CNN bashes atheists.

American Atheist
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CNN bashes atheists.

These videos are from a bulletin Lunar Shadow posted on myspace. (SCROLL DOWN FOR SAPIENTS BACKLASH)

Part 1

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiyJzWy3CDQ

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPHnXrU5JzU

Please follow the link below and contact CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" and tell them what a shitty job they did on selecting a panel to talk about Atheism (really would have helped to have an actual Atheist on there, no?)
E-mail Here


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Thank you for posting that,

Thank you for posting that, AL. Definately better this time around. I can honestly say that my disgust with CNN has subsided after seeing this, but I am still not happy with their ethics.

 Dawkins did well, yet again. It's painfully obvious that they edited the fuck out his interview, but I am glad they showed what they did. I love his comments about how Atheism promotes the love of life, being as this one is the only one we are going to get.

 The panel was better. Very good points were made all around, although I have to disagree with Ellen Johnson when she said that American Christians know what Atheism is about. Acceptance comes from understanding. The more we know and understand something the more comfortable people are with it. The misunderstanding about Atheism is one the things that cause so much hate towards us. If more people understood what Atheism is about and why we are Atheists, then not only do I think we would be much more accepted, but there would be millions upon millions more of us.

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Vastet
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Vastet wrote: Due to

Vastet wrote:
Due to restrictions I can't watch the video's myself, but I can't say this bothers me too much either. Maybe if CNN was a credible news organization it would, but the world knows they are merely american propogandists and that even al jazeera is more credible.

With this in mind a thought just struck me. There's a catch phrase I've heard banded about that has a realistic tone to it. "Controversy creates cash". Knowing cnn's total lack of newsworthyness(word?) and complete propogandist stature, it strikes me that this could be a cheap ploy for more viewers, and giving them such attention over this issue can only do them more good than harm.

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Brian37
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Vastet wrote: Vastet

Vastet wrote:
Vastet wrote:
Due to restrictions I can't watch the video's myself, but I can't say this bothers me too much either. Maybe if CNN was a credible news organization it would, but the world knows they are merely american propogandists and that even al jazeera is more credible.
With this in mind a thought just struck me. There's a catch phrase I've heard banded about that has a realistic tone to it. "Controversy creates cash". Knowing cnn's total lack of newsworthyness(word?) and complete propogandist stature, it strikes me that this could be a cheap ploy for more viewers, and giving them such attention over this issue can only do them more good than harm.

Just the oposite. The initial reaction is "Those atheists make my head steam".

In that respect yes. But every movement where a marginalized group speaks out this is the case. But if you look at the long term progression the outcome goes from denial to tollarance to acceptance.

I wouldnt worry too much about the initial reaction. I'd just demand during the intital stages that the Constitution in regards to free speech is upheld. I think as long as that is done, eventually the myths about atheists will be dispelled.

It is true that controversy sells. But I wouldnt worry about their intital reactions. I've changed alot of Christian minds in person, not so much by decoverting them, but in my own actions showing them that I have the same worries, likes and dislikes as any other human.

Reggie and Brian can tell you as well as I that pleanty of Christians have come out and said, "I never knew you were treated like that, that is awfull"

My own mother, a believer, but not a churchgoer, did not know the hatred we faced untill rectently when I showed her the Youtube video of the guy cussing and damning us to hell.

It is something that needs to be out in the open. I think once people actually get to these websites, they will discover that we are just people like them and we are just as diverse and dissagree as much as any other label.

Dont worry about the controversy. Some backlash will happen, but long term we will win as long as free speech is upheld.

I think atheists have a positive message and I think the age of bigotry needs to die and be replaced with debate without dictation to those we dissagree with. 

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
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Notice it opened up that

Notice it opened up that MOST people felt they should have included an atheist on the panel in the 1st place.

 

And was it just me or was this much shorter than the 1st one?

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Brian37
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MattShizzle wrote: Notice

MattShizzle wrote:

Notice it opened up that MOST people felt they should have included an atheist on the panel in the 1st place.

 

And was it just me or was this much shorter than the 1st one?

I think in the past 20 years America has grown, dispite the hijacking of goverment by a fundy minority, that when you face them with absurd fears, they back of quickly.

I am proud of the people at CNN who quickly rectified the situation, and I am quite sure those people who corrected the error are Christians.

OOOOH COOOTIES COOOTIES AN ATHEIST AND CHRISTIAN GET ALONG! CALL CNN!

Thanks CNN, just remember in the future dont jump the gun and dont be so quick to pander. If we are not a nation of sheep than our news outlets have a duty to be impartial so that people also hear what they need to know insted of pandering to what they want to hear. It is way past time to bring objectivity back to news.

 

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
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Too bad she bobbled the

Too bad she bobbled the question about morals and allowed the Reverend to make her look like she was dodging.  The correct answer to "where do your morals come from" is "from my reason and my shared humanity."

