By Guest Blogger, Lance Llewellyn

If atheism is to succeed in America, it must first combat the assault on reason, logic, empirical evidence and other scientific pursuits. Recently, P. Z. Myers of the University of Minnesota, Morris, and Richard Dawkins of Oxford — tried to go to the movies at the Mall of America in Minneapolis Thursday evening. Dr. Dawkins got in. Dr. Myers did not.

The movie the two scientists wanted to see was “Expelled,” whose online trailer asserts that people in academia who see evidence of supernatural intelligence in biological processes — an idea called “intelligent design” — have unfairly lost their jobs, been denied tenure or suffered other penalties as part of a scientific conspiracy to keep God out of the nation’s laboratories and classrooms.

Dr. Myers asserts that he was unfairly barred from the film, in which both he and Dr. Dawkins appear, and that Dr. Dawkins would have been, too, if people running the screening had realized who he was — a world leader in the field of evolutionary biology.

The film’s producer said the screening was one of a series the producers have organized for the film, which opens April 18, in hopes of building favorable word-of-mouth among people likely to be sympathetic to its message. People like Dr. Myers and Dr. Dawkins would not have been invited, he said.

He is clearly saying “we want the right to form a counter culture but we’re not inviting our opponents to the debate.” This is typical of cult insularity, and the hypocrisy of religious thinking; they want respect for their choices, namely the decision to believe in a figure that is thus far imaginary and a set of rules that are counter-intuitive to human empathy. You don’t see evolutionists expelling Christians from movies en mass just because they believe something different. The whole purpose of debate is to offer a different theory. It’s funny how organized religion always plays the role of the martyr, always the oppressed view in society, when actually it is the opposite.

Let me also just point out the idiocy and hypocrisy of the producer’s statement. If God created and is a part of everything, as they assert, then how on earth is He being kept out? So, assuming He’s always been there, why is Intelligent Design NOT the accepted truth? Answer: because if God exists, I think He’d rather we knew the facts of His creation, rather than make up irrational beliefs and superstitions. He would want us to look at evolution and biology and all the myriad wonders of the world go ‘wow’ … not react with prejudice and claim ‘we are the master race.’

If atheism is to succeed in America, it must stand up again for the rights of reason, logic, empirical evidence and the authority of truth. Too often we the masses take our authorities to be the holders and bestowers of truth. After all, they’re the authorities. We know this to be incorrect; we just don’t say it often enough. Most authorities decide only what truth to ‘run with’ according to what fits their propaganda, which is only there to elicit votes.

If atheism is to succeed in America, the first goal would be to undo the damage started by President Truman. “One nation under God” and “In God we trust” was not introduced until his presidency, and yet many young people think they have always been there. I saw a banner at a Christian protest saying “Let’s bring America back to God.” Well, considering that America was founded by secularist men of the Enlightenment, America was never God’s to begin with; in fact, it was specifically drafted against the supremacy of any religion over another, that religious choice was free and not to be fettered with prejudice, bigotry and conflict. To see America today, I think Franklin, Jefferson and all the respectable men of their time would be mortified to see what has become of their beloved country.

If atheism is to succeed in America, to save it from the tyranny of religion and mysticism,
it should start by re-education on its own history, its founders, their beliefs, etc. America was founded by men of peace, who held certain truths to be self-evident by their reason, logic and common sense, built on the foundation that all men are created equal, no man, nationality, dignitary, secular branch or form of government should rule absolutely.

Today in America the average IQ is less than that of Australia, an unacceptable condition of the world’s leading nation, and yet religion demands more time in school curriculums. They demand we entertain such ridiculous notions as Intelligent Design and Creationism, arguing that they have the right to spread their beliefs upon minds too young to absorb the enormity of the world – which, to most Americans, is America. They demand entry into every aspect of our lives, crying discrimination if we ever say no, and yet they afford none of the same respect toward us. They even argue for the right to be prejudiced, whether Catholics towards Jews, Christians towards pagans, Muslims towards anyone, and to foist their prejudice and unfounded hatred upon their children.

Consider this quote:

“Surrender means that the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be trained by Northern school teachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the War; will be impressed by all the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit subjects for derision.” -General Pat Cleburne, CSA

Now exchange the North/South divide with religion/atheism. Find any similarities?

To my mind, America is fighting another civil war. It is a war between reason and superstition; considering your civil rights are mostly annulled by the Patriot Act, this is also a war to rescue your freedom of choice - the very cornerstone of America - from the jaws of fear and militancy, religion and propaganda.

We all need a friend to talk us through times of turmoil, hysteria and upset. Reason is our friend; it negates the burning anxiety of irrationality, it does away with groundless hopes and fears by showing us what we are capable of. I am not an American, but I weep for the ignorance and suffering inflicted upon your country by those whom you entrusted to protect it. I am the reasonable friend who would help America calm down and realize once again its true value to the world.

I am not alone; which means you are not alone. Atheism is not a ‘religion of reason’ but the recognition that we are all created with equal capacity for reasoning; in this goal, we do not pursue the idea that atheism is to become the religion of state; it is to return to America its freedom of choice, to re-establish truth as authority, to recognize that a scientific and empirical way of understanding the how and why of the world is the best inoculation for your children; that they may grow to make their own informed choices and become compassionate and intelligent human beings; that they may choose to not participate in illogical, hateful and devastating conflict based on their choices; and that they may never again be hoodwinked by the propaganda of the selfish and the evil.

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