American Atheists is a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization in the United States dedicated to defending the
civil liberties
Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties may ...
of
atheists
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...
and advocating complete
separation of church and state
The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
.
It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs, and the news media. It also publishes books and ''
American Atheist Magazine
''American Atheist: A Journal of Atheist News and Thought'', commonly known as ''American Atheist Magazine'', is a quarterly magazine currently edited by Alyssa Fuller and Tom Van Denburgh and published by American Atheists. ''American Atheist'' ...
''.
The organization was founded in 1963 by
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Madalyn Murray O'Hair (née Mays; April 13, 1919 – September 29, 1995) was an American activist supporting atheism and separation of church and state. In 1963 she founded American Atheists and served as its president until 1986, after which her ...
. She had earlier filed a lawsuit against her school board, with her son
William J. Murray
William J. Murray III (born May 25, 1946) is an American author, Baptist minister, and Social conservatism in the United States, social conservative lobbyist who serves as the chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, a non-profit organizatio ...
as plaintiff, to challenge compulsory
prayer and Bible-reading in public schools. Her case, ''Murray v. Curlett'', was consolidated with ''
Abington School District v. Schempp
''Abington School District v. Schempp'', 374 U.S. 203 (1963), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court decided 8–1 in favor of the respondent, Edward Schempp on behalf of his son Ellery Schempp, and declared that school-spo ...
'' before being heard by the United States Supreme Court. In 1963, it ruled that mandatory Bible reading in public schools was unconstitutional.
History
Origin and early legal action
American Atheists was founded in 1963 by
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Madalyn Murray O'Hair (née Mays; April 13, 1919 – September 29, 1995) was an American activist supporting atheism and separation of church and state. In 1963 she founded American Atheists and served as its president until 1986, after which her ...
as the Society of Separationists, after the legal cases ''
Abington School District v. Schempp
''Abington School District v. Schempp'', 374 U.S. 203 (1963), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court decided 8–1 in favor of the respondent, Edward Schempp on behalf of his son Ellery Schempp, and declared that school-spo ...
'' and ''Murray v. Curlett'' (1959) were filed. (These were consolidated before being heard on appeal by the US Supreme Court.) Both ''Schempp'' and ''Murray'' challenged mandatory
prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...
in
public schools. Over the years American Atheists has filed numerous lawsuits against public institutions considered to have breached the constitutional separation between church and state. The organization, which has over 3,500 members, is headquartered in
Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,847, an increase of 1,222 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count ...
.
In 1959, Murray filed a case on behalf of her son,
William J. Murray
William J. Murray III (born May 25, 1946) is an American author, Baptist minister, and Social conservatism in the United States, social conservative lobbyist who serves as the chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, a non-profit organizatio ...
, who was being forced to attend
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
readings in school. He was harassed by teachers and school administrators for refusing to participate.
The consolidated case, usually cited as ''Abington School District v. Schempp'', was argued before the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
on February 27 and 28, 1963.
In her opening statement, Madalyn Murray said, in part:
"Your petitioners are atheists and they define their beliefs as follows. An atheist loves his fellow man instead of god. An atheist believes that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth for all men together to enjoy. An atheist believes that he can get no help through prayer but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it, and enjoy it. An atheist believes that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment. He seeks to know himself and his fellow man rather than to know a god. An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated. He wants man to understand and love man. He wants an ethical way of life. He believes that we cannot rely on a god or channel action into prayer nor hope for an end of troubles in a hereafter. He believes that we are our brother's keepers and are keepers of our own lives; that we are responsible persons and the job is here and the time is now."
The justices rendered their decision on June 17, 1963. It was in favor of the petitioners, 8–1. They ruled that state-mandated prayer and unison bible readings in public schools were a violation of the
Establishment Clause
In United States law, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, together with that Amendment's Free Exercise Clause, form the constitutional right of freedom of religion. The relevant constitutional text ...
in the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of religion, or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the ...
.
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
Potter Stewart
Potter Stewart (January 23, 1915 – December 7, 1985) was an American lawyer and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1958 to 1981. During his tenure, he made major contributions to, among other areas, ...
was the sole dissenter.
