Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Atheist activist, Green candidate Rob Sherman dies in plane crash
Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 12/12/2016 | Maureen O'Donnell and Jordan Owen

Posted on 12/13/2016 6:39:53 AM PST by KeyLargo

Atheist activist, Green candidate Rob Sherman dies in plane crash

Rob Sherman, who died over the weekend in a crash of his small plane in Marengo, operated a business helping people build aircraft from kits.

But the 63-year-old was better known as a colorful political activist and Green Party candidate — some might say gadfly — who called journalists and introduced himself as “Rob Sherman, your favorite atheist.”

At one time, he had license plates that spelled out ATHEIST.

Though he came in for derision as a self-promoter, he challenged the use of government-sponsored Christmas creches and displays and anything he perceived as a co-mingling of church and state.

Early Saturday, fire crews responded after his single-engine plane was spotted in an area off Meyer Road, just north of Pleasant Grove Road, according to Marengo firefighter Joe Taylor.

A Monday autopsy found Mr. Sherman, of Poplar Grove, died of multiple injuries from the mishap, which is being investigated by the FAA and NTSB.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Mr. Sherman was constantly in the headlines for atheism activism.

As Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper put it in 1998, “He has battled towns from South Holland to Deerfield to Zion to Palatine to Highland, Ind., and Wauwatosa, Wis., over public displays of religious symbols on water towers, on government property and on official village seals.”

Mr. Sherman also filed suit against the Boy Scouts after he and his son, Richard, were denied membership because they refused to recognize a “duty to God.”

The relationship between Mr. Sherman and his son made headlines in 1998 for personal rather political reasons. He was convicted of domestic battery after he struck his then-16-year-old son, and later spent a brief time in jail.

“I wanted to put the fear of God in him,”

(Excerpt) Read more at chicago.suntimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: aircraft; atheist; aviation; boyscouts; chicago; christ; christians; christmas; church; death; god; govtabuse; mediabias; pilot; politics; prolife
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-53 next last

The Zenair CH 601 crashed under “unknown circumstances” sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning, according to Taylor and FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.

Authorities said late Monday that the aircraft was a manufactured model, not a home-built version.

Rob Sherman and fellow Green Party candidate Jill Stein, whom he called “the next president of the United States.” | robsherman.com

1 posted on 12/13/2016 6:39:53 AM PST by KeyLargo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Rob Sherman 0, God 1


2 posted on 12/13/2016 6:41:35 AM PST by Paradox ("Wishing for a tautology to enact itself is not a strategy.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

From building aircraft to shoveling coal

All in a flash


3 posted on 12/13/2016 6:42:25 AM PST by A_Former_Democrat ("Liberalism is a mental disorder" On FULL Display NOW BOYCOTT PepsiCO Kellogg's)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Straight in. Looks like stall/spin accident.


4 posted on 12/13/2016 6:45:50 AM PST by pabianice (LINE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Rob meets Madeline Murray O’Hare in the fiery pit. Nice.


5 posted on 12/13/2016 6:47:20 AM PST by JonPreston
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

How green is Hell?


6 posted on 12/13/2016 6:48:10 AM PST by MIchaelTArchangel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Hopefully he realized his error before impact...


7 posted on 12/13/2016 6:48:56 AM PST by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A_Former_Democrat

Thief on the cross....(?)....

Maybe he prayed in the last couple a hundred feet.


8 posted on 12/13/2016 6:49:19 AM PST by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo
"The relationship between Mr. Sherman and his son made headlines in 1998 for personal rather political reasons. He was convicted of domestic battery after he struck his then-16-year-old son, and later spent a brief time in jail."

Oh dear.

9 posted on 12/13/2016 6:49:31 AM PST by Steely Tom ([VOTE FRAUD] == [CIVIL WAR])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paradox

Karma sucks huh?


10 posted on 12/13/2016 6:49:35 AM PST by rktman (Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Paradox

Re: license plate ATHEIST.

His last words were “Oh....my....NoSuchThingAs...God!!!”


11 posted on 12/13/2016 6:50:40 AM PST by ConservativeStatement (Abortion is domestic violence against babies)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

Name : SHERMAN, ROBERT IAN
Airman’s Address : PO BOX 10
POPLAR GROVE, IL, 61065-0010
FAA Region : Great Lakes
Date of Medical : Aug, 2015
Class of Medical : 3
Expiration of Class 3 : Aug, 2017
Airman Certificates : Sport Pilot


12 posted on 12/13/2016 6:50:41 AM PST by pabianice (LINE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Well I guess he’s in the dark now!


13 posted on 12/13/2016 6:51:31 AM PST by grobdriver (Where is Wilson Blair when you need him?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Well, he is a believer now.

His meeting with the Master was probably a bit uncomfortable.


14 posted on 12/13/2016 6:52:49 AM PST by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Sounds like he could use our prayers.


15 posted on 12/13/2016 6:52:51 AM PST by sweetiepiezer (Deplorable Winner.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

16 posted on 12/13/2016 6:55:40 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KeyLargo

Manfacturing CO2 can be deadly.


17 posted on 12/13/2016 6:57:42 AM PST by Paladin2 (No spellcheck. It's too much work to undo the auto wrong word substitution on mobile devices.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sweetiepiezer

too late, but not for his surviving family


18 posted on 12/13/2016 6:58:16 AM PST by lupie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Delta 21

Maybe

But I doubt the sincerity


19 posted on 12/13/2016 6:59:17 AM PST by A_Former_Democrat ("Liberalism is a mental disorder" On FULL Display NOW BOYCOTT PepsiCO Kellogg's)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: JonPreston

Rob will be happy to find out that satan doesn’t use fossil fuels to heat the place.


20 posted on 12/13/2016 6:59:58 AM PST by Right Brother
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-53 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson