David Silverman (activist)
Dave Silverman
Dave Silverman | |
|---|---|
| File:Dave Silverman.jpg | |
| Born | 13 August 1966 |
| Citizenship | American |
| Known for | Atheist activism, Separation of Church and State, Criticism of religion |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | American Atheists |
Dave Silverman (born 1966) is the current president of the American Atheists, a non-profit organization that supports the rights of nonbelievers and the separation of church and state.
Biography
Dave Silverman is an atheist activist from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Silverman began publicly challenging religion in high school and often states in interviews that he became an an atheist at the age of six. [1] He received a bachelors degree in Computer Science from Brandeis University and a Marketing MBA from Penn State University. Silverman is a successful inventor with over seventy patents, and has authored several articles, including a cover story for Inventor's Digest. Dave Silverman has been married to publisher, Hildy Silverman, for almost two decades. The couple has one teenage daughter. [1][2]
Silverman has worked with the American Atheists organization since 1996, and has held a variety of roles, including: New Jersey State Director, Communications Director, and Vice President. He was elected president of American Atheists on September 16, 2010, following Ed Buckner. Silverman also cohosts the Atheist Viewpoint television program, writes for the NoGodBlog, attends protests, debates and conferences for atheism and freethought, across the country.[2][3]
Media Appearances
During his tenure as Communications Director and Vice President of American Atheists, Dave Silverman made a few media appearances, but has been especially visible since becoming president.[3] An atheist-awareness billboard campaign launched in the Winter of 2010 sparked controversy and increased media exposure for the organization. [4] As a result of this campaign, Silverman has appeared on a number of television shows in late 2010, most notably, the O'Reilly Factor. During the interview, Bill O'Reilly (in)famously suggests that religion is not a "scam" because of the regularity of ocean tides. [5]
Dave Silverman will be attending and speaking at the 2011 American Atheists National Convention, in Des Moines, Iowa [6]
Presidents of American Atheists
| Name | Term of Office |
|---|---|
| Madalyn Murray O'Hair | 1963–1986 (de jure) 1986–1995 (de facto) |
| Jon Garth Murray | 1986–1995 (de jure) |
| Ellen Johnson | 1995–2008 |
| Frank Zindler | 2008 (interim) |
| Ed Buckner | 2008–2010 |
| David Silverman | 2010 – present |
References
- ^ a b "Dave Silverman - MasterMedia Speakers Bureau". MasterMedia. 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
- ^ a b "American Atheists - Dave Silverman, President-elect". American Atheists. 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ^ a b "American Atheists - Media Releases". American Atheists. 2010. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
- ^ "NPR - War on Christmas Spreads to Lincoln Tunnel". NPR. 2010. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
- ^ "YouTube - Bill O'Reilly vs. David Silverman: You Know They're All Scams". YouTube. 2010. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
- ^ "American Atheists - National Convention". American Atheists. 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
External Links
- http://atheists.org – American Atheists Website
- http://atheists.org/blog/ – The No-God Blog
- http://atheists.org/media/Atheist_Viewpoint_TV_Show – The Atheist Viewpoint TV Show