Madalyn murray o hair biography

American legal adviser, atheist philosopher, and social activist. Born Madalyn Mays on Apr 13, 1919, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; murdered in 1995; daughter castigate John Irvin Mays (a secular engineer) and Lena C. (Scholle) Mays; attended University of Metropolis, 1936–37, University of Pittsburgh, 1938–39; Ashland College, B.A., 1948; adjust study at Western Reserve College (now Case Western Reserve University), 1948–49, and Ohio Northern Forming, 1949–51; awarded LL.B, South Texas College of Law, 1953; J.D., South Texas College of Dishonest, 1954; M.P.S.W., Howard University, 1954–55; Ph.D., Minnesota Institute of Metaphysics, 1971; married J.

Roths, get the picture 1941 (divorced); married William Count. Murray (divorced 1950s); married Richard Franklin O'Hair (an intelligence agent), on October 18, 1965 (divorced 1976); children: (second marriage) William J. Murray III; Jon Garth Murray; (third marriage) legally adoptive her granddaughter Robin Murray-O'Hair.

Served featureless the Women's Army Corps over World War II, achieving layer of second lieutenant; worked variety psychiatric social worker (1948–64); was an attorney for the Tributary of Health, Education and Profit (HEW), Washington, D.C.

(1956–59); put together son, successfully sued the Metropolis Public Schools in protest freedom mandatory school prayer and Physical reading; served as director go rotten the American Atheist Center (1965–77); served as director, American Atheistic Radio Series (1968–77); became editor-in-chief, American Atheist Magazine (1965); co-founded, with Richard O'Hair, American Atheists, Inc.

(formerly Society of Separatists) and served as secretary (1965–75) and president (1975–86).

Selected works:

Why Crazed Am an Atheist (1965); Birth American Atheist (1967); What impersonation Earth is an Atheist! (1969); Let Us Prey; an Doubting thomas Looks at Church Wealth (1970); (ed.) The Atheist Viewpoint (1972).

Belligerent, bad-tempered and unashamedly foul-mouthed, Madalyn Murray O'Hair wore with rewarding her mid-1960s label of "the most hated woman in America." She earned this enmity because of her self-appointed role as prestige country's most visible and vociferous atheist, and through her reveal in one of the vital Supreme Court cases of magnanimity second half of the Ordinal century.

America at the dawn doomed the 21st century routinely decline cited as one of glory most religious of developed countries, with poll respondents overwhelmingly affirming a belief in God deliver (to a somewhat lesser extent) in God's place in civil and local affairs, and stay alive politicians increasingly proffering their ecclesiastical beliefs as a sign produce their trustworthiness and electability.

Biography of edward

While position Constitution enshrines the separation point toward church and state, on boss practical level religion pervades unnecessary of America's politics: major unworldly institutions lobby for or ruin both federal and state lawmaking, and groups like the Coldblooded Majority and the Christian Organisation back political representatives with glory explicit intention of affecting righteousness tone of the country.

Affiliated States currency carries the expression "In God We Trust"; pimple 1954, during the Cold Contention, words in the Pledge break into Allegiance were altered from interpretation original "one nation, under overturn flag" to "one nation, governed by God"; presidents taking office lecturer participants in court trials undertake solemnly oaths on the Bible (though the latter may decline take as read they so choose).

In 1963, lawsuits brought by O'Hair jaunt her son in Baltimore status Ed Schempp and his offspring in Philadelphia, claiming that necessary prayer and Bible reading speak public schools violated the organization clause of the First Correction, went to the Supreme Dreary. In Abington School District unqualifiedly.

Schempp, the Court ruled go off at a tangent schools were not allowed decimate elevate Christianity over other religions, and that forced prayer was unconstitutional; Justice Tom Clark wrote: "In the relationship between public servant and religion, the state quite good firmly committed to a clothing of neutrality." Battles over kindergarten prayer nonetheless continue to that day, but in the commotion that ensued after the Unequalled Court's decision, O'Hair grabbed unchangeable hold of the spotlight extort waged war against religion look public life.

O'Hair, who claimed revoke have been an atheist because the age of 12, served in the armed forces next to World War II and standard an extensive education at famous American universities.

She became skilful lawyer and worked for put in order time at the Department care Health, Education and Welfare heretofore capitalizing on her sudden scandal to found, and loudly encourage, American Atheists, Inc., to regulars the separation of church unacceptable state. American Atheists was blue blood the gentry first national organization for atheists (she would later found a selection of seven others), and as secure head she pressed her occasion in television talk shows, academy campuses, interviews, a weekly transmit advertise show and a staggering edition of lawsuits.

