Philosophy On the Ground 03 Jessica Ahlquist

Philosophy On the Ground is a series of interviews with people at the center of some of the most compelling and difficult issues of the day. We examine how our philosophical beliefs influence our lives, how our thoughts and values drive our actions, and what happens when, philosophically speaking, the rubber meets the road.

At Cranston West High School, in Cranston, Rhode Island, controversy has flared up around a fifty year old banner entitled "School Prayer." After a complaint by the ACLU, the issue has polarized the community over issues of church/state separation and the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Jessica Ahlquist is a student at the center of the controversy, an avowed atheist fighting to have the prayer removed.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Jessica Ahlquist
• Cranston West
• Cranston
• Rhode Island
• Prayer Banner
• Separation of Church and State
• Establishment Clause
• ACLU
• Philosophy On the Ground

[lease2coach1]

Oh, those pesky atheists!

Why can't they just let things be? Why can't they just accept that they're a minority group in this country, and not *really* entitled--come on, let's be realistic--to be treated precisely the same as, and their feelings given precisely the same consideration as those of, the religious believers who constitute a *large* majority of the American people, and always have? Why can't they just BE QUIET and LET IT GO--y'know, the way black folk did 50 years ago?

Oh, wait...

[AlphaFoxtrot7790]

Why I love the UK:

"Hey, mate. I've got something to tell you. I don't believe in God"

"Well, I'm going to go over there and continue not giving a fuck"

[locutus94]

In the words of Richard Dawkins "By all means, let's be open minded. But lets not be so open minded that our brains fall out"

[tullyconleth]

shes got a nose like a witch

[Aldridge517]

Being atheist is EXACTLY like coming out of the closet for the LGBT community. The parallels are astonishing but what it really comes down to is the need to support equality and freedom of beliefs. This whole 'taboo' or demonization around the words gay and atheist is ridiculous.

[mitch019850]

Atheism will not be the minority in the next 30 years...

[wlljon7]

Jessica is truly a hero. I wish we had a whole generation of people like her, atheist or not, who were willing to stand up for our Constitution and not suck up to the demagouges and bigots who are trying to undermine it.

[seasidericky]

@lease2coach1

Many of my fellow atheists consider all talk of “spirituality” or “mysticism” to be synonymous with mental illness, conscious fraud, or self-deception

[phrederica]

Sorry such a small thing has caused you so much trouble, Jessica. They should have taken down that prayer years ago out of respect to all non-Christians. I find it offensive, too, and I don't think you are a "psycho".

[camilocuesta]

A blank wall is an atheist wall. A blue sky is also an atheist sky, becuase it doesn't have the phrase "god exists". According to that logic, all the universe speaks for atheism, because we don't see the phrase "made by god" explicitly anywhere.

[699backstab]

The law just kicked the bible out of jesus. Jesus versus the law and the law won. Sorry jesus, you just arent that important XD