Dave Silverman
Encyclopedia
Dave Silverman is the current president of the American Atheists
, a non-profit organization that supports the rights of nonbelievers and the removal of expressions of religion in public when possibly interpretable as governmental endorsement.
. Silverman began publicly challenging religion in high school and often states in interviews that he became an atheist at the age of six. 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 seventy four patents, and has authored several articles, including a cover story for Inventors digest
. Dave Silverman has been married to publisher Hildy Silverman for almost two decades. The couple has one teenage daughter.
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.
, Dave Silverman made a few media appearances, but has been especially visible since becoming president. An atheist-awareness billboard campaign launched in the Winter of 2010 sparked controversy and increased media exposure for the organization. As a result of this campaign, Silverman has appeared on a number of television shows in late 2010, most notably, the O'Reilly Factor on January 4th, 2011. During the interview, Bill O'Reilly
suggested that religion is not a "scam" because of the regularity of ocean tides. Silverman's expression of confusions as a reaction to O'Reilly's response became an internet meme
known as the "are you serious face" .
It was under Silverman's direction that the group American Atheists sought to block the preservation of a cross-beam section of the World Trade Center skeleton that many survivors of the attack had regarded as a comforting religious symbol. Silverman opined: ""The World Trade Center cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their God, who couldn’t be bothered to stop the terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross."
Dave Silverman attended and spoke at the 2011 American Atheists National Convention, in Des Moines
, Iowa
During his speech, he announced Reason Rally, scheduled for Spring 2012.
American Atheists
American Atheists is an organization in the United States dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating for the complete separation of church and state. It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs and the news media. It also publishes books and the monthly...
, a non-profit organization that supports the rights of nonbelievers and the removal of expressions of religion in public when possibly interpretable as governmental endorsement.
Biography
Dave Silverman is an activist from Marblehead, MassachusettsMarblehead, Massachusetts
Marblehead is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,808 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and Devereux Beach...
. Silverman began publicly challenging religion in high school and often states in interviews that he became an atheist at the age of six. He received a bachelors degree in Computer Science from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
and a Marketing MBA from Penn State University. Silverman is a successful inventor with seventy four patents, and has authored several articles, including a cover story for Inventors digest
Inventors Digest
-Summary:Inventors Digest is a monthly magazine and web site devoted to promoting the interests of independent and professional inventors. It was founded in 1986....
. Dave Silverman has been married to publisher Hildy Silverman for almost two decades. The couple has one teenage daughter.
Silverman has worked with the American Atheists
American Atheists
American Atheists is an organization in the United States dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating for the complete separation of church and state. It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs and the news media. It also publishes books and the monthly...
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
American Atheists
American Atheists is an organization in the United States dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating for the complete separation of church and state. It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs and the news media. It also publishes books and the monthly...
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.
Media Appearances
During his tenure as Communications Director and Vice President of American AtheistsAmerican Atheists
American Atheists is an organization in the United States dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating for the complete separation of church and state. It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs and the news media. It also publishes books and the monthly...
, Dave Silverman made a few media appearances, but has been especially visible since becoming president. An atheist-awareness billboard campaign launched in the Winter of 2010 sparked controversy and increased media exposure for the organization. As a result of this campaign, Silverman has appeared on a number of television shows in late 2010, most notably, the O'Reilly Factor on January 4th, 2011. During the interview, Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
suggested that religion is not a "scam" because of the regularity of ocean tides. Silverman's expression of confusions as a reaction to O'Reilly's response became an internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
known as the "are you serious face" .
It was under Silverman's direction that the group American Atheists sought to block the preservation of a cross-beam section of the World Trade Center skeleton that many survivors of the attack had regarded as a comforting religious symbol. Silverman opined: ""The World Trade Center cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their God, who couldn’t be bothered to stop the terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross."
Dave Silverman attended and spoke at the 2011 American Atheists National Convention, in Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
During his speech, he announced Reason Rally, scheduled for Spring 2012.