There has been some speculation that Craig Hicks’ atrocious murder of three neighbours in Chapel Hill was related to him being an atheist and his neighbours being Muslims. This speculation seems to be based largely on the content of his Facebook page.
It is important that justice is brought about for the victims of these terrible crimes, Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, and their families. It is also important that we can minimise the chances of similar future murders, by seeking reliable information about what happened and why, instead of spreading unfounded speculation.
I am therefore not speculating about the motives for these crimes, because I do not reliably know anything about the killer’s life, or his relationship with his neighbours. But I have found nothing written on his Facebook page to justify the public speculation by others that he murdered his neighbours because he is an atheist and they were Muslims.
Indeed, on his Facebook page, he repeatedly promotes freedom of religion explicitly for Muslims, including supporting their right to build a controversial Mosque near the site of ground zero in New York. He repeatedly expresses his belief that all human beings are equal regardless of race, sexuality, religion or other criteria, and he actively opposes racism.
Also on his Facebook page, he has consistently promoted social justice issues since he joined in 2009. He actively promotes marriage equality for LGBT people, and abortion rights for women. He opposes the masculine hierarchy of religions, and opposes the idea of teaching women to avoid rape instead of teaching men not to rape.
Also on his Facebook page, he supports investment in education, and opposes poverty being tolerated in a society where the wealthy can use Swiss bank account used to avoid paying taxes. He has posted about his wife and their pets, about trying to find a lost autistic child, and about trying to save rescue dogs who will face death if they don’t find a home.
Also on his Facebook cover picture, he has said that he wants religion to go away because its baseless superstitions keeps killing people, but he also writes that he disagrees with the idea of banning religion: “Not that I care for religion, as I most definitely do not, but banning it would be taking away a persons rights and I oppose that.”
Also on his Facebook page, he promotes science and reason and atheism, with quotes from a wide range of thinkers ranging from Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, Ulysses Grant, Epicurus, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Isaac Asimov, Susan B Antony, Albert Einstein, Voltaire, Barbara Walker, Rousseau, Daniel Radcliffe and Aldous Huxley.
Also on his Facebook page, the eight books that he likes include The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and Atheist Voices of Minnesota which has contributions from PZ Myers, Greta Christina, Greg Laden and Stephanie Zvan.
Also on his Facebook page, the pages that he likes include Huffington Post Black Voices, Stop Homophobia, Forward Progressives, Atheist Animal Lovers, Animals Need help and Compassion, The Atheist Empathy Campaign, Atheist Uprising, The Freethinker, Freedom From religion, The God Delusion, The Friendly Atheist, The Militant Atheist, George Takei and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Also on his Facebook page, he is strongly pro-American, frequently posting links to American flags and symbols, and his version of Americanism includes support for gun ownership and for strict separation of church and state. He has posted images of his wife shooting a gun on a firing range, and of his own gun in its holster, and has criticised people who blame murders on gun ownership.
Also on his Facebook page, he has liked a link to the North Carolina Code, General Statutes § 20-174, prohibiting crossing at other than crosswalks and walking along highways. He has liked a Community Page called “If you’re not passing traffic, GET THE #%@* OUT OF THE LEFT LANE!!!!” In January he wrote that he had called the police when he saw a couple having sex in their vehicle in his parking lot.
Also on his Facebook page, he posted three pictures last December. One was of himself on quad bike captioned “Back in my younger (and hairier) days.” One was of himself in suit captioned “Modern me; same ugly, stupid, fat person with less hair now.” One was of himself and his wife at Disneyworld, captioned “My better half and I.”
It may of course be the case that he murdered his neighbours because he was an atheist and they were Muslims, and that he simply did not reflect that part of his personality on Facebook. But I do not know anything more about him than what he has posted on his Facebook page, and I am not speculating on the basis of that why he murdered his neighbours.
I suggest that it would be prudent for others to avoid building speculation on the same information.
Edits
[Edit - the first version of this post included a more detailed summary of Hicks’ posts since he joined Facebook. I’ve taken that part down temporarily, while I consider whether the above summary is sufficient to make the point without adding more to the speculation.]
[Second edit - I have now included below a shorter version of the more detailed summary of his posts, as I think it captures more accurately the nature of the Facebook page content.]
