American Atheists Media: BARBARA WALTERS — THE ELLEN JOHNSON INTERVIEW ON ABC SPECIAL — TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2005 — “HEAVEN…” ELLEN JOHNSON, President of American Atheists will be among the guests interviewed by veteran news and features journalist Barbara Walters this coming Tuesday, December 20, 2005 on an ABC special documentary, “Heaven — Where Is It? How Do We Get There?” The program airs on the ABC television network from 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET — check local listings. The Barbara Walters special explores the meaning of “heaven and the afterlife” with religious leaders, believers, and non-believers. Along with Johnson, other guests include: Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington; Rabbi Neil Gillman, Jewish Theological Seminary; Rev. Calvin Butts, Abyssinian Baptist Church, Harlem, NY; The Dali Lama; Pastor Tim Haggard, president, National Association of Evangelicals; Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, American Society for Muslim Advancement;Dean Hamer, author of “The God Gene”; Susan Blackmore, psychologist and skeptic; Maria Shriver; Jihad Jarrar, Islamic Jihad. There will be a preview of the “Heaven” program on “20/20″ this Friday on ABC at 10:00 PM ET. ELLEN JOHNSON is President of American Atheists, Executive Director of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee (GAMPAC) and a frequent guest on news and public affairs programs. WHO & WHAT: Ellen Johnson on a Barbara Walters/ABC Television Network special, “Heaven — Where Is It? How Do We Get There?” WHEN: Tuesday, December 20, 2005, 9:00 – 11:00 PM ET (check local listings) WHERE: ABC stations MORE INFO: http://abcnews.go.com/International/print?id=1374010 * Bring Ellen Johnson to your next Atheist/Freethought/Secularist gathering! Check out the American Atheists Speakers Bureau at http://www.atheists.org/speakers . (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)
Generations of ServiceMurderer Dies in PrisonSomething OldSomething NewSo Help Me Nobody -- Court affirmationsSix Myths about MMOHSeparation of Church and State, A RebuttalSchool Prayer FAQsSchool Prayer Decision (Madalyn Murray O’Hair)Spirits, Souls, and ClonesSponsor the ShowSusan B. AnthonyTestimony to US Civil Rights CommissionTexas State PageThe 10C's V. NeutralityThe Atheist: Madalyn's BiographyThe Battle is JoinedThe Battle of PhiladelphiaRushdie Missing from Book FairRock of Ages and the Age of RocksRobert OwenMythicist PrizeNativity - The origins of the Birth of JesusNazareth, Faith, and the Dark OptionNo More Ham -- A look at several Black Atheist LeadersNoahs Flood -- DebateOdd InquiriesOn WeddingsOther Gods that Look a LOT Like JesusPledge of AllegiancePledge of Allegiance - Dave's LetterPre-Christian Christmas Stories with Other GodsRaising Children Without GodRed Herring Rushdie IRed Herring Rushdie IIReligion Tax Office OpenedRoadside CrossesRobert G. Ingersoll The Black Atheists of The Harlem RenaissanceThe Cons of Charitable ChoiceTo Bash or Not to BashTom Cruise Pushes for FBI Funding for ScientologyTop Ten Atheist MythsVolunteers NeededWas Jesus a Jew?Was Jesus InventedWatch the Words!Wedding VowsWhat is the object of life? by Grant AllenWhat is Wrong with a Few Harmless Prayers?What to ask Preachers and MissionariesWhere Jesus Never WalkedWhite House Expands Faith-Based InitiativesWho are the freethinkers?Why I am an Infidel: Luther BurbankWhy is Religiosity so Hard to CureWhy the Truth About Nazareth is ImportantTill Death Do Us Part?Thomas Alva Edison: An Introduction by Frank Zindler Thomas Alva Edison: 1911 Columbian InterviewThe Creator BillThe DisappearanceThe Enlightenment, Freemasonry, and The IlluminatiThe Final Taboo: Electing AtheistsThe Good Old DaysThe Hon. Atheist Governor: Culbert L. Olson.The Inconsistency of TheismThe Kiwi QuestionThe Logic of Death by George J. Holyoake The Myth of Nazareth, Does it Really Matter?The Question of Atheists HospitalsThe Roots of AtheismThe School Prayer DecisionThe Science of CreationismThe Wild World of CreationismTheopolitics of the Rushdie CaseThomas Alva Edison 1910 NYT InterviewWinning an Unwinnable DebateChristianity, Its Nature and Influence on Civilisation by Charles Watts Christians in UniformCircuit Court Rules for "Aphorisms"Congress Rushes