Great News Story about Atheist Billboard

[Iamrational]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2011/12/01/20111201billboard-atheist-stereotypes.html

I was really happy to see an non critical atheist story in the local paper and website. This talks about the rise in atheist but it details the billboards being put up around the Phoenix area. Be sure to read the comments section because it is more entertaining than the story even. One xtian says his preacher asked where are the atheist organizations around the world. Oops can't find many. So sorry. Well I ask where are all the atheist organizations traveling around the world blowing up people with car bombs and cutting heads, or maybe just dropping bombs? Oops you don't see any. Here is an idea Jesus freaks. How about we go ahead and stop helping the homeless guy have turkey and stuffing, meanwhile also stop fighting deadly wars with other religions. I say more harm than good, call me crazy I know.

[dloubet]

It's the same way theists can believe that atheists are controlling the government, and hold that belief in the face of all the blatant god-blather from each and every politician out there.

[Nam]

^I don't think anyone here in the states believe that atheists are controlling the goverment, and if they do believe that, they must really be insane.

Little red-poka-dotted aliens are controlling the government.  Rick Scott is one of them.  I KNOW IT TO BE TRUE!!!

-Nam

[nogodsforme]

^I don't think anyone here in the states believe that atheists are controlling the goverment, and if they do believe that, they must really be insane.

Little red-poka-dotted aliens are controlling the government.  Rick Scott is one of them.  I KNOW IT TO BE TRUE!!!

-Nam

Well, religious people do think that atheists run the (secular) corporate world and (secular) media and control the (secular) public schools. If something is not blatantly religious, it must be against all religions. And it could not possibly be religious people who are screwing everything up, even though they are the vast majority. It must be those atheists! As if.

[Nam]

^I know.  I don't get all the hype.  It's there anyway.  Prayer and the like wasn't allowed at the high school I went to in the mid 1990s yet they held prayer groups right in front of the school, on school property, every morning.  People just ignored them.  I mean, the high school I went had 6,000+ students in it; we had other things during school to worry about than some students praying.  Hell, they were probably praying that they'd survive.  I went to a very rough urban high school.

-Nam

[Hatter23]

^I don't think anyone here in the states believe that atheists are controlling the goverment, and if they do believe that, they must really be insane.

Little red-poka-dotted aliens are controlling the government.  Rick Scott is one of them.  I KNOW IT TO BE TRUE!!!

-Nam

If they are religious, then they already credulous. That's one of the reasons why completely false stories circulate so readily amongst the religious. They have horrible bullshit filters by definition.

[Poseidon]

I had an "I'll be damned" moment this afternoon. Passing a large high school, I noticed their billboard. It read "Happy winter holidays". What is the world coming to? They avoided the normal "christmas holidays" salutation.  That'll piss off some of the local baptists, big time. 

[wright]

Well, religious people do think that atheists run the (secular) corporate world and (secular) media and control the (secular) public schools. If something is not blatantly religious, it must be against all religions. And it could not possibly be religious people who are screwing everything up, even though they are the vast majority. It must be those atheists! As if.

Indeed. If only we did have as much influence as these liars and their hysterical followers think we do. Then we'd almost certainly abuse it and those nimrods could find out what persecution by atheists was really like.[/sarcasm]

Or they could all just emigrate to a real theocracy-- Iran, say-- and revel in that sectarian paradise.

Back on topic, it's nice to see something even approaching "fair and balanced" media coverage of atheism. I'm not hopeful it's the start of a trend, though: "militant" atheists vs. "persecuted" Christians sells airtime easier, at least in the U.S.

[Nam]

I had an "I'll be damned" moment this afternoon. Passing a large high school, I noticed their billboard. It read "Happy winter holidays". What is the world coming to? They avoided the normal "christmas holidays" salutation.  That'll piss off some of the local baptists, big time.

In my state, some in the state congress are trying to make it a law that when in concern to the "holidays", you must actually say, "Merry Christmas" and other similarities instead of "Happy Holidays".  But, it's been tried before and failed here, and most believe, or the Orlando Sentinel believes it'll go by the wayside.  I think it's because of the big Jewish community in Florida.