Some examples of posts, shares and likes on his Facebook page
What is remarkable about his Facebook posts is that, alongside his atheism, religion and science posts, he consistently promotes social justice issues. He does not express dislike, never mind hatred, for people on the basis of their religious beliefs. He does differ from many (but not all) people who also promote social justice issues in his support for gun ownership.
He consistently promotes religious freedom including explicitly the rights of Muslims, marriage equality for LGBT people, women’s rights including reproductive rights, human rights and equality, animal welfare, and progressive politics generally, as well as his posts about his pride in America, support for gun ownership and personal posts.
Atheism, religion and science
Most of his posts on these topics were sharing quotes from thinkers as varied as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Epicurus, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, George Carlin, Isaac Asimov, Susan B Antony, Albert Einstein, Ambrose Bierce, Voltaire, Barbara Walker, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Brian Cox, Piere Pail Broca, Steve Albini, Daniel Radcliffe, Aldous Huxley, Stephen Hawking, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Ricky Gervais, Bertrand Russell, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ernestine Rose, HL Mencken, Douglas Adams, Mohandas Gandhi, Blaise Pascal, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
He shared a flow chart about how Christians interpret the Bible as allegorical or infallible depending on what suits them (2012) and he shared an image by United Atheists of America about ideological similarities between radical Christians and radical Muslims. (2015)
He also posted Christmas greetings of “Happy Pagan Holiday all, and Merry Christmas to those that worship the supposed son of the creator on a day which he wasn’t born!”, and happy birthday messages for Isaac Newton who was born on 25 December.
Religious freedom including rights of Muslims
He shared a news story about President Barack Obama forcefully endorsing the right to build a Mosque near ground zero, saying that the country’s founding principles demanded no less. Hicks commented: “I respect him in this matter. I just wish he’d support the rest of our great Constitution in the same way.” (2010)
He wrote: “Seems an overwhelming majority of Christians in this country feel that the Muslims are using the Ground Zero Mosque plans to”mark their conquest” Bunch of hypocrites, everywhere I’ve been in this country there are churches marking the Christian conquest of this country from the Native Americans. Funny thing is the Christians did that while defying our Constitution, and got away with it!!” (2010)
He shared a story about Christians vandalising a billboard erected by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, commenting: “I don’t believe in Christianity at all, but I would never vandalize anything of theirs. Course neither would a Muslim, makes a person wonder which is more of a peaceful religion I believe!” The next day he posted a link to a news story about a suspicious fire that damaged construction equipment at the site of a future mosque in Tennessee. (2010)
He updated his cover photo to: “Of course I want religion to go away. I don’t deny you your right to believe what you’d like, but I have the right to point out it’s ignorant and dangerous for as long as your baseless superstitions keep killing people. Anti-theism: the conscientious objection to religion.” (2013)
He also disagreed with a quote from Elton John who said: “From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. The reality is that organized religion doesn’t seem to work. It turns people into hateful lemmings and it’s not really compassionate.” He wrote: “I don’t agree with the first part of Elton’s statement, with banning religion. Not that I care for religion, as I most definitely do not, but banning it would be taking away a persons rights and I oppose that.” (2012)
Marriage Equality for LGBT people
He shared : ”Don’t like gay marriages? Don’t have one.. Don’t like cigarettes? Don’t smoke them.. Don’t like abortions? Don’t get one.. Don’t like sex? Don’t have it.. Don’t like drugs? Don’t do them.. Don’t like porn? Don’t watch it.. Don’t like alcohol? Don’t drink it.. Don’t like guns? Don’t buy one.. Don’t like your rights taken away??? Don’t take away someone else’s. {re-post if you agree}” (2011)
He shared a story about Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Baltimore’s Catholic Archbishop clashing over same-sex marriage. He posted this quote: “1950: Interracial marriage is a threat to the sanctity of marriage. Today: gay marriage is a threat to the sanctity of marriage. Same bigots, different decade.” He commented on this quote: “Very well said!” (2011)
He shared a quote saying “Claiming that someone else’s marriage is against your religion is like being angry at someone for eating doughnut because you’re on a diet.” (2012)
He changed his profile picture from an American Eagle to a marriage equality symbol. (2013)
