David Silverman

David Silverman took feminist Rebecca Watson off the speakers list for the Reason Rally after Richard Dawkins objected to her speaking at the event.[1] See: Elevatorgate

David Silverman served as the President of the American Atheists organization.[2] After leaving two atheist organizations amid sexual harassment allegations, Silverman now calls himself a former atheist activist (see: David Silverman's loss of public influence).[3] See: Firing of David Silverman from the American Atheists organization.

David Silverman is currently a full-time consultant for the Conru Foundation.[4] According to their mission statement, “The Conru Foundation supports the protection of modern life – free speech, civil discourse, ecological sustainability, compassionate capitalism, elevation of the arts, evidence-based reasoning, and equal treatment for all.” Recently, the Conru Foundation made a supportive post on their Facebook page for Dave Rubin and Ben Shapiro.[5]

The atheist PZ Myers wrote about David Sliverman being hired by the Conru foundation which was founded by Andrew Conru (who founded the company Adult Friend Finder): "David Silverman has finally found a sponsor who won’t fire him for being an abusive horndog. He’s being paid by a porn impresario!"[6]

In 2018, Silverman was fired from the American Atheists organization after allegations of financial conflicts and sexual assault.[7] Nick Fish, the new president of American Atheists, indicated that Silverman's termination was not over sexual allegations, but as a result of a "loss of confidence" stemming from violations of internal policies on staff management, conflicts of interest, and their general code of conduct.[8] Silverman, through his lawyer, denies any wrongdoing and indicates he has never had a non-consensual sexual encounter.[9] In 2019, atheists PZ Myers and Stephanie Zvan indicate that Silverman's attempts to improve his public image have failed.[10][11] In his book, Fighting God, Silverman indicates that he is a “proud feminist.” (See also: Atheism and sexism and Atheism and the Me Too Movement).[12] See also: Firing of David Silverman from the American Atheists organization

Silverman claimed that he had an open relationship with his Jewish and theist wife, but later admitted he lied about that his matter and cheated on her.[13] See also: Prominent atheists and adultery

On October 2, 2019, Silverman indicated the experience of being accused of sexual harassment, being fired from the American Atheist organization and losing many of his former atheist friends caused him a "horrific level of pain" that "damaged" him and that he now has textbook symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.[14] In addition, he had suicidal thoughts.[15] Furthermore, he said he now takes medication, and he is still a damaged person.[16] See also: Atheism and mental toughness

Silverman has filed a defamation lawsuit against the women who accused him of sexual harassment, BuzzFeed who reported the news story, and the American Atheists organization.[17] On December 9, 2019, David Silverman's attorney withdrew from being his lawyer in his suit against American Atheists and Silverman will be acting as his own attorney.[18] See also: Atheist lawsuits

Silverman now considers himself an ex-progressive who is now a second-wave feminist and not a third-wave feminist.[19] Silverman recently appeared on the YouTube channel of Carl Benjamin, an atheist who is ant-feminist. PZ Myers indicated the video declared that "After falling victim to the #MeToo movement, ex-leader of American Atheists David Silverman had his life totally destroyed by false allegations made by feminists in the atheist movement."[20] Silverman's worldview is atheistic and center-left politically. Recently, atheistic, center-left/liberal YouTube videos are seeing significantly less viewership (See: YouTube videos with an atheistic, classical liberalism, political viewpoint see a decline from 2017 to present).

Concerning Silverman's scandals and subsequent firing, atheist and feminist PZ Myers said, "It's a terrible day for organized atheism."[21] Myers spent $1200 for a lifetime membership with American Atheists because he was impressed by the way Silverman went after the “anti-feminist” atheists.[22] See also: Decline of the atheist movement

Silverman identifies as a firebrand atheist and defines firebrand atheism as vocally "attacking" humans' "silly" religious beliefs without attacking the individuals themselves.[23]

Silverman served as the New Jersey State Director of American Atheists and after four years of service he become National Spokesperson for the American Atheists Organization. [24] David Silverman holds degrees in Marketing and Computer Science.[25]

