“I’m a total atheist, and for me it’s just about trying to find something that rises above the banal day-to-day bullshit of living.”

“The political climate in our house was generally and loosely left: it was unthinkable that a Jew, our sort of Jew, the artisan Jewish worker, self-employed, poor, Yiddish-speaking, unassimilated, non-religious, could be anything but socialistic.”

“My parents and grandparents — all of them Jews — went through huge trauma. They went through the trauma of the Holocaust. I don't know if it's for that reason that, by 1965, when I was born, my grandparents, who were alive, my parents were secular. But I've grown up in a secular way. I've thought about this, and I'm an atheist.”

“When I was five, I discovered I couldn't believe in god. ... She never answered my calls! My father was a professional god-botherer, my grandparents were Christians, I was surrounded by standard outer suburban Christianity. ... I wanted to believe, but I just couldn't — I found the whole idea redundant.”

“Believing that we exist only in a single world, the natural world that we share with other living creatures, and that we have no special first-class tickets that allow for travel to continuous existence in other spheres at the end of our journey in this life. In our human distresses, we have only each other to turn to for help.”

“My brief answer is that I am an atheist. ... I’m not saying there isn’t a God, but there isn’t a God who cares about people. And who wants a God who doesn’t give a shit?”

“Now I have to say I'm a complete atheist. I have no religious views myself and no spiritual views, except very watered down humanistic spiritual views. And consciousness is just a fact of life. It's a natural fact of life.”

Nuala O’Faolain: And though I respect and adore the art that arises from the love of God and though nearly everybody I love and respect themselves believes in God, it is meaningless to me, really meaningless.
Marian Finucane: The reason I asked you is because it is a source of comfort for many people.
O’Faolain: Well, I wish them every comfort, but it is not even bothering me. I don't even think about it. I have never believed in the Christian version of the individual creator.

Knightley: If only I wasn't an atheist, I could get away with anything. You'd just ask for forgiveness and then you'd be forgiven. It sounds much better than having to live with guilt.
David Cronenberg: Yeah, but you could always lie about being an atheist. I don't think an atheist could get elected in America right now.
Knightley: No, I don't think they could either.

“I am an atheist, I have no religious beliefs. And obviously I don’t believe in spirituality of some kind.”

“I have a particular faith, I describe myself as a Jewish atheist. I’m Jewish by birth origin and it’s part of who I am. I don’t believe in God, but I think faith is a really important thing for a lot of people."

"I just think of myself as a comedian, really. I mean, I talk about being Jewish a lot. It’s funny because I do think of myself as Jewish ethnically, but I’m not religious at all. I have no religion."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation's Winter Solstice banner is back up and will hang in the Wilkes-Barre Public Square for six more days — provided that it is not vandalized again.

"We are very pleased to hear that the city has rehung the banner and will be charging the vandal. We hope that his actions speak loudly to the type of discrimination nonbelievers tend to face in their communities," said FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert.

FFRF's banner had been dangling from the public square sculpture for three weeks, ever since it was vandalized on Dec. 20 — one day after it was installed by city officials.

The vandal, who was identified as Joe McDonald, was caught by a local news station climbing 30 feet up the sculpture and cutting the cord to FFRF's banner. McDonald then placed an American flag next to the damaged banner.

Local FFRF member Justin Vacula immediately filed a police report and was told by an officer that McDonald will be charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

The 7½-by-3-foot banner states: “At this Season of the Winter Solstice, LET REASON PREVAIL. There are not gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth & superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

FFRF thanks Justin for all his help, including filing a police report and keeping FFRF well-informed.

BACKGROUND

Click on the links below for more information.

FFRF solstice banner up in Wilkes-Barre 

Vandal attacks Wilkes-Barre solstice sign 

A Winter Solstice banner placed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in a public park in Manassas, Va., was stolen over the holidays.

FFRF received a permit from the city for its "Let Reason Prevail" banner to counter a nativity scene. It was placed by a local supporter on Dec. 19 in Nelson Park next to a crèche. A report was filed with police Dec. 29 after the banner turned up missing. Zip ties attached to the posts were all that were left.

It was permitted to be displayed through Dec. 31.

FFRF is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the successful prosecution of the person or persons responsible.

It was the fifth time in December that an FFRF solstice banner was stolen or vandalized. All told, 12 banners were placed.

Another FFRF banner, "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia," wasn't allowed to be posted in Pitman, N.J., even though the Knights of Columbus was allowed to put up its "Keep Christ in Christmas" display without a permit.

More is here on FFRF's efforts in placing nonreligious displays last year and how religious "First Amendment grinches" are apparently upset by it.

From left: Sean Cunningham, Shelly Colanduno, Matt Newcomb and Jason Shainline.

"Keep Saturn in Saturnalia" is the message the Freedom From Religion Foundation would have liked to share with Pitman, N.J., residents this holiday season, but the group was stonewalled by borough officials. The state/church watchdog was unable to obtain a permit, even though the Knights of Columbus was allowed to reinstall its "Keep Christ in Christmas" display on public property without a permit.

"This is either a violation of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, or a sign that needed a permit — and without a permit, the borough is showing favoritism to a Christian organization," said FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel.

Seidel added that both he and local members of FFRF were given the runaround by numerous borough officials.

FFRF thanks local members and freethinkers (pictured above) for standing up for the First Amendment in Pitman and attempting to raise FFRF's banner.