Fox News Covers The Campaign
July 30th, 2009
Our recent victory in our fight to get our ads up on Bloomington buses caught the attention of Fox News, which covered the campaign this morning on Fox & Friends. Watch the clip here:
We certainly applaud Fox for actually inviting us on to the show to hear our side of the story rather than just getting some pundits who are all on the same side, although we do regret that complex issues like this are compressed into five-minute ‘discussions.’
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20 Comments Add your own
1. jdb | July 30th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Dear doughy christian dude,
The Declaration Of Independence is not part of the Constitution and therefore not a foundation of any laws in this country.
Sincerely,
People who can read.
2. Bart | July 30th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Well done, Eoban! Calm, cool, and on point.
I like how they show the right bus ad once or twice and the wrong ones the rest of the time.
3. mikekk86 | July 30th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Lol, Fox News presented it with so much bias. Including the word “God” is offensive in the ads? I guess they won’t mind if non-theists take “God” off the currency or out of the Pledge then. I think THAT is much more hypocritical. I see the bus as a big parody of what religious people have forced onto the public.
The problem mainly is that people grew up with religion. They see religion as they see family and their childhood. It’s just sad they can’t rationalize past their emotional attachments. But at the same time, this is why religion is a hard subject for people to even consider.
4. Cassie | July 30th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Why did the news guy keep asking why the word “God” was used? That seems like a ridiculous thing to ask! And Christians are so full of themselves to think that when someone says God it must be in reference to THEIR God. The word God is an all inclusive term referring to any god of any religion.
5. IU Hoosier | July 30th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
This made my day. I can’t wait to see the new ads once I get back to Bloomington.
6. Julie | July 30th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
@Cassie: It was a dummy question. He kept asking the same question over and over in an obvious attempt to trip Eoban up. By forcing him to repeat himself, and then criticizing him for repeating himself, he makes him appear inept. Good on Eoban for not falling for it and flat out telling him that his question was vague and unanswerable.
7. Sam | July 30th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
The founding fathers weren’t even Christian. That dude invoked some really wacky logic.
Good job and good luck, guys!
8. Townie | August 1st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Fox News is so biased in every one of their programs. I love that Eoban was professional about the interview, not interrupting either person, but the Fox interviewer interrupted him (but not the Rev.) multiple times and asked him the same question 4+ times. I hope the IABC can get more supportive attention in mass media. I hate Bloomington Transit, but I’m going to ride it more this semester just so I can see those signs.
9. kate | August 3rd, 2009 at 2:32 am
Why use God? Because then it’s an atheist campaign.
To not mention God would make it secular. Does he think that everything that explicitly say “God” is somehow atheist?
Good job!
10. Deann | August 6th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Well, I guess the Christians have the right to put their own ad up on the buses, which is what they should do since INATHEISTBUS.ORG has paved the way for groups to have the ability to do so or sue Bloomington Transit.
11. Kerstin | August 6th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Oh, and as long as you’re quoting the Declaration of Independence.. Let us not forget that those ringing words were written in a time when they didn’t include African slaves or women. The will be hollow words until all men and women, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation…etc… are regarded as equal. He obviously doesn’t see non-Christians as having the same right to speak as his folk, so the words from his lips are as empty in regard to equality as the signatures of the slave owners on that declaration.
Just try asking him about gay adoption…
12. Deann | August 6th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Any group should be able to put up an ad on the buses now, thanks to your group paving the way. There is this better or will you delete my comment through your censorship again?
13. Adesa | August 11th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Deann: What’s wrong with that? It’s called freedom of speech and is protected by the Bill of Rights (as we’ve been discussing). I’m not sure why people putting offensive ads on a bus is in any way a problem. If it offends you, do what I do whenever I see billboards for local churches: look elsewhere and continue with my own beliefs.
14. Deann | August 24th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Adesa-Never said anything was wrong with that?? But it seems certain groups want their message up but don’t want to see others freedom of speech such as nativities in December. Anyway, I kinda like the message on the buses because you can be good without god and yet god is not left out of the message. I don’t think this is saying anything against one religious group or another. Though I have to admit I don’t understand atheism because I thought they did not acknowledge a god existed yet they claim you can be good without god, therefore acknowledging existence of god. I’ll have to google this.
15. scott | August 26th, 2009 at 12:58 am
Eoban, if you are going to go on TV, practice.
You wasted that exposure. I’m not saying this to be mean. I want you to do what you are doing, but you have got to land a punch.
When an ass like Doocy asks that question, you say: We are offended that people claim that the idea of God has anything to do with being good.
Doocy, says, “but you don’t believe in God, why do you use him in your ad.
You say,
Because we believe that the only source of love in the universe is human empathy, people need to accept that because the world is currently balkanized into religious camps, none of them have a bit of moral authority.
it goes on and on like this.
You have to land the punch. You have to make them defend the idea that people are good because of god.
Practice. Practice, Practice.
Please.
16. Cody | September 15th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
I just moved to Bloomington this year, and I remember when I first saw that ad. I remember thinking, “I love Bloomington.” After watching that video, I’m disappointed with the kind people in this world. It disgusts me that news network, which should just give you the news, has the audacity to be so obviously one sided on an issue. They bring in a pastor, who knows nothing about what rights he actually has, to tag team against Eoban and make a mockery of what this group is trying to do. it’s distasteful what religion does and know that they still think that we’re the ones in the wrong. I applaud you for what this group has done and will continue to do, and I’ll probably see some of you who are reading this at the SAIU meeting tomorrow.
17. Cathy Holmes | September 16th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Christians are a dangerous force. It scares me that FOX dedicates a network to dogma and sell it as news based programing. I thought there were truth in advertising laws.
18. Eric | September 22nd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Awesome Eoban! You make a great spokesperson! Great job!
As far as Fox “news” goes, I don’t think the outcome could have been any better.
19. Jeffrey | October 7th, 2009 at 11:01 am
this newscaster is a completely bigoted moron – so the point in life is to make sure that one “doesn’t offend?” I had no idea that wording was in the 1st amendment.
20. zebtron | October 15th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Civil Liberties FTW!
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