I don’t know what your problem is with atheists, but it won’t be resolved with exorcisms. Any attempt to cast the devil out of atheists would be about as effective as my attempting to cast the Tooth Fairy out of you. We atheists can easily get rid of any evil spirits you dream up by simply not believing in them.
This message was addressed to Gordon Klingenschmitt, Republican nominee for Colorado House of Representatives District 15 by Herb Silverman, above, founder and President Emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America after Klingenschmitt suggested that atheists ought to be “exorcised” so that they won’t feel uncomfortable when entering a church.
Gordon Klingenschmitt
Here’s the context: Back in 2012, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a Wisconsin school district that had been holding its graduation ceremonies in a local church, declaring that doing so “conveys an impermissible message of endorsement”.
The school district appealed the decision to the Supreme Court which, last month, declined to hear the case.
Klingenschmitt weighed in on the Supreme Court’s refusal on his “Pray In Jesus Name” programme where he offered a novel solution: atheists who don’t want to attend their public school graduation in a church should just undergo an exorcism to rid them of the Devil so that they’ll be comfortable attending church and:
Feel free to enjoy the worship of Jesus Christ. If the atheist complainer is so uncomfortable when they walk into a church there’s something inside of them squirming and making them feel these feelings of hatred toward the cross of Jesus Christ. Don’t you think it’s something inside of the atheist complainer that’s wrong?
I have a solution. Let’s do an exorcism and cast the Devil out of them and then they’ll feel comfortable when they walk into church.