Renting Town Hall
To Religious Groups
Gary M. Oppenheimer
From: "Gary M. Oppenheimer"
To: <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: NJ branch
Date: Thursday, March 02, 2000 1:02 PM
Do you know of someone from your organization in NJ that I can talk to about religious right problems in Northern NJ?
Thanks
Gary
From: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
To: "Gary M. Oppenheimer"
Subject: Re: NJ branch
Date: Thursday, March 02, 2000 6:57 PM
We are not an organization. This is an individual effort.
You are fortunate in that New Jersey hosts American Atheists, the largest organization of its kind in the United States.
If you describe the situation, I may be able to give you some ideas.
From: "Gary M. Oppenheimer"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 8:18 PM
Subject: RE: NJ branch
Cliff...
We have a home in West Milford.... a beautiful town in Northern NJ.
I have failed to stop the Religious Right from being able to hold monthly church services in Town Hall, although now, the township is agreeing to charge them $10 per meeting to avoid being charged with giving public services to the town for free. As part of that arrangement, the township has had to agree to make the room also available to anyone.... Catholics, Hindus, Jews, Druids, anyone at all who is a West Milford resident and wants to hold a service of their own.
The group holding the services currently once tried to (sit down for this) have Christianity declared the official religion of the township!
I wanted to let the Atheistic community know that a perfectly
nice meeting room (Town Council chambers) currently used by the Religious
Right, is also available to them for meetings of their choosing.... providing
the person making the request is a West Milford resident. I'm sure that
having "non-believers" there will drive the our RR friends bananas.
Similar invitations have gone out to the Muslim community.
So..... you should pass this to any West Milford members/non-believers
who want to take advantage of this opportunity...
Let me know if you want to know more.... its an interesting story....
From: Positive Atheism
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 7:17 AM
To: GARY M OPPENHEIMER
Subject: Re: NJ branch
As long as they charge the same fee to Satanists and atheists and the Klan as they do to the Christians, I have no problem with it. Also, you're not going to be able to stop them because this has been well-tested in court: they have the right to do this, and most separationist organizations agree with this right.
From: "Gary M. Oppenheimer"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: RE: NJ branch
Date: Friday, March 03, 2000 5:06 AM
You are right, althought I would have preferred if the township took the position of neighboring town and banned religious meetings outright from town hall.
Interesting point is that is has never been tested... and I suspect that if the Satanists or Atheists booked the room and promoted it in the local papers, the RR would either have a fit, or would push the township to require the use of expensive bonds to "insure" the room... something not currently required of the RR group.
A local Wiccans group was going to do it, but were seemingly intimidated by the RR out of it.
Scary part is that one of these RR people is now one of two republicans shooting for an available State level judgeship.
From: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
To: "Gary M. Oppenheimer"
Subject: Re: NJ branch
Date: Friday, March 03, 2000 6:53 AM
When the schools in Utah pushed for a religious club, everybody agreed that the schools shouldn't discriminate. Then, when the gays and lesbians wanted to form a club, the schools banned all non-curriculum clubs -- including the Bible club they worked so hard to have allowed. Go figure.
In San Diego, when the atheists rented the public park under the (illegal) Mount Soledad Cross on Easter Sunday (preempting the traditional Easter Sunrise Service), the Christians had a conniption fit. Go figure. The park bureau said first come, first served and let them rent it because they were first with the money. Read the speech given at this event.
The best position, I think, is to allow all to have equal access public facilities.
With equal access, we are neither promoting religion nor are we seen as discriminating against the religious. As long as the Klan (for example) is allowed to meet there too, I have no problem with anybody meeting there. The moment we do the un-American thing and begin to refuse groups on the basis of their philosoophical outlook, we might as well never rent the facilities to anyone.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Material by Cliff Walker (including unsigned editorial commentary) is copyright ©1995-2006 by Cliff Walker. Each submission is copyrighted by its writer, who retains control of the work except that by submitting it to Positive Atheism, permission has been granted to use the material or an edited version: (1) on the Positive Atheism web site; (2) in Positive Atheism Magazine; (3) in subsequent works controlled by Cliff Walker or Positive Atheism Magazine (including published or posted compilations). Excerpts not exceeding 500 words are allowed provided the proper copyright notice is affixed. Other use requires permission; Positive Atheism will work to protect the rights of all who submit their writings to us.