atheism billboard

Florida Christians protest atheist billboard, wait till you see the sign

An atheist billboard in Florida has resulted in community protests and a call for the sign to be banned, but wait until you see what?s on (or as is the case isn?t on) the sign.

Unlike campaigns in Europe which included the slogan ?there probably isn?t a god,? the Florida campaign says ?Being a good person doesn?t require God. Don?t believe in God, you?re not alone.? According to the Christians in the area, saying that non-believers can be good people discriminates against Christians.

Here?s where it gets even weirder: the residents object because (and I?m not making this up) African-Americans live in the area, and a shop owned by a born again Christian is nearby.

Local media reported that Team of Life community activist Essie ?Big Mama? Reed brought her students out to protest it Wednesday afternoon.

    ?Nothing else matters, but that sign needs to come down. In the name of Jesus,? Big Mama chanted, as she led her students in protest.

    She said the sign affects something much deeper than business. ?I don?t know the reason for putting this sign up,? said Big Mama. ?It says ?Do not believe in God.? How are we going to make it? Look at our schools, everyday. Everyday there?s something going on. Kids are out here killing each other, kids are here using drugs. Who else are they going to believe in??

The atheist group behind the sign rightly pointed out the hypocrisy in the protestors, saying that they would like the community to show them the same tolerance they fought for during the civil rights era. ?The women and blacks in this neighborhood, they?ve been discriminated before, in the recent past, as early as 30, 40 years ago,? a spokesman said ?and yet, they have no problem discriminating against another group, whether it be gays or atheists.?

Atheists = your new African Americans.


your thoughts?

Lol...wtf.  That is epic.  You don't hear anyone protesting all the damned Jesus bilboards anywhere.  So suddenly it's wrong to advertise what you don't believe in?


Not that I'm surprised.  It just annoys me to see these things.

Do these people realize they are hurting Christianity more than helping it?

Do these people realize they are hurting Christianity more than helping it?

They're retarted, I doubt they realise anything beyond "OH NOES BIG BAD ATHIESTS ARE PUTTING UP SIGNS"

Although its not only the Christians that get stupidly offended by stuff. Over here the Finnish Church is planning to start a campaign (I don't think there's any articles about it in English yet, sorry) taking a commonly used graffitti image of a penguin and using it as the Church Boat image (some traditional thing here) and the Freethinkers Association over here has got outraged about it which seems a tad hypocritical to me....

Although its not only the Christians that get stupidly offended by stuff. Over here the Finnish Church is planning to start a campaign (I don't think there's any articles about it in English yet, sorry) taking a commonly used graffitti image of a penguin and using it as the Church Boat image (some traditional thing here) and the Freethinkers Association over here has got outraged about it which seems a tad hypocritical to me....

...I'm not quite certain what to think of that. 

Quote from: Colonel Gaydafi on July 22, 2009, 10:40:59 AM

Although its not only the Christians that get stupidly offended by stuff. Over here the Finnish Church is planning to start a campaign (I don't think there's any articles about it in English yet, sorry) taking a commonly used graffitti image of a penguin and using it as the Church Boat image (some traditional thing here) and the Freethinkers Association over here has got outraged about it which seems a tad hypocritical to me....

...I'm not quite certain what to think of that.  

I think its pretty hilarious. I'll see if I can find the picture again.

Edit: here

Lol, that's just not right.

Its nice to see they have a sense of humour

I bet bible thumping Christians and Catholics (( not about to deny our assholery)) fail every Rorschach test.

I see a sign where Atheists are giving support and trying to help out other Atheists...apparently Florida Christians see " Give your children to Black Gay Alla Worshipping Satan to RAPE!" or something like that.

Atheists are sometimes idiots. Why would you put up a billboard espousing a lack of belief in something?

I'm going to put up a billboard that says "I don't believe in purple unicorns and that doesn't make me a bad person." Does their overwhelming need to belong to a group have to turn them into retards?

Atheists are sometimes idiots. Why would you put up a billboard espousing a lack of belief in something?

I'm going to put up a billboard that says "I don't believe in purple unicorns and that doesn't make me a bad person." Does their overwhelming need to belong to a group have to turn them into retards?

They are encouraging other people to accept the idea that they don't have to believe in a deity.

Quote from: Raist on July 26, 2009, 01:31:15 PM

Atheists are sometimes idiots. Why would you put up a billboard espousing a lack of belief in something?

I'm going to put up a billboard that says "I don't believe in purple unicorns and that doesn't make me a bad person." Does their overwhelming need to belong to a group have to turn them into retards?

They are encouraging other people to accept the idea that they don't have to believe in a deity.

Why does it matter to them at all? I have never in my life cared whether someone believed in something or not. It in no way effects me, and if they are intelligent to decide something like that for themselves, they are probably intelligent enough to be religious in a reasonable manner.

Atheism has turned into a belief system.

Why does it matter to them at all? I have never in my life cared whether someone believed in something or not.

You are not them.

It in no way effects me, and if they are intelligent to decide something like that for themselves, they are probably intelligent enough to be religious in a reasonable manner.

Possibly.

Atheism has turned into a belief system.

...How so?

Quote from: Raist on July 26, 2009, 01:47:07 PM

Why does it matter to them at all? I have never in my life cared whether someone believed in something or not.

You are not them.

