A Speech presented
to Salt Lake Valley Atheists
It
is an honor to address the
Salt Lake Valley Atheists.
I sincerely appreciate the support you have shown to me
over the past year during my struggles to try to save
myself from the tyranny of the Mormon religious powers
in the state courts of southern Utah. As you probably
already know, the farcical charade of a trial based on
accusations of a "decades long campaign of Hate and
Terror" against residents of Utah is now over and the
verdict is in:
A Jury of my Peers
A jury
of eight god-fearing citizens from Garfield County
unanimously agreed that I should be personally
destroyed for daring to file a civil lawsuit for
assault in a Utah court against a recently retired
State Park Manager Larry Davis, a a state of Utah
P.O.S.T. trained Police officer. The all-Christian
jury, with the capable help of the Mormon Judge, found
that the bad behavior directed towards me by the Mormon
Defendant at a Boulder Town meeting was justifiably
provoked because I allegedly made faces at him and
mouthed words at him.
Further
provocation was justified because I have spoken out on
social and environmental problems while living in their
predominantly Mormon cattle ranching community for more
than 20 years.
Large
photos of signs for my beer store business named
Freedom From Religion were shown at the Five-day trial
in southern Utah.
I was
repeatedly denounced as a person who intentionally
provokes the populace into violating my rights and
deserved what I got. They claim I am a "professional
plaintiff" who creates controversy in order to cash in.
In the minds of my accusers as well as the Judges and
jury of Utah’s Sixth District Court, using the legal
system to fight for my rights has been merely done for
the ulterior purpose of greed.
Worse than Criminal
The jury
decided I should pay the Defendant $75,000 because they
believe I abused the legal process by filing a civil
assault claim in Utah State court. This was $20,000
more than the Defendant claimed it cost him to defend
against my assault claim. But if my simple claim was so
frivolous, why was it not dismissed many years ago and
why was a trial even necessary? The reason it was never
dismissed was because I did have sufficient Probable
Cause and a clear right under state law to file the
assault claim. The essential element to prove Abuse of
Process "requires the willful or intentional abuse of
legal procedures for a wrongful or unlawful object or
ulterior purpose not intended by the law." But how can
legal procedure be violated by simply filing a lawsuit?
The Jury was further instructed that; "the essence of
the cause of action for abuse of process is a
perversion of the process to accomplish some improper
purpose, such as harassment or compelling the victim to
do something which he would not be legally obliged to
do. However, if the process is used for its proper and
intended purpose, the mere fact that it has some other
collateral effect does not constitute abuse of
process." The jury ignored these guidelines and the
judge is evidently planning to do the same if and when
he certifies the verdict.
Abusing the Legal System?
I simply
filed a claim for civil assault that only requires;
"the Defendant, Larry Davis, acted intending to cause
harmful or offensive contact" against me and I was
"thereby put in imminent apprehension of harm or
contact" by his actions. How can using the legal system
to attempt to end threats and intimidation against me
from this powerful public figure and husband of the
Town Clerk be harassment? Mr. Davis admitted he that he
got out of his seat during the public meeting and
angrily came over to confront me. He admits he made
comments about my needing a "bodyguard" and that I "was
a coward hiding behind the skirts of a woman" after
Lynne Mitchell and others intervened. He also pinned me
against some school desks and threatened my life but
denied that part. I had reason to complain about such
behavior in a public meeting to discuss an illegally
operated town building inspection program and
consideration of prayer at town meetings. I should have
a right to attend public meetings and voice my
legitimate concerns without fear of violent threats and
reprisals. This police officer later that night
challenged me to physically fight him outside the
school or at home. He had previously made similar
threats while in uniform and on duty for Utah State
Parks and been reprimanded. He also wrote a very
defamatory letter about me the next morning at 5 AM to
a member of the Town Council that was copied to the
town council.
The Police investigate a
fellow officer
After
having my business signs destroyed the next two weeks
and finding out about the hateful letter Davis wrote, I
asked the police to investigate. The Garfield County
Deputy took statements from myself and three other
witnesses who supported my allegations but then waited
for a month to even question other town council members
after providing them with our statements. Most of the
council refused to comment but two said they didn’t see
anything. Larry Davis and his wife, the Town Clerk were
never even interviewed. The final police report stated;
"No physical assault can be supported by independent
witnesses! However, intimidation may have been present!
This case is closed to further investigation. The
purpose was for both men to hear what their peers
thought about their actions at the Feb. 1,1996 Boulder
Meeting." The report was made six months after the
assault and the Deputy was allowed to determine no
assault occurred based on his assertion that there are
no independent witnesses in Garfield County. If you are
assaulted you can’t act as a witness for yourself. And
others who side with you are not "independent"
witnesses. This is how authorities operate here
especially when the accused is a police officer and
fellow Mormon.
Payback Time
With the
premature counterclaims of "Malicious Prosecution,
Abuse of Process, and Intentional Infliction of Severe
Emotional Distress" being heard at the same time and
trial as the assault claims it basically guaranteed
there would not be a fair trial. My claim could have
been heard in a day of testimony but four years and
four extra days of trial were expended in my efforts to
dismiss these counterclaims against me. The
counterclaims were filed prematurely and go against all
prior case law in Utah that clearly indicate my assault
claim must have already been heard and terminated in
favor of the defendant prior to filing such claims. The
exorbitant jury verdict really had no basis other than
for purposes of bigotry and revenge for speaking out
against religious intolerance in Utah. At trial I was
harshly berated for successfully winning a Federal
Civil Rights verdict and awarded $86,000 against
Boulder Town in 1999. The jury then decided to go one
better by awarding $87,000 on the counterclaim for
"Intentional Infliction of Severe Emotional Distress."
The
instructions to the jury for Intentional Infliction of
Severe Emotional Distress said that all three essential
elements must be met for a verdict against me. It must
be proven that I engaged in conduct "that is considered
outrageous and intolerable in that it offends generally
accepted standards of decency." And that my conduct was
performed "with the purpose of inflicting emotional
distress or that a reasonable person would know that
such conduct would cause emotional distress." And
third, "that severe emotional distress was the direct
result" of my conduct.
It doesn't Pay to complain
to the state
They
claimed that I wrote 32 letters to the State government
over a 12-year time period but that lie was not
supported by the facts. Trial exhibits show that there
were less than fifteen letters, many were merely
requests for basic information on state policy, and on
several other problems I questioned about the state of
Utah. All of the letters were written between 1990 to
1993 and there were no further letters or contacts to
the state about Anasazi Indian State Park or the
defendant after that time. That is well beyond the
four-year statute of limitation but both Judge David L.
