Air for Atheists

Ardent atheists with a proselyting itch got a greenish light from the Federal Communications Commission. Disbelievers, the FCC ruled, were entitled to all the radio time they could get.

After unsuccessfully badgering three California radio stations for an opportunity to air his atheism, a retired Palo Alto court reporter named Robert Harold Scott had petitioned the FCC to revoke the stations' licenses. For 16 months the FCC juggled this hot potato. Finally, it denied Scott's petition, but said in the course of a 2,500-word decision: "Freedom of religious belief necessarily carries with if freedom to disbelieve, and freedom of speech means freedom to express disbeliefs as well as beliefs...."

This week's issue of the Methodist Zions Herald applauded: "The FCC has done a profound service to freedom of religion. . . . One of the basic rights that must not be disturbed is the right to achieve for oneself a satisfactory conception of God. To safeguard that right, the church must recognize and defend the right of an individual to disbelieve either in partner completely."

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