This is just pure insanity, and coming from a "Christian?"
08/29/2011
By Brian Simmons
Would it be right to have atheists register online who they are, where they work, and where they reside like the "National Registry" is for sex-offenders? An article posted this morning by PZ Meyers articulates that Pastor Mike from Florida is making a push for a "National Registry" for atheists in order to let people, mainly Christians, know where these people reside and work in order to witness to these "lost souls" and to boycott their businesses so to not "feed" Satan. Arlington, Texas has over 300,000 residents, but is it right for people to know those that are atheist where they live and work?
Pastor Mike equates atheists to sex-offenders, ex-convicts, terrorist cells, KKK, skinheads, radical Islamists, etc. He sees no difference in making atheists apart of these kinds of groups in order for informational purposes for people to know where these atheists are. He explains that the reason to have such a registry is to inform the public for the same purposes that there are registries for sex-offenders and ex-convicts. Yet, he does not see why people might oppose this.
- And I'm sure others can see Pastor Mike as the same he's describing others as. This is NOT what Jesus taught!
The United States First Amendment to the Constitution is set up to protect freedom of speech and religion. By creating such a national registry for a religious practice violates that right. What did these people do other than thinking that there is no God to deserve being treated like ex-cons and sex-offenders? Jesus Christ said to love your neighbor as yourself. How would this registry allow such Christians to live out that commandment? Pastor Mike wants this registry to know who are atheists in order to witness to them and tell other Christians to boycott their businesses. Harassment is not loving people like Christ said to love.
This would breed discrimination and hate in our country more and more. Atheists and Christians are already at odds in the general sense with a few known faces. However, if atheists were to have a national registry, the hate and discrimination would grow, not just between atheists and Christians, but also among various religious groups. If you have the chance, please let Pastor Mike know that this is a violation of Constitutional rights under the First Amendment, and that he needs to reevaluate the commandment to love, not hate.