He shared several quotes and links supporting marriage equality. One had the slogan: “Oh, you’re afraid gays try to convert people to their own sexual orientation? What kind of horrible people would do that?” Another was a quote from Barack Obama saying: “No one in America should be afraid to walk down the street holding the hand of the person they love.” Another was picture of Spock with the slogan: “You say human sexuality is a choice? At what point did you choose to be straight?” (2013)
He shared a link from Forward Progressives about the Biblical definitions of marriage. He posted a mock-up of an advert outside a church saying “We truly regret that gay marriage attacks the sanctity of your fourth marriage.” He posted a congratulation link to Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner on getting married. (2014)
He shared a rainbow image with the slogan: “I might lose friends for this, but I fully support gay rights.” He added: “They are NOT friends of mine if they do not support equality, and I am better without them!!!” (2014)
He shared a pro-marriage-equality photo published by George Takei, that reads: “I am an ally… I just support this crazy thought that everyone should have equal rights.” (2015)
Women’s rights including reproductive rights
He shared a quote from Sonia Johnson: “I have to admit that one of my favorite fantasies is that next Sunday not one single woman, in any country of the world, will go to church. If women simply stop giving our time and energy to the institutions that oppress, they would have to cease to do so.” (2012)
He shared a quote from Josephine Henry: “Is not the Church to-day a masculine hierarchy, with a female constituency, which holds woman in Bible lands in silence and in subjection? No institution in modern civilization is so tyrannical and so unjust to woman as is the Christian Church. It demands everything from her and gives her nothing in return.” (2012)
After Amina Filali committed suicide in Morocco when a judge forced her to marry her rapist, he shared this quote from Kacem El Ghazzaili: “We live in a society that teaches women to be careful not to get raped instead of teaching men NOT TO RAPE.” (2012)
He shared an image from ‘One Million Vaginas” with the slogan “When powerful people are seriously discussing whether or not rape is part of a gift package from God, it may be time to get ‘In God we trust’ off our money. Fast.” (2012)
He shared a photo from Women Without Religion, citing objections from British clerics in 1847 to obstetricians using chloroform as an aesthetic during childbirth on the basis that the Bible says that women should suffer pain during childbirth, with the comment: “The representatives of their man made god love to see women in pain. Religion. Man made, for men.” (2014)
He shared a cartoon supporting abortion rights with a quote from Florence Kennedy that “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.” (2105)
Human rights and equality
He shared a diagram posted by ‘Being Liberal’, which showed seven identical skeletons, labeled in turn as white, black, gay, straight, Catholic, atheist and human. He posted another image of a census question asking ‘What race do you indentify yourself as?” All of the answers are crossed out, and the word ‘Human’ has been written in and ticked. At thanksgiving he posted a graphic saying: “Thanksgiving is a time to remember all that we have… and the genocide it took to get it.” (2012)
He shared an image that reads: “So let’s get this straight… God didn’t judge America over the millions of natives that were raped and murdered and had their land stolen. God didn’t judge America over the millions of Africans that had boulders tied to their legs and were raped, murdered and enslaved for centuries. And God didn’t judge America over not taking care of the homeless, hungry, sick and dying poor. But now God will judge America over abortion and gay marriage.” (2012)
He shared a photo with the caption: “Straight, gay, bi, rich, poor, skinny, fat, black, white. We are all human. Don’t judge.” He posted a cartoon captioned “The hall of outdated thinking” with specimens of humans in jars saying: “Women shouldn’t be allowed to vote,” and “Black people are second class citizens,” and “Gay marriage is an abomination.” (2013)
He shared an image of an autistic child with the slogan: “Autism: different, not less,” and he added: “In my experience – MORE!!!” (2012)
He shared a search appeal by the National Autism Association, looking for a missing child with a disability (2013)
Animal welfare
He liked a cause asking people to stop YouTube accepting and showing videos showing cruelty to animals (2012)
He shared various animal links including an appeal to save pitbulls who are trained to fight, and several appeals for rescue dogs on death row who were seeking new homes. (2013)
One of his animal links was of a dog playing in water, with the caption: “Sometimes I prefer to spend time with animals other than humans.” He added: “Actually most times, if not all.” (2013)
He shared various pictures of dogs and cats including one with the slogan: “Like if you like someone with paws” and another saying “Dogs often sense sadness in humans and will often attempt to make their owners happier by initiating cuddling.” (2014)
Progressive politics
