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A TV commercial promoting the Freedom From Religion Foundation — featuring Ron Reagan, the “unabashed atheist” son of President Ronald Reagan, who quips he’s “not afraid to burn in hell” — will air on many major regional markets this Sunday during the “Cosmos” show on Fox national broadcasting.
The riveting update of the original Carl Sagan series, written by Ann Druyan, his widow, features Neil deGrasse Tyson, and is a promising vehicle for FFRF, a state/church watchdog that serves as the nation’s largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics).
FFRF’s commercial was rejected for national “Cosmos” airing because it’s an advocacy ad, but FFRF was able to secure broadcasting during the program in major metropolitan markets. These are: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Orlando, Seattle and Madison, Wis., home turf of FFRF.
The ad reads:
Hi, I'm Ron Reagan, an unabashed atheist, and I’m alarmed by the intrusion of religion into our secular government. That’s why I’m asking you to support the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's largest and most effective association of atheists and agnostics, working to keep state and church separate, just like our Founding Fathers intended. Please support the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Ron Reagan, lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in hell.
The 30-second spot debuted May 22 on Jon Stewart’s “Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central. Reagan’s an honorary director of FFRF. Reagan was previously awarded FFRF’s Emperor Has No Clothes Award, a statuette depicting the legendary emperor, which is reserved for public figures who make known their dissent from religion. (Read acceptance speech here.)
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“We think Ron deserves so much respect, for unflinchingly coming out as an atheist even in the 1980s,” said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “We’re honored by his lending his name and support for FFRF’s advancement of reason, freethought and a secular government.”
