I have been reading a lot lately about atheist organizations in the U.S filing lawsuits on the violation of the first amendment.
Like Elmbrook School District v Doe asks whether the first amendment bars a state school from holding public functions in a church building for purely secular reasons. Town of Greece v Galloway, which concerns the prayers with which a town board in upstate New York opens its meetings. Or like in 1989 the Supreme Court held that a Nativity scene on public property violated the first amendment but a Christmas tree and menorah did not. In 2005 it ruled that framed copies of the Ten Commandments in courthouses and public schools in Kentucky were unconstitutional but that a giant granite monument of the Ten Commandments outside the Texas capitol was just fine. Go figure.
As we all know by now atheism is on the rise in America. The numbers have significantly increased since 2005. With that being true, why do atheist groups such as American Atheists feel the need to pursue legal action against violation of the First amendment? Many of these cases take place in parts of the country where Christianity is the leading religion. In what way does taking the ten commandments out of a government building benefit the everyday atheist, given the rising numbers of atheist in the U.S? It seems to me that atheist are getting yet another negative view in light of these lawsuits.
Like Elmbrook School District v Doe asks whether the first amendment bars a state school from holding public functions in a church building for purely secular reasons. Town of Greece v Galloway, which concerns the prayers with which a town board in upstate New York opens its meetings. Or like in 1989 the Supreme Court held that a Nativity scene on public property violated the first amendment but a Christmas tree and menorah did not. In 2005 it ruled that framed copies of the Ten Commandments in courthouses and public schools in Kentucky were unconstitutional but that a giant granite monument of the Ten Commandments outside the Texas capitol was just fine. Go figure.
As we all know by now atheism is on the rise in America. The numbers have significantly increased since 2005. With that being true, why do atheist groups such as American Atheists feel the need to pursue legal action against violation of the First amendment? Many of these cases take place in parts of the country where Christianity is the leading religion. In what way does taking the ten commandments out of a government building benefit the everyday atheist, given the rising numbers of atheist in the U.S? It seems to me that atheist are getting yet another negative view in light of these lawsuits.
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