The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., December 01, 1925, Page 23, Image 23

Page Twenty-three
THE UNITED AMERICAN
Atheists Organize to War on All Religions
THE SPORADIC and spasmodic outbursts of athe-
1 ism which the world that bends its knee before
the shrine of a God Creator, has known in the past,
Will be more militant in the future, if the intentions
that are back of the atheist organization which was
incorporated in New York early this month are carried
jut. The program of the incorporation may be briefly
balled a declaration of war on every form of religion.
This is probably the first time in history that an athe­
istic organization looking forward to the destruction
pf religion has been recognized and granted a charter
by the civil authorities of the state.
The American Association for the Advancement of
Atheism is avowedly an agency set up for the purpose
of combative action against all forms of worship. Such
is the ambitious program of this novel organization,
which at the outset has issued a call for funds and
members to help in carrying out its work in every state
bf the American union.
In an interview with a New York paper, Mr. Charles
Smith, president of the organization, is giving the
public the following close-up of the atheists’ plan:
and the only thing of which he is positively and suf­
ficiently informed is the name of the denomination of
which he is a member.
The man who has joined the church because he
found the social spirit within to his liking, is the man
who contributes most to the lowering of the spiritual
standard of the church. He is like the “card”-member
of the fraternity, who is of no value to the organization
except for the dues he pays and whose personal conduct
invariably contributes to place the organization in an
unfavorable light.
Nearly always the atheist is a student. He has
read the Bible as directed. He has studied the atheist
scholar’s every attack upon religion, and the church
member who is without Bible knowledge and a religious
training and therefore incapable of defending his
church on the basis of information, belief and convic­
tions, is going to be an easy prey for the atheist whose
mouthings will go a long way with him as irrefutable
logic.
That the churchman presently is going to be chal­
lenged by the atheists may be seen from the following
One measure which the officers have set their hearts upon, rough outline of the organization’s purpose, as offered
and which, is to be Carried out as soon as feasible, is the erec­ by its president:
tion of radio stations for the broadcasting of debates and lec­
tures. There are in this country millions of atheists whom agita­
tion will precipitate into militancy and who when united can
Overthrow the religious terrorism that today frustrates their
pursuit of happiness.
Our association will endeavor to stop religion in the public
¡schools, prevent the issuance of religious proclamations by
government officials, remove the church flag from above the
national flag on a warship carrying a chaplain and erase the
inscriptions on coins.
Inasmuch as there is considerable difference in pub­
lic opinion on the advisability of introducing scripture
Reading and religious teachings in the public schools of
America (some states having passed laws on this sub­
ject) there is a possibility that the atheists have seen
an opportunity to interest those in atheistic teachings
who- are emphatically opposed to making the Bible a
textbook in the public schoolroom. Perhaps America
is in a position to defend its spiritual ground, when it
pomes to a show-down, but the intolerant and hostile
attitude that has become an outstanding characteristic
of some religious factions, in their regard for other re­
ligious denominations, augurs fair for the atheistic
movement. Perhaps it is presumptions to say that the
spiritual aspect oi religion, in many of the religious de­
nominations in America, is of small concern, but the
cautious observer, with a religious training, gets that
impression as he observes the development of the social
Side of the church organization which, in some in­
stances, has grown to such proportions that it has
actually rendered these denominations void of spiritual
inspiration and forfeited for them the right to be
seriously regarded as religious bodies, except in name.
Question the average church member on his denom­
inational creed. Question him on Bible history. Ques­
tion him on his confession of faith, why and wherefore,
and if you have had a fairly good religious training you
will, to your amazement, find that his religious intel­
ligence is exceedingly limited, that his Bible knowledge
is almost nil, that his confession of faith is intangible,
Our main purpose, of course, will be to wage war on re­
ligion itself. The worshiping of a verbal idol must end.
Christianity must give way to a humanism which, as d’Annunzio
put it, “will exalt above all things the beauty and power of
man, the conqueror.”
Our methods will be in keeping with our principles. No
concessions will be made. Let people name us what they wiil,
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