Mr. James Steinbach, Director,
Mr. Michael Bridgeman
Public relations
Wisconsin Public TV
821 University Avenue
Madison WI 53706

Dear Mr Steinbach & Mr. Bridgeman:

When I realized that Wisconsin Public TV had decided not to air Jonathan Miller's documentary, "History of Disbelief," while many other affiliates were running it, I was perturbed. But I consoled myself with the thought than I could rent or buy the documentary. This week I have discovered this is not the case. BBC has no plans to release a DVD of "History of Unbelief." Although I'm told a pirated version is available on the Web, this is not a satisfactory way for most of us to watch a film, especially a series. Nor is it acceptable to tell many in your loyal viewing audience that this somehow justifies your censorship.

The State of Wisconsin has a long freethought heritage. Madison, Wis., is the home of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the largest atheist/agnostic group in the country with more than 10,000 members. The American Religious Identification Survey, a definitive and academic source out of CUNY, tells us that unbelievers, at more than 14% of the U.S. adult population, are in fact the largest-growing segment of the population.

We can turn on public TV and see broadcasts (and rebroadcasts?) of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit to Madison. We can recently watch an 3-part documentary, positively presented, about Mormonism and its origins,. Most Americans consider the origins of Mormonism (at 3% a far smaller segment of the population than atheists and agnostics) outlandish, yet the world did not end when this was broadcast. Yet "there is something too personal and objectionable about Part III" of "History of Disbelief," the response being given to some unhappy area viewers by WPT.

When I went to the BBC website, this is the description of Part III:

The Final Hour

BBC Two Monday 14 November 7pm-8pm TBC

The history of disbelief continues with the ideas of self-taught philosopher Thomas Paine, the revolutionary studies of geology and the evolutionary theories of Darwin. Jonathan Miller looks at the Freudian view that religion is a 'thought disorder'. He also examines his motivation behind making the series touching on the issues of death and the religious fanaticism of the 21st century.

How can WPT deny the validity of examining Thomas Paine (without whom our country possibly would not exist, or even be "the United States of America," the name Paine supplied)? Or Darwin, the standard-bearer in the world of science? The religious fanaticism of the 21st century and the threats it poses cannot be denied. One must assume, then, that it is the reference to the Freudian view of religion as a "thought disorder" that caused the queasiness leading to censorship of a major documentary that has won nothing but the highest praise. Intellectually, even the most ardent religionist must acknowledge that beliefs in the supernatural--such as talking snakes, that oxymoron of "life after death," miracles and other claims of phenomena which do not happen and cannot be observed in reality--do raise the possibility of disordered thinking.

On behalf of our Wisconsin membership we ask WPT to reconsider its decision not to run this groundbreaking series by physician and TV personality Jonathan Miller. You will receive far more gratitude than criticism for doing the right thing. You are greatly underestimating your public, which appears to be far more open-minded than WPT's bureaucrats. In an era when two or more atheist books have stayed on the bestseller list (with another about to join them), it appears WPT is simply way behind the times.

May I hear from you about this matter at your earliest convenience?

Annie Laurie Gaylor
Co-President
Freedom From Religion Foundation