Cobb Group to Protest National Day of Prayer in Acworth

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Atlanta Freethought Society President Rick Pace announced today that AFS will take the lead in protesting an event apparently designed to make it appear as if Acworth, Georgia—and the whole US—is only for Protestant Christians. The protest will be held across from Acworth City Hall, 4415 Senator Russell Avenue, Acworth GA 30101 (call the city, 770-974-3112, with any location questions). Parking is available nearby. The protest will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, 1 May 2014. AFS members (and everyone else eager to defend religious liberty) are urged to e-mail Ed Buckner, ebuckner@atheists.org, if they can participate.

Pace noted that “the annual National Day of Prayer event is exclusionary, pretending to fuse public and religious interests while excluding freethinkers, atheists, and even many of their fellow theists.” The prayer event in Acworth at City Hall is a perfect example: though perhaps not an officially city-sponsored event (it is promoted by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department), it is presented as if it is. And probably only Protestant Christians—no Catholics, Muslims, Mormons, or Jews—will be speaking or leading prayers. Acworth leaders seems determined to violate the edict against such ostentatious praying “to be seen of men” supposedly issued by Jesus himself in Matthew 6: 5-6, as well as violating the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article I, Section II, Paragraph VII of the Georgia Constitution.

Pace added, “I cannot personally lead this protest, because I have to work then—but I’ve asked Ed Buckner, the chair of our Activism Task Force and a seasoned activist, to organize and lead our efforts in Acworth.” Buckner noted that “all Americans have and must keep the right to express their religious beliefs—but no one has the right to invoke governments in support of their religion. Governments, from the national government to the City of Acworth, lack any power to make religious decisions for Americans.”

Other organizations have been asked to join AFS in this peaceful, non-disruptive protest in favor of religious liberty, of separation of government and religion, and against religious hypocrisy.  

For more information on the protest or on AFS more generally, please visit our website, www.atlantafreethought.org, or call any of these AFS leaders:

Rick Pace, President, (770) 912-6974

Ed Buckner, Chair of the AFS Activism Task Force, (678) 662-3857