Comment by Danielle on October 30, 2009 at 1:59am

It never ceases to amaze me how people always take these ads as proselytizing, when they're really just trying to let people know atheists exist, and that if you're one, you're not alone.
It's the same as a billboard asking if you like cheese, other people do too, come join our club where people eat cheese together! It's not trying to get people who don't like cheese to like cheese... I will never understand the offense people take to this.

Comment by Norbury on October 30, 2009 at 2:48am

They react angrily because our existence is a threat to them, and they don't like to be reminded of that. What the ads actually say is irrelevant

Comment by Reggie on October 30, 2009 at 6:59pm

Local media is already a joke. Asking for journalistic integrity from them is like asking for a Master's thesis from a six year old. They wouldn't even know where to begin.

Comment by Wesley on October 30, 2009 at 11:33pm

I think you did it just right.

Comment by Laura on October 31, 2009 at 1:52am

Danielle: Yeah, they're just looking for a reason to get riled up and offended. The message behind the ads doesn't matter; what does is that it's evil, heretical ATHEISM *runs for the hills*.

Norbury: We are a threat, and I'm glad you pointed that out. Reactions like this just show how afraid they are of losing their privileged place in American society.

Reggie: Completely agree. I wasn't even watching the news cast for myself, I just happened to be in the room while my father had it on. Poor man had to listen to me rant on for a good 20 minutes after it aired, too, haha.

Wesley: Thank you! I wanted to both get across facts and bitch-factor, and I feel I hit that mark nicely.

Comment by Reggie on October 31, 2009 at 4:10am

I just happened to be in the room while my father had it on.

Ugh! I'm sorry to hear that. I usually have to take a long, hot shower if I accidentally see parts of a local news cast. It makes me feel dirty.

Comment by Shine on October 31, 2009 at 10:17am

Wow, the original article is totally incoherent; it initially states that the ad campaign's purpose is to encourage people to stop believing, but then later claims that the purpose is to reach out to atheists. So...by reaching out to people who already don't believe, how are people who do believe even being addressed? This is journalism? It fails to meet the standards of coherence expected in an average high school English class.

Laura, your letter to the station was perfect; you emphatically stated your case without going over the top.

Comment by Dave G on October 31, 2009 at 11:03pm

Not just local news, Reggie. The media in general has completely abandoned any idea of reporting facts, doing research, or being honest in their reporting. There may be some exceptions to that, but in general any story reported by the media has to be assumed to contain as much falsehood as truth.

Comment by Reggie on October 31, 2009 at 11:09pm

I absolutely agree, my evil twin. But local news is so much worse than national media. At least national media spends time "mis-reporting" on some relevant topics. Local media is half a step up from high school reporting and gossip columns. Hmm, come to think of it, maybe the only difference is the production value.

Comment by Dave on November 2, 2009 at 8:55am

As the one who was interviewed by WHDH, I can tell you that I never suggested that we were trying to "get people to stop believing." The subject of "getting people to stop believing" was never even brought up during the very brief interview. That comment by the anchor was a complete fabrication. It's a great example of how the media love to sensationalize atheism, portraying it as some kind of threat. Let's hope we can change that mentality.

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