Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who also used multiple pseudonyms, was an American atheist activist, founder of American Atheists, and the organization's president from 1963 to 1986. She created the first issues of American Atheist Magazine. One of her sons, Jon Garth Murray, became the nominal president of the organization from 1986 to 1995, but she remained de facto president during these nine years...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth13 April 1919
CountryUnited States of America
I want three words: Woman, Atheist, Anarchist. That's me.
An Atheist loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god. An Atheist knows that heaven is something for which we should work now, here on earth, for all men together to enjoy.
Organizing atheists is like hurding cats
Atheists have an excellent longevity record because we have no place to go after we die, so we take good care of ourselves and our world while we are here.
An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death.
No god ever gave any man anything, nor ever answered any prayer at any time - nor ever will.
I told my kids I just want three words on my tombstone, if I have one. I'll probably be cremated. One is "woman." I'm very comfortable in that role. I've loved being a woman, I've loved being a mother, I've loved being a grandmother. I want three words: Woman, Atheist, Anarchist. That's me.
The atheist must abandon his defensive positions, take up the cudgels and go forward, rather than into the retreat of apathy.
The atheist realizes that there must not only be an acceptance of his right to hold his opinion, but that ultimately his is the job to turn his culture from religion, to eliminate those irrational ideas which have held the human race in intellectual slavery.
Actually, I don't like Atheists very much - at least most of them ~ because they are not motivated to move into the community and attempt to correct the injustices which are everywhere apparent against them.
Religion has caused more misery to all of mankind in every stage of human history than any other single idea.
An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that deed must be done instead of prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, war eliminated.
Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer.
The relationships that people have - that are sexual, psychological, emotional - these relationships are not open to supervision by parents, schools, churches, or government. Nobody has any right to intervene at all in any kind of relationship like that.