it has the answers we need and long for and is filled with hope. I pray all mankind will see the need to live there and go to God that they may.

[HisDaughter]

Something though, that is stranger is that so many go headlong into a world without God because they look at the world about them and think, “If there is really a God, how can the world be like this?” Because they see a world filled with all that is ungodly they reject God. But what they fail to see is that the world is “like this” because so many still refuse to “retain God in their knowledge.” The distressing things we see in the world are not the result of an unloving God, but the result of a people who do not love God. Life with God is never lonely, it is moral, it has the answers we need and long for and is filled with hope. I pray all mankind will see the need to live there and go to God that they may.

Amen.

[Shammu]

Add a second AMEN!!