-Nam

[screwtape]

As I went into the Lincoln Tunnel two saturdays ago, I caught this billboard:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/you-know-its-a-myth-atheist-billboard-campaign-shows-jesus-with-santa-claus-63679/



I like this spoof on the "you know its a myth" billboard:



genius
http://madmikesamerica.com/2011/09/here-is-why-religion-is-like-a-penis/

[Nam]

Religion is like a penis: people keep measuring it and it's always smaller than everyone else thinks.  And, those delusional enough that believe size matters; I reckon in their case: it does.



-Nam

[Poseidon]

Nam; I am actually in your state, Just down the road in Lakeland.  Only a few of our brain dead legislators have pushed for such a rule. A rule like that would be popular with the fundies but it ain't gonna happen. In my experience the Jews have been pretty cool about all this. They mainly just observe their own holidays.  I reckon it's all about our new found committment to political correctness or the work of those evil atheists.

There are about a zillion little signs sprouting up in front yards. They say; "Jesus is the reason for the season". Those have been around for a while. A new one, that I noticed lately, shows the silhouettes of three dudes astride camels. The star of bethlehem is overhead. The text says; "Wise men are still wise."   

I propose that Jesus is only a secondary reason for the season. The reason is more likely the result of promotional assaults by giant marketing firms like Wal-mart, Target, and Best Buy.

[Iamrational]

I was attending my son's concert for kindergarten. They sang Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

They changed the words to "...then one shiny winter's eve, an elf came in to say, Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

[screwtape]

If religion is like a penis, then that sign should not say "my children's", it should be "any children's".  Right?

[Philosopher_at_large]

I'm just curious, is there any point to these billboards other than to irk and one up theists?

[Hatter23]

I'm just curious, is there any point to these billboards other than to irk and one up theists?

Yes, to let people know they aren't alone in thinking that magic man in the sky story is stupid. Heck, in some cases to let people know that not believing is an option. Irking theists? That's just icing on the cake.

[Philosopher_at_large]

I'm just curious, is there any point to these billboards other than to irk and one up theists?

Yes, to let people know they aren't alone in thinking that magic man in the sky story is stupid. Heck, in some cases to let people know that not believing is an option. Irking theists? That's just icing on the cake.

So they're for other Atheists? I guess that would be the same as all those billboards you see about "Let's meet at my house after the game" and what not; none of them are really directed at anyone who isn't 'already' a part of the choir, but I don't think that anybody looks as a billboard that reads "Jesus is Lord" or "Smoking is Bad" or "Click it or Ticket" (which is a grammatical error), and has any real thoughts about it. They typically tell you nothing. I don't know about you, but when I'm driving down the road, and I see a sign as big as a house that reads "JESUS", my head is instantly filled with all kinds of useful information. 

[Hatter23]

I'm just curious, is there any point to these billboards other than to irk and one up theists?

Yes, to let people know they aren't alone in thinking that magic man in the sky story is stupid. Heck, in some cases to let people know that not believing is an option. Irking theists? That's just icing on the cake.

So they're for other Atheists? I guess that would be the same as all those billboards you see about "Let's meet at my house after the game" and what not; none of them are really directed at anyone who isn't 'already' a part of the choir, but I don't think that anybody looks as a billboard that reads "Jesus is Lord" or "Smoking is Bad" or "Click it or Ticket" (which is a grammatical error), and has any real thoughts about it. They typically tell you nothing. I don't know about you, but when I'm driving down the road, and I see a sign as big as a house that reads "JESUS", my head is instantly filled with all kinds of useful information.

First, I don't understand your last sentence...is it sarcasm?

Second, it isn't quite about reaching people who are "part of the choir" It is about saying "You aren't alone" as well as showing that atheists aren't just a few dozen turtleneck and jacket on the suede elbow types at a university, they are a political force.

[Philosopher_at_large]

To the first: It is sarcasm. What possible effect could a giant sign that says "Jesus" have on a person whose trying to get to the Starbucks before he's late for work? It's stupid.

To the second, I can understand that, I'm just of the opinion that billboards and bumper stickers a waste of text and effort. I don't really see any difference between the Atheist ones and the Christian ones, I think they're all aimed at more or less the same effect, and I think they both have more or less the same dumbing down effect of the issues and concepts that they slap on the canvas. But that's just my own taste, I get irritated by just about every billboard.