## Contents

* 1 Firing of David Silverman from the American Atheists organization
* 1.1 A Brief Timeline of Events in the David Silverman Firing
* 2 David Silverman declares he is a former atheist activist
* 3 Atheist Alliance International's hiring of David Silverman and his subsequent resignation
* 4 David Silverman indicates progressivism is infecting the American Humanism Association
* 5 David Siverman's personal life
* 6 David Silverman and coronavirus pandemic skepticism
* 7 Reason Rally related incident involving David Silverman and Richard Dawkins
* 8 Silverman intentionally exaggerating the number of atheists in the USA
* 8.1 David Silverman deceptiveness about numbers of American atheists and his broken promise to be accurate
* 9 Controversial Billboard
* 10 David Silverman's 2018 address to the American Atheists convention
* 11 Book
* 12 See also
* 13 External links
* 14 Notes

## Firing of David Silverman from the American Atheists organization[edit]

* Firing of David Silverman from the American Atheists organization

### A Brief Timeline of Events in the David Silverman Firing[edit]

* A Brief Timeline of Events in the David Silverman Firing by Stephanie Zvan

## David Silverman declares he is a former atheist activist[edit]

As can be seen above, in January of 2020, David Silverman declares he is a former atheist activist via his Twitter account.

## Atheist Alliance International's hiring of David Silverman and his subsequent resignation[edit]

See also: Atheist Alliance International's hiring of David Silverman and his subsequent resignation and Rebecca Vitsmun

Sikivu Hutchinson

In October 2019, he was hired to be the Executive Director of Atheist Alliance International (AAI)[26] In December 2019, the atheist blogger David G. McAfee reported that David Silverman has been suspended by AAI pending an investigation into an alleged inappropriate touching incident which allegedly occurred against the atheist woman Rebecca Vitsmun.[27] Silverman contends that he did not inappropriately touch Rebecca Vitsmun.[28]

Rebecca Vitsmun filed a restraining order against Silverman, but the judge denied her petition because the judge did not see a pattern of sexual harassment against her by Silverman.[29] Rebecca Vitsmun has filed a battery allegation with the police against atheist David Silverman and indicates he caressed her sacrum without her permission (the sacrum is a bone at the base of the lower back that is above the tailbone).[30] On March 4, 2020, Silverman mocked Vitsum's allegation and referred to the whole affair of Vitsum's allegation of him caressing her sacrum without her permission as "#sacrumgate" on Twitter (see: David Silverman's Twitter post on 3-4-2020).[31]

David Silverman resigned his position as Executive Director of Atheist Alliance International in December of 2019.[32][33][34]

The atheist David Smalley did an interview with Rebecca Vitsum and she gave her account of David Silverman touching her sacrum without her permission, her thoughts about the matter and her court hearing endeavoring to get a restraining order against David Silverman (see: Rebecca Vitsmun Responds).[35] The judge rejected her petition because the judge did not see a pattern of sexual harassment against her by Silverman.[36]

The atheist Sikivu Hutchinson wrote about the hiring of David Silverman the organization Atheist Alliance International:

“  |  The recent decision by Atheist Alliance International (AAI) to hire the former leader of American Atheists, David Silverman, to its executive director position is yet another indication that this business-as-usual rehab strategy also applies to movement atheism, which can be just as corrupt, cronyistic, and swaggeringly hostile to women as corporate America.[37] |  ”

|
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There were atheist feminists/progressive atheists attempting to get Atheist Alliance International to fire Silverman.[38] David Silverman indicated that Secular Woman and its president Monette Richards were trying to get the United Nations to revoke AAI's special consultative status with the UN in order to punish AAI for hiring Silverman.[39]

## David Silverman indicates progressivism is infecting the American Humanism Association[edit]

In 2019, David Silverman said "wokeness" (progressivism) is "infecting" the American Humanist Association.[40]

## David Siverman's personal life[edit]

See also: Prominent atheists whose wives believe in the existence of God and Prominent atheists and adultery