Mower who was later removed for bias and the trial
Judge K.L. McIff ignored this. They said that filing
the civil assault claim in state court in 1998 was
included as part of the pattern of harassment so they
linked everything from 1990 to the present day. But how
can filing a civil lawsuit be considered an intolerable
and outrageous act? Simply writing letters about
problems in having Indian remains on public display,
continued excavations of Indian graves, using the park
as a site for a private business without a public bid
process, teaching "spiritual awareness," as well as the
rough treatment I received after questioning park
policy by the staff including another assault incident
by the park manager in front of the town Post Office
cannot constitute harassment. It is the responsibility
of park officials to respond to claims and they had
full opportunity and did so in their 15 reply letters
to me.
The
State Park Manager, Larry Davis officially requested I
put in writing all of my complaints about his park in
his first reply letter to me in 1990. He then attacked
me in the same paragraph by "having an axe to grind
with the park," questioning my motives, and asking what
"credentials" I had to make complaints about state
parks. On April 14, 1992 the state park wrote two
letters about me. The first was a reply to my request
information that flatly refused any information and
referred me to the State Division of History. The other
was an official letter to Division of History warning
them that I had been referred to them. That letter
said; "You can judge for yourself as to the character
of Mr. Hatch. I realize the material is lengthy but I
believe it would be worth your time to review the
letters-everyone needs at least one good laugh a day.
If you have any questions about the letters please
contact Larry Davis or myself. Happy reading!
The worst thing I ever did
I made a
visit to the state Division of History and discovered
this vindictive and defamatory letter so I wrote a
short letter to the State Park Director and complained
on April 20, 1992. In my frustration I ended the letter
by saying; "As I have seen in the past and most
recently, Mr. Davis is not the correct person to lead
Anasazi State Park in efforts to deal with the public
in an equitable and considerate way. He appears to be
too emotionally attached to the old Anasazi State Park
after twenty something years. We need someone to
replace Mr. Davis and stop the continued abuses and
problems that plague Anasazi Park." This was the most
severe thing I ever wrote about Mr. Davis but I believe
I had the right to express this opinion without being
counter-sued six years later for infliction of
emotional distress by this park employee. Mr. Davis
apparently had to answer to his supervisors for such
treatment of me but isn’t that just part of his job?
His job with the state parks was never in jeopardy from
anything I ever wrote or said. But Mormons are
evidently easily hurt by any challenges or questioning
of their personal authority even when working as
government employees. The State Park Director wrote me
a reply and claimed I was harassing his finest employee
and refused to do anything more. Years before my
problems with Mr. Davis, the Garfield County Commission
wrote a strong letter to the state parks that said; "In
our opinion, Mr. Davis constitutes a disruptive
influence in our communities. We would appreciate your
taking steps to see that he is replaced with a ranger
who has a better perspective of his proper role as a
public officer…" but they were never sued for emotional
distress. The Judge refused to allow the jury to hear
about or see this letter when we tried to present it at
the trial.
No Right to Petition the
Government in Utah
It was
agreed by both the defense and the court judge that
there was never any libel, slander, defamation, or
physical threats made by me in any letters or
otherwise. If I had written anything reaching such a
level in these letters to the government you can be
sure you would have heard all about it and I would have
probably been charged criminally ten years ago. We all
have a clear right to write complaints to our publicly
funded institutions without fear of lawsuits by paid
employees for doing so. Especially ten years later. The
jury was instructed that Julian Hatch had a clear
"right to petition his government and/or any public
official for relief and or change and to offer his view
about public policy, the management of any government
office or program, however, complimentary or
uncomplimentary, and the adequacy or inadequacy of the
performance of any government official or employee.
This right enjoys a high level of protection in our
society and may be relied upon even if it results in
harsh criticism or embarrassment of a public official
and/or employee." The jury was required to find
evidence of a pattern of conduct "so vile and
atrocious" that it goes beyond civilized boundaries.
The jury was told they could find no verdict against
me; "unless mental disturbance is so severe that no
reasonable man can endure it and mere insults are not
sufficient." Apparently, they ignored the instructions
on the law and the First Amendment.
Larry
Davis has never made any complaints to the police about
anything I did to him that could cause emotional
distress. He admitted he had been depressed and
suffered from anxiety in the mid 1970’s and 1980’s and
had taken prescription drugs for these problems many
years before my contact with him. While he had regular
doctor’s visits over the past 12 years, nothing is
mentioned about any emotional distress in any of his
medical records. He never saw a psychiatrist for his
alleged emotional distress and was never prescribed any
medication for the reputed mental illness he attributes
to me. There is no basis for his claim and no evidence
to support the jury’s verdict.
Both
jury verdicts are completely unsupported by the facts
and based on revenge and retaliation for winning my
prior Federal verdict against Mrs. Davis and Boulder
Town in 1999. The total award against me is for more
than $162,000 dollars but it might just as well have
been 162 million dollars for all it matters. I was
already financially and emotionally ruined by the six
years of fighting the counter charges and accusations
of a campaign hate and terror lodged against me. My
problems with Boulder Town government continue today
with the damages they have caused to me after adopting
and enforcing a zoning ordinance that the Appeals
Courts later found illegal, arbitrary, and capricious
in February 2001. They zoned my business property as
strictly residential, ignoring prior use-among other
things. I have again been forced to file a new Federal
claim in 2001. I have tried to use the legal system
only after I have been forced to obtain my civil
rights. The jury verdicts and the railroading by the
religiously biased judges are nothing more than
attempts to get back at me for embarrassing the
religious majority in Utah. When law and religion are
mixed together they make an awful combination.
Utah, the Mormon State
For many
people, the outcome of this trial was completely
expected but I was shocked by the mean and vindictive
hatred exhibited by these fine Utah Christians. I guess
I was a bit naïve to think that the southern Utah
judicial system would provide justice and a proper way
to end the persecution I have been forced to endure.
There is little or no separation of Church and State in
Utah and if your beliefs differ from the Mormon Church
you are not going to get a fair or impartial hearing in
this rural part of the state. The word "judicial" means
unbiased and careful consideration of the facts,
arguments, and reasoning to reach a fair decision.
"Justice" means fairness and justification with
sufficient reason to justify a verdict decision. The
treatment I received at the hands of Utah’s Sixth
District Court was anything but just or judicial. When
the courts treat you as prejudicially as the wrongs you
ask them to redress where can we turn? I am again
forced to go to the Court of Appeals where I can only
believe that the higher courts will reverse this case.
