zamboniavenger

Hey, this isn't really a rant, but I'm not sure where else to put it. First, a little background. I'm a DJ at the campus radio station of the University of GA and I DJ from 8-11am Sunday mornings. From 8-10 I play music, but from 10-11 we have a segment called MLK Speaks/The Love and Wisdom of Alan Watts where we play their speeches. It's basically something we do to fill up an hour of airtime. All of MLK's speeches are very religious but I normally let it slide considering who he is and what he did. Plus, I usually just go to sleep during this hour. Well, today's speech was entirely a sermon, so I decided to play another, hopefully a more secular one. I did this not because I was offended or anything like that, but because I didn't think our radio station should be playing that sort of propaganda since we're affiliated with a secular, public university. Anyways, the next speech was actually a speech, and quite secular, but then he totally started going of on atheism, seemingly out of the blue. He made the same types of stupid points that people make here; that atheism isn't just a lack of believe in gods, but that it is some sort of religion dedicated to the destruction of xtianity and all things decent. I was completely dumbstruck. I don't really want to make any problems, but having to play that really pissed me off. Am I overreacting here? Sorry this was so long and rambling.

Vibr8gKiwi

If that guy's position is that atheism is a religion, then from his position he shouldn't be being played at a campus radio station. Why would your college allow air time to some hate-monger who spent air time slamming another religion? Even though atheism isn’t a religion, there are still atheists at the campus and it would seem to me to be wrong to air speeches attacking a minority group at the campus.

Pitshade

This belongs in Church State Separation.

Krieger

Well, there are still some minority groups that are okay to hate in this country (atheists and pagans).

Alonzo Fyfe

Who decides the program?

This is relevant because I am generally opposed to the state regulating what a professor says in his classroom, or what students may say or do in the presentation of a program (such as a play or broadcast). Even though it is a public school, I would be reluctant to prohibit professors from making religious statements to their students, or students from putting on a religious program.

But, this is wholly consistent with the idea that the university administration should leave its hands off (except in extreme circumstances).

If the administration dictates the programming, then I think that you have grounds for complaint. If the programming is determined elsewhere and the administration has adopted a hands-off policy, then I think that this is as it should be.

The appropriate action to take depends on how this question is answered.

If the administration decided the program, then a complaint ought to be presented to the administration as a church/state separation issue.

If the administration was not involved in selecting the program, then I think you should exercise your right to engage in public debate -- perhaps best accomplished by insisting on some air time so that you can counter the views expressed on the air.

[ September 08, 2002: Message edited by: Alonzo Fyfe ]</p>

Toto

1. Is there a definite policy on religious speech for your radio station? The staion might view itself as a public forum, open to all viewpoints, in which case a sermon is okay as long as no one thinks it implies endorsement of the views in it.

This is especially true since you pair MLK with Alan Watts, a non-theistic Anglican priest who expounds on comparative religion, Buddhism in particular. I have listened to a lot of Alan Watts lectures, and I recall one lecture in particular where he says there is no personal god. I would think many Christians would be upset at that. (If you've been sleeping through his lectures, you should listen to some of them.)

If you added an articulate Muslim to your rotation it would be even better.

2. Has anyone complained about either MLK or Alan Watts?

zamboniavenger

Hey guys.


First things first, ALL of our programming is decided by the executives of the station, who are students. I've never even met our staff advisor and couldn't tell you his name from memory. Our only "mandate" from the university is in our charter, and that basically just says that the radio station is to provide an alternative voice that enertains and educates the campus and surrounding community. So, we have pretty much free rein when it comes to programming choices.

I actually did something like this after I played his speech. I went on the air and
said that it is important to remember that atheism is simply a lack of belief of gods with no dogmas or rules. I did that while I was preparing the Alan Watts lecture. I made it real short.
This is the one of the main reasons I've never cared one way or another before.
I've never had anyone comment one way or another about the MLK Speaks portion, but people get really cranky when I start the Alan Watts lectures late. So no, nobody has ever complained about either one.
You do realize I'm talking about Martin Luther King, Jr., right?

[ September 08, 2002: Message edited by: zamboniavenger ]</p>

zorq

In my opinion, just because someone is revered for his battle for civil rights, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he wasn’t a hate monger. Some people are unable to see hypocrisy in themselves. I personally have never herd any but MLK’s most famous speeches, so I have no basis for personally deeming him a “hate monger,” but my point is that I have no basis for deeming him not to be either.

Alonzo Fyfe

Then I do not think that this is a church/state issue. I would like to recommend that you direct your concerns to the executives of the station and seek equal time -- at least to address this one broadcast. It is not simply a matter that you have a different opinion and want it expressed. Rather, a group of people have been defamed, and it is only appropriate that this group be allowed to defend itself.

So, I think it would be a fair request to use this time slot on a future date to counter some of the points made in the MLK speech.

4th Generation Atheist

Yeah, too bad that people who are noble in one area aren't necessarily noble in all of them. I hear that Gandhi had marital problems, because he expected his wife to play the traditional Indian wife and wait on him like a servant, and she was a strong-minded individual who wasn't ok with that. (I don't know anything about Gandhi's view of atheists, though he was for himself apparently a very religious man). His public behavior still is worthy of admiration. Same is true for MLK's achievements; he could well be very progressive in one area and backward in another. Human of him.