Army to host atheism-themed event

From Religion News Service: U.S. Army officials have agreed to host “Rock Beyond Belief” – an event centered around the theme of nonbelief – at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg.


The lineup for the event (scheduled for next March) includes a number of bands as well as recognized atheist speakers Dan Barker, Nathan Phelps (son of Fred), and Richard Dawkins.

… several church-state separation watchdog groups complained last month to the Secretary of the Army that a Christian-themed concert held at the fort last September gave “selective benefits” to religious groups.

That concert, staged by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, received more than $50,000 in financial support from the base, according to records obtained by local atheists through the Freedom of Information Act. The nonreligious concert will receive the same funds and will be held at a similar venue at the base.

“Rock Beyond Belief” was originally slated to be held last April after Fort Bragg officials agreed to MASH’s [Military Atheists and Secular Humanists] original appeal for an alternative concert. But it was canceled in April when the garrison commander refused to sign off on it.

h/t Huffington Post

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