He shared a quote from another Facebook account that opposed “those individuals looking to secede from the US,” saying that if they loved America, they would be doing everything in their power to be finding ways of bringing everyone together, instead of behaving like spoiled children and threatening to tear the nation in half because they didn’t get their way. (2012)
He shared a photo from ‘I Acknowledge Class Warfare Exists’ of Mitt Romney with the slogan ‘Nothing says ‘I believe in America’ like a Swiss bank account used to avoid paying taxes.” He shared another photo of three Republican politicians with the slogan ‘Hey America! If you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much stupid costs!” (2012)
He shared a photo of a mother and child on the street, with the slogan: “1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty. Remember that when you’re thanking your imaginary god for all the meaningless shit he’s ‘blessed’ you with.” He posted another picture of a homeless man cuddling dog on the street, with the slogan: “Christians speak of unconditional love. They haven’t a clue.” (2013)
He shared a survey that shows that only .02% of US prisoners are atheists, and a an image with the caption: “Republicans – convincing millions that the best way to worship a man who stood for love, acceptance, hope and compassion is with intolerance, fear, hate and anger.” (2013)
He shared a photo with the slogan: “The amount of people God saves from death is strictly related to the level of healthcare in that country.” (2015)
Pride in America
He regularly posted about his support for the American army, and his pride in the American flag outside his front door, as well as sharing a Constitution Day badge. He commented on a video of a large American flag blowing in the wind in new Mexico to commemorate September 11th: “Nothing gives me a greater feeling than this, NOTHING!!” (2010)
He shared a news story about President Obama wanting Americans to mark the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks by recapturing the sense of unity and common purpose felt on that day. Hicks commented: “I don’t support him often, but in this respect he has not only my full support, but my deepest respect!!” (2010)
He shared a series of quotes from Thomas Jefferson, including this: “I am for freedom of religion, & against all maneuvres to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another”, and he shared the following quote from John F Kennedy: “Whatever one’s religion in his private life may be, for the officeholder, nothing takes precedence over his oath to uphold the Constitution and all its parts, including the First Amendment and the strict separation of church and state.” (2011)
He shared a pair of quotes showing James Madison supporting separation of church and state and Adolph Hitler opposing it. He posted an image of the original pledge of allegiance, without the words ‘Under God’, and a pre-1957 dollar without the words ‘In God we trust’. (2012)
Support for gun ownership
He posted a picture of his wife shooting a gun at a firing range. And he shared a link to a news story about two convenience store clerks who were not to face criminal charges after being involved in the fatal shooting of a would-be robber. Hicks quoted from the article: “In Union County we have a no return policy on armed robbery,” and he added: “I like this guy!!” (2010)
He wrote: “I guess after the horrible tragedy early this week in Arizona, all Glock pistols will officially be labeled ‘assault weapons.’ While I never cared for Glocks personally, it stinks that anyone would blame a firearm rather than the operator of such firearm for such a terrible act. I think I’ll start blaming McDonalds for my weight problem, Christianity for the Ku Klux Klan, and Islam for terrorism.” (2011)
He shared a story about an Arizona politician who was being criticised because she had taken out a gun and aimed it at a reporter’s chest during an interview. He commented: “While I’m very much pro-gun, I’m equally for firearm safety. People will now put blame on firearms in general rather than ignorant people like this.” (2011)
In January 2015 he posted a photo of his gun, writing: “Yes, that is 1 pound 5.1 ounces for my loaded 38 revolver, its holster, and five extra rounds in a speedloader.” This was his first gun-related post since 2011.
Personal posts
He has posted family pictures, comments about his wonderful wife and his pet dog Rocky, vacation pictures from Florida to New York, support for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, an IQ test result of over 140, a range of jokes and puns, and updates about playing various online games.
He liked a link to the North Carolina Code, General Statutes § 20-174, prohibiting crossing at other than crosswalks and walking along highways. He has liked a Community Page called “If you’re not passing traffic, GET THE #%@* OUT OF THE LEFT LANE!!!!”
In December 2014 he posted three pictures. One was of himself on quad bike captioned “Back in my younger (and hairier) days.” One was of himself in suit captioned “Modern me; same ugly, stupid, fat person with less hair now.” One was of himself and his wife at Disneyworld, captioned “My better half and I.” (2014)
In January 2015 he wrote: “It is official, I am a grumpy old man. I now am sure of this, as when I saw a couple having sex in their vehicle in my parking lot a little bit ago instead of just ignoring it I called Chapel Hills finest on them.”