The Most Hated Woman In America Official Netflix Trailer

[liberalnarb]

Very interesting looking flick. Regardless of your views on Religion, this one looks like a must-see.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Didn't watch trailer but read some at Wikipedia: Madalyn Murray OHair, an atheist, murdered age 76

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O%27Hair

[kiri]

18. Murray was second to Abington-Schempp

The Supreme Court case that brought Madalyn Murray O'Hair to fame is actually known as Abington v. Schempp and Murray v. Curlett. The court case began with Ellery Schempp in August, 1958; Murray's case did not start until 1960, and her case was built upon the brief filed earlier by the ACLU on behalf of the Schempp family. The SC's decision was given in June, 1963.

One noticeable difference between the two cases was that Ellery as a boy of 16 began a protest against school-sponsored Bible-readings and prayer in 1956; he wrote to the ACLU in Philadelphia and got his parents to support him. Murray filed her suit on behalf of her two sons, Bill and Garth, who were about 10 and 8 at the time. Bill later disavowed his mother and became an evangelical Christian. Garth was murdered with his mother and Madalyn's adopted granddaughter, Robin, whose father was Bill.

Murray's contribution was thus not to the issue of devotional Scripture reading and prayer in public schools but to establishing a permanent voice for atheists. (The Schempps were non-believers of a sort, and they attended a Unitarian church which was non-Christian and humanist.) Unfortunately, Murray's vision of a united non-believer community under AA was lost with the rise of splinter groups, such as American Humanists, Freedom from Religion, Secular Student Alliance, the Secular Coalition, Military Religious Freedom, and numerous smaller groups. FFRF is now the largest group with about 25,000 members, whereas AHA and AA have about 14,000 each.

[IronLionZion]

2. When America hates someone enough

they always end up dead

[liberalnarb]

3. She was actually murdered by a member of her organization.

A sick fuck named David Waters

[Archae]

5. Yup, in an extortion plot that went badly.

You know that there still are "religious leaders" who are still saying O'Hair is trying to get religious programming off TV and radio?

When it was pointed out to one "preacher" that O'Hair had been dead for 20 years, he said: "That's what Satan wants you to believe."

[The Blue Flower]

4. Saw her speak during her hey day (hay day?)

She was hateful and vile. In the war of ideas, she had very little of substance to make her case.

[Archae]

6. I agree.

Saw her give a speech on C-Span in the early 90's.

Turned it off after 10 minutes, she was shrill and hateful.

[IronLionZion]

7. Best of Madalyn Murray O'Hair

[Honeycombe8]

10. I seem to recall that, as well. Sometimes that's what it takes.

It takes someone sometimes who is a little off, and someone who is fearless, to attack religion in schools and things like that. It takes someone who is willing to be vilified and hated by everyone. Maybe because they're used to it, and they don't care. Most people aren't like that.

[liberalnarb]

13. I'm not an Atheist, but I am a diehard advocate of civil rights.

The things she did were important. Atheists deserve the same respect received by religious affiliations.

[pressbox69]

8. She sounds like the people she hates

and the people who hated her.

[Honeycombe8]

9. That's Roz from the Frasier show! Looks like an awesome program! nt

[Honeycombe8]

11. I think her son ended up being very religious. I think. nt

[liberalnarb]

12. Yes. She had two sons. One is an evangelical preacher.

[LeftInTX]

14. I remember when she went missing

There was no real investigation. The San Antonio Express News reporter kinda cracked the case. As to why Austin journalists were not doing investigative journalism always left me scratching my head. Of course, the police didn't take her disappearance seriously. For some reason she was taken from Austin to San Antonio and eventually murdered at a La Quinta not far from my house.

I think she moved to Texas because there is no state income tax.

[BigDemVoter]

15. Saw it--

Interesting. Horrifying ending. . .

What an obnoxious character, but I'm sure glad she had the guts to challenge prayer in public schools.

[liberalnarb]

16. I'm not an Atheist myself, but I respect her organization as it defends Civil/Constitutional rights

But if you think she's obnoxious, get a load of the current President of her organization...

[BigDemVoter]

17. Wow!

I concur with you. I'm not quite "there" as an atheist--more of an agnostic--but I am so glad Madelyn Murray was around to challenge the status quo. Hell things were bad enough AFTER public prayer was banned, as so many teachers/administrators, etc. ignored the ruling and continued to read from the bible and proselytize just the same.