American Atheists launch first television channel dedicated to non-believers, Atheist TV, on Roku. Atheists are excited; creationist Ken Ham, not so much.
Christians and other faith movements have been doing it for years, and in many ways it is unbelievable that it has taken so long, but now, in 2014, a television channel dedicated solely for non-believers exists. Called Atheist TV – perhaps a direct challenge to the television channel God TV – has been created by the American Atheists organization in association with many other skeptical and humanist organizations, such as the Richard Dawkins Foundation.
At the launch party of the new channel, David Silverman who is the President of American Atheists, declared that this new television channel would offer an alternative to those who have become tired of the overtly religious programming that can be viewed on mainstream channels. He criticized television programs such as “The Bible,” a miniseries that was presented on the History Channel, as presenting religious beliefs as facts. He argued that many non-religious people wanted television shows free from mythology.
However, this move by the American Atheist organization has been criticized in turn by some members of other religious groups, such as Ken Ham. He is a Christian, and stated on his blog that: “It is incredible that atheists spend so much time, effort, and money arguing against Someone that they don’t even believe exists! Where are all their books, websites, and magazines that argue against the mythical Easter Bunny?”
Atheist TV will be made available to viewers through the online streaming service called Roku. At first, the majority of the programs aired on Atheist TV will be non-original, but in time, they are hoping to commission new documentaries and movies, as well as bringing in bloggers and commentators.