American Atheists -- Ohio

AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org

For more information, please contact:
Ellen Johnson, President (973) 625-6900
Dave Silverman, Communications Director (732) 648-9333

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 24, 2005

          BUSH WHITE HOUSE NEEDS TO DO MORE OVER INFLAMMATORY
            REMARKS, ACCESS BY ROBERTSON SAYS ATHEIST GROUP

The Bush administration needs to do much more in speaking out about
calls for the assassination of foreign heads of state by television
preacher and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson, an Atheist civil
rights groups urged today.

On the Monday, August 22, 2005 broadcast of his "700 Club" program aired
nationwide by the Christian Broadcasting Network, Robertson called for a
gang-land style hit on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

"If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him," declared Robertson, I
think we really ought to go ahead and do it.  It's a whole lot cheaper
than starting a war..."

Robertson's statement has been criticized by the U.S. Department of
State.  Even allies on the religious right including the National Clergy
Council have distanced themselves from Robertson's  violent remarks.

The White House has been silent, however, and Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld dismissed the call for assassination, saying "Private citizens
say all kinds of things all the time."

"President Bush needs to distance himself and our government from Pat
Robertson's call for violent and illegal activities like
state-sanctioned assassination," said American Atheists President Ellen
Johnson.  "This careless remark by a powerful evangelical preacher with
close ties and access to Mr. Bush and the Republican Party is sending a
negative image of the United States to other nations, putting Americans
at risk, and jeopardizing our status in the world."

"If a Muslim leader made such a call, I'm sure that President Bush would
have no trouble condemning it," said Johnson. "And whatever happened to
'Thou shalt not kill'?"

Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists, said that
if Robertson considers illegal "hits" a good tactic for foreign policy,
"we can only wonder how he wants to deal with 'enemies' at home who
disagree with his opinions about state-church separation, abortion
rights for women, gay marriage, free speech and other issues."

Silverman also praised Rev. Rob Schenck of the conservative National
Clergy Council, Rev. Jackson and other religious leaders who condemned
Robertson's thoughtless remarks.

"The fact that even many religious leaders consider these remarks to be
inappropriate is another reason why Mr. Bush needs to immediately
distance himself from Pat Robertson," declared Silverman.

American Atheists is a nationwide movement which defends the civil
rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of church and state,
and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.

    American Atheists, Inc. P. O. Box 5733 Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
                 Tel: (908) 276-7300 Fax: (973) 625-6901