An atheist group has been disinvited from the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference, CNN reports. American Atheists had been granted a booth, but “a groundswell of opposition from high-ranking members of CPAC compelled the group to pull the invite.”
American Atheists says it was simply providing outreach to the “many closeted atheists in the ranks of conservatives.” A spokeswoman for CPAC, though, said that American Atheists “misrepresented itself about their willingness to engage in positive dialogue and work together to promote limited government.”
Townhall political editor Guy Benson followed the situation as it developed.
So, CPAC won't allow GOProud, a group of gay *conservatives* to have a booth at the conference, but these guys can: http://t.co/9B9iFcnisi
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
@baseballcrank @MelissaTweets American Atheists is basically a trolling org that sponsors "provocative" billboards: http://t.co/9swKIdt9rK
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
@baseballcrank @MelissaTweets their purpose is to inflame people & stick a thumb in the eye of believers. Their prerogative, obviously
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
@baseballcrank @MelissaTweets AA routinely trolls our base. GOProud agrees w/ their fellow conservatives on most issues.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
I have no issue with a *conservative* atheist group setting up shop at CPAC. I know many conservative atheists. AA isn't a conservative org.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
GOProud is, however, a conservative organization. Yet they can't have a booth at CPAC.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
@BenHowe there are many libertarian/leaning groups at CPAC. And this atheist group doesn't even pretend to be conservative.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
@BenHowe and my point is that if GOProud doesn't "count" (I disagree), AA *certainly* doesn't.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
Breaking: Organizers plan to pull @AmericanAtheist booth from CPAC. Said group left them "with no choice but to return his money."
— Dan Merica (@merica) February 25, 2014
@danmericaCNN Who made this decision — CPAC or AA?
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
American Atheists launched billboards against three conservative politicians in 2013: http://t.co/9B9iFcnisi
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
American Atheists prez on CPAC: "The Christian right should be threatened by us." http://t.co/9B9iFcnisi
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
And moments ago, American Atheists (reportedly) got the CPAC boot.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
Modest proposal: Allow conservative atheist & conservative gay groups to run booths at big tent conservative confab.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
@eriContrarian I'm totally for an atheist conservative group having a booth at CPAC.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
If a *non-conservative* atheist group can have a booth at CPAC for "outreach," why on earth is a *conservative* gay org denied one?
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2014
CPAC will be held March 6–8 in Washington, D.C.
Related:
GOProud’s exclusion from CPAC sparks burst of support for gay conservatives
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