American Atheists launch provocative campaign in religious Deep South

[cbayer]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11265926/American-Atheists-launch-provocative-campaign-in-religious-Deep-South.html


The atheist bilboard also carries the message "Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is to skip church! I'm too old for fairy tales"

By Peter Foster, Washington4:56PM GMT 01 Dec 2014

Atheist activists are taking their campaigns to the Bible Belt this Christmas with a provocative billboard campaign that is expected to stir controversy in America's religious heartlands.

The giant advertising hoardings in the Tennessee cities of Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Fort Smith, Arkansas show a mischievous-looking young girl writing her letter to Father Christmas: "Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is to skip church! I'm too old for fairy tales," she writes.

The advertising campaign by the American Atheists group will run until Christmas Eve and is the first time the group has aimed its anti-God adverts directly at residential religious areas, having previously targeted urban audiences in big venues such as Times Square in New York.

"Today's adults have no obligation to pretend to believe the lies their parents believed. It's OK to admit that your parents were wrong about God, and it's definitely OK to tell your children the truth," said David Silverman, the group's president, as he launched the campaign.

more at link

[Ink Man]

1. Maybe

that money could be used to feed the hungry or find a room or two for the homeless. Looking at their web site they spend all their funds on law suits. I'll pray for them.

[trotsky]

2. Funny how when atheists have tried to help, kind religious folks like yourself turned them away.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/12/19/season-giving-atheist-groups-charity-rebuffed/

[edhopper]

3. And would you say the same

Last edited Tue Dec 2, 2014, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

to the fine religious folks who put these up?

[img][/img]

[img][/img]

[img][/img]

[img][/img]


Glad you don't think separation of Church and State is important, others would disagree.

[cbayer]

6. I would definitely say the same to them…. and more. Well, except the llamas.

[rug]

9. Où est la tête du lama blanc?

[cbayer]

13. La tête du lama blanc est enterré dans le sable.

[edhopper]

22. No mas llamas.

[cbayer]

24. You have to admit that was pretty funny…. and clever.

[edhopper]

25. Good laughs

[stone space]

47. The first billboard is creepy for reasons having little to do...

...with either religion or atheism, and is quite seriously disturbing on several levels.

The bottom 3 are just silly messages (much like the silly message in the OP), and could probably be improved somewhat by adding a picture of a cute kid to distract from the silliness of the message (although the one signed by God Himself does have an element of humor, I suppose).

Even a bad Photoshop job would improve the last 3.

[AtheistCrusader]

4. Nothing fails like Prayer.

[Odin2005]

62. But being a jerk always succeeds.

[Goblinmonger]

20. Do you say the same thing about the ACLU?

I mean, that's a lot of money spent on silly lawsuits.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. Dupe

Just so you know

By the way AA explicitly requests that the entire billboard picture be displayed, not just the left hand side.

Click for full-sized image. Additional photographs of the actual billboards are forthcoming. Check this page for updates. American Atheists grants permission to press to reproduce and redistribute these billboard images under the conditions that absolutely no cropping or editing is performed and no overlays cover, hide, conceal, or distort any part of the images (including the title bar with website at the bottom), and that American Atheists is credited for providing it.

http://news.atheists.org/2014/12/01/atheists-promote-skip-church-christmas-billboards-in-south/

You might want to not propagate a direct violation of this restriction.

[rug]

10. That's because the rest of the billboard advertises their convention.

In the meantime, you should complain to The Telegraph which cropped it.

[Goblinmonger]

21. It is their image and they get to decide how it's used, right?

DU has had copyright issues in the past. Probably don't want to cause potentially more for them.

[rug]

23. Not to mention the bandwith theft.

[Goblinmonger]

26. Don't deflect. Should they have the right to how their image is distributed?

Your eyeroller seems to indicate you don't think so.

I have often thought cbayer should not hotlink to images, but that's another discussion.

[rug]

29. This whole stupid subthread is a deflection.

Guardians of the copyright. That's the ticket.

[Goblinmonger]

30. Cropping the picture kind of changes things a bit.

And they don't want people to do it.

Should they have the right to determine how their image is used?

[rug]

38. Do you want to discuss copyright law?

[Goblinmonger]

46. You started this with a snide comment about why they are restricting use.

I have asked you repeated if they have the right to have their image used as they want. That question still stands.

Do they have the right to control the way their image is used? Why is that so damned hard for you to answer?

[rug]

52. And you responded with a lame diversion about copyright infringement.

Do you want to discuss copyright law?