Quote from: Raist on July 26, 2009, 01:47:07 PM

It in no way effects me, and if they are intelligent to decide something like that for themselves, they are probably intelligent enough to be religious in a reasonable manner.

Possibly.

Quote from: Raist on July 26, 2009, 01:47:07 PM

Atheism has turned into a belief system.

...How so?

They are now forming groups based on their belief.

They are now forming groups based on their belief.

Ah, so you're talking about common interests (instead of religion), when you say belief system.

this could be construed as attempts to convert people, like people in belief systems do

this could be construed as attempts to convert people, like people in belief systems do

I just can't help thinking it sounds a little misrepresentative since "conversion" actually means "removing a belief" in this case. To call atheism a belief system unnecessarily groups it together with religion, which in turn gives it a religious connotation.

Quote from: Raist on July 26, 2009, 01:58:22 PM

They are now forming groups based on their belief.

Ah, so you're talking about common interests (instead of religion), when you say belief system.

So not believing in God is now a common interest? Their organization only has 1 common denominator, their belief in no God.

If it was truthfully based on common interests it would contain theists and atheists.

Not being an Atheist or a resident of Florida I don't know exactly what they have to deal with but to me it still looks nothing like a " retarded" outcry of disbelief or an attempt at conversion.

I see " are you an atheist or just plain tired of religion but stuck in a community that hates you and feel alone? Call us and be part of a community"

I know being an Atheist means not believing in God but I assume there is nothing against believing in yourself or people and I don't think there's anything wrong with not wanting to stand alone against others, true groups are much quicker to mislead people but still.

I am not the Atheist people of Florida so I am not about to think they are retarded for trying to give hope or inspiration to people who might be stranded in their beliefs.

I'm pretty sure some atheists enjoy the feeling of prosecution just as some religious fanatics try to claim that they are hated.

It's a sad way to make yourself look right and like the "bigger person"

Their organization only has 1 common denominator, their belief in no God.

If it was truthfully based on common interests it would contain theists and atheists.

First, atheism is not about believing there is no god, it's about lacking a belief in god's existence. Sure there are some strong atheists out there too, but to take that extreme position doesn't allow them to represent the majority of atheists. I know that absolutely none of my 8 atheist friends are strong atheists.

Second, that one common denominator is mutually exclusive with the people that aren't attending. Let's say there was a literature club for school that has a common denominator of enjoying reading. I wouldn't say that it wasn't based on that interest, if absolutely none of the members were illiterate.

I'm pretty sure some atheists enjoy the feeling of prosecution just as some religious fanatics try to claim that they are hated.

It's a sad way to make yourself look right and like the "bigger person"

Probably yes, they are statistically likely to exist. That doesn't mean anything or make that infinitesimal percentage reflect the rest of them.

Quote from: Raist on July 26, 2009, 02:18:32 PM

Their organization only has 1 common denominator, their belief in no God.

If it was truthfully based on common interests it would contain theists and atheists.

First, atheism is not about believing there is no god, it's about lacking a belief in god's existence. Sure there are some strong atheists out there too, but to take that extreme position doesn't allow them to represent the majority of atheists. I know that absolutely none of my 8 atheist friends are strong atheists.

Second, that one common denominator is mutually exclusive with the people that aren't attending. Let's say there was a literature club for school that has a common denominator of enjoying reading. I wouldn't say that it wasn't based on that interest, if absolutely none of the members were illiterate.

If they simply did not believe in something then they do not share a common belief, the fact that they formed an organization around their "lack of belief" hints more that it IS a belief in the lack of a god.

One does not make an organization around a lack of belief.

As for your bookclub reference, it is more like they formed a club for people that do not read books.

If they simply did not believe in something then they do not share a common belief, the fact that they formed an organization around their "lack of belief" hints more that it IS a belief in the lack of a god.

Interest does not mean belief.

...Atheism, as a lack of belief, can be an interest.

As for your bookclub reference, it is more like they formed a club for people that do not read books.

What?

The fact that you compared an atheist organization to a book club is odd. A book club has a common interest, reading books. Atheists only common interest is not believing in a deity.

This is not comparable.

I'm inclined to agree with Raist there. It would be sort of like a 'Not Interested in Books Club'.

Well yeah, the interest is promoting a disbelief instead of a belief. That's one of the reasons I thought it was inaccurate to call it "a belief system".

Well yeah, the interest is promoting a disbelief instead of a belief. That's one of the reasons I thought it was inaccurate to call it "a belief system".

So they are promoting a belief that there is no deity?

An intelligent atheist says there is no evidence either way and it is a pointless discussion. An unintelligent atheist decides to evangelize their disbelief.

Quote from: Soze on July 26, 2009, 04:04:46 PM

Well yeah, the interest is promoting a disbelief instead of a belief. That's one of the reasons I thought it was inaccurate to call it "a belief system".

So they are promoting a belief that there is no deity?

Seriously?

An intelligent atheist says there is no evidence either way and it is a pointless discussion. An unintelligent atheist decides to evangelize their disbelief.

So people who try to make religious people question their blind faith are stupid now?

So what is a disbelief? A belief in a negative? Seriously, you there is no distinction between the two.

Yes, people that want to force a disbelief on someone else is stupid, and has issues. If someone else's belief bothers you, then you have issues.