AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
PRESS RELEASE
APRIL 21, 1999

http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org


            AMERICAN ATHEISTS BLAST GARY BAUER AS "EXPLOITER"
      Republican hopeful uses Colorado tragedy for personal gain

   American Atheists criticized self-styled presidential candidate Gary Bauer
for turning the shooting tragedy in Littleton, Colorado into a soapbox to
further his own questionable agenda.

   The state/church separation group said that Bauer, former head of the
Family Research Council, is "trying to smuggle his religious right crusade
into the political arena by exploiting the deaths of over a dozen young
adults."

   "You can't even mention God in public schools today, " Bauer said today
on CNN.

   "This is nonsense," commented Ron Barrier, National Spokesman for American
Atheists.

   "Bauer is using the old chestnut that every social problem, including
problems involving a handful of deeply troubled, angry young men, can
somehow be magically solved by 9:00 am weekday prayers.

   "Rather than trying to unify the community in the face of tragedy, Mr.
Bauer has shamelessly chosen to exploit this tragedy for his own partisan
purposes," added Mr. Barrier.

   "If God truly loved the students as much as Mr. Bauer claims," added Mr.
Barrier, "then God should have given the gunmen a heart attack before the
tragedy."

   Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists, also questioned Bauer's
motives.

   "His walk is so much different than his talk.  He preaches Christian love
and then, when everyone is most vulnerable, tries to infiltrate the
political agenda of the Family Research Council and his mentor, Pat
Robertson, in the discussion.

   "Mr. Bauer thinks he can play the American public like a violin, but it is
his own swan song we are seeing in the polls."


For more information please contact:
Ms. Ellen Johnson, President    (973)334-4033
Mr. Ron Barrier, Spokesperson   (718)967-6453


     National Media Office: Staten Is., NY 10308  Tel/Fax: (718)967-6453