Leadership
;O'Hair (1963–1995)
On August 27, 1995, Madalyn, Jon and Robin O'Hair disappeared from the organization's former
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, headquarters, along with over $550,000 of the organization's funds. The three were found to have been abducted, robbed and murdered by
David Waters, an ex-convict and former employee.
;Johnson (1995–2008)
Ellen Johnson
Ellen Johnson (born 1955) is an American activist for the civil rights of atheists and for the separation of church and state in the United States. She served as the president of the organization American Atheists from 1995 to 2008.
Early life ...
succeeded O'Hair as president after her death.
On November 2, 2002, at the
Godless Americans March on Washington
The Godless Americans March on Washington (GAMOW) occurred on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on November 2, 2002, with the participation of many atheists, freethinkers, agnostics and humanists. The public cable network C-SPAN documented th ...
, Johnson was one of the featured speakers.
In 2002, American Atheists took
Wildwood, Florida
Wildwood is a city in Sumter County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,709 at the 2010 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2018 estimates, the city had a population of 7,024. Due to rapid growth the city had over 33,000 res ...
, to court for "displaying religious decorations at City Hall."
In 2004, the group held their 30th annual national convention. The convention attracted several best-selling atheist authors and leaders from several other secular organizations.
[William Booth, "True Non-Believers: In California, One Convention So Over God," '']The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', April 12, 2004.
In July 2006,
Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum
H. Steven Blum (born October 13, 1946) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general. He served as the 25th chief of the National Guard Bureau from 2003 to 2008. His last assignment before retiring was deputy commander, United States Norther ...
, chief of the
National Guard Bureau
The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was cre ...
, said in an interview published in ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'': "Agnostics, atheists and bigots suddenly lose all that when their life is on the line."
In response Master Sgt.
Kathleen Johnson, who founded the
Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers
The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) is a community for atheists and freethinkers in the military, both within the United States and from around the world. The MAAF can assist U.S. military members to respond to illegal ...
and served in Iraq, said that was "a denial of our contributions" and that "
lot of people manage to serve without having to call on a higher power."
[Rebecca Phillips, "Beliefwatch: Foxholes," '']Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'', August 21, 2006.
American Atheists helped organize a campaign against the "no
atheists in foxholes
"There are no atheists in foxholes" is an aphorism used to suggest that times of extreme Psychological stress, stress or fear can prompt belief in a Deity, higher power. In the context of actual warfare, such a sudden change in belief has been cal ...
" claim.
They gained approval by the US
Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...
for the logo of the American Atheists to be an allowed "emblem of belief" "for Placement on Government Headstones and Markers".
In May 2007,
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
featured a report on treatment of the Smalkowski family, declared atheists, by school officials in their small town of
Hardesty, Oklahoma
Hardesty is a town in Texas County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 212.
History
The original Hardesty was four miles northeast of the present community. It had a post office in 1887, with the name honor ...
.
The report said that American Atheists had filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Smalkowski family. The lawsuit alleges the
Hardesty Public School District violated Nicole Smalkowski's constitutional rights with bullying behavior, trumped-up charges, and suspension from the school basketball team.
Also that May, Joe Zamecki of American Atheists organized a local demonstration at the state capitol building in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, against the National Day of Prayer.
The organization announced via its blog on May 2, 2008, that Johnson was leaving the presidency of American Atheists for unspecified reasons. It was later revealed that her removal was not voluntary.
;Zindler (2008)
Frank Zindler became acting president between May 2008 and September 2008.
;Buckner (2008–2010)
Ed Buckner was appointed president in September 2008 and remained in the position until September 2010.
;Silverman (2010–2018)
David Silverman became president in September 2010.
In April 2018, David Silverman was terminated as president of American Atheists after an internal investigation into allegations about his sexual assaults and financial conflicts. Silverman denies any misconduct.
;Buckner (May–September 2018)
In May 2018, Ed Buckner was appointed Interim Executive Director until the position was permanently filled.
;Nick Fish (September 2018 to present)
Nick Fish became president in September 2018.
Godless Americans PAC
In November 2005, the Godless Americans Political Action Committee (GAPAC), an American
PAC, was formed by American Atheists to endorse political candidates who support the
separation of church and state
The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
.
