You’d think that NJ State Assemblyman Craig Stanley would have more important things to worry about, but apparently he’s already solved all of his state’s other problems so now he’s turning his attention to introducing a resolution to change the New Jersey Devil’s name to something a little less demonic.
State Assemblyman Craig Stanley is taking issue with a satanic symbol representing the state’s National Hockey League team, which has won three Stanley Cup championships.
“This is an age where symbolism is very important,” said Stanley, a Baptist deacon whose resolution to rename the team is to be introduced in the Assembly next month. A new name would be chosen in a statewide competition.
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“I’ve always cringed when people say they’re going to see the Devils,” said Stanley. “The merchandise, the paraphernalia is based on the actual demonic devil. Personally, it causes a little bit of an issue with me.”
Atheists are frequently accused of wanting to rid the public square of any religious references that we find offensive and yet you never hear the same accusation made of folks such as Mr. Stanley here who is most certainly trying to rid the public square of a religious reference he finds offensive. Never mind the fact that the devil the team’s name is based on has nothing to do with the Christian symbol—it’s actually a reference to the mythical Jersey Devil—as is too often the case with folks like Mr. Stanley the facts have no bearing on his opinion.
This is one of the problems I have with electing clergy to political office. They often end up wasting taxpayer’s time and money on idiotic legislation based entirely on their religious beliefs rather than anything in reality. You can take the deacon out of the church, but you can’t take the church out of the deacon as is clearly demonstrated here.
Posted on 01/29/2006 at 03:01 PM 
Only a fundie would consider this argument “lame.” There are many superficial differences between the three major Western religions, but at heart they all seem remarkably similar. It is the fundies who distort and downplay these similarities, and it is they who have caused the most trouble over time because of their unwillingness to swallow their pride and their arrogance. After all, to admit that Christianity is similar to Islam or Judaism could possibly imply that it is not *gasp* better than these other religions! THE HORROR!!
I believe that the basic similarities between the religions apply not only to the Western religions, but also even more broadly across most of the Earth’s religions. Practices, rituals, actual beliefs, etc. do differ. But I believe that these differences are ultimately just as superficial as the differences between the Western religions.
It is obvious that some religions (most notoriously Christianity and Islam) have caused more bloodshed over history than others. But again, I believe the reason for this lies in the actions of these religions’ practicers (particularly the fundies) rather than some profound difference between the religions themselves.
As William Blake correctly put it, “All Religions Are One.” Not all practicers are, though, and therein lies the problem with organized religion.
I too (along with Elwed) have yet to see just how Christians are supposedly better people than non-believers (or better people than Muslims, Buddhists, Pagans, Wiccans, Shintoists, Hindus, Agnostics, animists, Confuscians, Deists, Sikhs, et cetera et cetera et cetera) as many of them seem to so arrogantly believe. The simple answer: they are not better people.