July 28, 1999

EDITORIAL: Rumor lives,
even if O'Hair doesn't
___The Madalyn-Murray-O'Hair-is-trying-to-get-religion-thrown-off-the-airwaves rumor lives on. Even if she doesn't.
___We enjoyed peace for a few years. Now, even though many law enforcement officials believe America's most famous atheist is dead, her rumor has resurrected.
___The rumor claims O'Hair, who rose to national infamy in the '60s, has been granted a Federal Communications Commission hearing "which would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel ... on the airwaves of America." Petitions perpetuating this rumor incorrectly link O'Hair's American Atheists Association to a formal request-- RM 2493--asking the FCC to ban the broadcast of Sunday worship services. It also claims O'Hair's organization is "campaigning to remove all Christmas programs, Christmas songs and Christmas carols from public schools."
___The petition is wrong, wrong, wrong:
___ O'Hair never was affiliated with RM 2493. That request was filed in 1974 by Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milam. They asked the FCC to freeze licenses for new educational television and FM radio stations that were to air only religious or quasi-religious programs. Their request would not have eliminated religious broadcasting from radio and TV stations that already had received government broadcast licenses.
___ FCC commissioners unanimously denied RM 2493--24 years ago. The FCC issued a statement Aug. 1, 1975, noting the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires the commission "to observe a stance of neutrality toward religion, acting neither to promote nor to inhibit religion." Furthermore, the commission specifically stressed the First Amendment denies it the authority to prohibit religious activity.
___ The dating used in the petition proves it is at least 21 years old. The petition describes O'Hair as "an atheist (who) successfully eliminated the use of Bible reading and prayer from schools 15 years ago." The Supreme Court decision to which the statement refers was handed down in 1963--36 years ago. Even remedial math is sufficient to show the last time the statement was written was in 1978.
___Baptist newspapers have been dispelling the bogus rumor since the '70s. And nothing has changed since then, except O'Hair has died and the rumor refuses to succumb.
___While we're on the rumor beat, the old Procter-&-Gamble-president-is-a-Satanist rumor also is making the rounds, this time on the Internet. It's as phony, and more silly, than the O'Hair rumor. The big difference is P&G will sue rumormongers.
___These rumors typically encourage you to convince 10 friends to circulate the O'Hair petition or get 10 friends to join in the P&G boycott. Every Baptist who gets the straight story on these phony rumors ought to do two things. First, call up 10 friends and tell them the truth. And second, keep a copy of this editorial in a safe place. You'll need it when the rumors resurrect. Again.
___

Together, let's tell Texas that Jesus saves
___This week begins a new chapter in missions promotion among Texas Baptists. Texas Woman's Missionary Union, Texas Baptist Communications and the Baptist Standard are teaming up to spend the next two months educating all of us regarding the opportunities for mission work in Texas.
___Every week, you'll read stories and see ads that illustrate the theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Texas Missions, "Together: Tell Texas Jesus Saves."
___We hope you'll read about Texas missions. More than that, we hope you'll pray for, support and do Texas missions.
--Marv Knox

E-mail the editor at marvknox@flash.net

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