AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
                           National Office
                P.O. Box 140195  Austin, TX 78714-0195
                            (512)458-1244

http://www.atheists.org                               For Immediate Release
PRESS RELEASE                                         November 6, 1997

                ATHEISTS QUESTION CHRISTIAN COALITION
                     ROLE IN TUESDAY ELECTIONS
           Coalition again exposes itself as "nothing more
      than a partisan political action group for Pat Robertson"

    American Atheists today charged that the Christian Coalition's role
leading up to Tuesday's elections clearly exposed the group as "nothing more
than a partisan political action group for Pat Robertson."  Ellen Johnson,
President of American Atheists, supported her charge by nothing that the
Coalition distributed millions of "voters guides" and then began "shaking
down candidates" by putting a disingenuous spin on election outcomes.
    "The Coalition has been pumping out press releases suggesting that
New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman almost lost because she supported
abortion rights.  But focus groups and surveys showed that the race in
Jersey was mostly about taxes and auto insurance, not the religious and
social agenda of the Christian Coalition."
    A similar development occurred in Virginia, where CC founder Pat Robertson
and his friends pumped money into the campaign of the new Governor-elect,
James Gilmore.  The Coalition distributed 1.5 million "guides" in that race,
and in a separate press release attributes the GOP sweep to a backlash
against "intolerant portrayal of people of faith."
    Ron Barrier, National Spokesperson for American Atheists disagreed.
"Gilmore won because he had the political savvy to oppose the hated car-tax
in Virginia," he noted.  Mr. Barrier added that Gilmore was visited election
night in his hotel suite while the votes were being tabulated by Pat Robertson,
who contributed $55,000 to his campaign.
    "It's clear that the Christian Coalition is trying to intimidate any
Republicans who don't agree with Pat Robertson on issues like abortion rights,"
said Mr. Barrier.  "The claim of a backlash against "religious bigotry" is
hollow -- coming from a former presidential candidate who claimed to distrust
anyone other than a Christian or a Jew."

For more information please contact:
Ms. Ellen Johnson, President       (723)334-4033    ej@atheists.org
Mr. Ronald Barrier, Spokesperson   (718)356-8658    rbarrier@atheists.org