Atheist College Student Says Separation of Church and State Protects Christians From Islamic Rule
An atheist activist who attempted to have an Alabama county commission not display a plaque bearing the national motto, "In God We Trust," has stated that a strict separation of church and state protects Christians from Islamic rule.
Amanda Scott, an atheist college student who testified against the Mobile County Commission's plan to place a plaque featuring the national motto in the government plaza, made the statement about Islam during a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" segment.
Earlier this week during the "Ask Me Anything" online forum, one poster asked Scott why secularism was important to her.
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"The separation of church and state is important to me because it protects the rights of both non-religious and religious people," responded Scott.
"The same wall that protects atheists from state sponsored Christianity is the one that protects Christians from state sponsored Islam," she asserted.
Earlier this year the Mobile County Commission voted two to one in favor of posting a plaque with the phrase "In God We Trust" on the government plaza.
Debate over the matter included many who opposed the placing of the national motto out of concerns for separation of church and state.
Scott testified against the motto being placed at the plaza, arguing that it was divisive and should instead be replaced by the Latin phrase "E pluribus Unum" (out of many, one).
"I strongly urge the commission to reject the display 'In God We Trust.' … It would only serve to divide Mobile on religion when we're already so divided on other issues," said Scott, who was one of many who spoke against it.
County Commission President Connie Hudson countered the claims by saying that the plaque statement "is a national motto approved by the federal government" and "not meant to be disrespectful."
After giving her position, Scott was reportedly inundated with vicious messages via email and Facebook.
According to AL.com, the comments Scott received on social media included, "shoot her for treason," "get a rope," "she will burn in hell when her time comes," "she's just mad because one of the seven deadly sins is gluttony" and "whatever happened to stoning people in the city square?"
Regarding the threats she received from various parties online, Scott responded on the Reddit forum that "I have been safe so far."
"The day after the interview, last Friday, I went to Artwalk in downtown Mobile and the most that happened was a few people looking at me and whispering to each other near the Mobile Atheist Community table where I was standing," said Scott.
