European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 27, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Daily Magazine most hated woman in the world by Philip Garon up staff writer Sadalyn Murray o hair who Call herself the most hated woman inthe world for her successful suit against Public school prayer is still on the War path against god. She has Only transferred her Battle Headquarters. America s most vocal atheist now housewife in a quiet residential neigh boyhood in Austin tex., is dedicated trying make americans reject belief in god and the notion that there is life after death that some big Lollypop in the sky awaits us that nirvana just does exist and if people Only understood that this life is it they d be More reluctant about do ing All the filthy Rotten things they do under the Guise of organized mrs. O hair lives in an apartment with her artist husband Richard. From this Headquarters she leads the Mill tartly atheistic society of separation her major current project is change the country s Laws so that All wealth of the churches May be promises bring the Issue the courts again after the presidential elec Tion. The once blonde atheist is now 49,, and laments that i m too fat for she looks like the Dis heeled housewife you d meet at the laundromat but her Blue eyes Shine with evangelical Fervour when she talks about the follies of religion in an age when god is she tosses out assorted statistics accusations bits of blasphemy and her voice bristles with nervous finds the atmosphere in Austin More favourable her activities than twas in Baltimore. She fled from that City in 1964 after she and a son Wil Liam were freed on bail following a Well publicized Brawl with police in front of her House. She is under a one year sentence for contempt of court if she Ever returns Maryland. Believe me i have total contempt for the Baltimore courts she says. Mars. O hair s National Campaign against religion began in 1960 when she pulled William out of Junior High schooling Baltimore in protest of classroom prayers. She subsequently filed suit Call ing for an end the practice. Her suit along with several others went the supreme court. In 1963, the High court outlawed the use of the lord sprayer and Bible Reading As devotional opening exercises in Public 1964, mrs. O hair left Maryland for Hawaii with her family avoid arrestor the contempt charges and then moved Mexico avoid deported her and she ended up in a san Antonio tex., jail on the Mary land charges. She successfully fought the extradition in court and Maryland gave up its fight get her Back. From Austin she distributes a monthly newsletter for members of the sep ratio lists society As Well As pamphlets with titles such As let us Pray and the Case against organized Reli Gion All printed on mimeograph equip ment she keeps in her Home. Her address is kept secret an she screens All Telephone Calls by an electronic surveillance system which tape records each message. However the number of obscene phone Calls threats on her life and the nut mail she receives has declined since she moved Texas in 1965, she said. Mrs. O hair plans resume the tax the Church proceedings in either Kan Sas Texas or Illinois states in which the separation lists society owns property but she is Uncertain which it willbe. She believes her Case against tax exemptions for churches is an unbeatable one. The Federal government gives tha churches $16 million per Day in Aid through tax advantages and other benefits and that s the second biggest out Lay of funds in the budget exceeded Only by the War in Vietnam she says. The annual income of the Church stops the after tax income of general motors Ford . & t., Standard Oil Texaco and Sears Roebuck combined she estimates. One of the reasons for inflation an the 10 per cent surcharge tax is the fact that every Church in America is being subsidized like it or not by the tax she lost a 1966 tax the churches suiting Maryland where the court of appeals ruled churches Render substantial secular benefits the Community the . Supreme court refused in october 1966 review that ruling. A up or. O hair right with he on and Molher outside a Pant court building in 1963 offer winning fight against prayer. Tuesday August 27, 1968 the stars and stripes Hile she Waits for a favourable Timeto revive the Case she keeps Busy with other projects. In 1967 she filed a suit with the fed eral communications commission under its fairness doctrine saying 100 had refused sell her Commer Cial time discuss atheism. A tic radio in Austin a station owned by president Johnson s family is one that has agreed sell her air time and on monday evenings aus tin listeners can hear arguments about the separation of Church and state an the decline of religion followed by a 15-minute gospel program counter the arguments sponsored by a local Furni Ture dealer. She has also attacked the use of crosses As Christma decorations on Federal buildings. Brotherhood week programs inthe Austin schools where ministers of various religions addressed Stu dents but no atheist was invited balance the using the name of god in courtroom oaths. The tremendous land Giveaway tothe churches by Federal agencies. Church managed but federally financed Homes for the aged which she says bilk droves of people everyday and Are still so expensive most old people can afford get into them. The prognosis for organized religion i gloomy says mrs. O hair with satisfaction. Most Likely it will kill itself off especially if the Catholic Church keeps making edicts like its recent ban on birth there Are 45 million atheists Amon America s 200 million citizens she Esti mates and she says Only one fourth of the population 56 million attend although organized religion is dying people Aren giving up their de Pendency upon religion. One reason is that they cling the belief in some Mystic supreme intelligence who is White male and american i m sure she says. Atheists she believes Are both Mora land ethical because they can dump their sins on the priest in the confession Al or depend on salvation in the life have do right by people in this world and enjoy this life. When on does that he does have depend on some nebulous notion of eternal Page 11
