Chicago Rep. Tries To Put Fear Of God In Atheist
Chicago Democratic state representative Monique Davis went ballistic when atheist Rob Sherman testified before the House State Government Administration Committee.
At issue was a one million dollar grant for the Pilgrim Baptist Church.
Davis: I don’t know what you have against God, but some of us don’t have much against him. We look forward to him and his blessings. And it’s really a tragedy — it’s tragic — when a person who is engaged in anything related to God, they want to fight. They want to fight prayer in school.
I don’t see you (Sherman) fighting guns in school.
audio (mp3)Davis: I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where people believe in protecting their children…. What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous–
Sherman: What’s dangerous, ma’am?
Davis: It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to [court] to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!
Sherman: Thank you for sharing your perspective with me, and I’m sure that if this matter does go to court—
Davis: You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.
I wonder if she’s received her GED yet? God (oops) what the hell is she so afraid of? Is she afraid that someone might not think exactly like her? If so, I believe there are many people that might disagree with her and I’m not just talking religion here.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Don’t tell the little monsters that there are other religions either. They might find a different one more to their liking.
Or, just as bad, realize that most religions are copies of other, older religons, most with common themes and fables.
So much for the Separation of Church and State.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Did you see the evacuation photos of that Mormon polygamist church/cult in Texas the other day?
Abused women. Abused children. Evac’d out of the Mormon cult compound and whisked off to safety by bus.
Yes, they were evac’d out by “First Baptist Church” buses under the protection of armed Texas Department of Public Safety officers!
And where were the Atheist buses and troopers? Atheists support polygamy and child abuse!!!
April 8th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Religion is yet another uniform people put on to distinguish “us” from “them” and provide an excuse for every sort of barbarism, and an outlet for hatred.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Athiests support polygamy and child abuse?? Excuse me all to your Hell, but it was a RELIGION that supported those things. I think Atheists are into not supporting established religions and dogma. Child abuse, lets see, oh yea, didn’t the Catholic Church have a problem with that recently? I’m not trying to pick on them, just pointing out an example for the masses ( was that a pun? )
April 8th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I like the line “you believe in destroying what this state was built upon” 1818 to 1868 how many bible thumpers do you think were EXISTING in illinois?
I will give you 3 guesses the first two dont count
April 8th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
you sure shes not a republican?
April 8th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Well, I’m not an atheist and don’t plan on converting to secular humanism anytime soon, but Rob Sherman had a right to speak up about the governor giving money to a church. He shouldn’t have be spoken to like that. We need to be careful about the separation of church and state in this country. By the same token, atheists should respect religious people and not denigrate and ridicule their beliefs, either. Nonbelievers and believers should show tolerance to each other.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Ok, ok, now as a card carrying Christian who actually reads his bible at least twice a week I’d like to clear up some misconceptions about that dusty King James Bible we all (almost) have in some dark corner of the house.
First, nobody’s going to hell. It amazes me how easy Christians can hold love and holiness in one hand and eternal fiery hell in the other. But “Noel!” you say, “it’s in the bible!” I don’t want to flood this post with 12 levels of biblical paraphrasing but to be succinct, Jesus describes hell as an “Abyss”. This seperation from God, this nothingness, is just that. Eternal Destruction…pfft, bye -nada. (sort of like atheists believe will happen to all of us.)
This grand experiment of human free will and destiny will end just as the bible says. Jesus returns, man is guilty of ruining this wonderful planet and life he’s been given, judgement, and pfft! Some of us take on a new role in God’s next chapter of human evolution. Yes, heaven is more than hanging around a bunch of republicans, there’s actually a lot more to do? “What is it Noel?” you ask, apalled at my smugness and poor grammer.
Well the bible does say “We’ll all come to God” one day, perhaps the afterlife is making sure everyone gets in eventually. Who knows? But that scary lake of fire we’re all so sure Sarah Silverman is destined to swim in? It’s in Revelation, described as “prepared for the devil.” That guy has a hot shower waiting indeed -not Sean Hannity. (Much to my dismay)
Which brings me to my second point.
Christians like tonight’s lady dem, are feeling what alot of Christians are feeling. ATTACK! From one side it’s Sean Hannity, Jerry Falwell, and every other pompous, “conservative, fellow Christian card carrying member that simply has 50% agenda, 30% pride, 15% anger, and about 5% truth. These guys make me look bad when I go to Church every Sunday.
On the other side it’s people who give me quizzical looks when they see my pocket bible and ask me stupid questions like “Isn’t the bible translated from different languages and innacurate?” Oh wow, Christians have been totally in the dark about this! I better burn my Concordance. Or “Aren’t the scriptures written by man and flawed -especially through all the translations and writings?”
Wow! God thwarted again! Boy will I be mad on judgement day and explain to him that the King James bible I have is full of flaws! Truth is, I could fill books with actual science and facts that prove the bible is not only accuarate but very compelling truth. (That mysterious word!) Don’t believe me? Read anything by Josh Mcdowell. But I hate telling people to read this and read that.
