I consider myself an atheist, but personally I’m not into marches and/or belonging to atheist organizations or anything of the like. While the decision to ban the atheist march in my opinion is unfair, I do recognize that this march isn’t necessary; it will accomplish nothing.
Nevertheless, why is it acceptable for Catholics (Christians) to march and not atheists? Do believers have more rights than non-believers; are they considered superior citizens? Why are religious individuals automatically worthy of respect and non-religious individuals not dealt with in the same manner? I would bet all the money in the world that if atheists had their own holidays and celebrated by marching through the streets, that Catholics would not be banned from holding formal protests and conducting a march of their own.
There is always a double-standard where religion is concerned. And the Separation of Church and State is a fallacy, even in the United States where the concept originated over two hundred (200) years ago by our Founding Fathers. TGO
Refer to brief story below. Source: Associated Press
MADRID – A court has barred atheists from holding a march on Holy Thursday, saying that would be offensive to Spanish Catholics who mark Easter with processions of their own.
In Wednesday’s ruling, the Madrid Superior Court of Justice upheld a ban imposed last week by the Interior Ministry office for the Madrid region.
That office had argued among other things that the march planned in the Lavapies district of Madrid would pass by several Catholic churches and could trigger clashes with conservative Catholics. The court also said it is necessary to “protect the tourist image” of the city.
The Madrid Association of Atheists and Free-Thinkers, one of the march organizers, said the ban shows there is no separation of church and state in Spain, a largely Catholic country.
