COMMENTARY
MILT THOMAS
Just when we thought it was safe for all citizens of Vero Beach to go out in the streets unassailled (after Phil Robertson’s graphic atheist family murder scene at the “Prayer Breakfast”), the Press Journal publishes a half page ad from Father John J. Pasquini, a Catholic priest warning us about the “tragedy” of atheism. Assuming he placed the ad, Pasquini must believe atheists are the most despicable humans on the planet. Yes, he exercised his constitutional right of free speech, but as a Father in the Catholic Church, is he conveying Jesus Christ’s message of love for all humans – or hatred of those who do not believe as he does?
Atheism seems to be the cause célèbre for self-righteous Christians these days now that the general public is much less apoplectic about homosexuality and gay marriage. (Father Pasquini himself found out he was out of synch with his church’s position on that subject).
The truth is that atheists do not have exclusive rights (as Pasquini seems to claim) in the field of bad behavior. U.S. prisons are filled with criminals who profess to be Christian, the Klu Klux Klan was an organization of Christians, and much of the recent genocide in Africa was Christian on Christian (800,000 died at the hands of their Christian brothers and by the way, resulted in a surge of atheism among the survivors). Bad behavior knows no religious or political affiliation.
But Pasquini’s hateful advertorial and Robertson’s equally hateful comments are symptomatic of a greater ill in our community – our seeming inability to respect one another. Much of Father Pasquini’s rationale is irrational, but because he purports to quote facts and figures, people will mistake it for truth and quote it to others.
The question is this: After these recent verbal and published assaults, should an atheist in our community feel any safer or protected than a Christian in the examples Pasquini gives? Let’s consider the real facts: There are no gangs of atheists rampaging and pillaging our neighborhoods, no atheists knocking on your door or calling during the dinner hour to convert you, no kids selling Apples for Atheism.
Father Pasquini would do better to harangue against bigotry as the enemy of religion. No, as a self-appointed crusader, he should be preaching the love that Jesus had for all people and not single out any group based on his personal bigotry.
Indian River Guardian 
I was raised Christian–didn’t know anything else. The realization that those in my faith did not accept that it was okay NOT to be a member of the flock came after age 40. Go forth and take the Word to everyone. It was easy to ignore religion along with politics while being busy attending school and then making a living. Then, there seemed to be a surge of mixing religion WITH politics, or maybe it was an awareness by free-thinkers this had snowballed after WWII, along with McCarthyism and the KKK. The religious community is vibrant and alive here. Activities by others, including atheists, are not often so obvious, except for their desire to insure Separation of Church and State. That doesn’t mean atheists are immoral or amoral anymore than believers in Catholicism/Christianity are all moral.
Does Father Pasquini ever look up the word pedophile in the dictionary. And then read about the tens of thousands of young people his fellow “CATHOLIC” priests have molested? You’d think he would hang his head in shame and keep quiet.
Interesting that I came across this the same morning I read your article. (Well said, by the way.) “One Nation Under God?” by Kevin Kruse points out that the phrase was added to our currency and the Pledge of Allegiance not concurrent with the country’s founding, but in the McCarthyite 1950s. Might be a worthwhile read. http://www.npr.org/2015/03/30/396365659/how-one-nation-didnt-become-under-god-until-the-50s-religious-revival
Thanks Bob. I actually remember when it changed, though only nine years old and had no idea of its significance. I also remember the fear of nuclear war as well as the fear of communism, thanks to McCarthy. I think I feared getting braces more.
What fundamentalists of all persuasions are missing is the fundamental truth that the only way to change the world is to change yourself. One of my favorite teachers and authors, Byron Katie, would ask Father Pasquini, “Who put you in charge of the universe?”