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America's most (in)famous atheist was out to change her world
The Madelyn Murray O'Hair story is part myth and part truth.
Date published: 6/20/2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE--Not long ago, there were two entities that embodied the essence of evil for many evangelical Christians--Satan and Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Known as "the most hated woman in America," O'Hair, an avowed atheist, made it her life's goal to debunk what she believed were the harmful myths of the Bible. "This religion gives you goals which are outside of reality," she proclaimed in a 1986 speech at Memphis State University. "It enriches your fantasy life with ugliness. It constricts you with fear. Christianity in its essence is nuts." I had a personal encounter with O'Hair in 1979 in a televised debate in Miami. The issue up for grabs was Christian virtues and their involvement in public schools. O'Hair did not simply see the event as a debate but as a chance to further her crusade to rid the planet of Christianity. She was a tough opponent and ahead of her time in one respect--she understood television. Thus, she came equipped with a barrage of one-liners designed to drive her point home. And there were no human niceties with her--she didn't want to shake my hand or chat with me either before or after the show. To her, I was the enemy. Who was this woman who was so fiercely hated? Born in 1919, she had a law degree but never passed the bar exam. O'Hair became an avid socialist who attempted to defect to the Soviet Union in 1960. She actually flew to the Soviet Embassy in Paris, but the Soviets denied her entry. O'Hair supported the various liberation movements of the '50s and '60s. Supposedly one of Jon Murray's earliest memories was accompanying his mother on a picket line, demanding that blacks be permitted into a local restaurant. O'Hair first surfaced as a personality four decades ago. On June 17, 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Abington School District v. Schempp, banned mandatory prayer and Bible reading in public schools. Although she was not involved in the decision, O'Hair was a secondary litigant in a companion case, Murray v. Curlett, which the Supreme Court consolidated with Schempp. Thus, O'Hair's role in any relevant Supreme Court cases was minimal. In fact, had she never existed or had her case never come up, the outcome of Schempp would have been exactly the same.
Date published: 6/20/2003
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