[screwtape]

...I think they both have more or less the same dumbing down effect ...

this is a necessity because most people are semi-literate idiots.

[Philosopher_at_large]

...I think they both have more or less the same dumbing down effect ...

this is a necessity because most people are semi-literate idiots.

If that's true, then dumbing down is even more counter productive.

[Hatter23]

...I think they both have more or less the same dumbing down effect ...

this is a necessity because most people are semi-literate idiots.

If that's true, then dumbing down is even more counter productive.

Think about that. If the point is to communicate, you need to catch their attention. Dumbing down is exactly what is needed when you are trying to lead people to your POV. After all, even this website does it through a five word question, then explores the topics in detail.

[Philosopher_at_large]

...I think they both have more or less the same dumbing down effect ...

this is a necessity because most people are semi-literate idiots.

If that's true, then dumbing down is even more counter productive.

Think about that. If the point is to communicate, you need to catch their attention. Dumbing down is exactly what is needed when you are trying to lead people to your POV. After all, even this website does it through a five word question, then explores the topics in detail.

But there is a difference between dumbing down and simplifying. if I'm teaching Geometry to a person who doesn't understand it, I might simplify the topic, or start with easy examples: but that's a lot different than merely saying: "sides and stuff". Which is all this really is.

[Hatter23]

...I think they both have more or less the same dumbing down effect ...

this is a necessity because most people are semi-literate idiots.

If that's true, then dumbing down is even more counter productive.

Think about that. If the point is to communicate, you need to catch their attention. Dumbing down is exactly what is needed when you are trying to lead people to your POV. After all, even this website does it through a five word question, then explores the topics in detail.

But there is a difference between dumbing down and simplifying. if I'm teaching Geometry to a person who doesn't understand it, I might simplify the topic, or start with easy examples: but that's a lot different than merely saying: "sides and stuff". Which is all this really is.

What is the difference between dumbing down and simplifying, other that subjective?

[screwtape]

But there is a difference between dumbing down and simplifying.

Oh sure.  Now you tell me.  I think the masses want dumbing down.  No one has every lost money by underestimating the taste or reading level of Americans.  Whether catering to that is counter productive, I dunno.

PAL, do you think that perhaps you could say what you mean up front without anyone having to play 20 questions to understand what you are talking about?  The exchange between you and Hatter could have been shortened to one or two posts had you been less cryptic in your responses.  I would certainly appreciate it, and I think others would find it a less exasperating experience.  Thanks.

[Ambassador Pony]

What's wrong with businesses performing diagnostic research to determine how to speak to their target demographic, then using the results effectively to communicate and persuade?

[Philosopher_at_large]

But there is a difference between dumbing down and simplifying.

Oh sure.  Now you tell me.  I think the masses want dumbing down.  No one has every lost money by underestimating the taste or reading level of Americans.  Whether catering to that is counter productive, I dunno.

PAL, do you think that perhaps you could say what you mean up front without anyone having to play 20 questions to understand what you are talking about?  The exchange between you and Hatter could have been shortened to one or two posts had you been less cryptic in your responses.  I would certainly appreciate it, and I think others would find it a less exasperating experience.  Thanks.

I'm not sure why that was directed at me. When I said "dumbing down", he thought I meant "simplifying", and so I made the distinction between those two things. I wouldn't exactly call that cryptic, I was just clarifying our terms.

[screwtape]

If that's true, then dumbing down is even more counter productive.

Even in context this^ was cryptic.  It could have included a more full explanation.  But it wasn't.  Instead we needed four posts and a mess of nested quotes. 

I'm not trying to give you a hard time or anything.  I see a lot of people here who answer by giving minimal information and it is a real chore to drag their meaning out of them.  It usually creates a situation where other people have to fill in the blanks with assumptions and biases and that usually leads nowhere good. So, I'm trying to nip in the bud a bad experience for you and the rest of us.  Say more, not less. 

[Azdgari]

I'm just curious, is there any point to these billboards other than to irk and one up theists?

I realize this has been addressed to some degree already, but there's an angle I'm curious about:  What is it about the billboard described in the OP that you think would "irk" or "one-up" theists?