According to Silverman, he became an atheist at the age of six.[41] According to the MasterMedia Speakers Bureau website, Silverman is married to a religious Jewish woman and he has a daughter" (see: Hildy Silverman).[42] David Silverman claimed that he had an open relationship with his Jewish and theist wife, but later admitted he lied about this matter and cheated on her.[43]

In an interview, Silverman told atheist David Smalley that he suffers from depression and that he doubts his self-worth.[44]

After Silverman was terminated from his job at American Atheists, The Washington Post declared concerning Silverman, "Since then, he has lost his job, longtime friends, sleep and weight."[45]

## David Silverman and coronavirus pandemic skepticism[edit]

See also: Atheism and the coronavirus pandemic

In December of 2020, David Silverman wrote: "Truthfully, I don't buy a lot of the Covid hype. I don't fear the disease much more than the flu and I don't support shutdowns."[46]

## Reason Rally related incident involving David Silverman and Richard Dawkins[edit]

See also: Reason Rally related incident involving David Silverman and Richard Dawkins and Feminist quotes about Richard Dawkins

An article by Sarah posted at Skepchick about a conversation between Richard Dawkins and David Silverman which took place during the planning phase of the Reason Rally:

“  |  Richard was standing behind the podium, and he asked Dave something along the lines of, “What exactly is the Reason Rally?” Dave started explaining it, and as he did, someone who was waiting in the line outside opened the door to peek inside and we could all hear a lot of noise. I rushed up the aisle and made frantic “shut the door” gestures at the people peeking inside, and they did. As I walked the ten feet back, I couldn’t hear everything Dave was saying, but I heard the name “Rebecca Watson.” Richard suddenly had a very angry look on his face and I heard him almost shout, “No, absolutely not! If she’s going to be there, I won’t be there. I don’t want her speaking.” and then Dave immediately replied, “You’re absolutely right, we’ll take her off the roster. It’s done.” Richard huffed for a moment, Dave continued to placate him, and then he made the video.

I was crushed.[47]

|  ”

|
|

For more information, please see: Elevatorgate

## Silverman intentionally exaggerating the number of atheists in the USA[edit]

David Silverman

In 2012, the organization PolitiFact Rhode Island accused David Silverman of wildly exaggerating the number of atheists in America by attempting to included the Unaffiliated (also called Nones) who made up about 15% of the United States population at the time (despite the fact that only 15 percent of "nones" identify as atheists) and by also attempting to lump agnostics with the atheist population.[48][49]

According to PolitiFact Rhode Island:

“  |  When the American Religious survey asked people what they thought of the existence of God, 2.3 percent said 'There is no such thing.'...When Pew asked a broader question -- "Do you believe in God or a universal spirit?" -- 5 percent said "No."[50] |  ”

|
|

The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) found that only 0.7% of U.S. adults identified as atheist, but at the same time 2.3% said there is no such thing as a god.[51] The reluctance of Americans to self-identify as atheists is likely due to the American public's low opinion of atheists (See: Americans have a low opinion of atheists).

### David Silverman deceptiveness about numbers of American atheists and his broken promise to be accurate[edit]

The atheist Vlad Chituc wrote at the University of Southern California's Religious Dispatches:

“  |  This leads Silverman to make some wildly inaccurate claims. He argues that more than half of Jews and three-quarters of the rapidly growing religiously unaffiliated are atheists. But according to Pew, only 17% of Jews and 33% of the “nones” say they don’t believe in God. If you want to count the “don’t knows” or “others,” that gets to about 20% and 40%, respectively, at best.