The higher courts must do the right thing or risk
setting a very bad precedent for the entire state. If
this outrageous decision, along with my failure to have
the premature and unfounded counterclaims dismissed
were to be affirmed it would certainly lead to an
intolerable situation for the legal system. If anytime
someone files a lawsuit to redress their grievances
they can be immediately counter-sued for abusing the
legal process and have claims for severe emotional
distress heard against them at the same time, people
will no longer attempt to settle their problems in a
civilized way through the courts. In his Closing
Arguments the opposing attorney said that fifty years
ago a person myself would have been harshly taken care
of without need for any legal process. He suggested the
jury treat me as they would have in the old days and it
sounded to me like he was inciting a lynch mob to
action. Apparently, the jury was happy to oblige and
show me the good old boy justice of the Mormon state of
Deseret.
Same old story...
John D.
Lee was singled out and scape-goated for his
involvement in the Mountain Meadows Massacre during the
mid 19th century. He was the only person prosecuted and
executed for this cruel massacre of non-Mormon men,
women, and children in Southern Utah. Before he was
executed, Lee made a confession and statement through
his attorney about how the state of Deseret and Utah
Territory was being operated by the Mormon Church. He
wrote; "It has always been a well understood doctrine
of the Church that it was right and praiseworthy to
kill every person who spoke evil of the Prophet. In
Nauvoo it was the orders from Joseph Smith and his
apostles to beat, wound, and castrate all Gentiles that
the police could take in the act of entering or leaving
a Mormon household under circumstances that led to a
belief that they had been there for immoral purposes. I
knew of several such outrages there. In, Utah it was
the favorite revenge of old, worn-out members of the
Priesthood, who wanted young women sealed to them, and
found that girl preferred some handsome young man. The
old priests generally got the girls, and many a young
man was unsexed for refusing to give up his sweetheart
at the request of an old and failing, but still sensual
apostle or member of the Priesthood."
Lee gave
an illustration of such a situation in Utah where
someone resisted the authority of the Priesthood. Lee
told the story of Bishop Snow who ordered a young man
to go on a mission to some distant locality so
authorities would have no more trouble in forcing a
young woman to marry as they desired but the man
refused the mission call. "It was then decided to call
a meeting of the people who lived true to counsel,
which was to be held in the school-house in Manti, at
which place the man should be present, and dealt with
according to Snow’s will. The meeting was called. The
young man was there, and was again requested, ordered
and threatened, to get him to surrender the young woman
to Snow, but true to his plighted troth, he refused to
consent to give up the girl. The lights were then put
out. An attack was made on the young man. He was
severely beaten, and then tied with his back down on a
bench, when Bishop Snow took a bowie-knife and
performed the operation in a most brutal manner, and
then took the portion severed from his victim and hung
it up in the school-house on a nail, so that it could
be seen by all who visited the house afterwards." At a
later meeting the Bishop used this display to enforce
the power of the Priesthood. Lee described; "When all
had assembled, the old man talked to the people about
their duty to the Church, and their duty to obey
counsel, and the dangers of refusal, and then publicly
called attention to the mangled parts of the young man,
that had been severed from his person, and stated that
the deed had been done to teach the people that the
counsel of the Priesthood must be obeyed. This is only
one instance of many that I might give to show the
danger of refusing to obey counsel in Utah."
Good ol' Religion
While life
has somewhat improved in Utah, my trial jurors are
probably all very proud of their work and will be
pleased to learn how depressed and shattered I have
felt since they provided their not so compassionate
verdict against me. I have now had the opportunity to
experience firsthand their kind of "Christian love." I
can’t but believe they feel like they did their duty to
god and country. I have also been assured by the hate
mail recently sent to me that although the jury verdict
was not nearly as severe as it should have been, Jesus
is still very pleased by the outcome. If their god-man
Jesus really did exist, I guess they’d be rewarded by
heaven for striking down another heathen heretic. And
that is what religion is really all about. Hatred and
persecution against those who choose not to believe in
their gods or self-righteous religious leaders. Such an
unbeliever or person who resists authority cannot be
tolerated by religion or it’s adherents.
Religion
is defined as the belief in supernatural beings called
gods that control the affairs of people and the course
of nature. These supernatural gods are to be obeyed as
creators and rulers of the entire universe. All must
bow to these all knowing and infinitely powerful
beings. In monotheistic religions such as Christianity
there is supposedly only one true god. Mormons, the
dominant majority of citizens in Utah, actually claim
to be able to become gods themselves with their own
planets to rule through eternity so I’m not sure if
they can lay claim to being a monotheistic religion.
But there’s one thing for certain, many of their Mormon
brethren like to play the roles of gods right here on
Earth. Some of these god-like rulers appear in their
roles as appointed Judges, law officers, and elected
officials in the Utah State government and they are
encouraged by their church to act upon their personal
religious beliefs and biases in their official public
capacities.
State and Church
Two
hundred years ago this year, President Thomas Jefferson
wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists enunciating the
concept of "Separation of Church and State" which
guided our country’s founders in creating our
Constitution. Government is supposed to remain neutral
in matters concerning religion but it is a sad
commentary that such separation does not actually exist
in the State of Utah. This past week our Governor
proudly signed a proclamation for a day of prayer on
behalf of all citizens in Utah. No consideration was
given to the surveyed nineteen percent of the
population who are non-religious. The fact that such a
clear violation of separation of church and state such
as this illegal establishment of religion is seen as
routine by our leaders shows how entrenched religion
really is in our government. The fact that our
President routinely signed a similarly timed
proclamation when there are at least 29 million
Americans who openly claim to be non-religious is very
disconcerting. But what could be wrong with official
government sanctioned prayers and prayer proclamations?
When authorities are questioned about such problems
they invariably claim that they are merely affirming
religious diversity. If they did not allow prayers they
claim it would be discriminatory against religious
believers. But that is exactly why the government must
remain neutral. Religious proclamations and officially
approved prayer is not inclusive of those who do not
believe in religion. Choosing to promote religion
causes division and is itself a discriminatory act.
Religious believers say they offer their prayers on
behalf of all citizens so there is nothing wrong but
they do not seem to care enough to even consider the
rights of all citizens to have a government that
represents all the people. When government officials
brazenly push personal religious agendas, their
allegiance to religion incorrectly takes precedence
over any Constitutional duty they have. This year
supporters of religion have used the September 11, 2001
tragedy as reason for prayer in efforts to unite all
Americans. But where was there trusted god on that day?
The perpetrators of the tragedy were not atheists but
religious fanatics themselves. If anything it ought to
be apparent that we need less religion and more
rational and compassionate political efforts in the
world. It appears there has been a religious crusade
and war launched against Islamic countries and
therefore any disbelief in America’s Christian god is
seen as un-American and un-patriotic.