[djean111]

7. I think it is just as wrong for atheists to target children as it is for theists to target children.

[cbayer]

8. Good point. David Silverman's judgment is questionable, imo,

and I think he often hurts the cause he says he so strongly supports.

[edhopper]

11. I didn't interpret it that way

I though it's; you aren't a child anymore writing letters to Santa, time to give up other fairy tales.

It's for adults, not children.

[trotsky]

12. Some folks have a need to equate the actions of "both sides."

Thus the forced indoctrination of children into religion becomes the same thing as putting up a billboard. Even though, as you pointed out, the billboard is clearly intended for adults who are allowed to make up their own minds.

[cbayer]

14. Well, I guess it could also be interpreted as calling all religious believers children

who believe in fairy tales.

You know, I fully support messages that encourage non-believers to come our or tell them that they are not alone.

But I find this kind of message as offensive as the one's you listed.

[edhopper]

15. If you want to equate myths with fairy tales

I guess that's true. Though I wouldn't go as far as calling them children, just time to put away childish things.

[cbayer]

16. That's so insulting and arrogant. But you knew that.

And so does Mr. Silverman. It gets him attention, too.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. Actually it is calling adult religious believers adults who believe in fairy tales.

At least get the actual insult right.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. So is everyone so terribly offended at this message also offended at

the many religious messages this time of year?

[trotsky]

19. Of course not, Warren.

"Jesus is the reason for the season" is just people expressing their precious, special religious beliefs (that everyone else is wrong).

With this billboard, a group of atheists are expressing their opinion (that believers are wrong).

So you see, it's totally different and atheists really need to be brought out into the square and flayed again.

This is the gospel according to cbayer, chapter 15, verses 22-27.

[upaloopa]

27. Well that sure will get a lot of understanding and

acceptance.

[Goblinmonger]

32. It's about letting current atheists know

that they aren't alone and it's OK to be out. That you don't need to go to religious ceremonies just because tradition.

[upaloopa]

34. I always thought of atheists as enligntened. Now you make me doubt that idea.

Last edited Wed Dec 3, 2014, 01:16 PM - Edit history (1)

What is Enlightenment? – Immanuel Kant


Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! [dare to know] “Have courage to use your own understanding!”–that is the motto of enlightenment.
http://www.artoftheory.com/what-is-enlightenment_immanuel-kant/

[Goblinmonger]

48. I don't understand your point.

Do you not think that there are people that are atheists who feel alone? Especially in the south? Who feel like they need to go to religious ceremonies because that is what their family does or what everyone around them has done? Who feel bad because they are leaving the religion they were raised in behind?

Every atheist is automatically ok with everything and can't be going through any issues?

[upaloopa]

57. I went through those issues. I was raised Catholic

I was taught that I was going to hell if I rejected that faith. I chose to reject that faith and think for myself. That is what you have to do. Period.

[Goblinmonger]

58. You do realize it might be harder for some people, right?

I mean, you do feel empathy, yes?

Would you talk to someone suffering from depression and say, "Hey, you just need to choose to be happy. That is what you have to do. Period"? Sometimes people have a hard time with this. Sometimes this might mean that you lose family members. There are a myriad of problems that could go with the realization that you don't believe anymore. To reject those problems and just say, in essence, "Get over it" isn't really being helpful.

[upaloopa]

59. It is hard for everyone. I understand that

That is why I have respect for people who do it.
That is why I posted what Immamuel Kant wrote about it.
Google Immanuel Kant what is enlightenment and read the whole thing.
I was in college in a Catholic college when I was told I could not study Kant in philosophy class. The profs went out on strike over it. Yes it is hard but we have to stand up to religion.

[cbayer]

60. Do you have the same empathy for those who might go the other way?

Do you also think that belief might not be a choice?

While I realize that in this culture, being an atheist is generally the bigger challenge, that is not necessarily true everywhere.

I agree that "Get over it" isn't really being helpful.

[olddots]

28. what us atheists need is show bizz tacky snazz

Some atheist rock bands and tele atheist guys begging for money wearing rug samples and silk suits .But wait we will catch up give us a few thousand years .

[cbayer]

31. Are you not aware that this is already happening?

A thousand years? No way.



http://sundayassembly.com

[edhopper]

33. You equate this

With televangelist?

Interesting.

[cbayer]

35. Have you seen it? What do you find interesting about my comparison?

[edhopper]

36. That you equate these gatherings

with charlatans whose main occupation seem to be asking for money.

If you wanted to compare it with regular sunday services that is one thing, but equating them with televangelists says a lot about where you stand.

