The happiest atheists in Oklahoma

29 June 2006

American Atheists reports on a legal case, in which a high-school student’s refusal to say the Lord’s Prayer with her basketball team escalated into trumped-up assault charges against the girl’s father:

In closing argument, Edwin told the jury that it really should not be necessary for an Atheist to tell them it is wrong to lie under oath, as he reminded them the Christian school officials and the police had done in their sworn trial testimony. “Thou shall not bare [sic] false witness against thy neighbor. Ninth Commandment. Eight if you are Roman Catholic,” Kagin said.

The jury believed the Atheists. Unanimously.

The night of the verdict, tornados of unusual violence descended on the panhandle of Oklahoma. The home of the Principal who had brought the false charges against Chuck Smalkowski was severely damaged.

This fact has no relationship whatsoever to the verdict.

To paraphrase Homer Simpson: “God bless those atheists.”

via Pharyngula

• Later: Pluralism and hypocrisy
• Earlier: So close