American Atheist Newsletter: California

Recent events in Rohnert Park, CA. are a testament to what one Atheist First Amendment activist can achieve. Kudos to AA member Irv Sutley who has fought a one-man battle to secularize the town's official seal. Sutley complained that the original design which included a depiction of a church, cross and six-pointed Star of David, clearly violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

Unlike the situation in many communities, local officials sought to avoid a lawsuit rather than tap the public treasury to defend the seal in court. According to the Press Democrat newspaper, they agreed to redesign the logo by the end of 2003, and have a new, secular design in place by 2005. Thanks to Sutley's activism, government leaders also nixed the ritual of opening official meetings with prayer.

Some local clerics, though, still yearn for the "good ol' days" when religion was blatantly acknowledged by the town government.

"I kind of liked the old seal," whined Pastor Chip Worthington of the local Assembly of God Church. "It had a tractor, school and church that said in effect, 'This is a really nice community with community values.'

Images of a tractor, school, or the new proposed new casino nearby on land owned by a Native American tribe might be appropriate as town symbols, but a church is definitely a no-no. The Press Democrat notes that Rohnert Park has thirty houses of worship--plenty enough for the local faithful to pray, sing, chant and do anything else to practice their faith behind closed doors where such as activities belong. Thanks to Irv, sectarian religion in this community is no longer part of the public business of government, nor does it grace the town seal.

It would be a perfect world if nation states and religious warriors of all faiths settled their differences on the gridiron, soccer field or basketball court instead of resorting armed confrontation. But is it appropriate for athletic teams to have incendiary names that refer to holy war?

In Irvine, California, a dispute erupted when several teams participating in a holiday football tournament chose labels such as Soldiers of Allah, Intifada and Mujahideen ... That drew criticism from Jewish and even some Muslim groups, who saw the monikers as being offensive and inappropriate in the wake of 911 and subsequent events.

"The issue is these are words that are linked to real terrorists, real threats, real murders today," said a spokesperson for the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Washington, DC. He noted that the Intifada, a term used by Palestinians for the revolt against Israeli occupation, has resulted in the death of thousands of people including children.

Muslim leaders urged players to reconsider the team names, which were reportedly chosen without much forethought.

The "Muslim football" event was organized by a local 18-year-old who passed out fliers at an Orange County mosque and set up a web site soliciting players and suggestions for names. Most of the contestants chose innocuous labels like "4th and Goal."

Wonder if anyone will make a "Hail Mary" pass?