In This Case, Dobson is NOT Chicken Little... !

Dr. James Dobson vs. Petition Number 2493

Netlore Archive: 2003 email variant of decades-old petition expressing outrage over alleged attempt by atheists to force a government ban on religious broadcasting in the United States

Description: Email petition
Status: False
Circulating since: March 2003 (this version)
Analysis: See below

Email example contributed by N. Visser, 17 March 2003:

Subject: FW: Christian Response to CBS Please send out to more people if you agree with this message

DR. D O B S O N ' S P L E A F O R ACTION
CBS will discontinue "Touched by an Angel" for using the word God in every program. Madeline Murray O'Hare, an atheist, successfully managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from public schools a few years ago. Now her organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC.
Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America. They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools!!
You as a Christian can help! We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about our country. As Christians we must unite on this. Please don't take this lightly. We ignored this lady once and lost prayer in our school and in offices across the nation.
Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country while creating an opportunity for the lost to know the Lord.
Please press "forward", CLEAN UP THE MESSAGE, and forward this to everyone that you thinkshould read this. Now, please sign your name at the bottom (you can only add your name after you have pressed the "Forward"). Don't delete any other names, just go to the next number and type your name and state. Please do not sign jointly, such as Mr. & Mrs. Each person should sign his/her own name.
Please defeat this organization and keep the right of our freedom of religion. When you get to 1000 please email back to:
"Lisa Norman" electric_yello@hotmail.com

Comments: The unauthorized addition of Dr. James Dobson's name to this misguided, pointless petition is only the latest of many attempts over the past three decades to make it seem legitimate, which it is not.

"Petition 2493," supposedly an effort by atheists to ban all religious broadcasting in the United States, doesn't exist. "Touched by an Angel" isn't in danger of being canceled — it's already off the air (for completely unrelated reasons). Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair is dead, and has been for many years. There is no campaign afoot to remove the word "God" from television. See the links below for the full story.

Sources and further reading:
Petition 2493: Still a FakeFocus on the Family magazine
Madalyn Murray O'Hair vs. Religious BroadcastingNetlore Archive, 5 May 1999
FCC: Religious Broadcast Rumor DeniedFederal Communications Commission factsheet