Atheist Billboard Ads
Rockadelic
Out Digging 13,993 Posts
I understand the concept of Religious Billboards 'cause there's big bucks being tithed.
But what's the logic behind Atheist Billboards??
I'm not against them, just don't understand why they exist.
But what's the logic behind Atheist Billboards??
I'm not against them, just don't understand why they exist.
Comments
Sorta like belonging to the Round Earth Society.
Christpher Hitchens, now a US citizen, is arguably the leading aetheist campaigner on the planet. In a nutshell he's simply sick of organised religion's self righteousness and hyper sensitivity. To him all religions erect an unverified version of the origins of man and then cry outrage and blasphemy, and depending on the sect "death" /"fatwa", when anyone dares to question it. Aetheists never react with the same way when confronted by religion's dogma. He said enough's enough, time to hit back and show them that they're not the only ones capable of outrage. Though I too am agnostic I can relate to this.
I stay away from the Earl Grey & Crumpets too.
The motivation isn't financial, it's ideological. I would assume the billboards are a way for atheists to get their message out, especially as a way to undermine the ideology of organized religion.
Keep in mind: atheism isn't indifference to religion in many cases. It's an active disdain for organized religion.
And there are books to sell and debate tickets to buy too. The last Hitchens -Balir deabate sold out in hours and tickets were on Ebay for 2000$. But I think that any true dollar chasing non believer knows that the biggest bucks are in church. Thats not to criticize religious folks, just the charlatans. Athesim is not exactly big money.
Interesting....I always viewed Atheists on more of a "Do what thou wilt / Live and let lve" tip.
It seems like individual atheist disdain towards organized religion in 2010 is more political than spiritual.
Yeah, whereas agnostics view many religious beliefs as unknowble, atheists know god does not exist (the reject religion in its entirity).
b/w
What was the billboard?
I understand there are a variety of them springing up across the country.
In Fort Worth, Texas the city buses are currently carrying one that simply says "Millions Of Americans Are Good Without God".
The City Of Dallas refused to allow them on their public transportation as they have a "No Religious Ads" policy.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/12/01/104524/atheist-ads-turn-up-on-buses-in.html
BIG mistake on multiple levels
Major cities across Canada may see the return of atheist bus ads next year challenging everything from the existence of God to the tooth fairy.
The Centre for Inquiry Canada, the atheist group behind the "Extraordinary Claims" campaign, said if the Toronto Transit Commission approves their ad, they will be appearing on the city's streetcars and subways early next year. The CFI also hopes to launch the ads in Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, Saskatoon and Montreal after the Toronto debut.
The ad featured on the website of the campaign shows a black-and-purple-hued evening sky dotted by stars with a quote inspired by American astronomer, Carl Sagan. The ad reads, "Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence" followed with "Allah, Bigfoot, UFOs, Homeopathy, Zeus, Psychics, Christ," written underneath.
"Science makes extraordinary claims, but it has something to back it up," CFI national executive director, Justin Trottier, told CTV.ca.
Trottier said they are not just challenging the existence of Allah and Christ, but also alternative medicine, psychics, clairvoyance and even childhood icons such as the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny.
The group says it is trying to challenge ideas and ask tough questions to promote reason, science, secularism and freedom of inquiry.
"Why is belief in Bigfoot dismissed as delusional while belief in Allah and Christ is respected and revered? All of these claims are equally extraordinary and demand critical examination," says the campaign's website, www.extraordinary-claims.com.
In January 2009, the Freethought Association of Canada launched a controversial ad that read, "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," which raised mixed reactions from the public.
"Bus ads are a great symbol of the public square," Trottier said, adding he hopes to engage the public in conversation with the new ads.
Trottier said the 2009 campaign which he was also a part of, received positive feedback because it reeled in discussions from religious groups as well.
"There was lots of good will from religious communities. This was expressed on the radio and television debates that I had with various Muslim Imams, Rabbis, and even The United Church of Canada," said Trottier.
Meanwhile, the group is currently raising funds for the ad campaign, which will require approximately $10,000 to $15,000 per city. They are halfway to reaching their Toronto goal. The 2009 campaign, which only hit three cities, raised $50,000.
Not Saskatoon!
I thought that said PHYSICS at first, which would also be fine with me.
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/12/02/1548034/creation-museum-to-get-wooden.html
major :pasue: on the url shortened title
There are plenty of kids out there in religious or hyper-religious families who have doubts about what they're being taught. These billboards and so forth are one way to let them know they're not alone.
You can laugh at that if you want, but I've talked to enough ex-fundies to know it's no joke. I think it's possible that for some people these are a lifeline, and even if I question their effectiveness it's not like they're doing any harm. Unlike fundamentalism, which does endless harm every day of the week.
Currently at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel.
For me it always used to be just intellectual, but over the past couple of decades the rightwing in this country has stuck its collective head almost totally up the ass of Jesus, so it crept into the political.
When George H.W. Bush said publicly that he didn't think it was possible for atheists to be good citizens it was a nice "Fuck you, too" moment.
They went to atheist meetings on Sundays, all dressed up.
Hosted an atheist cable access show. (I never saw it.)
And campaigned for atheist causes.
I don't know if they tithed. Probably.
They considered themselves realists.
They laughed at people who believed things that couldn't be proved, like there was an old guy with a white beard up in the clouds watching over us.
They would love the Extraordinary Claims billboard.
10-15000 is not much money to get your message out.
:lalala:
That shouldn't require a battle unless your state is run by dicks.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/funeral_information/authorized_emblems.html
Although some of the billboards could be handled in a less cringe-inducing manner, I fully agree with the above sentiments. I grew up in a very conservative household, was extremely down-the-well myself, and when I woke up and "came out" as an agnostic later in life, it was surprising and encouraging to know that there were people that saw matters through a relatively shared viewpoint. I have lost the support of a good deal of my family over the last decade (I won't re-hash past posts), but it's always comforting to know that I'm not alone.