AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org
http://www.AtheistTelevision.tv

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCT. 12, 2000

For more information, please contact:
Dave Kong, CA Director       (415) 771-9872
Ron Barrier, Spokesperson    (718) 967-6453


         American Atheists to Protest the Promise Keepers Agenda
               Great Western Forum, Inglewood, October 14
            PK Agenda is Pro-Authoritarian and Anti-American

    American Atheists announced today that it will demonstrate at the Promise
Keepers rally to be held October 14 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA
in order to peacefully protest the group's political and social agenda.
American Atheists has held many such protests at Promise Keepers events,
including the 1997 "Stand in the Gap" rally in Washington D.C.
    Dave Kong, California Director for American Atheists, stated "the general
public only looks at the image of the Promise Keepers. They see men concerned
about their families and hear the empty sloganeering, and assume that they
are harmless. However, the PK leaders believe in Christian dominionist
theories that threaten state/church separation and the liberties of
Atheists, gays and lesbians, women, and others."
    Mr. Kong continued, "Think about their name, the 'Promise Keepers.' Just
what promise do they want to keep? It's not really about being better family
leaders. The real promise is to take over society for their god and
reconstruct all aspects of life according to Old Testament tenets.
    In PK founder Bill McCartney's book, The Seven Promises of a Promise
Keeper, he tells his followers that they are 'in a war' and the 'the enemy is
real.' I am not at war with the Promise Keepers, nor are they my enemy, but
dangerous rhetoric such as this cannot go unchallenged."
    Mr. Kong stressed that American Atheists is not attempting to deny the
Promise Keepers' right to assemble. "They certainly have a right to gather,
but we also have the right to assemble and peacefully voice our opposition to
their social and, ultimately, political agenda. American Atheists urges
everyone to take a closer look at the intentions of this movement, which is
exclusively for the benefit of Christian heterosexual men."

The demonstration will take place from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. outside of the
Great Western Forum on the corner of Manchester Boulevard and Kareem Court,
in Inglewood, CA.

     American Atheists, Inc.  P.O. Box 5733  Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
             Tel: (908) 276-7300  Fax: (908) 276-7402