All my life
I
was born in 1954 in the LDS (Latter Day Saint) hospital
in Salt Lake City and while I was born into the bosom
of Mormonism, as an American citizen I supposedly had a
right to be free from religious tyranny. That is what
sets America apart from other nations that base their
governments on divine authority. But apparently,
religiously minded government representatives decided
the very same year I was born to insert the phrase "one
nation under god" into the Pledge of Allegiance. I have
been required to repeat this pledge of allegiance to
religion ad infinitum in classrooms and government
meetings throughout my life. The McCarthyism of the
1950’s "Cold War" with its virulent defamation and
blacklisting of suspected godless communist liberals
conducted by elected officials still continues a half a
century later. I have learned first-hand the effects of
daring to say no to religion. If you won’t repeat the
pledge of allegiance then you are seen as un-American
and open to public persecution. The Congress of the
1950’s also chose to further erase the line of
separation between church and state when they adopted
laws to place religious mottoes the money issued by the
government and pushed religion into our public
institutions. Our government has been promoting
religion beliefs throughout my entire lifetime.
The
motto "In God We Trust" has again become the rallying
cry of many self-righteous religious government
representatives. These officials were elected by the
majority and like the jurors in my recent trial they
believe they can do whatever they choose without regard
to reason or law. They think they can act like gods
because they say "the majority rules" so whatever they
decide must be correct. How do they know that the
majority of citizens are religious? If the majority of
citizens are religious then must everyone else be
forced to pay allegiance to those beliefs? How can
anyone know what the majority of beliefs are in our
nation? Has the government polled the citizens on their
personal beliefs? Will our religiously minded
politicians next require us to register our beliefs
with the government and would anyone really want to
register their personal beliefs or dare to go against
the powerful majority? Politicians will do almost
anything to get elected by the majority of voters so I
wonder just what kind of religious test will they
propose to justify their pandering?
Belief in Nothing
And how
much do people really know or even care about the
concept of god and religion anyway? Some say that this
is a "Christian Nation" but how do they really know it
is not a Buddhist, Muslim, pantheist, or even an
atheist nation? Perhaps the majority of people really
could care less about religion and just try to ignore
religion as much as possible. Maybe most people just go
along with the flow and social activities of our
culture. How could we ever determine whether they are
sincerely devoted to religious belief or just trying to
get along? It is impossible for the government to
determine sincere personal belief so what right do
officials have making any claims about religious
affiliation? The government needs to stay out of the
business of supporting religion or any belief system.
The First Amendment provision for separation provides a
solution to the problem and it simply makes good sense
for all citizens to keep the government neutral in
matters of personal belief. Neutrality merely means not
choosing any side and that the government allows each
of us freedom to believe and open express those
beliefs. What could be wrong with that?
So why
don’t politicians and their appointed judiciary support
allowing citizens to decide for themselves what to
believe? Why have government officials decided to make
assertions based merely on their own personal bias that
we are a religious nation? Official days of prayer,
religious mottos, and oaths of allegiance to a
monotheistic god have now become routine exercises for
our government. This is exactly what founders of our
country such and Jefferson and Madison tried so hard to
avoid with the First Amendment separation of church and
state. Why was it so important to replace the old motto
of "E Pluribus Unum" meaning "of many one" with the
divisive religious phrase "In God We Trust?" And what
does it really mean to say that our country trusts in
god? The intent is clearly meant to force all citizens
to accept monotheistic religion and the belief in god.
These religiously minded government officials just
can’t allow the dangerous concept of freedom of belief
to exist. We are required by law to have confidence in
and rely on a supernatural god.
But if
such a god really existed then what difference would it
make whether we supplicate and prostrate ourselves to
it? Begging or praying to a god that can and will do
whatever it pleases doesn’t really accomplish anything
anyway. The national motto does not say anything about
praying or giving thanks to god just that we trust in
the concept. Trust clearly means giving in to god’s
will but such an act is essentially meaningless to an
infinitely powerful supernatural god. But for the
religious powers and their adherents here on Earth, our
government enacting and promoting this national motto
is very important. Our entire nation submitting to the
belief and control of a monotheistic god is essential
for religious zealots to gain control of our nation.
They can claim divine authority for their efforts
toward exterminating freedom of belief and especially
the open statement of non-belief in America. One thing
most of the different religions can agree on is the
extermination of disbelief in religion. The message of
the national motto and Pledge of Allegiance is that all
good Americans believe in god and those who dissent are
suspect. The bigotry of McCarthyism is alive and well
in America with religious fanaticism in control of our
government.
What
American citizen would dare to openly express that they
do not trust or believe in god? Would a citizen who
expresses such unbelief in god be protected by our
legal system? Why would any government official dare to
be viewed as helping such an infidel? Certainly
politicians place themselves at risk of losing votes
and power if they openly stand up for the rights of
unbelievers after the government itself has given the
stamp of approval to religion. Courage is defined as
"the attitude of facing and dealing with anything
recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, instead
of withdrawing from it." Cowardice is the lack of
courage and is an excessive fear of dealing with
dangerous, difficult or painful experiences. It takes
courage to openly dissent about issues supported by
government and other authority. It is difficult and
dangerous to be in the minority especially if the
majority of citizens are religious believers.
Unbelievers must have courage to openly express their
non-belief. The dictionary states that; "Unbelief
implies merely a lack of belief especially in matters
of religion or faith because of insufficient evidence."
Someone who does not believe in theism or religion is
known as an atheist. In a nation that officially
proclaims "In God We Trust" it takes courage to
disbelieve in that god. But disbelief is defined as a
positive refusal to believe an assertion or theory
because one is convinced of its falseness. It would be
dishonest of me to look the other way and not assert my
disbelief in religion. We all have a right to not
believe in god or religion and still be treated as
equal citizens. We have a right to expect judicial
restraint and fair treatment in our governmental legal
process. Unfortunately, as I have found out personally
over the past several years, it takes courage to
withstand the prejudice exhibited by some of our
courts. It has been very painful and it is difficult
for me to believe that the judicial process is fair and
equitable. I hope the Appeals Court will ultimately end
the abuses I have suffered so I can be free.
Faith in the Courts
If
courage is the "quality of being fearless or brave"
then I’m not sure if I have what it takes when it comes
to the lower courts in southern Utah. I don’t feel very
brave and I have learned to fear the courts in southern
Utah for all the pain and suffering they have caused
me. Judges in Utah are appointed by representatives
elected to office by a religious majority and are
retained through political elections so they may be
reluctant to do the right thing when it comes to
citizens who openly dissent from religion. Religious
intolerance and persecution against those who openly do
not agree with a Judge’s personal religious beliefs can
be difficult to overcome. It takes integrity for a
Judge or other government official to not be swayed by
public sentiment to not be seen as soft on dissenters.
Officials may become blinded by their own
self-righteous belief in religion.