[cbayer]

37. I don't equate these gatherings with televangelism at all.

He laid out some things that he apparently is not aware are happening in some areas of the atheists community. I pointed out that some of these things are actually happening.

You pulled out one small part of that, the televangelism, then made some wild claim that I was equating them.

BTW, I'm not fully convinced that some of these people are not in fact charlatans. Are you?

What exactly does it say about where I stand, ed? Since there is a well established history here of you reading things into what I say that don't at all reflect my position, I would urge you to ask me where I stand instead of making more erroneous assumptions.

[edhopper]

40. One of us misread response #28

To me he is obviously talkng about slick televangelist.

What do you think he was talking about?

[cbayer]

50. One of us read only part of it and that would be you.

what us atheists need is show bizz tacky snazz

Some atheist rock bands and tele atheist guys begging for money wearing rug samples and silk suits .

[edhopper]

41. Why would you

Bring up any of them being charlatins absent of any evidence.

Not convinced? Why are you not convinced? Is there a single fact to point to that?
That is such a "when did you stop..." Statement.

Yes, your bias is quite clear.

[cbayer]

51. Er, I did that because I am not convinced that some of the ones

I have read about are not charlatans. Why else would I bring it up?

It's my opinion based on some articles that I have read about some people that are making their careers out of being atheist evangelists. Some of these guys were once christian evangelists but have seen the light.

This area is ripe for charlatans and non-belief is not an exception.

What is my bias, ed? I asked you this before and you haven't answered it? One would think that you want me to be biased or something, but why would that be? Could it have to do with your own bias?

[goldent]

67. Dear Lord!

[okasha]

39. Really bad Photoshop.

I hope they didn't spend tax-free donations on it.

[Cartoonist]

42. The hair gives it away

and nobody is wearing that hat.

[okasha]

43. Right on both counts.

Not to mention the plucked eyebrows.

[stone space]

44. Cute kid. Silly message. (nt)

[edhopper]

45. How dare those nasty atheists

confront the myths of religion.

It's so uncouth.

[img][/img]

[stone space]

49. It's a silly billboard about nothing of importance.

The question is not "how dare they?", but rather, "why dare they?", the same question that could be reasonably asked about the bottom 3 billboards in your post above. (The top one is in a different category, altogether.)

[AtheistCrusader]

53. Because there are atheists deep in the 'bible belt' that are pretty isolated, and so incredibly

outnumbered they probably feel abandoned.

This is for them. Not *you*.

[stone space]

54. Then why not a billboard with that message?

Instead, they go for the silly, and ignore those isolated atheists.

[edhopper]

55. Some of us have figured out

that is exactly who they are addressing and figure those isolated atheists are smart enough to figure it out too.
That it's a sentiment that they can agree with and be free from the pantomime that Christmas services are for them.

[AtheistCrusader]

56. It is a billboard with that message.

It is also a message to the 'middle ground' or undecided.

[Odin2005]

61. This will only serve to make them look like assholes.

This is the kind of edgy, insulting shit that makes me ashamed of calling myself an Atheist.

The ONLY way of getting rid of religion is by getting rid of the material causes of suffering that causes people to use religion to self-medicate that suffering. Why does it seem like it is only us Marxists who get this?

[edhopper]

63. Because there are no affluent

religious people?
I don't think you Marxists get it at all. It goes much deeper than simple material suffering.

[Odin2005]

65. It doesn't have to be direct deprivation.

A member of the ruling class can feel existential angst about suffering in the world that his/her own class is causing.

[stone space]

64. Well, I've seen worse, but basically, I agree.

The religious billboards posted above attacking evolution, the big bang, and atheism, (and even that creepy billboard threatening a civil war!) are a luxury that they can afford.

But for atheists, we are just too small in number for such luxuries.

For us, every billboard attacking religion represents a lost opportunity for pointing out some positive aspects of atheism.

A lost opportunity squandered for the momentary fleeting pleasure of making a petty insult.

At least there's a cute kid in it, so maybe the pettininess won't be noticed by everybody, and some will just smile as they glance at it whizzing by.

[skepticscott]

68. And if you were religious

I could point to a hundred times more edgy, insulting shit that would make you ashamed to call yourself religious. Some of it gets posted here every day, in fact. And Marxists in the 20th Century gave you a lot to be ashamed of, too (yeah, we know...those weren't REAL Marxists...don't even go there).

Guess you're stuck with being ashamed no matter what you call yourself, dude.

[goldent]

66. Interesting how trolling has spread from the Internet to billboards.