Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Atheists sue Kentucky over religious language in Homeland Security procedures

A provision that requires Kentucky's Homeland Security Department to mention that God is the ultimate guarantor of our safety is now being taken to court by a group of seemingly sensitive atheists. The provision was placed into state law by State. Rep. Tom Riner two years ago and is just now being noticed, mostly by people who get very emotional whenever the name of the Deity is mentioned, and who are put out of sorts when it involves government officials who, more than most others it seems, need to be aware that someone is looking over their shoulder.

Here is the language from the statute:
Publicize the findings of the General Assembly stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth by including the provisions of KRS 39A.285(3) in its agency training and educational materials. The executive director shall also be responsible for prominently displaying a permanent plaque at the entrance to the state's Emergency Operations Center stating the text of KRS 39A.285(3)
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that the group American Atheists is suing to remove references to God and to recover monetary damages because the law has caused them to suffer sleep disorders and "mental pain and anguish," proving once again that atheists are just not as sturdy as they used to be.

In the old days, atheists like H. L. Mencken tried to cause mental pain and anguish among their religious enemies (some of it, such as that directed against the flighty religious liberals of the day, well deserved). Mencken once remarked that a puritan is a person who lays awake nights worrying that someone, somewhere might be having fun.

Today, however, the testosterone level of the average atheist seems to be rather lower. It is now the athiests who are losing sleep--worrying that someone, somewhere, might be having religious thoughts.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Seeing as Riner mentioned the wrong supreme being in his piece of work, I think the atheists' response is well within the bounds of reason. As things stand now, the authentic supreme being is gonna have it in for KY, and it's gonna be the fault of Kentucky's Homeland Security Department.

Now pardon me as I am off to prepare the appropriate sacrifice. I am hoping that this impending vengeance will be discriminating enough to spare my household.