hi all

this confessed compulsive 'digger'
has some new and impressive competition in our camilla:

>I found the O'Hare petition
>--here's the scoop if you want to post it
>--we were right that it is junk!

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Madalyn Murray O'Hair vs. Religious Broadcasting

The rumor that the FCC has before it a proposal to deny licenses to religious broadcasters still continues to circulate, 25 years after the Commission deniec
that request.
                 - Federal Communications Commission

I don't think it's going to die out or ever be debunked successfully. No matter how hard we try to debunk it, there will be people who haven't seen it and will help spread the rumor the next time around.
                 - Jan Harold Brunvand, Folklorist

Dateline: 05/05/99

A quarter of a century ago, two broadcasters petitioned the FCC to consider disqualifying religious organizations from being licensed to broadcast on channels
reserved for noncommercial educational use. Eight months later, citing the First
Amendment requirement "to observe a stance of neutrality toward religion, acting neither topromote nor to inhibit religion," the Commission denied the petition.

That ought to have been the end of it.

Unfortunately, wildly inaccurate rumors had already surfaced among religious groups to the effect that the petition was instigated by the infamous atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair and called for a ban on all religious programming. By the time the FCC
announced its August 1, 1975 ruling, it had received an estimated 700,000 letters of protest frompeople who misunderstood both the origin and the nature of the petition.

In spite of the Commission's best efforts to correct these misunderstandings, they persisted well beyond that date. In fact, they persist to this very day.

One reason they're still with us is that during the height of the 1975 hysteria, a counter-petition codifying the false information was drawn up and circulated to "concerned Christians" everywhere. Nothing gives a rumor staying power like the printed word.

From snail mail to fax to email, all available means have been used to keep the document in constant circulation ever since. Here's a recent example:

     PLEASE HELP!!! WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO OUR COUNTRY!!!

     Madeline Marray O'Hare, an atheist, whose efforts successfully
     eliminated the use of Bible reading and prayer from public schools
     fifteen years ago, has now been granted a federal hearing in
     Washington D.C., on the same subject, by the Federal
     Communications Commission. (FCC)

     Her petition, No. 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop any
     reading of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on the
     airwaves of America. She took her petition with 287,000 signatures
     to back her stand. If her attempt is successful, all Sunday
     Worship services being broadcast, either by radio or television,
     will stop! Ms. O'Hare is also campaigning to remove all CHRISTMAS
     PROGRAMS, CHRISTMAS SONGS AND CHRISTMAS CAROLS from Public
     Schools.

     You can help this time! We need 1,000,000 (one million) signed
     letters. This would defeat Ms. O'Hare and show that there are many
     CHRISTIANS ALIVE, WELL AND CONCERNED FOR OUR COUNTRY. This
     petition is #2493.

     Cut off, sign and mail the form. Please do not sign jointly as Mr.
     & Mrs. EACH PERSON SHOULD SIGN ONE SEPARATELY AND MAIL IT IN A
     SEPARATE ENVELOPE!!!!! (Helps us get 1,000,000 faster). Be sure to
     put Petition #2493 on the outside of the envelope before mailing
     the letter.

     CHRISTIANS MUST UNITE ON THIS! PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY; WE
     DID ONCE AND LOST PRAYER IN SCHOOLS AND IN OFFICES ACROSS THE
     NATION!!!

     The only way for EVIL to flourish is for GOOD men to do NOTHING!!

     Federal Communications Commission
     RE: Petition #3492
     Washington, D.C. 20054

     Gentlemen:

     I am an American and am very thankful for my American heritage. I
     am also much aware of the role our Christian Faith has in the
     freedom that we Americans now enjoy. Therefore, I protest any
     human effort to remove from the radio or television; programs
     designed to nurture faith in God or to remove CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS,
     CHRISTMAS SONS AND CHRISTMAS CAROLS from public airwaves, schools,
     office buildings, etc.

     Sincerely:

     Name___________________________
     Address__________________________

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i wouldn't normally post an entire 'urban legend'
but i thought the background on this one was interesting

this is the first time i've seen the inaugural version of one
[apparently not written by a dweeb back in 1975]

i also find it interesting that the posting of the urban legend version
was the catalyst for our religious discussions/debates recently


janet



janet paterson
52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset
e-mail - [log in to unmask]
web-site -  http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/