1 in 151,600 was one in a million

Really bummed by plane crash death of nationally famous Chicago area atheist Rob Sherman last Friday. A near lifelong A-Man like Sherman, I've followed his exploits, tweaking the governmental religious police violating the Constitutional prohibition against state sponsored religion for thirty years now, and thought he'd be here defending me from the perpetrators of that un-Americanism for many more. Many countries are infinitely more religiously intolerant than America, but our prohibition against state sponsored religion is enshrined in our Constitution and must be vigorously honored. Sherman's endless humor, good cheer, iron clad logic, bravery and doggedness in pursuit of fulfilling the American experiment in freedom and liberty has endlessly inspired me. I love religion, prayer and spirituality. But it only works when done individually or in private groups out of the public square. Seven states, Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas still have Constitutionally unenforceable laws on the books denying atheists the right to hold state office.

My battles on behalf of atheism have been trifles compared to the public battles of Sherman, whose grace dwarfed that of his opponents. When every prez closes every speech with 'God bless the United States of America', I cringe and shout back at that hopeless little screen that 'No G-Man blesses any country bombing innocent women and babies in seven countries to enrich the war party.' When reciting the Pledge I emphatically offer "NO GOD" at the offensive moment, still smarting from the 1954 Ike sponsored congressional provision to add 'under God' in utter disregard to the Constitution. I caught hell from the priest who married us 43 years ago for uttering the A word during his pre-marriage grilling.

Every day another 151,600 godless souls depart the one and only life they will know. But Rob Sherman last Friday...one in a million.