|
|
"Athiest Activist Addresses Forum"
Harvard
Law Record - April 11, 1986 - Pages 1, 15
By Michael Sturm
reprinted by permission
Dr. Madalyn Murray O'Hair,
the self-proclaimed most articulate and recognized athiest in the United
States, confronted an HLS Forum audience last week with an impassioned
attack on religion and political orthodoxy.
O'Hair has been a leader in the American atheist
movement since her victory in the 1963 case Murray v. Curlett, which
removed Bible reading and prayer from public schools. She has written
a number of books concerning atheism while continuing to litigate issues
relating to the separation of church of state.
She has also worked actively for peace organizations,
unions, and feminism. She has practiced as an attorney for the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
O'Hair began her address by announcing that
Massachusetts still has a blasphemy statute and that her purpose was to
break the law. She then proceeded to do so as frequently as possible
during her hour-long speech. O'Hair attacked what she called the
fundamental element of Judeo-Christian doctrine, which is that death and
evil entered the world through the disobedience of Eve, but that death can
be overcome through an acceptance of God. "I didn't eat the
apple," O'Hair said, adding that religion should not dare to impute
Eve's crime to others. Furthermore, she said that "you can't get
off the hook by imputing a goodness that will erase the
badness." She also stated that prayer is an exercise in futility
and self-deceit.
O'Hair's wrath fell on the Reagan administration and its
supporters. She condemned the "charlatans and knaves" now
in power, including among them President Reagan, Attorney General Meese,
and Solicitor General Charles Fried, a former HLS professor. O'Hair
stated her belief that the nation is moving towards feudalism and that the
middle class is being wiped out by conservative policies.
HLS and the Forum audience were not spared from the
attack. O'Hair argued that HLS has supported Reagan and his policies,
and that acquiescence to their policies is "criminal
activity." She repeatedly asked, "Why are you not doing
something about it?" and stated that "every person in the nation
appears to me to be yellow."
O'Hair concluded by noting the ties between conservative
politics, the original intent doctrine of constitutional interpretation,
and a time when the position of religion in society was
"comfortable" and not open to challenge.