Religion
has always been about control and forcing people to
conform to what someone else claims to be the absolute
truth. Those who disagree are often condemned by
religion to eternal torment and suffering for not
believing. Humans have a long history of strife and
infliction of suffering against those who cannot in
good conscience obey and agree with the majority
religious beliefs. We know about the dark ages and the
inquisitions of the past. The word "religare" is the
Latin root word for religion and it literally means,
"to bind back again." People are basically coerced to
conform and are bound over and over again into an
adherence of religious tenets and dogma. Religion is
based on a belief in the supernatural that cannot be
perceived in any rational or sensible way. Only through
the unquestioning belief in faith can religious
adherents believe in a god or supernatural being. Such
faith can be dangerous because there is no rational
basis to know what’s real so any and all fantastic
claims made by believers must be accepted. When it
comes to religious belief there can be no factual basis
only faith. Religious believers cannot allow that what
they believe may not be real or true. To obstinately
and blindly believe in a particular creed or opinion
without any rational basis is known as bigotry. Such
pre-conceived opinions formed without facts can cause
prejudice and overzealous bias. Religions demand they
be tolerated and I have always been prepared to allow
others to believe as they choose. The problem is that
religion refuses to tolerate non-belief.
Tolerating Bigotry
The word
toleration means freedom from bigotry and its usage
comes from 17th Century England when Protestants
dissented from the religious bigotry of that time. Many
religions have their roots in problems they had with
other Religions. Tolerance is a principle that must be
extended in both directions. If it is not then it does
not work. Because religions and their adherents do not
tolerate non-belief, atheists are cursed to eternal
damnation and suffering. Unfortunately, the suffering
is inflicted on unbelievers right here and now in this
life. Believers claim that only they know the absolute
truth and dissenters must be isolated, humiliated, and
destroyed. In Utah, they claim that because the
majority of residents are Mormons then this is a Mormon
state and these are Mormon communities. I merely asked
for my rights to be allowed to have freedom from
religion, freely associate and find others who
similarly do not believe, and the result is I have been
persecuted for it. Religious people who can tolerate my
freedom are too often afraid to openly say so for fear
that they will then be persecuted. The majority rules
and the silent majority just looks the other way.
I am
willing to tolerate religious beliefs but I am no
longer so naïve as to tolerate the bigoted beliefs and
actions fostered by religion. I will no longer tolerate
bigotry and if religion is bigotry then I cannot
tolerate religion. I refuse to tolerate intolerance.
Religion is bigotry and I will no more tolerate bigotry
than I will look the other way while someone is
violently attacked in the public street. I do not hate
my oppressors or think that atheists should hate these
people as they have hated us but neither should we
continue to tolerate such bigotry and hatred directed
at us. I will now more than ever speak out openly to
attempt to end religious intolerance and persecution.
I am
conscious that religious believers will probably claim
reverse bigotry but atheism does not attack religion
when we do not believe in it. Atheism is based in
rational thought and is merely non-belief in religion.
We are attacked routinely by religion for not believing
but our questioning and choosing to not believe is not
bigotry. We can tolerate other citizens choosing to
believe whatever they want but we still have a right to
rationally question those beliefs. Religion is a
conscious choice not something a person is born with.
Atheism is not bigotry. Atheists welcome the rational
discussion and questioning of our non-belief. If Jesus
Christ, a supernatural god, or even a UFO presents
itself in a verifiable way, I will acknowledge its
existence. But until that time comes I can honestly
only believe in what is sensible and real. It is
religion that asks us to believe without any foundation
or evidence. It would be a lot easier for me, given my
present problems with the Utah court system, if I
believed that some supernatural god will right my
wrongs but the courage of an atheist is that we must
deal with difficulties and problems in a rational and
realistic way. It is even more difficult when religious
forces continually work against us and sad that we must
constantly fight against the tyranny even in our own
governmental institutions.
Nothing Fails Like Prayer
Ever
since I was born it seems like I have been forced to
live under the yoke of religion. I have never known a
time when the government has been free from religious
control in Utah. I have been trained in their churches,
public schools, military, and in the school of life but
I still do not believe in religion. I participated
fully in the many religious programs held at my public
schools as a child. Prayers were formally on the
agendas and openly given during the 1960’s as they
continue to do today in Utah. Flag salutes and prayers
have not convinced me to believe in religion or
effectively shut me up. I have spent a good part of my
life trying to believe in one religion or another but I
have yet to find any basis to believe in gods or the
supernatural. Religious believers can continue to
persecute me but they cannot make me believe in
something I do not think is true. They can railroad me
in their courts, kill my pets, threaten, intimidate,
and assault me but they can never force me to believe
in their religion. But apparently, these narrow minded
and intolerant religious believers don’t really care if
I ever sincerely believe in their religion. They only
want me to conform and keep quiet or they will destroy
my life and drive me out of their community. I wish I
had never dared to live in these mean southern Utah
communities but I now have no choice but to have the
courage to carry on and endure their vindictive verdict
until I am allowed an appeal to a reasonable court. The
retribution I have received after court wins in the
past has been disappointing but I will continue to
fight for my right to live free from religious bigotry
and hatred in America.
Religion
is more readily assimilated at a young age and this is
not lost on the Mormons. I remember hearing the stories
of Joseph Smith and his Golden Plates but I honestly
never cared that much whether the story was true or not
when I was so young. I was much more enthralled by
television programs like the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers
and Dale Evans, Davy Crockett, and just being a kid
than in reading about visions of angels. But my life
was changed when I turned eight years old because that
is the age of accountability in the Mormon Church. I
actually resisted being baptized and held the
authorities off for almost an extra month. But the
Bishop came to my house repeatedly to take me in his
luxury automobile for a ride to get ice cream and use
his powers of persuasion. I didn’t know it then but
playing hard to get can actually pay off, if you like
ice cream. But my resistance was futile and I soon
became an official member of the one and only true
church on Earth, or so they claim. I didn’t realize
then that I had been signed up for time and eternity. I
was soon introduced to working at the Mormon "Welfare
Farm" weeding the onion fields and also into the world
of tithing payments so I could pay them ten percent of
my small family allowance. I still have receipts where
I paid .14, .60, and .26 cents when I was ten years
old. The Mormon Church obviously needs money but the
real point of early baptism is getting the children
trained at an early age to follow orders and pay
tithing so it can be collected throughout the rest of
their lives. Church members actually bring in their W-2
forms and write checks based on their gross earnings to
their church. That’s gross not net! Of course, all this
money is tax-free profit for the church and it doesn’t
even have to be reported to the government. Meanwhile,
the taxpayers of America pay for the community services
to the church’s immense holdings. The Church with its
billions of dollars doesn’t pay taxes but they still
get the fire and police protection and other amenities
offered by our society. What a great deal! You would
think they’d be embarrassed but you don’t see religion
stepping forward to willingly pay their fair share and
ease the burden of the poor citizens stuck with the
bill. They do build lots of expensive church buildings
throughout the world though.