If anyone takes anything from this is that God either exists or he doesn’t. If he does, he either wants to communicate with us or he doesn’t. If he does he either has or he hasn’t. If he has then it seems the best bet is the story of the Jewish people and their messiah as told by that crusty old book in your closet. And chances are HE got it right.
We on the other hand can’t help ourselves.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Maybe unconsciously Monique Davis was offended by all the effort Rob Sherman put into a crusade over what in reality is a trifl’n matter.
Liberals shouldn’t aim to be legalistic and implacable on the small stuff. It’s always our gain when we appear sensible enough to avoid a doctrinaire approach (more points for our team).
Things have not gone as we wanted recently. There were totally squandered contracts handed out to religious outfits in Katrina’s wake that should be very high on the triage list of debatable concerns [I missed exactly to what church Monique Davis helped channel dough...and for what reason]. It’s seems weird to me no one (or Alan) mentioned the truely scandelous contracts down in Louisiana and Mississippi. Check out Naomi Klein’s “The Shock Doctrine” if you doubt my adjectives.
Things have not gone as we liberals wanted, and many earthlings are turning to fundamentalism, in many cases narrow minded fundamentalism [arguabley in part due to our own covert foreign policy]. And liberals have to adjust. We can’t just go out acting like those who don’t endorse our vision of Utopian society are ignoramouses. We have to make space. Even if we were all Jeffersonian Diests…we’d have to make space for those who interpret scriptures in a stricter fashion. It’s part of pluralism.
Comparitively speaking, screening on the Alan Colmes Show is I’d guess no where near as PC as it is for a lot of NPR call-in shows. And Alan is not doctrinaire in that he engages all manner of us commoners. Bully. My problem is with the topics themselves. Topics like the moment of silence seem to me just filler that comes around and goes around, and comes around and goes around, and comes around and goes around, etc. I contribute to the ACLU and will continue to do so. However, in regard to this issue…when you start getting paranoid re creationism and moments of silence (all in one big ball of wax ya know!)…in reality that is one big zealous trip itself that doesn’t get us any points. A lot of ACLU supporters are into it. But the fact is Christopher Lasch was right in Chap 2 of “Revolt of the Elites & the Betrayal of Democracy” (in regard to the attitude of many upper middle class liberals). My friends, never be paranoid when in reality you’ve nothing to lose by conceding
a point. In some respects I’m past it. I read that Lasch tome in ‘94. But if you really wanna be
“younger than that now”…now being now instead of later…and don’t mind getting your mind blown…I say this: Find out, for instance, via your own study if natural selection could have been the mechanism of evolutionary adaptation.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Having said all that, it occurs to me some folks may think I’ve underestimated the influence of religion.
I want all these folks to know that I know about same. For instance, IMO it got pretty serious back when Data Mark changed to American Information Systems…info germane related
here under the sub-heading “Incestuous relationships.”
April 10th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Monique Davis Of the Illinois House Legislature, a Democrat, (by name not actions only) has displayed a disdain for the freedom of speech, freedom of religion (Belief or Thoughts), and the fact that the government can not promote nor deny the establishment of Religion, That is the Wall Of Separation that Thomas Jefferson spoke of and which was subsequently put in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. She has displayed a lack of respect for Civil Rights by her words concerning State funding of the Pilgrim Baptist Church’s rebuilding. A One Million dollar Grant of Tax Payer dollars going to the rebuilding of a Church that will blatantly promote one religion over all others. But I should not have to be forced to support religion with my tax dollars. It is Faith. With out Proof. It is not like religion is English Grammar, Science like biology, mathematics, or geology, and world history. Those are quantitative, provable, tangible, tested, or proven fields of reason and logic. Religion is not testable, proven, quantifiable, or tangible. It is Faith, I do not, nor should anyone whish to advance the nation toward reason and logic by using our tax dollar to support ideology, religion, faith. That is why we have church out side of government, outside of state, outside of public school. Yet Monique Davis threw out Rob Sherman for attempting to speak his mind about the forbiddance of the promotion of any religion by the State with tax dollars. He was removed from the room by her order for questioning the State’s role, and the protection of the separation of Church and State. Monique Davis is a disappointment to Democratic Values, Republican Values (Jeffersonian Republican), American Values, the freedom of mind, our liberty of individuality, the principles that are Unalienable, given by Natures God, our Freedom to not believe. What a modern concept, what an advanced principle, this freedom or liberty to have no religion or much religion in our life. M. Davis is blinded by her faith to the constitution she claims to uphold.
April 10th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
“She has displayed a lack of respect for Civil Rights by her words concerning State funding of the Pilgrim Baptist Church’s rebuilding. A One Million dollar Grant of Tax Payer dollars going to the rebuilding of a Church that will blatantly promote one religion over all others.”
Unless the million went to a dynamite bargain of a shelter (for a million bucks you should get showers and washing machines too), and unless Pilgrim Baptist ends up utilizing such a shelter to the max…I’d say you have a great point JDP.
However, the “moment of silence” seems to me a very neutral/fair accomadation. Don’t let enforcement of silence figure as a burden that nixes it, cause that’s another issue.
April 12th, 2008 at 12:04 pm