It was very nice to see the "America is a christian nation" thing shot down so thoroughly.

Dawkins was good but I do feel that Sam Harris is punchier in these interviews.

Does Dennet ever appear publically?

 

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Karen Hunter responds back to me!

My first post here and this CNN episode got my blood boiling as well. I responded to CNN literally minutes after it aired and then hunted down Karen Hunter's email address and responded to her. I wasn't as eloquent as I wanted to be because I was so mad, but I was suprised she responded a couple of times and was also suprised that she "admitted" that they were supposed to just provide controversial sound bites on that Paula Zahn show. Here is our discussion:-----------------------------------Me:

Dear Ms. Hunter,


You call yourself a journalist? Tonight after watching you on CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" show I was appalled at what I saw during the Atheism segment. I have never seen such bigotry and hate as I had seen watching this segment, especially coming from a person such as yourself who preaches on equal rights and affirmative action, yet, you outright throw out all ethics, rationale and reason for the sake of your blind belief.


To get to the points:


You said "don't impose upon my right to want to have prayer in schools, to want to say the pledge of allegiance, to want to honor my God. Don't infringe upon that right."


You are WRONG! The whole point of Newdow's lawsuit was that it is people like YOU, the Christians, that are imposing their beliefs in a system which guarantees the right NOT to have religion forced upon us. You have a right to practice or believe whatever you want in the privacy of your own home, but you do NOT have a right to have prayer in schools and you definitely do NOT have a right to force my child to belive in your God! Any halfway decently 2 year educated person should know that... oh, but that's right, you are blinded by your faith to have any sort of rational or reasonable discussion on such things.


This shocks me to the very core that in the 21st century a seemingly average intellegent and educated person such as your self can actually be so blatantly ignorant, hateful and just plain wrong on such a simple matter of fact issue as this.


You want to talk morality? Any reasonably educated [Atheist] person can have morals just by realizing what the social implications are if you do bad things, but the moment you bring in blind faith and religion, you also bring in suppression (as you did with your "they [atheists] should just shut up" statement) hatered and bigotry, which, a person of color such as yourself should know VERY well.


Here is what your moral religion brings us; Slavery, Wars fought over the name of God, fallen hypocritical religious leaders from Jim Baker to Ted Haggard, child molesting Catholic Priests, and on and on and on. Before an Islamic terrorist ever hit our shores, we had Christian terrorists blowing up abortion clinics killing Doctors and innocent patients.


These are the facts, and you as a supposed journalist should, at the very least, open mindedly view both sides of any story, but for you to be such a bigoted hypocrite proves that this nation DOES have a hated new minority called Atheists simply because of blind ignorant faith.


And in answer to your ignorant question (which you so quickly and wrongfully answered yourself) "What does an Atheist believe in?" We believe in nature, humanism and hope in humanity to do the right thing based on rational thought and reasonable discussion as well as humanistic morals. An Atheist does NOT believe in supernatural or superstitious things such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth-fairies or God.


You are a disgrace to humanity and you have no business being in journalism...

 

Hunter responds:

I am entitlled to my opinion. I was not a journlaist last night, I was

a person with a opinion. My opinion cannot be "wrong." It simply

differs from yours, which is also not wrong. The point that I wanted to

make, which cannot be made in a sound-bite arena is "to each his own."

Believe what you want, as I will...but don't try to force me to believe

what you believe and I won't force you to believe what I believe. If

everyone is praying and you don't believe in God, don't pray. It's just

that simple. No one is forcing you to pray or follow any religion. I

live in a country that is dominated by people who don't believe the

things that I believe. I'm not out there complaining. I navigate

through it and create my own comfort and peace. I suggest you do the

same.


Thank you for your comments...and next time, try to do it without the ad hominem attacks.


I respond back:

Well, I do apologize for the ad hominem attacks (though only did it in response to your ad hominem attacks on Atheists) and must say I am surprised that you even took the time to respond to me, so I do appreciate that.


But even if you were not being a journalist last night and were simply stating your opinion, an opinion can be wrong if you have your facts wrong. The fact that the majority of people do believe in the Christian god here in America and that they make anyone that is not a Christian feel like a second class citizen I think, in my opnion, makes for a very dangerous world. And I'm not alone in this. Simply read Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion" and it will be explained much more eloquently than I can.


I guess the point I am trying to make and what got my blood boiling is the way you WERE forcing your beliefs by insisting that "Ahteists should shut up about it..."; seems pretty oppressive. And you WERE out there complaining, complaining that prayer was taken out of schools (if it wasn't, then my child WOULD be forced to pray, especially at that young age, he would feel like an outcast if he didn't!)