to preserve Clergy Tax BreaksContradictions in the BibleConvencion en espanolConvention 2010 ScheduleCourt Probing Parsonage TaxCowardice of the WestCreation Science and the FACT of EvolutionCreationism: Reversing ScienceCreator Bill TextDave's Favorite Biblical InconsistenciesDebate: Is Creationism Science (Zindler / Gish)Did Jesus Exist?Edwin C. Walker: American AtheistErnestine Rose: A Troublesome FemaleCharles WattsCase is Solved12 Further Fictions from the NTA Declaration of Mental Independence, by Robert Owen Abner KneelandAgainst the 10 Commandments in PublicAgnosticism: The Basis for AtheismAims and PrinciplesAlabamaAmerican Atheists Legal PhilosophyAn Atheist's Guide to MohammedanismAtheism by O'HairAtheism: Madalyn Murray O'Hair 1962 speechAtheist Director Wins Creche CaseAtheist MusiciansAtheist StationAtheist WeddingsBiblical ContradictionsBigotry Worst Against AtheistsEthics Without GodsFCC Religion HoaxMoslem Violence in BrittainInterview: Douglas AdamsJames Lick Jesus MythKeep Politics Out Of The Pulpit or Lose Tax-Exempt Status: Opinion Kentucky Homeland Security LawsuitKersey GravesLessons from The Satanic VersesmaMA Church Dismayed over DisplayMaculate Deception: The "Science" of CreationsimMangasar Magurditch Mangasarian Mary Faker Eddy -- Christian ScienceMOMormonismInaccurate Founding Father QuotesHurricane Katrina Boosts FBIGod on OUR MoneyFree WillFrom the Mouths of CreationistsFundamentalismFunerals - Dying an AtheistGeorge J. Holyoake - The last man in England tried for Atheism George J. Holyoake by Madalyn Murray O'HairGod in OUR PledgeGrant Allen How Jesus Got a LifeHang the Commandments -- All 30 of ThemHubert Henry Harrison: The Black Socrates aboutlawatheismFaith of the Founding Fathersreligionpoliticsyouth & familymilitarymediaLibraryeventsStoreJoin & Supportorphans
Great. We get to watch the gullibility queen Barbara Walters and a posse of religious leaders gang up on that ‘evil atheist’ Ellen Johnson. Oh, there is one other ’skeptic’ listed – Susan Blackmore. But I’m afraid with her purple hair and fuzzy thinking (she has a habit of constantly espousing the brilliance of Dawkins’ meme theory along with the wonders of Zen meditation in the same breath) she’ll just come off as another New Age goof ball.
Boy I sure hate television.
But anyway, GOOD LUCK ELLEN!
I really hope this goes well, but with as many people as it looks like they have scheduled for this, each “guest” will probably only get about a minute of time to speak and probably only on 1 or 2 set questions.
Its a step in the right direction I think, so long as atheists actually get airtime and in an environment that doesn’t set them up to fail.
Well, good luck to ya Ellen!
-Blueflame
I’m afraid that I agree with the above. I think Ellen is there as a token and will be pretty much ignored. I saw her once on a TV show and thats what happened to her then. I think the network doesn’t want to offend the right wingers and the whole show will be a white wash but they can espouse that they were even handed, like FOX. I never heard of Susan Blackmore but if what r4d says is true then I’m sure she was picked for the show to help them debunk thr whole movement. Sounds like she will be the “Burmuda Triangle” of the whole show.
Blueflame said “Its a step in the right direction I think, so long as atheists actually get airtime and in an environment that doesn’t set them up to fail.”
But it seems to me that we might be walking into another right-wing booby trap. It’s already been pointed out that Ellen will most likely say her piece and then be completely ignored, and Susan Blackmore could have a Pat Robertson effect on us too. Plus with so many believers, the one “skeptic” and the ONE non-believer…the odds dont look very good. At least the buddhists, muslims, baptists, catholics, and xtians can all gang up on us because they at least all believe in a heaven, even if it’s a little different for each of them. It like a fifteen on one-and-a-half debate. The thing that sucks is, we’d be stupid not to take the airtime that people will see all our the country. It will be interesting to see how this affects the “war on atheists”
I hope they dont change the subject to putting Cwist back in Cwistmas and making it a national weligious holdiay, since Amewica is a Cwistian countwy!
LOL Woosta!
