Kansas City Atheists Denied Participation In St. Pat's Parade

The Kansas City Atheist Coalition announced Monday afternoon that they had been denied permission to participate in this year’s Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day parade.

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Credit Andreas F. Borchert / Creative Commons

Kansas City St. Patrick's Day parade leaders said they had denied the Kansas City Atheist Coalition permission to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade after reading about the atheist's banners, which read,"Positively Godless" and "Morals Without Mythology." The leaders explained they denied the atheists out of respect for St. Patrick, who lived and suffered for Christian teachings.

Sarah Hargreaves, president of the Kansas City Atheist Coalition, acknowledged that the privately-run parade is within its legal rights, but she accused the organization of discrimination. 

"We think if the parade committee denied somebody else's application, such as a LGBT organization because they're not aligned with Catholic doctrine, that would be something the public would frown upon," she said.

Hargreaves explains that secular groups regularly march in the St. Patrick's Day event. She hopes the parade might still change its mind.