These are not small discrepancies, and based on these falsely inflated statistics, Silverman makes startlingly inaccurate claims, like that there are 80 million atheists in the U.S., a full 26% of the country....To make things frustratingly worse, other atheists have been calling Silverman out for falsely inflating the number of atheists for more than four years. And last year, I specifically asked Silverman if he would stop reporting the stats on “nones” as being representative of atheism, and he told me he would. Yet here we are.[52]

|  ”

|
|

Despite the many shortcomings of the book, David Silverman said of his book Fighting God: "...I am very proud of it as you can tell." (See: Atheism and arrogance).[53][54]

For more information, please see: American atheism

## Controversial Billboard[edit]

The American Atheists organization sponsored an aggressive and controversial billboard and an interview with Fox News occurred as a result of the billboard VIDEO. As noted above, Silverman has a degree in marketing, but despite his degree in marketing, according to fellow atheist and evolutionist PZ Myers, Silverman was stuck defending a "badly designed, ugly" sign.[55]

## David Silverman's 2018 address to the American Atheists convention[edit]

See also: Decline of the atheist movement and Atheists and the endurance of religion and Desecularization and David Silverman's speech at the 2018 American Atheists convention

At the 2018 American Atheists convention, David Silverman declared:

“  |  It is a hard time to be an atheist activist. This has affected us. And it has affected our community...

...it has really affected us. We are suffering a level of defeatism that I have never seen before...

We feel the loss. And we feel like we have lost. We feel like we lost the election... We see this cascade of attack coming down at us over and over from all different directions and we feel like it's over. I have heard so many times it makes me sick. It makes me sad. It feels like we lost.

The apathy that follows. It doesn't matter. We can't win anyways. It's useless to fight. This apathy is infecting us. It's hurting us.

And people are reacting to each other now. And so that is causing a division. Lots and lots of division in our movement. Hard, bad division... And that has resulted in a splintering and factioning of the movement that I have never seen before and none of us have.

In other words, we're in a bad situation and it's getting worse.[56]

|  ”

|
|

## Book[edit]

* Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World, Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (December 1, 2015)

## See also[edit]

* Evangelical atheism
* Atheist activist
* Post sexual harassment allegations against Lawrence Krauss and David Silverman, searches for atheism related topics have dropped markedly

## External links[edit]

* Firebrandforgood.com, David Silverman's website
* The Firebrand’s New Brand: David Silverman’s Return to Atheist Leadership, American Humanist Association
* This Firebrand Atheist Was Just Fired After Allegations Of Financial Conflicts And Sexual Assault, Buzzfeed
* American Atheists Terminates Its President Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations By Kimberly Winston, Religion News Service
* American Atheists fires its president over sexual misconduct allegations, Salt Lake Tribune
* American Atheists Answers Follow-Up Questions After the Firing of Its President, Friendly Atheist
* David Silverman at Atheist Nexus
* Bill O'Reilly interview with David Silverman \- YouTube video
* Rebecca Vitsmum Drunken Peasants Page Rebecca Vitsmum