RIP, Gilda!
This is an atheist coup.
By placing all religious variations on the table, the absurdity of religion will become apparent.
The rational solution, in the minds of viewers, will be atheism. And Ellen will be there to deliver the goods.
seeker
It would be so great to think you were right.
But I’m afraid that when the other options are presented, the xians will be too busy stuffing tissue paper in their ears and yelling “NA NA NA NA I can’t hear you, EVIL EVIL EVIL!” that they will not be swayed one bit by the other side.
Fence sitters may fall off to our side, if Ellen is really given a fair say.
Be sure to check out the Haggard guy. He was on another nightly news special, and he made my skin crawl, and not in a good way.
If you could be a twee what kind of twee would you be? A Cwistmas Twee?
(Barbara can never live down asking this stupid question during an interview…)
Hopefully by presenting all the different and often conflicting views of heaven that are to be presented by the various religious leaders it will show the futility of faith and Ellen’s atheist point of view will be self evidently the most logical. Good luck Ellen!
Alex.
Looking forward to it. I’ve added it to my list of manual recordings (gotta love Sage TV). Good luck to Ellen. I’ve never seen her speak, and can’t wait to hear what she has to say.
I saw Ellen once on TV, I think it was FOX but am not 100% sure on that. Anyway, no matter which network, as soon as she said something they didn’t like or want to hear they just talked over her, like O’Reilly, until she gave up. It is going to be 8-1 against, I’m not sure Susan even counts she is so far out there, and I don’t think Ellen will have a chance. Sure hope I’m wrong.
The odds are that they’ll give the religious guests lots of time to speak and only give Ellen no more than 30 seconds, tops. At Christmas time, it’s not exactly good for ratings to hear something like, “I don’t think Heaven is a place you can go. I think it’s a place in everyone’s heart that they can find.”
We’ll see how it goes.
I’m feeling kinda pessimistic, like a lot of you. Hope they give Ellen a little more than a soundbite. I’ve never seen her on t.v., so am interested in hearing her voice. I’m sure she’s going to look great on t.v., she’s really nice looking in her photos.
When I saw David on t.v., I was surprised at his “New Joisey” accent! Didn’t sound at all like I was expecting!
ooh! I was just on the James Randi website and found this funny posting. It’s the third posting down under the heading, “Pat in Trouble.”
http://www.randi.org/jr/200512/121605local.html
I love this quote:
“Science works whether you believe in it or not. That’s what’s really cool about it”
pix
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could take all the science out of Pat’s life though? He wouldn’t have his tv show. He’d wither and die from non-exposure.
Too bad science is a equal-opportunity appliance.
“Science works whether you believe in it or not. That’s what’s really cool about it”
= is is
☺
Hi pixel. I think that I remember Dave saying that he grew up in Boston (as did I) and he probably intentionally lost his Boston accent (as did I, many many years ago, during WWII). As for Ellen on Baba Wawa’s show, she’ll possibly get as much time as a minute. Brave girl! Agreeing to be surrounded and challenged by neanderthals is no picnic. I saw on one TV program (I don’t remember which one) and was disappointed at the amount of time she was given, not enough to enlighten the religious bigots. But at least, she did get some exposure for our side.
Even though most of you discard it as a respectable source, Fox News has a special on tonight about Church and State.
Hey Seeker. If you’ve decided there is no God, is there another reason for your screen name?
A FOX news show on Church and State? It might be something to watch if they actually were “fair and unbiased!” We all know that ain’t gonna happen. Of course to be fair that is probably true of 99% of the news media outlets today no matter what their agenda is. Piss off the majority, no matter the subject, and you loose viewers and of course MONEY! Not something that will happen any time soon. It’s the same with politicians. Ask a politician a hard question and you will loose access and if you loose access you loose your job hence no hard questions. I knows this for a fact as may father, many years ago obvioulsy, was a power behind the throne kinda guy and I learned what these people are really like when the camera is off. Scary bunch, trust me!
R4D
(Why do I want to write “R4D2″?- oh, yeah it’s a meme thing)
Marx was wrong. Minnow was correct. Television is the opiate of the masses.
There are always exceptions…. but most of the cable and broadcast world targets minds functioning at the 6th to 8th grade level.
My own juries – federal – and drawn from 6 counties – 3 part of (or, entirely included in) a major city with several universities and 3 entirely rural counties – invariably give me 6th grade or lower jurors from a pool that starts at 250 registered voters and automobile owners.
