American Atheists
American Atheists is an organization defending the
civil liberties of
atheists, and advocating the complete
separation of church and state. Founded by
Madalyn Murray O'Hair in
1963, it was born out of a court case begun in
1959 by the Murray family which challenged
prayer recitation in the public schools. The case,
Murray v. Curlett (also known as
Abington School Dist. v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963)) was a
landmark case that helped take prayer out of United States public schools.
American Atheists has been described as being the "most militant atheist organization in America" and has filed numerous lawsuits against public institutions which in their belief breached the separation of church and state. Latest estimates place the member count at around 2,200 who gather annually for a national convention and numerous regional meetings. The organization's current President is Ms. Ellyn Johnson who has been President since 1995. They are headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey.
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