The Illinois Family Institute’s Attack on The Friendly Atheist Equates to Cocking a Loaded Gun

It appears that some Christians are incredulous about the uproar around Laurie Higgins (of the Illinois Family Institute) letter writing campaign against Hemant Mehta and his Friendly Atheist blog.

Let’s be clear; No one is objecting to the Institute speaking its mind about Hemant’s views. We all have the freedom to disagree with anyone’s view of anything.

What are we objecting to? I’ll let Jim from Apple Eaters explain:

If you read this as a call to action, you are not alone. Indeed, I cannot imagine who could read this as anything but a call to action for conservative, Christian parents to do something. But what is that something? It would appear that she wants these parents to band together to somehow get Mr. Mehta removed from his position as a public school teacher. What other action could she be suggesting?

Ok, Jim. You are saying Higgins wants Christian parents to do something. What something do you think she wants them to do?

…Ms. Higgins says that she simply thinks that parents should “politely insist that their children be placed in another teacher’s class.”

Jim, that seems harmless enough? What possible harm could come from children being pulled out of Hemant’s class?

If it turns out that a significant number of parents continue to insist that their child be taught by someone else, and if the school is under any obligation to respect that demand, there seems to be little way that they could continue to employ Mr. Mehta. Further, and this needs to be addressed, is it reasonable to believe that Ms. Higgins wants any child taught by someone who promoting “feckless, destructive, offensive, and immoral ideas” in his capacity as a role model? I would think not. So, while it might not be the case that Ms. Higgins called for parents to phone the school board demanding Mr. Mehta’s immediate firing, it seems ridiculous to suggest that she wants anything other than that.

I see your point, Jim. That’s not good …not good at all!

To Jon and my other Christian readers: All you need to do to recognize how bad all of this is, is to reverse your position in all this. Imagine you are a Christian teacher teaching math in a public school.

Some wicked secular organization has just learned that you attend church – every Sunday. And, to make matters worse, you believe all the stuff you hear there. Heck, you even read the Bible on your spare time!

Even though you never mention God or Jesus Christ in your classroom, those whacky secularists want parents to remove their children from your classroom. It doesn’t matter that you’ve been recognized as an exemplary math teacher. It’s your private beliefs that count.

So, a few weeks pass and half of the children in your class have been moved. The school eventually decides they cannot afford keeping a teacher who is only teaching a fraction of the students they are required to. You are let go.

What The Illinois Family Institute is doing is akin to cocking the trigger of a gun, asking someone else pull it and then claiming no responsibility for the murder.

That’s why it’s despicable and that’s why we fight for separation of church and state.

Print Friendly
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • StumbleUpon
  • email

Tags: • • • • • •

August 25, 2009 · Filed Under Atheism

Comments

10 Responses to “The Illinois Family Institute’s Attack on The Friendly Atheist Equates to Cocking a Loaded Gun”

  1. Jon on August 25th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    Thank you for this post.  I feel it is a reasonably clear and concise description of the issue.  I also read your link to Jim at Apple Eaters.  I feel his discussion rambles on relatively ineffectively.  Using his key quotes and your own comments is much more effective. 

    Your role reversal at the end is an effective mechanism for examining the situation.   You see, whether we like it or not, personal beliefs often influence workplace politics in America.  The influence of personal beliefs becomes even more complex in certain workplaces, such as schools, where being a ‘role-model’ may be part of the job responsibility.

    I am not sure how things work in Illinois (whether the school would be obligated to pull a student at a parent’s request).  I know that personally, I would like the ability to request a different teacher for my child for any reason; however, that doesn’t mean the school is obligated to do so.

    Anyway, Mrs. Higgins, the IFI, and Hermant all seem to be acting well within their personal rights.  I don’t see how Mrs. Higgins actions are despicable, anymore than Hermant’s actions were.  If the situation that AppleEaterJim describes where so many parents request their child be given a different teacher than the school would probably have reasonable cause for dismissal.  Hermant could bring a lawsuit, and in our litigious society he could win – you never know.