My digital cable gives me no fewer than 25 religion-only channels. The “science & discovery” channels are anything but “science” and Jon Stewart, Lewis Black, Alton Brown and CSPAN (I, II & III) are the only reason that they have my money.
As a lawyer I’m well acquainted with the power of money. There is no reason that a channel devoted to “reason” is not part of basic cable – save money, content and advertisers.
I sure am glad I am not the only one who can see through all the BS!
I’ve seen Ellen and David a couple times on tv and they never get as much air time and are usually talked over so no one can hear their logic. Grrrr!
Anyway, good luck Ellen, I’ll be watching!
One reason why Ellen will likely not have the air time the others do (as well as the issue of the network not wanting to piss off its religious viewers) is that the masses enjoy believing in the fantastic?hence atheists seldom make for good ratings or interesting television (at least to people not grounded in reality).
Someone telling you how everything will be ok once you’re dead gives you hope and is far more interesting than someone telling you once you’re dead?you’re dead.
Seeker made a comment about how all of those different faiths, collected together to talk about their version of heaven, will show the absurdity in religion. Sorry, I don?t think so. Having been someone of faith, Seeker, you especially should know that isn’t how it typically works.
People of faith will only attribute all of those different religions as proof there is a god. ?How could so many different people, from different parts of the world, believe in a supreme being if it didn?t exist?
We?ve all heard that rhetorical question before from people of faith.
Those that are religious will just see it a case of ?my god (or heaven) is the correct one and you have it wrong?.
One thing all of the religious viewers of this program will have in common is the starry-eyed looks about their faces and the warm fuzzies in their tummies while thinking about how they?ll get to look down on the rest of the living world for all eternity?in their own particular perfect bliss?watching their living loved ones enjoy the earthy freedoms that were taken from them through death.
Doesn’t heaven sound like fun?
I picture heaven as a place of war fighting over who gets to sit on gods knee.
No thanks!
I plan on spending eternity in hell partying my ass off.
“I plan on spending eternity in hell partying my ass off.
”
Saweeeeet!
I’ll enjoy my time in hell with Penn and Teller. Expecially John Lennon!!
A HEAVENLY HYPOTHESIS
God was bored four thousand years ago.
He was tired of the angels worshipping him, and he wanted a challenge.
He said to himself “I will build a universe in 7 days” thinking surely that will be challenging.
When he was finished he said “Not too bad, but not challenging enough”.
I am looking for a workout. Maybe I am not who the angels say I am.
I want to test myself. I will go into the world in the form of man.
But first, I will give myself a holy amnesia.
I will live in the form of man, and I will not reveal even to
myself who “I AM”.
I will reveal myself slowly to myself.
I will send myself prophets to reveal in riddles
who “I AM”.
Slowly I will bring myself back to the realization of who we I mean “I AM”.
When I realize who “I AM”.
I will go back to heaven, and let the angels worship me again.
I hypothesize, that the end of the world will not occur until all people are Christian. You will probably start citing versus contradicting me. I challenge you to seriously consider more evangelism unless you plan on staying on Earth for a long time. Please send this to all people that you know.
On the ABC.COM website it has this from Ellen as to tonight’s show, “Heaven…”
“But for Ellen Johnson, president of the American Atheists, science or no science, heaven is a myth.
‘Heaven doesn’t exist, hell doesn’t exist. We weren’t alive before we were born and we’re not going to exist after we die. I’m not happy about the fact that that’s the end of life, but I can accept that and make my life more fulfilling now, because this is the only chance I have,’ she tells Walters. “
I doubt that there will be anything else in the show from Ellen. What, maybe 5 seconds?
Reader’s Digest recently did an article on this very show, complete with pictures of Walters with the Dali Lama and the preacher from NY. Most of the article focused on what the religious leaders had to say, with whole paragraphs for their view. At the end of the article, it briefly mentions that Ellen Johnson was also interviewed, and gives Ellen one sentence. I think the TV special will, unfortunately, do the same.
I didn’t even see Ellen but was not paying full attention to the program. I was interested in and started researching the “god Gene”. Any comments on this would be helpful. ks
KS
I dont know enough about the god gene to really get into it. Sorry.
Anyways, did anyone see the Oreily factor with Mrs Wawa? After being talked over throug out the whole show, she look Bill in the eyes and said “happy holidays” in a very condisending way. LOL Go Babs!
American Automobile Association
I wasnt going to drive around by myself because the first paragraph of the official Automobile Association book on Boston is:If carm…