The Neutrality of Atheists

[py3ak]

How's this for neutrality and a lack of bias?

SEATTLE, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- National Public Radio (NPR) is being
criticized for censorship after canceling at the last minute the appearance of
a high school biology teacher critical of evolution, while still allowing a
pro-evolution teacher to present his views.
On May 21 NPR's Science Friday program cancelled invited guest Roger
Dehart just hours before airing a program discussing the teaching of
evolution. DeHart is a high school biology teacher critical of evolutionary
theory. Featured in the documentary "Icons of Evolution," DeHart received
national attention in 2001 because his school district in Burlington,
Washington forbade him from presenting scientific evidence critical of
Darwinian theory. DeHart was originally slated to appear along with a Texas
teacher who opposes the critical examination of Darwinian theory in the
classroom. As of Wednesday, May 26 the NPR.org website still listed Roger
DeHart as having been a participant in the program. In fact, at the last
minute he was asked not to participate, but the Texas teacher was still
allowed on the air to promote his views.
"I wish I'd been allowed to present my side of the story," said DeHart.
"The teacher they had on made false claims such as Discovery Institute wanting
to weaken the teaching of evolution. Nothing could be further from the truth,
but NPR listeners will never know that because NPR only presented the one
side."
According to DeHart, the producer who pre-interviewed him for the show
said she was an "atheist" and insisted that scientists who are critical of
evolutionary theory such as biochemist Michael Behe are merely promoting
religion.
"The censorship of DeHart is just another incident in a long list of
biased reporting by NPR in what seems to be a campaign of misinformation about
criticism of Darwinian evolution," said Dr. John West, associate director of
Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. "NPR has a history of
presenting only one side of the issue, or misrepresenting critics of Darwin
when their point of view is included."
Discovery Institute has documented at least five recent reports on NPR
about the teaching of evolution that are inaccurate, misinform listeners on
the key issues in the story, and misrepresent the Institute's position on
these issues. To date, NPR has responded to only one complaint raised by the
Institute.

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Are you surprised by this? NPR has been a faithful talking head of the liberal agenda for ages. It's pitiful but not surprising in the least.

 

[py3ak]

Not surprised --just in between saddened and amused at how glaringly obvious the anti-Christian bias is to me, while at the same time these people TALK as though they sincerely considered themselves to be objective.

 

[JonathonHunt]

No, No, Mr Manata, its not religion, its SCIENCE...

Yeah, right!

 

[jfschultz]

Just face the facts we must have evolution! That is the only way to explain "creation" without a creator.

If there is no creator then there is no being who has the right and prerogative to tell us right and wrong. Then we can freely live as we want to live. (Of course I will gripe, and maybe fight, when your living like you want to bothers me. Because that is my right to live like I want!)

 

[crhoades]

Rant time!

Hmmm....NPR - National [b:d6da9193da]Public[/b:d6da9193da] Radio

That means our tax dollars are hard at work to support the above story. So I won't commit libel- here is the "How NPR is supported" from their website. They claim 1-2% funding of budget from Federal Grants etc. That's ok...only 1-2%. We shouldn't get upset at that should we? 2 million dollars!!! :flaming:

Not to mention all of the local stations are receiving government (our) money to host NPR etc. Hmmm... Congress shall not establish religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof...What an antiquated notion!

[b:d6da9193da]How is NPR Supported?[/b:d6da9193da]

NPR (National Public Radio) is a private, self-supporting nonprofit media company with hundreds of independent radio stations as members. NPR receives no direct federal funding for general support. NPR supports its operations through a combination of membership dues and programming fees from stations, contributions from private foundations and corporations, and revenue from the sales of transcripts, books, CDs, and merchandise. A very small percentage - between 1-2 percent of NPR's annual budget - comes from competitive grants sought by NPR from federally funded organizations, such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. At present, NPR's annual operating budget is approximately $100 million a year (2002 NPR Annual Report).

Published reports in Worth Magazine and Consumers Digest cited NPR as a leading U.S. nonprofit charity because of the company's program spending efficiency, high level of private support, and outstanding public service. NPR produces and distributes 32 programs weekly, including top-rated, award winning newsmagazines Morning Edition and All Things Considered. More than 22 million people listen to NPR programs each week.

The public radio system in the U.S. includes more than 770 local, independent stations of varying formats, whose licenses are owned either by colleges and universities, community foundations, or other organizations. The strength of public radio's vital community service lies in its unique collaboration between local public radio stations and national program producers, such as NPR. NPR member stations are autonomous entities and are not owned or operated by NPR, nor does NPR fund member stations. Instead, station revenues come from a variety of other sources. In 2004, public radio stations and producers will receive $86 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is funded by Congress (that amounts to only 30 cents per American to support local public radio stations). The appropriation from Congress accounts for only about 14 percent of the cost of operating local public radio stations, and the remaining 86 percent must be raised from a variety of sources, most importantly contributions from listeners.

 

[dswatts]

I am sick of my hard earned tax dollars going to support NPR!

Blade, what is your presidential campaign platform position re: NPR tax payer support?

Grace,
Dwayne