As I mentioned previously, Senator Dole (R, NC) and the NRSC have posted ads criticizing Dole’s challenger, Kay Hagan, for her ties to the Godless Americans PAC. Allahpundit expresses some reservation about the attack ads (on behalf of atheistic conservatives) on this post at Hot Air.
I decided to learn a bit more about the group at their web site here. My first suggestion is that they could have picked a more sympathetic name, but seem to have gone for the gusto instead. Imagine voters in Red State country being turned off by “Godless Americans.” Is “atheist” really a more loaded term than “godless”?
Additionally, the group doesn’t seem to differ in its stated purpose from the purpose of Americans for the Separation of Church and State. It’s essentially a strict separationist Establishment Clause organization. And, mind you, I have several disagreements with such groups, but I’m a bit more of a centrist between their position and those who think America should operate as a de facto Judeo-Christian theocracy.
To this extent, I don’t necessarily think creationism ought to be a subject supported by public schools, but it dumbs the definition of science down to suggest that evolution is purely detached from metaphysical considerations.
Regardless of where you stand on such issues, permit me to highlight a couple of the more extremist positions taken by the group:
First up is the group’s opposition to rebuilding churches destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. That position–for federal aid to be offered to all except faith-based institutions–speaks for itself, I think.
Second, the group thinks all Establishment Clause cases ought to remain within the jurisdiction of the federal courts, despite the inconvenient fact that this clause of the First Amendment expressly limits the federal government’s establishment of a religion at the expense of state governments. Nothing in the Fourteenth Amendment should ever have been construed to turn the Est. Clause into a weapon against the states.
Bottom line: you don’t have to be a Christian or practice any other religion to appreciate that Godless Americans PAC is located at the extreme left of the political spectrum when it comes to religious issues.
UPDATE: Of course, being an atheist, as with being a Muslim, doesn’t disqualify you from becoming president in my book–it’s just that the voters are pretty well free to decide otherwise once they enter into the ballot box, and if Kay Hagan wanted to keep a low profile on her stance she shouldn’t have been tied to GA PAC.
SECOND UPDATE: I reckon I’ll let y’all see the ads here and judge for yourselves, eh?
First, Dole’s ad:
Second, one from the NRSC:
THIRD UPDATE: Boy, Kay Hagan is fuming! But does she have a basis for a legal challenge? I have my doubts, unless the voice at the end saying “There is no God” so obviously sounds like Hagan that it recklessly misrepresents her saying it. Otherwise, Hagan can’t complain too much for the assertion that she did, in fact, meet with members of the PAC. Guilt by association? Yes, but sometimes it is a very effective attack.
Tags: atheist group backs Kay Hagan, Godless Americans PAC, NRSC ads, Senator Dole's attack ads on Hagan for atheist organiza
