The atheist's daughter

Since when was secularism the religon of the land? And why are aethiest's so consistently viewed as intellectually elite?

The really sad thing here is that none of you people seem to realize what this law really is- a political ploy by the incompetents in Springfield. The athiests among you should be offended for obvious reasons, and the believers should also be offended that politicians would try to use your beliefs to manipulate you into momentarily forgetting that none of our elected officials in this state are doing their jobs.

'Way to go.

How can we support her?

Totally unbelievable ideas. I believe in God passionately. No one will ever take that away from me especially a 14 year old who is living a very lonely life and thinks she can take on the world and change everyones faith. Won't happen.

Dawn, respect other peoples faith. And trust me you can't stop people from believing in God. Because I sure won't.

Chris

Crazy I Know wrote:

Are you frikin' kidding me?!? Why doesn't she just try being a kid? All this religious BS is really getting on my nerves. I'm agnostic and it really grinds my gears that all these people could be THAT concerned about something as stupid as using God in a sentence. This poor girl is wasting the days of her youth fighting an uphill battle, if she wants to impress Daddy that's absolutely fine, but Daddy should be encouraging her to be a kid. CAUSE THAT'S WHAT SHE IS!!! She isn't old enough to care about such issues, she's just regurgitating what her father has been shoving down her throat for years. Poor thing, I feel bad for her. Her father is stripping her youth away before she has a chance to enjoy it.

Who's to say she hasn't developed her own opinions? She's 14, not 4. She's had plenty of time to be exposed to religion in detail, and lives in a very solid school district. I remember being atheist some time around 5th or 6th grade. Yes, I probably received some input from my parents, and yes, I probably wanted them to look on my decision with approval, but younger people are surely able to apply rigorous thought to nebulous teachings, no?

Keep this junk out of public life, and there will be no argument.

It's one thing to raise your child. It is another thing to brainwash your child. How sad.

The exploitation of our children by stage parents, adults using their children to gain attention, sexualizing their childhoods etc. is bad enough. What's worse is the media continuing to give exposure to self absorbed creeps like Sherman and the obvious support that the media has for perverse crackpot causes.

I live close to BG - my daughter goes to the same high school as the young woman cited in the article. I have only heard anecdotal stories and frankly I can't think of anything but pity on this young woman who lives a solely secular and in my judgment self absorbed life without guidance from a power beyond this world.
As a Christian man I would love to sit with the Sherman's and simply hear the 'logic' behind their atheism. Frankly, after years of study of the scriptures the idea that God does not exist doesn't add up. Ask Lee Strobel - he of the Chicago Tribune and a former atheist himself. Bless you Lee.
And....A friend asked me years ago "If there is no God - are you willing to risk your eternal life on at best a 50/50 chance that this would be true?"
I would ask that of any atheist. My heart goes out to the Sherman's and I wonder if they have asked themselves the simple 50/50 question?

Boo Hoo Poor kid has to sit and think for a moment every morning. No one said she has to spend the time praying. It's a moment of silence. Get over it girlie you might have to fact it that others want this reflective time. I am sick and tired of the few making the rules for the masses. GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!!!!

Goofy intellectually underpowered nerds like the Shermans who whine just to make life unpleasant for others are really a buzzkill. Please do something else to get attention that has some social benefit, or minimally doesn't impose costs on the rest of us.

Sherry wrote:

"One way they have diverged: Dawn sings religious music in the Grace Episcopal choir. She loves the music, she says, and the words don't bother her because she doesn't attach much meaning to them. Her father says that singing in a church wouldn't be his choice, but he doesn't stand in his daughter's way."
Is this not a total contridiciton? If she is able to participate in a church choir and sing songs that are meant to praise God...why should a moment of silence where she can just keep her mouth closed for a few mintues bother her? The majority should speak up and not let this one little girl who has been raised with her daddy's thoughts stand in the way of others. Hopefully one day she will look around and see through different eyes that this beautiful country and world we live in has to of had a master designer and that is something her "perfect" daddy could not of done.

No, Sherry, it's not a contradiction at all. The girl is able to sing in a choir BY HER OWN CHOICE. She is not being forced by the State of Illinois to sing religious hymns, but she is being forced to take a "moment of silence" for what Rep. Will Davis refers to as "the right start to the day." In other words, a moment for students to pray at the start of the day. That's the whole point. Please pay attention.