    Currently, in our society we have the right to free speech.  Hermant exercised his, and is ecountering at least some sort of drama because of it.  Laurie Higgins exercised her right and may face the consequences of being sued.  But Laurie’s actions are no more despicable than Hermant’s – at worst, I would say they are probably both a little immature.

    Your cocking the gun analogy, while an attention grabber, is probably a little bit too extreme in this instance.  I understand where you are going, that the IFI isn’t actually firing the guy or demanding his job, they are just orchestrating a situation which could result  in his firing.  But I don’t see the situation as serious enough to warrant a murder scenario analogy.

    I will be interested to hear how the situation plays out…if Hermant is fired or if the whole thing blows over.

    40 Year Old Atheist
    August 25th, 2009 at 4:27 pm

    I think we more or less understand each other, Jon. The only thing I would add is that I find it distasteful (to put it mildly) that an organization would attack an individual in this manner. It seems a profound misuse of power to me. This organization – devoted to affecting public policy – is going after a man’s livelihood in a deceitful way.

    That’s part of the reason I find her/their actions so reprehensible.

  2. Jon on August 25th, 2009 at 7:13 pm

    Mark – that is definitely another interesting aspect to the situation.  I really don’t know much about the Illinois Family Institute (and I just got an internal server error when I tried to go to their website).  So, at this point, I don’t really know how this type of situation relates to their mission in general.  It was my understanding though, that Hemant Mehta blogged about an alert issued by the IFI, so if that is the case it would seem that he is opening himself up to battling that institution as an individual.  I am also not sure that they were going about matters in a deceitful way….I think their objectives were relatively forthcoming.

    But again, thanks for dedicating another post to this topic for my benefit.  Unfortunately, I fear we will continue to see related issues (quarrels regarding personal beliefs in the workplace/schools) as time goes on.

  3. 40 Year Old Atheist on August 25th, 2009 at 7:38 pm

    I would expect that an organization would defend its position – not go on the attack against the person being critical of their position. Can you imagine if political parties tried to have your job because you disagreed with their position?

    The deceit was with regard to ground we’ve already covered – that they are orchestrating (cocking the trigger) a movement to have Hemant fired while, at the same time, denying they want him fired.

  4. Paul on August 25th, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    The difference between Hemant, and Higgins, Jon, is that Hemant pointed out that Higgins was advocating hate, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination, whereas Higgins pointed out that Hemant was (gasp!) a non-believer. You seem to equate the two in your head. This may be indicative that you accept the opinion of the Christian right that atheism is evil by definition. Or maybe that you just haven’t ever really thought about it very much before.

  5. Jon on August 25th, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    Mark – As I said, I don’t know a lot about IFI.  But, Hemant, by critizing IFI, (and calling out Higgins personally by asserting, even sarcastically, that it should take place in front of her house) opened himself up to the drama that is unfolding around him.  Given that, it is hard for me to pity him as one man against an organization. 

    There are instances where political parties do have your job because you disagree with their position.  This is a different situation. 

    I certainly don’t see deceipt as a factor in this situation at all.  Higgins, IFI, whoever, is expressing their displeasure at this guy, and others are taking it to mean they are want him fired.  There is other subject matter to criticize Higgins and IFI on without falsely bringing deceipt into it.

    Paul – Slow down with your assumptions.  Where do you get that Higgins was advocating hate, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination?  Additionally, Higgins problem with Hemant isn’t simply that he is a non-believer.  She believes he is an inappropriate role model, which is not simply tied to being a “non-believer”. 

    One of the things I’ve noticed (not as much on this site as some others) is that there are a lot of athiests that seem to sit around and assume everyone is out to get them.  Relax Paul, no one is out to get you.

