By BOB LURIE

STAPLETON



As an atheist and a Jew, I take great exception to State Sen. Lanza's characterization of atheists as intolerant and hateful that don't believe in decency, civility and kindness all because they put up a billboard that stressed family, friends, food and charity but stated their belief that you don't need Christ to do these good works.



Sen. Lanza needs a history lesson in the meaning and essence of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. But the truly galling part of his comments is his reference to the Holocaust by insinuating that what the atheist group did was similar to what the Nazi's did in Germany as they rose to power. What a perversion of history and civil discourse.



What is ironic about his comments is that directly opposite this article was another article on page 11 of the Dec. 21 edition of the Advance, citing at least a dozen examples of atheist and humanist groups attempting to give contributions to religious groups, only to be turned down because they were afraid of the association with an atheist group. War on Christmas? Sounds more like a war on atheists.