I am a Christian. I do not have a problem with athiests and I would never push my beliefs on them, but it sounds like there is something more going on here. This daddy/daughter team. "Daddys perfect" did not sit right with me. She is a young, strong woman who sounds like she has been brainwashed. It is thier right to be athiest, but recruiting your daughter to face the media and draw up more attention to your cause is not perfect.

I have news for you little girl. Your body doesn't go to heaven when you die, your soul does. And here I thought Atheism died when whats her name was murdered but I guess that I was wrong. People have a right to their belief's but I don't think that they should cram them down our throats either. Are you to good to take a minute out at the start of the school day and reflect on what it is you are going to do during the school day?
You Atheist's make me glad that I am a Christian so I can pray for all of you. No one deserves our prayer's more than you people.

HUMAN BEING wrote:

I feel sorry for Dawn. I feel sorry for her father. He seems angry and the child seems to want her father's acceptance. Maybe if he spent more time and energy on his family, then on lawsuits regarding the existence or nonexistence of "God", his daughter could truly appreciate the love her father has for her. It is unfortunate that she probably never will, because of his anger.
In order to feel better, they must destroy the faith and hope of others. It's sad but true, anger drives humans.

I feel sorry for people who feel that standing up for your rights constitutes "anger." I also feel sorry for people who are so high and mighty that they look down on people with differing beliefs with false pity.

Way to go, Dawn!

What people who want religion included in tax-supported institutions don't seem to understand is that we can never have true religious freedom OR true civil liberty without separation of church and state. Their right to worship as they choose is safer if NOBODY'S worship is the business of tax-funded institutions, especially those which children are compelled to attend.

And Slick, go back and re-read your Dickens, if you ever read it to begin with. You've got the quote wrong. I hope your English class wasn't cut into by prayer time.

rj chicago wrote:

I live close to BG - my daughter goes to the same high school as the young woman cited in the article. I have only heard anecdotal stories and frankly I can't think of anything but pity on this young woman who lives a solely secular and in my judgment self absorbed life without guidance from a power beyond this world.
As a Christian man I would love to sit with the Sherman's and simply hear the 'logic' behind their atheism. Frankly, after years of study of the scriptures the idea that God does not exist doesn't add up. Ask Lee Strobel - he of the Chicago Tribune and a former atheist himself. Bless you Lee.
And....A friend asked me years ago "If there is no God - are you willing to risk your eternal life on at best a 50/50 chance that this would be true?"
I would ask that of any atheist. My heart goes out to the Sherman's and I wonder if they have asked themselves the simple 50/50 question?

rj- do you really think that God wouldn't be able to tell if you're just believing in him because it's a good bet? And just what part of the scriptures "adds up" for you? The part with the guy living inside the whale, the part with the guy collecting two polar bears to put on his ark located in the middle east, or the part where the guy walks on water and then turns it into wine?

Wow. Most of the commenters here are completely missing the point.

Dawn Sherman, a fourteen-year-old for goodness' sake, is standing up for YOUR civil rights.

She's pretty much the only one willing to make a stand, and demand that our government follow the law.

You should be thanking her, not hurling insults at her.

Yes, yes, we get. Us atheists are all immoral, baby-eating devils. Fine. Now back up, and let her defend you from a government who would force your children into a religious observance with which you may not agree in a public school.

Captive audience and all that.

It completely and utterly *floors* me that you folks don't get it.

Sputter and act all indignant and cry about 'political correctness' all you want. What you are really doing is throwing away your rights - all because at this moment you happen to be sitting fat and happy with the majority.

I have news for you - the Constitution of the United States is designed to protect the minority from the "tyranny of the majority". Because one day YOU might be the minority.

To be honest, I have no idea why I even took the time to comment here. Not one of you is going to get what I'm talking about.

Have fun leaving your children's religious education in the hands of some petty, tinpot school board dictators.

tippy wrote:

I am a Christian. I do not have a problem with athiests and I would never push my beliefs on them, but it sounds like there is something more going on here. This daddy/daughter team. "Daddys perfect" did not sit right with me. She is a young, strong woman who sounds like she has been brainwashed. It is thier right to be athiest, but recruiting your daughter to face the media and draw up more attention to your cause is not perfect.

The article said "she jokes that when she was a fetus, her daddy would say...."