Tucker Carlson Suggests Fla. Atheist Monument Will Be 'Graffiti Magnet'

By Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Fox News correspondent Tucker Carlson recently said that he believes the planned atheist monument to be erected at the Bradford County Courthouse in Starke, Fla., will surely be a "magnet for graffiti."

The American Atheists monument, in the form of a 1,500-pound granite bench, will be the first atheist-themed monument on government property in the United States.

"I have a feeling that bench will be a magnet for graffiti," Carlson said on this past weekend's "Fox & Friends," when discussing the planned atheist memorial.

"Just a guess," Carlson added.

The atheist monument set to be installed at the Bradford County Courthouse in Starke in late June is the result of a settlement made between the national organization American Atheists and Bradford County regarding the Ten Commandments monument that already stands at the courthouse.

Dave Muscato, public relations director for American Atheists, previously told The Christian Post that the county agreed to allow the atheist organization to install their own monument adjacent to the Ten Commandments monument, instead of having the religious-themed monument removed.

"While separation of religion and government is always our primary motivation, equal access in this case works for us. We are thrilled to place what we believe to be the first ever atheist-sponsored monument on government property in the history of the United States," Muscato told CP.

While speaking on Sunday's "Fox & Friends," religion contributor Father Jonathan Morris called the atheist monument "silly" and "disrespectful," arguing that while the Ten Commandments monument at the courthouse represents the tradition of law and justice in the U.S., the atheist monument is being erected to simply counteract the religious monument.

"Why do we have a Ten Commandments there at a federal courthouse? Because of the tradition of law and justice and truth being based also on religious revelation, revelation of what God's will is for us and how we behave," Father Morris told Carlson.

"It's a Christian protest monument, they're protesting the fact that the Ten Commandments are there," Father Morris added.

One side of the large granite bench will reportedly feature quotes from Madalyn Murray O'Hair and U.S. founders Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, as well as an excerpt from the Treaty of Tripoli signed by President John Adams.

The other side of the bench will include a list of 10 punishments for disobeying the biblical Ten Commandments, found in the Old Testament and mostly resulting in death.

Father Morris argued that this 10-point list of punishments proves the purpose of the atheist monument is to simply mock Christianity and the Ten Commandments.

Still, some argue that the atheist group has as much right as any other group to express themselves, as long as they comply with city ordinance.

Ken Weaver, a member of the Starke, Fla.-based group Community Men's Fellowship, which originally erected the Ten Commandments monument at Bradford County Courthouse, previously told CP that he believes the American Atheists "has the same freedoms of expression as those of any other citizen or group."

The Community Men's Fellowship posted the Ten Commandments monument at the courthouse without any government aid due to the county's "Free Speech Forum," which allows private groups to post monuments outside of the courthouse at their expense.

Similarly, the atheist monument set to debut in late June will be funded by the American Atheists and will have no government aid.