NE mayor challenges atheists over faith-based event: ‘Take me to f-cking court — I don’t care’

[cleanhippie]

An atheist group said a Nebraska mayor rudely dismissed their concerns over a possible church-state violation.

Omaha Atheists expressed their concern over a “Faith and Freedom” Memorial Day event Sunday that was sponsored by the city of La Vista, Neb., reported the Friendly Atheist blog.

One of the group’s members, Robert Fuller, said he gave his business card to Mayor Douglas Kindig and asked to speak with him later about his concerns, but the mayor indicated he wasn’t interested.

“Take me to fucking court because I don’t care,” Kindig allegedly told Fuller.

The holiday event, which was held at La Vista Central Park, featured a pancake breakfast, carnival, and Memorial Day service held by the associate pastor of the town’s Bellevue Christian Center.

The religious service was sponsored by the churches of La Vista.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/26/ne-mayor-challenges-atheists-over-faith-based-event-take-me-to-f-cking-court-i-dont-care/

Is THIS part of those christian values I keep hearing about? Good stuff!

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I'll pass on the church-state thing because...

I don't have enough info to comment, but for the mayor to say he doesn't care is outrageous.

But, it's some shithole Omaha suburb, so he'll get a pass from the locals.

[cleanhippie]

2. The pass from the locals is expected. It's the pass more liberal believers give him and others

like him thats the problem.

Sure, some will come out and tsk-tsk him, but most others avoid going further, because that would mean criticising the very beliefs and institutions they themselves are part of.

[Htom Sirveaux]

3. What would a liberal believer have to say to be satisfactory to you? nt

[Promethean]

5. Lets go for "anything" to start off.

The vast majority of the people who identify as religious but aren't openly crazy just assume everybody who identifies with their religion is automatically a "good person." This leads to them just shrugging and moving on when someone does something offensive in the name of religion.

It is the most frustrating thing in the world to watch. John said my neighbor is evil and going to hell because (insert religious reason here). Oh but John is a christian, I am sure his heart is in the right place/he got it from scripture/you are just misunderstanding him.

It has reached new levels of stupidity recently with the free to discriminate (err I mean "religious freedom&quot laws being passed. The justification being bandied about is "these people are just good christians, we can't tell them they can't be horrific bigots when (insert religious passage here) says its ok!"

[cleanhippie]

6. +1.

Nicely done.

[Goblinmonger]

7. See response #4 below

for and idea of what the right thing to do isn't.

Many of the vocal believers in this group that go out of their way to tsk-tsk the atheists and nanny the A/A forum are either going to be noticeably absent from this discussion or will try to minimize or misdirect as is done below.

NOT seeing response #4 in a thread would be nice. Seeing the people that usually post response #4 actually fighting along side atheists for the separation of church and state would be mindblowing.

Oh, and if the FFRF gets involved, not making that organization out to be the devil the way conservatives do with the ACLU would be a good start, too.

[struggle4progress]

4. ... The event is a way to celebrate and thank veterans and those actively serving,

said the Rev. Roger Criser, pastor at Harrison Street Baptist Church. Criser, who is chairman of the committee planning the event, said Faith and Freedom Day expands upon the community worship service that’s been part of the annual La Vista Daze event the last few years. The event will include recognition of about a dozen people from the area who lost their lives while serving in the military, he said. “I’ve heard from several families who have said, ‘Thank you for remembering our son. Thank you for remembering our husband,’ ” Criser said ...
Vets to get thanks with sermon, songs at new La Vista Daze event
By Emily Nohr / World-Herald staff writer
POSTED: FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014 1:00 AM

The approach of Omaha Atheists' here shows no sense of proportion. Some associate pastor will give a sermon at a service remembering local soldiers who died. If one of the dead was an atheist, it would be completely appropriate to approach the pastor in advance to say, "Y'know, X was an atheist, and he would have wanted folk to know he served and died because he strongly believed such-and-such." But whining here is a complete political loser. Nobody is obliged to attend. One could, I suppose, take the matter to court, but the courts would bend over backwards to avoid offending the survivors, so heading to court would pretty much guarantee decisions one doesn't want