Opinion: Atheists pray for less God stuff in Barack Obama’s inauguration

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Just in time for the holidays, a little bit more news this morning about Barack Obama’s historic upcoming inauguration and his controversial invitation of evangelical Saddleback pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation that morning.

Speaking of Obama’s promise of openness and inclusiveness, it seems the atheists would like to be involved in the inauguration ceremony.

In a letter to the president-elect, the Secular Coalition for America objects to Warren’s inclusion at the opening of the ceremony and to the Rev. Joseph Lowery’s benediction at the close. Two Christians, they complain. No diversity there.

They call Warren intolerant. The letter, signed by Lori Lipman Brown, director of the coalition, says:

‘Who on your inaugural dias will express the viewpoints of not only the tens of millions of nontheistic Americans, but the majority of citizens who believe there is now too much religious influence in our politics and government?’

Maybe as a compromise the president-elect could ask the crowd’s members to bow their heads and share a moment of noise?

-- Andrew Malcolm

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