In any case, I do apreciate your response and apologize for my initial venom, and I hope that you are open minded enough to explore the possibility that we currently live in a dangerous climate thanks to religion and that a much more simple and reasonable option is plain rational discussion without having to envoke Gods and Beliefs. 


Any Rand warned us about all of this in the 1950s with a little book called "For The New Intellectual" where she compares Political leaders of the worlds as 'Attilas' that do nothing but wage wars for their own greed and Religious leaders as 'Witch Doctors' who force their believes on people and condemn them for not believing their way. Both these Attilas and Witch Doctors, though sometimes in disagreement, more often than not, team up to keep control over the world, thus stunting any progress or growth. It's only the free thinkers, the scientists and artists that occasionally make break-throughs that progress the world forward, benefiting all of humankind in vast and various ways, just enough until the Attilas and Witch Doctors step in again to reign in their control and stunt progress once again... this applies more than ever with what is currently going on in America and after watching you and the rest of the panel on CNN gave me no hope for any single voice of reason... alI I saw was blind faith spewing it's venom.


And her final response where she talks about the CNN format:

Any so-called Christian who makes anyone feel less than a human or as a

second-class citizen is not a Christian at all. You can call yourself

anything you want, but you judge a tree by the fruit it bears. So a

Christian is supposed to love all and treat all with respect and

love--no matter what their status, background, etc. If he or she isn't

do that, then they are not a Christian, or follower of Christ.


I will respond to you because you took the time to write to me and you

were obviously angry. Unfortunately, that CNN format does not lend

itself to having real dialogue--it is sound-bite driven and it's easy

to be misunderstood. I apologize if I offended you. My only point was

that people should live and let live on both sides of the issue. If you

don't believe there is a God, that's your choice. I do and that's mine.

I can't hate you. Remember, those shows have a purpose and it's not

always to speak to or deal with truth.

Thanks again for your email.


Blessings,

-----------------------------------

 

 

Anyway, it shows me that CNN is NOT about journalism, it's about sound bites to sell advertisment, but we all knew that anyway, yes?

 

 

 

 

 

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American Atheist
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Welcome to the board, Info

Welcome to the board, Info Warfare. Smile


Unlucky13
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Damn, Info... well said my

Damn, Info... well said my friend. Although I truely believe that Karen Hunter's easy-going response was nothing more than an attempt to pacify the debate that you were clearly winning. Many kudos, and welcome!

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  Quote: Remember, those

 

Quote:
Remember, those shows have a purpose and it's not always to speak to or deal with the truth.
 

I think that perhaps that sentence sums it up. 

However, CNN is a NEWS organization and it was an interview presented as NEWS.  Had the initial broadcast been on the "CNN Christian Religion Show" I wouldn't have a problem with it.  Presenting it as a news item/interview is not honest.

"those shows have a purpose" makes me wonder if there's a FOX-like agenda going on at CNN. 

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I work for UPS and I was

I work for UPS and I was loading a trailer that goes to Washington DC tonight, and I had this 100lb secure container brought to my truck that had CNN all over it and it was going to someone at CNN's Washington headquarters. Whatever was inside it was definately valuable, fragile, and worth spending a lot of money to send. If I was a slightly bigger asshole I would have put it in the truck a few feet away heading to Texas.Laughing

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American Atheist
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Lol, that's mean!  

Lol, that's mean! Yell

 

Laughing


info warfare
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Thank you all for the warm

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I've never been an "activist" before, but being a life long Atheist (and my dad was an Atheist as well who raised me to make my own choices) and with the current state of our christian leaning government, I've been pretty vocal lately about my Atheism.
Note my avatar. I'm considering making stickers of this and putting them up around my little town of Los Angeles as well as giving them out to people. Sort of like Shepard Fairy's OBEY campaign but with an actual message. What do you all think? Would you be interested in a sticker like this as a further attempt to get a message out? A better version of the design can be seen at http://www.info-warfare.com

As for CNN, the funny thing is, Monday I start a new job as a web designer for an up and coming ecommerce company. The founder and CEO of this company is the ex-head of CNN! So maybe I'll ask him if CNN is no more than another Fox News Media Circus...

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Unlucky13
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Dude, the image is awesome.

Dude, the image is awesome. I definately think you should do it. We're in a position now to really change America. Atheism is growing so fast and there are so many of us, we could be the next big movement in the US. Being in LA, you are in a perfect place to start spreading the word about the hatred and bigotry that religion produces, and that there are peaceful alternatives to believing in the big man in the sky.

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^ RAmen! Wow, I just

^ RAmen!

Wow, I just discovered this today, and I am as utterly infuriated as everyone else. Sound-byte-driven or not, what all three panelists said were ignorant and bigoted. They can have their opinions, but it was CNN's job to round out the argument. Airing a slightly outdated, chopped-up, interview with Richard Dawkins does not put me to rest. Close, but no cigar.

CNN = Fail.