According to the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', atheists subsequently have become more outspoken about being an ignored voice in the United States.
The PAC officially states it does not want government to associate with religion in any way.
It opposes
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
being a federal holiday or any mention of God on currency or in the
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America. The first version, with a text different from the one used ...
.
Atheist monument
![American Atheists and Commandments](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/American_Atheists_and_Commandments.jpg)
In May 2013 the American Atheists settled with
Bradford County, Florida
Bradford County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,303. Its county seat and largest city is Starke.
History
New River County, as it was known at the time, was created in 1858 from segment ...
, regarding a monument containing the ten commandments. The American Atheists would be allowed to place their own monument onto public property. This marked the first time that such a monument was placed on public land. The monument is being furnished by American Atheists via a grant from the Stiefel Freethought Foundation.
Billboards
The American Atheists organization is known for its controversial
antireligious
Antireligion is opposition to religion. It involves opposition to organized religion, religious ritual, religious practices or religious institutions. The term ''antireligion'' has also been used to describe opposition to specific forms of supe ...
billboards, intended by the organization to draw out closeted atheists within religious groups. A billboard on the
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Interstate 278 (I-278) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York in the United States. The road runs from US Route 1/9 (US 1/9) in Linden, New Jersey, northeast to the Bruckner Interchange in the New Yor ...
displaying the Hebrew
Tetragrammaton
The Tetragrammaton (; ), or Tetragram, is the four-letter Hebrew language, Hebrew theonym (transliterated as YHWH), the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. The four letters, written and read from right to left (in Hebrew), are ''yodh'', ''he (l ...
erected after the celebration of the
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
holy day of
Purim
Purim (; , ; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jews, Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia's Jewish subjects killed, as recounted in the Boo ...
caused outrage from many Jews. The same billboard was rejected by a landowner in an
Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
neighborhood, which drew a reaction from American Atheists' president David Silverman, who stated that this was a case of religious bigotry. A satirical billboard depicting the
Nativity during the
Christmas season
The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late Novembe ...
was also erected in 2010, causing a reaction from many American Christians, including the construction of a counter-billboard by the
Catholic League. A billboard in
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Allah
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...]
in Arabic and the words "You know it's a myth and you have a choice" drew criticism from local Muslims who "felt it was disrespectful and insulting but they agreed that the American Atheists have the right to put up their billboards where they want."
AtheistTV
On July 29, 2014, at a New York launch party, the group revealed an Internet television channel on the
Roku
Roku ( ) is a brand of hardware digital media players manufactured by American company Roku, Inc. They offer access to streaming media content from online services.
The first Roku model, developed in collaboration with Netflix, was introduce ...
streaming media platform, showing a 24-hour live stream of programming alongside an on-demand service. The President of American Atheists, David Silverman, explained that the new channel would "...provide a breadth of content, from science to politics to comedy, all centered around our common freedom from religion."
NY Times coverage of launch. AtheistTV became only the second atheist channel on Roku, but it is the first atheist channel with both live and on-demand video content. Roku hosts over 400 religious channels.
Religion & Spirituality section, for US customers.
Court cases
American Atheists have won several cases involving the separation of church and state. It continues to file lawsuits to challenge what it considers abuses of separation of church and state.
* ''
Murray v. Curlett'' (1963) Challenged bible reading and prayer recitation in Maryland public schools.
* ''Murray v. United States'' (1964) Sought to gain equal time with religious organizations under the
Fairness Doctrine
The fairness doctrine of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, was a policy that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manne ...
established by the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
* ''Murray v. Nixon'' (1970) Challenged weekly religious services in the White House.
* ''O'Hair v. Paine'' (1971) Challenged NASA's requirement that astronauts read the bible during a space flight.
* ''O'Hair v. Cooke'' (1977) Challenged the
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, city council's practice of having a prayer read before its public meetings.
* ''O'Hair v. Blumenthal'' (1978) Challenged the inclusion of the phrase "
In God We Trust
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the United States national motto, official motto of the United States and of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, replacing ("Out of many, one"), whic ...
" on U.S. currency.