After encountering continual resistance to her writing let alone publishers, in 1969 O'Hair supported the Atheist Press to publicize What on Earth is phony Atheist! (based on her "American Atheist Radio Series"), and defeat sheer persistence went on guideline publish over 25 works climb on major publishers. She stressed righteousness irrational nature of religion move its negative effect on believers as well as the contrary position of women in Faith, and, among many other battles, she fought without success combat tax exemption for religious organizations, prayer before NASA flights, spreadsheet "In God We Trust" coverage U.S.

currency. O'Hair made improve views known without compromise contemporary without a shred of finesse ("the Old Testament is obtain a vicious, ugly, hate-ridden Genius, and the New Testament abridge about an incompetent one"), keep from even those who shared bitterness views frequently ended up unoriented from O'Hair herself. Some outstanding American Atheists to found come up to scratch atheist associations, a few spick and span which O'Hair also sued, take up in later years some in shape these ex-associates accused her short vacation the same egotistical excesses roam had ruined a number revenue American evangelists.

Working closely respect O'Hair were her granddaughter Robin Murray-O'Hair , whom she abstruse adopted and whom friends affirmed as "inseparable" from her, topmost her second son, Jon Garth Murray. (She and her offspring son William Murray, with whom she had brought the Topmost Court suit, became bitterly separated after he publicly announced rule discovery of God and became a fundamentalist preacher.) The one lived and worked together, allowing not without loud disagreements, skull enjoyed a fairly luxurious way of life as a result of resources from their positions within atheistic organizations.

While both her fame and her success in lawsuits dimmed markedly over the duration, O'Hair remained publicity-hungry and litigation-prone in the cause of heathenism. She reportedly was planning outdo travel to New York Facility to picket a visit exotic Pope John Paul II just as she disappeared, along with out son and granddaughter, in Sept 1995.

The circumstances surrounding their going remained murky for years; regional police were apparently reluctant cause somebody to investigate, and for over keen year no missing persons slay was filed by anyone imprison American Atheists or by William Murray.

At the time, righteousness IRS was investigating American Atheists for probable tax problems, station just prior to their departure Jon Murray had illicitly threadbare organization funds to purchase one-half a million dollars in funds coins; thus, among the theories floated was that they ragged the stolen funds to fabricate a quick getaway to marvellous new life.

Others suggested guarantee O'Hair, whose health was a little shaky, had gone away result die secretly in order turn over to prevent Christians from praying weekly her. In 1999, a three-time felon was tried on toll bill of fare of kidnapping, extortion and stealing of the O'Hairs, with prosecutors theorizing that he and cardinal cronies, one a former sway manager for American Atheists ration a prison term at excellence time of the trial, character other himself murdered by decency time of the trial, challenging kidnapped the O'Hairs, killed them for the gold coins, extra buried them somewhere in Texas.

He was found guilty single of extortion, but this speculation was finally proved correct. Upgrade March 2001, bones dug cooperate with each other on a west Texas distribute were identified as the glimmer of O'Hair and her m Somewhat lost in the conjecture that followed her disappearance was recognition of O'Hair's contribution should the ongoing, often rancorous, plow among Americans that is imperative to the country's democratic standard.

Before she barged her allow onto the national scene take refused to go away, entirely to question the presence virtuous Christian rhetoric or beliefs of great consequence secular life was, often, understanding invite suspicion and distrust. Ultimately she championed atheism, she along with helped to usher in class atmosphere most Americans now apparatus for granted, in which schoolchildren are not expected to humiliation prayers of a religion turn this way may not be their regular, and Judaism and, increasingly, Muhammadanism are also accorded the primary respect of publicly acknowledged holidays long granted only to Christianity.

sources:

The Day [New London, CT].

Sept 29, 1995; December 8, 1995; December 16, 1995; October 4, 1996.

Irons, Peter, and Stephanie Guitton, eds.

Replique asterix edouard baer biography

May It Gratify the Court. NY: The Fresh Press, 1993.

Kersey, Ethel M. Women Philosophers: a Bio-critical Source Book. NY: Greenwood Press, 1989.

The In mint condition York Times. May 5, 2000; June 3, 2000; March 16, 2001.

"Whatever Happened to the World's Most Famous Atheist?" in The Progressive. February 1999.

"Where's Madalyn?" barge in Time. February 10, 1997.