## Notes[edit]

1. ↑ My Time With Richard Dawkins (Or, Why You Should Never Meet Your Idols) by Sarah at Skepchick, September 5, 2013
2. ↑ http://www.atheists.org/about/Board_of_Directors
3. ↑ David Silverman, ex-president of the American Atheists, after leaving two atheist organizations amid sexual harassment allegations, calls himself a former atheist activist
4. ↑ David Silverman Is Hired By Nonprofit Organization After Leaving Atheist Alliance International
5. ↑ David Silverman Is Hired By Nonprofit Organization After Leaving Atheist Alliance International
6. ↑ Lands on his feet, like a cat by PZ Myers
7. ↑ This Firebrand Atheist Was Just Fired After Allegations Of Financial Conflicts And Sexual Assault
8. ↑ Leading atheist, accused of sexual misconduct, speaks out, Washington Post (republished article from Religion News Service) by Kimberly Winston, September 6, 2018
9. ↑ American Atheists President David Silverman Fired After Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Christian Post, 2018
10. ↑ David Silverman is failing Redemption 101 by PZ Myers
11. ↑ David Silverman: Liar for the Defense by
12. ↑ David Silverman was a “Proud Feminist”, PZ Myers
13. ↑ Just wives by PZ Myers
14. ↑ Our Disharmony w/ David Silverman & the "Atheist Movement"
15. ↑ Our Disharmony w/ David Silverman & the "Atheist Movement"
16. ↑ Our Disharmony w/ David Silverman & the "Atheist Movement"
17. ↑ Despite Misconduct Allegations, David Silverman Is Now Running an Atheist Group BY HEMANT MEHTA
18. ↑ Yikes, Silverman is SLAPPing some more by PZ Myers
19. ↑ Our Disharmony w/ David Silverman & the "Atheist Movement"
20. ↑ David Silverman was a “Proud Feminist”, PZ Myers
21. ↑ David Silverman fired from American Atheists by PZ Myers
22. ↑ David Silverman was a “Proud Feminist”
23. ↑ The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism by Steve Neumann, The Daily Beast, 4/14/17
24. ↑ http://www.mastermediaspeakers.com/davidsilverman/index.html
25. ↑ http://www.mastermediaspeakers.com/davidsilverman/index.html
26. ↑ David P. Silverman Appointed Executive Director
27. ↑ David Silverman Suspended Pending Investigation Into Touching Incident
28. ↑ Silverman / Vitsmun Hearing with commentary #Metoo FINALLY Meets Due Process #TakeBackTheLeft
29. ↑ Silverman / Vitsmun Hearing with commentary #Metoo FINALLY Meets Due Process #TakeBackTheLeft
30. ↑ Silverman / Vitsmun Hearing with commentary #Metoo FINALLY Meets Due Process #TakeBackTheLeft
31. ↑ Because I have to. #sacrumgate, David Silverman on Twitter, Mar 4, 2020 - Twitter
32. ↑ After Misconduct Allegation, David Silverman Has Left Another Atheist Group by BY Hemant Mehta
33. ↑ David Silverman Leaves Yet Another Atheist Group After Misconduct Investigation by DAVID G. MCAFEE
34. ↑ David Silverman is out, again by PZ Myers
35. ↑ Rebecca Vitsmun Responds
36. ↑ Silverman / Vitsmun Hearing with commentary #Metoo FINALLY Meets Due Process #TakeBackTheLeft
37. ↑ Hiring of Accused Atheist Leader Is Reminder That #MeToo Is Still Needed in Organized Atheism by Sikivu Hutchinson, Rewire News
38. ↑ David Silverman (Former President of American Atheist) talks to us about allegations against him.
39. ↑ David Silverman (Former President of American Atheist) talks to us about allegations against him., Silverman starts mentioning this matter at the 51:29 point of the video
40. ↑ Our Disharmony w/ David Silverman & the "Atheist Movement"
41. ↑ http://www.mastermediaspeakers.com/davidsilverman/index.html
42. ↑ David Silverman - Master Media Speakers
43. ↑ Just wives by PZ Myers
44. ↑ David Smalley On Social Justice In Atheism, go to the 1 hour 1 minutes and 18 second mark of the video
45. ↑ America’s leading atheist, accused of sexual misconduct, speaks out, Washington Post by Kimberly Winston, September 6, 2018
46. ↑ [Ever wonder why so many people are running away from organized atheism?] by PZ Myers
47. ↑ My Time With Richard Dawkins (Or, Why You Should Never Meet Your Idols) by Sarah at Skepchick, September 5, 2013
48. ↑ American Atheists President David Silverman says there are twice as many atheists in U.S. as Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists combined By C. Eugene Emery Jr. on Sunday, February 26th, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.
49. ↑ Meet the 'Nones:' Spiritual but not religious
50. ↑ American Atheists President David Silverman says there are twice as many atheists in U.S. as Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists combined By C. Eugene Emery Jr. on Sunday, February 26th, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.
51. ↑ Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar, [1], March 2009, American Religious Identification Survey [ARIS 2008], Trinity College
52. ↑ How Not To Defend Atheism by Vlad Chituc, University of Southern California's Religious Dispatches, 2015
53. ↑ David Silverman : Fighting God
54. ↑ How Not To Defend Atheism by Vlad Chituc, University of Southern California's Religious Dispatches, 2015
55. ↑ http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/01/that_controversial_oreilly_int.php
56. ↑ David Silverman - How the Mighty Get Back Up