COMMENTARY: Time for Atheists to Stop Their Whining

The US Supreme Court this week refused to hear an atheist's appeal that challenged the US government's reference to God.

An atheist sought to prove that the government's references to God are unconstitutional and infringe upon his religious beliefs. He even had the audacity to claim that the American national motto "In God We Trust" must not be allowed on American coins and currency.

By refusing to hear the case, the Supreme Court, in effect, agreed with a lower court decision that the phrase "In God We Trust" is ceremonial and patriotic, and "has nothing whatsoever to do with the establishment of religion."

Meanwhile, in Denmark -- also this week -- the Danish Atheist Society demanded that all religious symbols be removed from public institutions, that prayer be eliminated before meetings of parliament, and that a cemetery for atheists be established in Denmark.

I find these demands by atheists to be unreasonable, arrogant, and even ludicrous.

It appears, then, that atheists have become much more aggressive in recent years. But why?

One reason is that atheists, by and large, believe that too often religious groups -- especially Christians -- are trying to impose their religious doctrine upon them. They believe that they have a right to be non-believers of God, and they do not want any "lectures" on this subject.

A second reason for the recent atheistic aggression is that atheists regard any signs of Christianity -- even the word God -- as a threat to their religious freedom. Eliminating these religious scripts and symbols makes atheists feel more comfortable, since they no longer need to contend with them.

Finally, most atheists sincerely believe that Christians are intolerant, bigoted, and hypocritical, in that they do not tend to respect other religions -- or atheists -- and that they really worship money and materialistic possessions more than they worship God.

While atheists are free to believe whatever they want, they must not impose their beliefs upon Christian ideals and historical traditions -- such as ending the national motto "In God We Trust" -- some of which have existed since America became an independent nation.

Indeed, atheists who challenge the constitutionality of these American historical traditions in the courts convey their lack of patriotic pride, as well as their ignorance of America's heritage -- and everything that our great country provides for them!