The Apostate

Atheist's son finds God

Madalyn Murray O'Hair became the nation's best-known atheist in 1963 when, partly as a result of her suit, the U.S. Supreme Court forbade mandatory prayers in public schools. A fellow plaintiff in protesting Bible reading and/or recitation of the Lord's Prayer in Baltimore schools was her teen-age son William J. Murray III. He went on to become a publisher, but later joined his mother in Austin, Texas. In 1975 he reorganized the headquarters of her American Atheists and revived its monthly magazine. In 1977 he broke with his mother and tried to start a rival atheist organization.

In a letter in the Austin American-Statesman, William, 33, now says he believes in God and is apologizing to the nation for helping build up his mother's "personal empire," and for his adolescent efforts against school prayer. William has not joined any particular denomination, but he feels that "the best way to survive on this planet is through faith in a higher power." He remarks that his former atheistic colleagues "are entitled to their beliefs," but "faith is a strong binding force that can help any individual."

Madalyn O'Hair refuses to discuss William's apostasy directly. She issued a joint statement, however, with her other son Jon, and William's 14-year-old daughter Robin, who lives with her. The statement notes sarcastically that the three are pleased William "is going to retire early and live off religious money. We are happy when any atheist gets some of that Christian scam money." Puzzled, William responds that there is no money in it for him.

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