Atheists and separationists to protest in Raleigh

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AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
Office of the North Carolina State Director
http://www.atheists.org
http://www.atheists.org/nc/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2003

For more information, please contact:
Wayne Aiken, North Carolina State Director  919-954-5956
[EMAIL PROTECTED]


          ATHEISTS AND CHURCH/STATE SEPARATIONISTS TO PROTEST
                 TEN COMMANDMENTS CARAVAN IN RALEIGH


Wayne Aiken, State Director for American Atheists, announced a
protest of the "Ten Commandments Caravan" that is holding rallies
across the south. Atheists and other supporters of the constitutional
principle of separation between religion and government will
demonstrate against the rally in Raleigh, NC on Wednesday, November
1st, at 12:00 p.m.

Permits for this demonstration are still pending, thus the exact
demonstration area is unknown, however, since the rally itself is
being held on the steps on the Capitol Building in downtown Raleigh,
its likely that any picket area will be adjacent or nearby.  Any
further details will be posted on the NC website for American
Atheists at http://www.atheists.org/nc/

The protest will be peaceful, orderly, and focus on the blatant
violation of church/state separation advocated by the Ten
Commandments monument supporters, as well as their overt calls for
Iran-style theocracy in the United States.

Aiken said, "This rally is completely misnamed.  It isn't so much
about the Ten Commandments per se, its about using government power
and force to spread their religion.  When they attack church/state
separation, they are actively attacking religious freedom itself.  As
they have demonstrated in Alabama, the only beliefs they are about
are their own- and they would eagerly force them upon others.  This
is anti-American in the extreme, and is closer to the philosophy of
Osama bin Laden than Thomas Jefferson."

Aiken also urges local politicians to avoid giving support to this
rally. "What these people propose is not freedom and respect for the
rights of others- the principles to which these politicians swore
allegiance.  The offices of governmental power must be used to
protect the rights of all, regardless of one's own personal beliefs.
Involving the government in what should be a private and personal
matter, compromises the government's role in protecting that right.
It sends a clear message that anyone who believes differently -or not
at all- is a second-class citizen."

"I ask all people who cherish their individual freedom of conscience,
and fear the corrupting influence of government, to join us," Aiken
concluded.


AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights
for nonbelievers, works for the total separation of church and state,
and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy. American
Atheists, Inc.

American Atheists Inc. P. O. Box 5733 Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733 Tel:
(908) 276-7300 Fax: (908) 276-7402


- --
Larry Mundinger (aa#451) American Atheists Internet Representative
<irep @ atheists.org> <http://www.atheists.org/>
<http://www.americanatheist.org/> <http://www.atheistviewpoint.tv/>
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