They Call Themselves
Saints
I didn’t
realize why it was so important for the Bishop to get
me baptized until a few years later when I discovered
the truth about certain relations between my mother and
him. My Mom was good to me and I appreciate the time
she spent reading books with me at an early age. She
had always been a faithful member of the Mormon or as
they prefer to be called The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints. My mother participated in leadership
positions with the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and
the Mormon Relief Society that is an organization just
for women. But in the early 1960’s she began to have
her doubts about the one true church. She had studied
and read the voluminous official "History of the
Church" but those books along with the Fawn Brodie
book: "No Man Knows My History" caused her to question
the inconsistencies and problems in the Mormon
religion. Changes had been continually made in the
history books as well as the Book of Mormon itself. Mom
started asking hard questions of the Bishopric of the
local Ward. The Bishop is the appointed leader of about
150 families or 500 members in a specific locality and
this is known as a Ward. The Bishop has two councilors
and a Ward Clerk who controls and keeps all the
records. Together they are known as the Bishopric.
These men are powerful leaders and they rule over the
individual members of the Ward as well as keeping tabs
on any other non-members living in their realm.
Anything and everything must go through them. The
Bishopric in our Ward in Northern Utah could not or
would not answer the questions from my mother. After
all she was a woman trained to be obedient to men and
shouldn’t be asking hard questions of the Bishopric
anyway. My mother eventually got tired of being treated
badly by these men and she requested they remove her
name from the membership rolls of the church. The only
way you could have your name removed in the Mormon
Church was through the local Bishopric and only if you
were first excommunicated. You can’t merely quit paying
the dues and walk away. They must kick you out.
The
Bishopric then began a long campaign to destroy my
mother in the community. I recall the time when my
father came home from work and began angrily arguing
with Mom because the Bishop had contacted his employer
about her request to leave the church. My father hardly
ever attended church because he sometimes liked to
smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol but he remained a
Mormon all his life. Like most "Jack-Mormons," he
couldn’t recite any scriptures and didn’t know much
about Mormon dogma but he always believed the church
was true. And like many religious people my father was
afraid of death and eternal damnation. They might not
know much about religion but know they know they don’t
want to fry in Hell for not believing. Anyway, my
mother requesting to have her name removed triggered
bitterness in our family, our community, and with the
Bishopric. Forty years ago it was almost unheard of to
demand to get out of the church. Mom was ordered to
attend a "Bishop’s Court of Love" to decide if she
should be ex-communicated or if she wanted to
reconsider, but she refused to attend. They kept trying
to hold the Mormon court but since my Dad wasn’t very
active at the time they didn’t have that much leverage
to force her to attend. Finally they held the court
without her presence and such refusal to attend
warranted an excommunication. Like many people who want
out it didn’t matter to her that she was excommunicated
but the rumors spread quickly through the community
that she must have done some awful things. This
ultimately resulted in a battle for possession of my
young soul by members of the Ward. My mother continued
to send me to regularly attend church and never even
told me anything about her problems with the church.
She knew that in a town consisting of 90 percent
Mormons it was best for me to play the game, go along
with the crowd, and try to fit in.
I got
quite a lot of attention from the neighborhood Mormons
at church. They saw me as the innocent smiling son of
the wicked infidel lady. If people asked her about why
she got excommunicated she would tell them why she no
longer believed in the Mormon Church and religion. Many
people who quit believing in the Mormon Church
eventually quit believing in all religion. At church I
had other kid’s mothers coming and telling me I could
come live with their families so I could escape from my
evil mother. I would try to explain to them that I
loved her and she was a fine mother but they probably
just thought I was afraid of her. I was often asked to
give talks in Sunday school and even at the Ward
Sacrament Meeting at a very young age. The Bishopric
pushed hard to keep me involved but the more pressure
they put on me the more I thought about Mormonism and
how I never really felt a connection to god. It made me
feel unworthy but the more I tried to tell them this
the more they pressured me to participate. I told them
I didn’t know what to say in the talks but they told me
to look at church magazines and basically rehash the
articles. It didn’t feel very good giving talks about
things I really didn’t feel but I tried to please them.
When I faltered in giving some of the talks it didn’t
seem to matter because it was all just meant to pull me
further into the cult and ultimately defeat my mother
who they figured would be unhappy if I grew up to be a
committed Mormon. These small-minded people were just
wrong about my Mom because she was always supportive of
anyone’s beliefs, especially members of our family and
other neighbors in the community. She had confidence in
her own non-belief.
My
mother died in my arms a few years ago and it was very
important for me to help in her final years. She had
severe arthritis and a lot of physical pain. She was
ready to end her suffering and unlike many religious
people, she was not afraid of death. Since our
religiously dominated nation does not accept euthanasia
or encourage the alleviation of suffering, my mom had
no other choice than to starve herself to death over a
period of several weeks. She was not the first or last
person to be forced to do so but it is sad that our
society has such a fear of death and lack of
compassion. Since she was an atheist, my mother
pre-arranged to have her body donated to scientific
study by the University of Utah. She also specified
there would be no funeral because she did not want
religious authorities involved. There was no waste of
resources in a casket, embalming, or burial plot. Some
people were not happy about this but she had courage
and integrity in facing her death.
I had
really wanted to believe in Mormonism and religion but
as hard as I tried I could never get god, Jesus, the
Holy Ghost, Joseph Smith, or any dead prophet to appear
or reply to me even when I fervently prayed. When
things didn’t make sense and I asked questions of my
leaders I was merely told I needed to pray harder. At a
certain point the only important thing was to try not
to disappoint my church leaders. I was interested in
archeology and had traveled extensively but I have
never seen one metal sword, breastplates, gold and
silver coins, chariots, or any evidence of the massive
civilization and wars depicted in the Book of Mormon.
BYU and the church keep trying to alter the geographic
locations of the depictions in the Book of Mormon but
they never pan out. There is not one physical item
exhibiting any evidence that the Book of Mormon story
is true.
Religious Whackos
1 Nephi,
Chapter 18, verse 25 in the Book of Mormon states that
when the Nephites came from Jerusalem they found in
America "beasts of every kind, both the cow and the ox,
and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild
goat." But cows, horses, oxen, and domestic goats all
evolved and were imported to America at a much later
time. Joseph Smith claimed that his book was the most
correct book ever written but here we find obvious
incorrect assertions. You would think with the help of
god he could have gotten it right but that’s the rub,
since it is blatantly wrong the entire book and
religion must not be true. Joseph Smith said if
anything could be found incorrect in his book then the
entire religion would fall. Like my Mom, I had trouble
reconciling these problems.