* ''O'Hair v. Hill'' (1978) Sought to have the Texas state constitution amended to repeal a provision requiring persons holding offices of public trust to believe in God.
* ''O'Hair v. Andrus'' (1979) Challenged the use of
National Park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
facilities for the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
to hold a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
mass on the Mall in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
* ''O'Hair v. Clements'' (1980) Challenged the Texas legislature's practice of displaying a
nativity scene
In the Christianity, Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian language, Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christ ...
in the rotunda of the capitol building in Austin, Texas.
* ''Carter, et al. v Broadlawns Medical Center, et al.'' (1984–1987) Challenged the hiring by the Polk County Hospital of a chaplain, US Sup Ct, cert den.
* ''Steel Crosses on Utah Highways'' (2005)
* ''Society of Separationists vs. Pleasant Grove'' (2004)
* ''American Atheists vs. Starke, Florida''.(2005)
* ''Society of Separationists vs. Pleasant Grove'' (2004)
* ''American Atheists, Inc., and Steve Walker vs. City of Detroit, City of Detroit Downtown Development Authority, and Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.''
* ''Clyde Baxley, Grace Brown, Edward Byford, Bill Jager, Al Sundquist, James Woolever, Arlen Acharias, and Dorothy Anne Zappa Vs. State of Alaska''.
* ''American Atheists Inc., Mark W. Butler v. The City of Jacksonville, Florida'' (2006) (Sued for the city's tax-funded "Faith Day")
* ''Chester Smalkowski, Nadia Smalkowski, American Atheists v.
Hardesty Public School District, The County Of Texas County, Oklahoma, The Town Of Hardesty, Oklahoma.'' (Filed August 2006)
* ''American Atheists Inc., Lon Bevill, v. City Of Stark, Florida.'' (2007)
* ''American Atheists Inc., Edwin Kagin, v. Kentucky Office of Homeland Security'' (2009)
* ''American Atheists Inc., Daniel Cooney, v. Bradford County, Florida'' (2012) Filed suit over a display of the Ten Commandments on public property. Went to mediation. Resolved with a monument designed by American Atheists.
* ''American Atheists v. Port Authority'' (2011) Filed suit against the placement of cross-shaped steel beams called the "
World Trade Center Cross
The World Trade Center cross, also known as the Ground Zero cross, is a formation of steel beams found among the debris of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, New York City, following the September 11 attacks in 2001. This set of be ...
" at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. On March 28, 2013, United States District Court Judge Deborah Batts granted a motion of judgment in favor of the defendant. American Atheists stated at the time that they would appeal this decision.
Presidents
See also
*
A Secular Humanist Declaration A Secular Humanist Declaration was an argument for and statement of support for democratic secular humanism. The document was issued in 1980 by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH), now the Council for Secular Humanism (CSH). ...
*
Charles E. Stevens American Atheist Library and Archives
*
Discrimination against atheists in the United States
Discrimination against atheists, both at present and historically, includes persecution of and discrimination against people who are identified as atheists. Discrimination against atheists may also comprise negative attitudes, prejudice, hostil ...
*
List of secularist organizations
Irreligious organizations promote the view that moral standards should be based solely on naturalistic considerations, without reference to supernatural concepts (such as God or an afterlife), any desire to do good for a reward after death, or ...
*
Godless Americans March on Washington
The Godless Americans March on Washington (GAMOW) occurred on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on November 2, 2002, with the participation of many atheists, freethinkers, agnostics and humanists. The public cable network C-SPAN documented th ...
*
Secular Student Alliance
The Secular Student Alliance (SSA) is an American educational nonprofit organization whose purpose is to educate high school and college students about the value of scientific reason and the intellectual basis of secularism in its atheistic and ...
*
Humanist Canada
Humanist Canada (also known as the Humanist Association of Canada, or HAC or HC) is a national not-for-profit charitable organization promoting the separation of religion from public policy and fostering the development of reason, compassion and ...
*
Freedom From Religion Foundation
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American nonprofit organization, which advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists. Formed in 1976, FFRF promotes the separation of church and state, and challenges the legitimacy of many ...
*
RM-2493
References
External links
*
* CNN
*
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