E-mail Nightline and thank them. Here is mine.
Posted on: January 31, 2007 - 3:03am
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E-mail Nightline and thank them. Here is mine.
Go to ABC AND THANK NIGHTLINE FOR AIRING THE RRS SEGMENT, THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM ATHEISTS!
Here is the e-mail I sent them.
Dear Nightline , I cant tell you how much as an atheist I apreciate the editing of that segment. You did a fair peace and gave a voice to a minority that needed it so much. Atheists are not out to coorupt anyone. We are not out to advocate orgies on the street or wild gang parties. We are your neighbors, co-workers and loved ones. For far too long we have been demonized and marginalized for merely saying, "That story you are selling is myth". If someone told me that believing in a purple snarfwidget was wrong should I shout, "You hate me", or should I weigh what they say as to why the claim is wrong? When Brian says he wants to see the end of Christianity unfortunatly it will bring thoughts of Hitler and Stalin to most Christian's minds. Think about this though, if for example Christians get their disire and every human on the planet converts to Christianity that would mean the end of all other religions besides Christianity. The same would be true for Islam if everyone believed in Allah. We do want to see the end of religion. But not through force. We know that through debate and questioning and testing and verification, reality can be saught by all. No group should ever seek the goverment opression of anyone that dissagrees with them. Atheists dont advocate use of goverment force to end religion. We believe our position is strong enough to handle the free market and compitition of ideas. We believe that there is a more postive world without ancient myth to distract from real problems such as famine, war, desease and global warming. Too much of humanity is locked in a needless and divisive battle over books that were written by tribalistic people with club mentalities. Atheists see their fellow humans as potential positive influances. We see that potentail wasted on fighting over magical claims which amount to wishfull thinking. We are going to change the world. Not by force or by genocide or by some rediculous notion that a man in a red leotard made us do this. Atheists will change the world to improve, to grow and protect the one home all of humanity has, the only one we have. We do get angrey and we are quite blunt and blasphemous. But not out of hate or bigotry or that we think we are better. Everyone dies eventually. Atheists see life as the one chance we have and because this is all there is we see it as a chance to make things better for future generations. We get frustrated at impossible claims and politics and war based on those impossible claims in search for utopias that dont exist. The last taboo and the last bigotry must be broken. The new enlightenment has begun. Atheists are positive that humans can stop the bad habits. We are positive that differances dont have to lead to war or death. We are positive that we have the resorces to solve humanity's problems. But that cannot and will not be done as long as humans live in fictional pasts. If it is ok for Zues and Osirus to die by use of logic and reason, then so should Jesus and Yahwey and Allah. Old gods die and new ones will meet the same fate when those unafraid start to question. "Question with boldness even the existance of God. For if there be one surely he would pay more homage to reason than to that of blinfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson. Thank you so much for that way past due positive story on atheists. Nightline has become a leader in human progress. Keep up the great work. Brian37
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
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To send an email to Nightline, go here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/News/story?id=64544
Here's what I just sent:
Thanks to Nightline for covering the Blasphemy Challenge story with fairness.
There are roughly 30 million nonbelievers in the USA, and many various ways to reach them to encourage them to be visible. The Rational Response Squad's Blasphemy Challenge may be controversial to some, but it has opened the doors that mainstream atheist groups haven't even knocked on.
Atheists are an unseen minority in America, making it easy for us to be hated. As more nonbelievers speak out and identify themselves, it will become harder for people to discriminate against us simply for not sharing their faith.
As a secular activist I have followed the Blasphemy Challenge story closely, and I appreciate Nightline's reasoned reporting method.
Thank you for devoting the time to covering this small, vocal segment of the atheist community. Please be aware that there are thousands more atheists out there who are unaffiliated with any group or website, not to mention thousands more, such as myself, who are members of various freethought groups.
We are a very diverse population and I hope that future reports address this fact. Please continue educating America about the many different types of people who do not share anyone's views on religion or the existence of supernatural beings.
I hardly think they were fair, even the vocal and movement tics showed they were uncomfortable and decietful
I guess you need the press ...
Got to disagree, leo. I know the adage goes, any press is good press, but IMO, and I think brian would concur, the crew from ABC was pretty fair and impartial.
Brian and Kelly got to make some great points, and made them in response to occasionally tough but reasonable questions - questions most of America would have asked us. And they, for the most part, nailed them. They could have raped us in editting, if they wished too, I'm sure.
In the end, I think there was a balance of the percieved controversy and straight forward campaign for reason. Look, the ONLY reason ABC wanted to interview us is because we ARE controversial and in your face about our beliefs and methods. They got their story, their contorvesy, and we got a relatively fair portrayal and invaluable press.
In case you were not aware, one of the main points of the blaspheme challenge was to create controversy, to spark conversation. That's EXACTLY what this piece helped us do.
I could Monday morning quarterback and nit pick over what sapient and kelly said, but I have NO right to, none of us do. We weren't there with the world watching and the camera in your face, sweating under the light. Considering the pressure, I say they were amazing.
If you think the brief segment they gave to the religious folks was what made it unfair, then you're simply asking way too much. A good story NEEDS controversy, rebuttal - and they provided that in token form and it was shreded. Seriously, the lady appealed to faith, right off the bat - that's what we WANT.
I dunno, but I've got to say (especially compared to how we and Brian Flemming have been treated elsewhere) that ABC has been one of the most impartial hosts we've had.
Laura Ingram on the other hand.....
I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
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