The
racism against people of color, especially Indians who
the Book of Mormon calls Lamanites still continues and
is evident in the Book of Mormon today. It says "And
the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the
mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a
curse upon them because of their transgression and
their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted
of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and
holy men. And it came to pass that whosoever did mingle
his seed with that of the Lamanites did bring the same
curse upon his seed." There are many more citations in
the Book of Mormon about this racism but what concerned
me in 1988 was the National Public Radio broadcast
about the sabotage of construction equipment on the
Burr Trail just outside Boulder Town. Garfield County
Commissioner Louise Liston made a statement on the
program that reflected the problems going on with
Indian or so-called Lamanites at Anasazi State Park.
She said that local Mormons were currently being driven
out of the area by environmentalists and when asked if
that wasn’t what Mormons had done to the Indians a
century ago she stated; "Well I really haven’t faced
that as I felt that progress, the way the Indians were
living, theirs wasn’t a way of life that could go
forward. It was kind of a savage and barbaric type of
living and eventually they killed each other off.
Anyhow, they killed off the righteous portion and chose
to live without divine guidance and in a savage way
with human sacrifice and so on, which we believe of
course, cost them their liberty." This public school
teacher and community leader correctly reflected the
racist attitudes of southern Utah Mormons about Native
Americans. There was a lot of impetus to end the
disrespectful practices at the state park and educate
people against such racism.
When I
turned twelve I was inducted into the all white male
Priesthood of the Church. During the 1960’s the Mormon
Church had a lot of problems with its racist position
concerning only white males being eligible to be in the
Priesthood. It was emphasized to me how lucky I was to
be white and to get into the Mormon male club. Some
people now probably don’t think the race issue was a
big deal in the Mormon Church back then but the people
in my Ward were quite racist. I remember church members
who I thought were really good people often making
nasty racial slurs right in Priesthood meetings. I
remember that there was the People’s March on
Washington against poverty that there was plenty of
talk about the "Coons" coming from California across
the interstate freeway on their way to the East. There
was talk about members converging on the nearby freeway
system to turn back the procession. Nothing actually
happened that I know about but there was ugly talk at
church. The Brigham Young University sports teams were
having problems at the time with other teams in the
conference and black players boycotting their games.
Someone actually threw Molotov cocktails onto the
playing floor at BYU one night. It didn’t take too long
for the Mormon Prophet to finally change the racist
policy because Mormons like their sports teams. The
Prophet prayed and said if the Lord didn’t agree with
his decision to allow blacks the priesthood he should
contact him and say so. Since god never objected the
change was made. This is actually how the Mormon
prophet made the decision. I remember there were many
in my Ward that thought they could never accept blacks
but what could they do? They really couldn’t just quit
the church so they had to go with it. Members are
taught to follow what their leaders say.
I still
have the "Goals Card" they gave me to put in my wallet.
The Goals Card was entitled "Sustain Church Leaders"
and it lists the following eight requirements. "Speak
well of local Church leaders at all times, Speak well
of the General Authorities, Accept all callings and
assignments and do my very best, Obey counsel and
instructions given by Church leaders, Do something
special for a local Church leader, Never speak evil of
Church leaders, and Let others know that I respect and
obey Church leaders in my community just as I respect
and obey the General Authorities." Number nine is a
fill in the blank for "My own personal commitment is:"
and I wrote in the blank that I would always let
everyone know that I would always do whatever church
leaders told me to do. I was not a stupid and I knew
what was required by the Mormon Church.
Breaking the Chains
I
finally reached the breaking point at age 16 after I
had become a Priest in the church. It was really cool
at that age to bless the water and the white Wonder
Bread sacrament. That got the attention of the young
women in the Ward but what finally ended it for me was
when they wanted me to go to the Salt Lake Temple to
perform Baptisms for the Dead. This was just too much
for me after I thought about this rather morbid ritual.
I had no confidence in my own belief or faith in the
church but they wanted me to force this religion on
dead people who had no say. I figured if these people
are dead why can’t the god just make them members or
have the angels baptize them? But I guess there is
something about a physical body being dunked in water
that I still don’t understand. And now I wish I would
have participated and gone inside the Salt Lake Temple.
But at the time I took religion seriously and I just
didn’t feel right about such an important thing as
baptism for the dead. When the time to show up for the
baptism of the dead came I made myself scarce and
figured no one would miss me but the leaders came
looking for me right away. I felt hounded, explained my
concerns, and I asked why it was so important for me to
attend but they were demanded I go through with it
anyway. I rebelled about being ordered to do it and
never showed up again.
I was
already serving as a Home Teacher and my assigned
partner was none other than the Ward Clerk and he
started having a really hard time getting me to go
visit the families we were keeping an eye on.
Eventually, after several months of missed visits and
repeatedly having to force me to go, my partner had to
give it up. Because I failed to show up he had to give
up on me. It was all too embarrassing for him to go to
alone and I had flat out told him I would not go
anymore. Because he missed making the visits he was
failing to perform his duty and taking too much heat.
He finally had to get assigned another partner and give
up on me. This man was a decent person and I have felt
guilty ever since but I just couldn’t go through the
motions anymore. I let them all down and it has
affected me ever since. I think I had just wanted to
back off a little but as soon as I quit attending and
performing the duties I lost my friends and was totally
isolated and shunned by members of the Ward. At school
I became just like the other non-Mormon kids I used to
shun as outsiders. I fell in with that crowd pretty
quickly because they were the only kids I could
associate with. I told my mother I refused to go to
church anymore and she didn’t like it but I had made up
my mind. She sternly warned me I would have problems in
this culture for not playing along.
Living in Utah
I moved
to southern Utah after serving in the US Army and later
graduating from college because I love the special
slickrock canyons and wilderness landscape there. After
living in other states and foreign countries I really
didn’t give that much thought to how I would fit in
with the Mormons. Southern Utah is sparsely populated
and I didn’t think I would have to be involved with the
local Mormon Ward even in a small town of 200 people.
If you don’t attend church at the local Ward most
members will have nothing to do with you. This may have
something to do with the rural area but I think it
mostly has to do with the religious tenets. The
Bishop’s Handbook of Instructions makes it clear in the
section on "Worthiness a Prerequisite to Ordination"
when it says "Have no affiliation, in sympathy or
otherwise, with any of the apostate groups or
individuals who are running counter to the accepted
rules and doctrines of the church." Members of the
church can get into trouble if they associate with
heathen infidels unless they are trying to convert
them. The Bible has similar edicts of non-association
with atheists (Corinthians 6:14) and stems debate or
the inclusion of logic into religious discussion. I was
always trained that religion and politics are not
appropriate topics or allowed in polite company.