    Could you please expound on your “This may be indicative that you accept the opinion of the Christian right that atheism is evil by definition?”

  6. Renshia on August 26th, 2009 at 12:04 am

    Jon you said:
    Higgins, IFI, whoever, is expressing their displeasure at this guy, and others are taking it to mean they are want him fired.

    This women sent letters to his boss, the staff, and members of the school board, without even informing  them to him. Attacking  him and his personnel life.
    If her intention was not to get him fired then why would she do that. What other possible reason could she have had? She didn’t even communicate with him first.  It was only after she was exposed did she make any of this public.
    It was under handed and despicable.  The only way you cannot interpret her actions as “trying to get him fired”  Is if you are in complete denial that actions speak volumes when it comes to intentions.
    People can say anything, but actions is the only real evidence of intentions and her actions speak volumes.
    This is why people who say ” I didn’t really mean to kill her”. still end up in jail.

  7. MJ on August 26th, 2009 at 9:48 am

    From what I’ve seen in the past, the actions of the IFI are similar to those used by many bullies. Do not disagree with us or you lose your livelihood. That’s where I take issue with it – either you have freedom of speech or you don’t but to allow people to bully others and (veiled or not) threaten people’s livelihoods – that is despicable and it throws a freeze on public discussion.

    The same actions have been taken by big corporations to silence critics – the costs of litigation are so high now that many can not and will not sue – at least in Canada. In the USA, you see a lot of companies suing left right and centre so that anybody who says anything whether it’s legitemate commentary or not pays an economic price which could ruin them – that’s not just and it’s not right and it goes against your First Amendment.

    For what it’s worth, I think the IFI had a right to refute Hemant’s views but to threaten his job for speaking his mind I think that’s wrong. Oh and by the way Jon, how can you say the IFI’s position that he isn’t a good role model is justified? The same arguments were used by the Nazis to go after the Gypsies, Jews, and anyone else who disagreed with them and I’m not calling the IFI Nazis but I am saying that they are using the same despicable tactics to quash any opposition. Freedom has rights and responsibilities and in this case it demands that we stand up to the IFI and allow the dissenter to speak without fear of losing their job – please note how I didn’t say that he will lose his job but the threat of losing it is very real.

    I’ll maybe close by using a quote from a Priest in Nazi Germany:

    First they came for the Gypsies and I said nothing, then they came for Jews and I said nothing, then came for Trade Unionists and I said nothing, then they came for me and there was nobody to say anything for me.

    Peace.

  8. Paul on August 27th, 2009 at 10:54 am

    Jon,
    Higgins equated homosexual kissing with Pedophilia and Incest, and would have homosexuality be illegal. That is the hate, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination I am talking about, and that Hemant pointed out in his blog post. She also equates Atheism with all the above named perceived evils. Apparently, you do too. That was my point in my earlier comment.

  9. Renshia on August 27th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    I think the IFI had a right to refute Hemant’s views

    I concur. I think it would have far more effective if Laurie would have had the balls to come onto his blog and challenge his statement of having the kiss in in front of her house (sarcastic as is was).  Or even the appropriateness of it. Liking it to assembling a prayer meeting in front of Hements place.  which I would think he would not appreciate. Unless he had water balloons.
    I am sure she would have made much better ground.
    Instead she attacked in a underhanded way. Using another wrong to make a right…That seems to be the christian way, which  I always thought that didn’t work. Obviously the turn the other cheek thing doesn’t apply in this situation. Hypocrites…..

  • Why I Blog

    I'm here to help doubting believers let go of their fear and guilt, to provide an example of an atheist leading a happy, moral and fulfilling life, and to connect with fellow non-believers. Welcome!

  • Subscribe/Bookmark

    AddThis Social Bookmark Button Follow 40yroldatheist on Twitter subscribe

  • Navigation


  • On Youtube

  • Great Reads

  • History & Statistics

  • Favorite Articles

  • Meaning of Life Type Stuff