The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a state/church watchdog and the nation's largest freethought association, is placing a historic 30-second tribute to separation of state and church as an ad on CBS television.
FFRF's ad is slated to appear this Sunday, March 25, on "CBS Sunday Morning," and also on the Monday CBS Evening News on March 26.
FFRF's commercial showcases the famous words of John F. Kennedy, while a rendition of "My Country Tis of Thee" plays: "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. . . . where no ecclesiastical body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly on the general populace."
The ad opens with footage of the speech by JFK in his historic 1960 appearance before the Protestant ministers in Houston. This is the comment which Rick Santorum averred "makes me want to throw up."
The camera moves to the U.S. Constitution as the ad states:
"Let's restore respect for America's secular roots. Help the Freedom From Religion Foundation defend the wall of separation between state and church. Join us at FFRF.ORG. Freedom depends on freethinkers."
The ad concludes with the strains, "Let freedom ring," as FFRF's emblematic image appears of a Lincoln penny with the words "In Reason We Trust" instead of "In God We Trust."
FFRF's name, website FFRF.ORG, and toll-free number, 1-800-335-4021, alternate on the screen.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, who played the musical accompaniment to the ad, said: "Kennedy was right. The separation between religion and government must be absolute, or there's no freedom or justice for all.
"The deterioration of respect for this constitutional principle is breathtaking. We've gone from a nation where candidates once had to show reverence for the First Amendment principle of separation between state and church to get elected to one where candidates wear religion on their sleeves and think they have to trash the Constitution to get elected," observed Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF Co-President.
That distinctive voice in the ad belongs to Buzz Kemper, who announces FFRF's Freethought Radio. The ad was produced for FFRF by John Urban Productions.
FFRF will place this ad on more stations as funds permit.
Note: The ad is currently on stand-by for CBS Sunday Morning. If it does not play this Sunday, it will play the following Sunday.