From MyFox9.com: Atheist Group Blasts Postal Service for Mother Teresa Stamp
An atheist organization is blasting the U.S. Postal Service for its plan to honor Mother Teresa with a commemorative stamp, saying it violates postal regulations against honoring "individuals whose principal achievements are associated with religious undertakings," Fox News reported Thursday.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation is urging its supporters to boycott the stamp -- and also to engage in a letter-writing campaign to spread the word about what it calls the "darker side" of Mother Teresa.
The stamp -- set to be released on Aug. 26, which would have been Mother Teresa's 100th birthday -- will recognize the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner for her humanitarian work, the Postal Service announced last month.
"Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Teresa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary U.S. citizen, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years," the Postal Service said in a press release. "Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations."
But Freedom from Religion Foundation spokeswoman Annie Laurie Gaylor says issuing the stamp runs against Postal Service regulations.
"Mother Teresa is principally known as a religious figure who ran a religious institution. You can't really separate her being a nun and being a Roman Catholic from everything she did," Gaylor told FoxNews.com.
I thought atheists were all for separating Mother Teresa's actions from her faith - that she was only a "great social worker" and all. That you don't need God to do good. But here, Gaylor links her work directly with her Catholicism. Trying to have it both ways?
And do these folks complain when the US Postal Service issues Christmas stamps that feature the Madonna and Child? Or will they grouse should a stamp commemorating Billy Graham, "America's preacher", ever be issued? And besides, no one will be forced into buying the stamps.
Rather than moan and groan all the time, these people ought to do something more constructive. All this constant whining creates a negative image about their enlightened beliefs. So here's a tip - rather than imagine the spectres of so-called separation of Church and state violations inside every envelope, do something positive for your cause.
Make your own stinkin' stamp!
Go to photo.stamps.com and create a stamp commemorating, oh I don't know, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, perhaps:
Doesn't she just look loverly?
Three simple steps - and you get to show the public who means a lot to you - someone who lived with humility and compassion and showed respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind...by getting prayer out of schools.
Until then, just Kwitcherbisschen.
For more on this story, check out Curt Jester.
