Despite being disinvited to next month's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a leader of the American Atheists group said he plans to be in the audience,
Mediaite.com reported.
American Atheists paid $3,000 for an exhibition booth, one of hundreds at the event that is organized by the American Conservative Union at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland on March 6-8.
Because of the "tone" taken by the group and its leader David Silverman, the conference decided to cancel approval for a booth and return payment. Conference spokeswoman Meghan Snyder said, "American Atheists misrepresented itself about their willingness to engage in positive dialogue and work together to promote limited government,"
CNN reported.
Organizers said that once it became clear Silverman intended to use the booth to attack "the very idea that Christianity is an important element of conservatism," organizers opted to pull the plug. "People of any faith tradition should not be attacked for their beliefs, especially at our conference," Snyder said.
Some Christian activists were offended that the conference had consented to rent the atheists a booth in the first place. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told CNN that CPAC's mission "is to be an umbrella for conservative organizations that advance liberty, traditional values, and our national defense." Perkins said that liberty derives from God and that there was nothing conservative about promoting atheism.
Brent Bozell, who heads the Media Research Center, said he would not attend the event even though the atheists had been uninvited.
"It makes absolutely no difference to me that CPAC and ACU have backed down and removed the booth. I am sick and tired of these games," Bozell said, according to
Breitbart.
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