Similar behavior is seen in religious cults and
converts are supposed to not contact any family or
friends. Prescribing the wearing of special sacred
underwear by the Mormon Church for their active and
faithful members performs a similar cult control
function. What real other reason can be made for such a
strange ritual? Wouldn’t their god protect them even if
they were not wearing the sacred underwear? The
underwear identifies who the brothers and sisters are
and sends a message of non-affiliation to non-members.
After
living in southern Utah for a couple of years the
Mormon Home Teachers came to me and asked me to attend
the local Ward. I told them I had no real interest
although I had been baptized. They said I needed to
begin attending church meetings and if I wouldn’t then
I would be excommunicated. I told them they should go
back to the Bishopric and tell them I really had no
interest in being forced to attend church but didn’t
want any trouble. After more than a year I started
worrying and wondering if I had been excommunicated
because I was being treated badly by the local Mormons.
So I went to the main Church Office building on a visit
to Salt Lake City in 1989 to see just what my status
was. I went into the membership and records office,
showed them my driver’s license and waited. After
watching the young woman come back and check my ID a
few times, I started to get nervous. I finally asked
her what the problem was and she told me that I was not
supposed to be here. So I asked her where I was
supposed to be and she said "In heaven." Apparently,
after years of not attending my old Ward, they decided
to help boost their attendance records by just killing
me off in the records. Information is power and the
Ward Clerk can strong arm members or as in my case kill
them off. I wouldn’t make too much of official records
and the numbers of members in this supposedly fastest
growing church in the world. So many people do not
attend or want to be hassled by the church but they are
counted just the same. I mean if this powerful and only
true church didn’t know if I was dead or not then what
else are they wrong about? Anyway, I really had it made
by already getting into Mormon heaven so I proceeded to
leave. But by then a male priesthood holder had come
out and apologetically handed me a certificate showing
that I was now a member in good standing. He said I
should take it to my local Bishop where I was living so
I could get started again in my church duties. I then
asked "but what if I don’t want to be a member" and
they both looked aghast and very disappointed.
I was
told that I would have to contact the Prophet to be
able to get out of the church so I asked to see him but
they informed me I would have to write a letter. I
wrote a letter and told the prophet the church had been
wrong about my death and probably was wrong about a lot
of other things too. I got a reply warning me of the
"eternal consequences" of my request to have my name
removed from the rolls. I was also referred to the
Bishop of the ward where my parents were living. The
Bishop there refused to let me out unless I attended
the Bishop’s Court where they would excommunicate me
for not believing but I refused to attend. I had to
repeatedly threaten legal action if they wouldn’t just
remove my name. A couple of years later I checked again
at the Church office building and they assured me I was
no longer a member but how can you really know for
sure? And they will probably just baptize me again
after I die. This is a church you just can’t get out of
or stay out of. I had it made at one time when they
listed me as dead and in heaven. But it just goes to
show that sometimes you can ask questions that are
better left alone. At least, since I was listed as
dead, the Boulder Mormon Bishopric and their Ward Clerk
Larry Davis couldn’t put me through a Bishop’s court
and excommunicate me. They probably were really miffed
about that at the time but since they have now
railroaded me through the state court they probably
feel better.
What Now?
I’m not
sure what is going to happen next in my personal ordeal
of trying to live in and enjoy the beautiful sandstone
canyons of southern Utah. A lot is going to depend on
if I am ever allowed to file an appeal of my case and
what the higher courts will do. One thing for sure is
that I have already lived through Hell and it continues
to get worse lately. A couple of weeks after the trial
the Judge certified only a partial verdict. He has
approved of the $87,000 jury verdict on the Intentional
Infliction of Severe Emotional Distress" but has not
certified the Abuse of Process yet. Until he certifies
or dismisses it I cannot even file an appeal. In the
meantime, the judge has apparently signed orders to
take control of any assets I might have. I think that
he and the opposition are working together to abuse the
legal process to force me to do things I would not
legally be bound to do. I also think the judge is
prejudiced and is going to try to put me through as
much trouble and drag things out as long as possible. I
believe Judge McIff knows there is little chance the
Appeals court will uphold any of the trial verdicts so
he wants to delay being overturned as long as possible.
The
religious persecution I continue to suffer under is
almost unbearable and I have basically lost my home and
money at this point. It is going to take courage to go
on living this way but I don’t really have much choice.
I have been threatened with death and I am not afraid
to die but I certainly don’t want to let these bigots
get away with railroading me. I appreciate the moral
support I have received from the good people who are
Mormons, some of the environmental community, animal
and human rights groups, and especially from the
freethinkers and unbelievers in Utah. I don’t want to
let anyone down because if they win against me in this
case it means everyone is vulnerable, at least if you
ever get embroiled in the rural southern Utah court
system. The message from Utah’s Sixth District Court is
that non-Mormons and other dissidents are not welcome
to redress their grievances in the legal system. Anyone
who dares seek justice will instead find retaliation
and personal destruction. Many people are scared after
media broadcast of my case.
Courage is Freedom
It
takes bravery and courage to openly be an atheist and
deal with the religious oppression here in Utah.
Atheists
are courageous because they fearlessly face the reality
that we humans are alone in and there are no
supernatural beings to save us. Morality is a
completely intellectual undertaking and has nothing to
do with religion. Irrational belief and unquestioning
faith are really basically immoral and are not
courageous. Acting morally is just courageously dealing
with issues of our lives in a rational way. Atheists
courageously try to make the most of our one life in
this world without fear or threats of eternal
damnation. We try to do our best and although we may
not be able to change all the problems and suffering
caused by religion in this world, by expressing our
non-belief we can help keep alive the principle of
freedom of belief and statement.
America
should be a bastion of freedom but since religion in
our government has gone mostly unchallenged by the
public for so long, we are now reaping a harvest of
intolerance. God Bless America is little more than
self-righteous and self-serving arrogance that we
should have nothing to do with. We must care about all
people throughout the entire world. Where is the
compassion that religious adherents so fervently claim
as their own special niche? Why are religious believers
so inconsiderate and insecure in their beliefs that
they must deny the rest of us our rights to freedom?
Religion seems to me to be little more than
superstition and bigotry.
There
are no gods, angels, heaven, or hell. There is only the
natural world that sustains and nurtures us all. We can
understand and believe firmly in nature and take pride
in our rationality. The courage of an atheist is to
deal rationally with our world and to live and die with
honesty and integrity. There really is no other choice
for us.
