In April, one of our board members and former presidents, Ed Buckner, rented a three-bedroom cabin in Georgia’s Amicalola State Park while vacationing with his family. During his stay, he found a total of nine Gideon Bibles inside his cabin.
Bibles donated by the Gideons have become a staple of hotel bedside drawers over the last century, and placing them there is the right of private hotel operators.
But the cabins in Georgia state parks, like the one Buckner stayed in last month, feature one important difference: They are owned by the state of Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, funded by taxpayer dollars, maintains these cabins.
Buckner complained about the Bibles during his stay, and DNR later removed them. But on May 15, Gov. Nathan Deal said in a press conference that after consulting with his attorney general, he does not see the placement of the Bibles as “a state establishment of religion.”
Deal also announced that “any group is welcome to donate literature” in line with equal protection. He then issued an executive order for the Bibles to be placed back in Georgia state-owned cabins and lodges.
Separation of religion and government is a synonym of religious freedom and a foundational principle of American governance. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees that our government will not establish a religion, and the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted this to mean that the government cannot aid any religion in proselytization.
The Constitution of the state of Georgia is even more restrictive: In Article I, Section II, Paragraph VII, it states: “No money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect, cult, or religious denomination or of any sectarian institution.”
At American Atheists, we don’t think any materials relating to religion belong in state-owned cabins, including ours. However, if the governor is going to allow pro-religion material to be distributed, our voice will also be heard.
That’s why we’re donating copies of atheist books, including “Why I Am Not a Muslim” by Ibn Warraq, “Why I Am an Atheist” by American Atheists founder Madalyn Murray O’Hair, and “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins.
Other religions will also be allowed to distribute their books in the same manner, as is the law, so those cabins will soon become populated with all the various religious views represented in the great state of Georgia.
It is our hope that one day, true religious neutrality will be recognized nationwide as the only fair method to govern a religiously diverse society, and promoting one (or a few) religious viewpoints will no longer be seen as the responsibility of any arm of government. When that occurs, all these books can be removed and replaced with more appropriate materials geared more toward nature preserves.
Until then, we hope you enjoy our atheist materials while staying in Georgia’s beautiful parks.
David Silverman is president of New Jersey-based American Atheists.
