On the heels of Stephen Hawking announcing in his new book The Grand Design that God wasn’t necessary for the creation of the universe, the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation is plastering Atheist claims on billboards across the country.
In Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, the organization put up one such billboard yesterday praising Thomas Gore, who it claims is the first atheist U.S. Senator. “Atheism is OK in Oklahoma; Saluting Gore — First Atheist Senator,” the billboard reads.
But one billboard is modest compared to the number that Louisville and Atlanta residents can expect to see. Louisville is getting 20 billboards, while the group is blanketing Atlanta “with 50 irreverent billboard messages going up this week for a month,” according to its website. Those “irreverent” billboards include statements such as “Imagine No Religion,” “Sleep In On Sundays,” “In Reason We Trust,” and even a quote from the late Thelma “Butterfly” McQueen, who played the maid Prissy in ”Gone with the Wind:” “As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion.”
“We hope discrimination against atheists and other nonbelievers will soon be "˜gone with the wind,’” said FFRF co-president Dan Barker, a former evangelical minister and author of Godless and Losing Faith in Faith, on the organization’s website.
According to co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor, foundation members are paying for the Atlanta sign, but declined to say how much the billboards in metro Atlanta cost.
The organization’s campaign and Hawking’s statement are just two examples of atheist news headlines over the past week. Yesterday, world-famous atheist author Christopher Hitchens, who is dying of cancer, told fans not to pray for him after he learned that September 20 had been designated “Everyone Pray for Hitchens Day.”
“I don’t mean to be churlish about any kind intentions,” Hitchens wrote in the October issue of Vanity Fair, “but when September 20 comes, please do not trouble deaf heaven with your bootless cries.”
I will speak as a Progressive would to these billboards. “What hatred these folks have.”
I wonder what the late Thelma McQueen thinks of being “free from religion” now??
@POPPOPSCHELL: Do you practice being stupid in front of a mirror? Where have you found hate in there? “In Reason We Trust” is too hateful for you? Or is “Sleep in on Sundays” just too much for your precious feelings? If you’re going to live in a liberal society, learn to tolerate others. There is nothing hateful about these ads (something that cannot be said for, oh, I don’t know, maybe the concept of hell that is so ever-present in the main three death cults of the desert).
@JJ COOLAY: Absolutely nothing.
Obviously Arov, being most likely a liberal himself, does not see the irony and sarcasm in your post. Either that or he is entirely superficial, which means he merely responded in his pre-programmed way. In any event, I do have a question for Arov: Where is the hate in most of the things liberals cry over?
AROV, you cased you missed my sarcasm I will make it plainer for you. I don’t see any hatred in any of the ads BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT PROGRESSIVES SAY TO OTHERS WHO DISAGREE WITH THEM. Look at how Progr4eesswives attacked the love fest that was the Restoring Honor event was.
@JNCARLOS: No, I’m not a liberal and I have no desire to answer your question. @POPPOPSCHELL: You’re right, I missed the sarcasm, something that might you have noticed, is often difficult to discern in written language. My apologies. Your comment still puzzles me, though.
AROV: what puzzles you? I will try to answer any questions you have. OK?
@Arov: Absolutely nothing? Wow, pretty certain of that?
I think JJ has the right of it. Christians and Muslims believe that one day you will stand before your creator, know his love for you and understand the depth of your sin. I imagine in one brief moment before your judgement or forgiveness, you will get the chance to explain yourself. I wonder what explanation will be good enough to explain these actions of hate and disbelief?
I understand that this is what freedom of speech is all about, but . . . what if they’re wrong? What if God really does exist? Why go out of your way to hack Him off?
And what if he doesn’t exist? You’ve wasted your life believing in fairy tales, needlessly obstructed social progress, and all of those tortured and murdered in the name of your god was all in vain.
And what if you’re believing in the wrong god?
Both big WHATS IFs, but Id rather be wrong and there be no God than be wrong and there be one!
“what if” is for children. Not a single Christian I know thinks their belief in God is a waste of time.
True Sicboy. A Christian who would realize that their faith is a waste of time would be an atheist.
If God does not exist, the believer has still found meaning in his or her life–which is more than any atheist can say.
Trying to reply to Benditlikebeck, My life has not been wasted if I die and there is no afterlife. I have chosen to live the very best life I can based on principles that enrich not only my life but those of others as well. It helps to know that there is a God and that he plans to reward me for making tough decisions that ultimately bless me and my family and others. The concept of the wrong God is interesting. A just God would consider what I understand to be right and judge me based on my integrity to those principles. As to your killing in the name of my God comment…I haven’t done any of that lately.
“A Christian who would realize that their faith is a waste of time would be an atheist.” And what is an atheist that realizes that their faith (of sorts) is a waste of time? What would they be? Hint: These people have, and do, exist. Ah, it is fun when the argument cuts both ways, isn’t it?
Plus, however, I hate to break it to you, but “A Christian who would realize that their faith is a waste of time would be an atheist” is not always true. This is called a fallacy, I think. And might be a bit arrogant. See, I know Christians that stopped being Christians and became Jews, and even some that became polytheists. Some just become agnostic, neither Christian nor atheist. In fact, while I know some atheists, none of the ones I know have yet declared in my presence that they were once Christian. While there is an agnostic (former Christian) that I know that might sort of leaning towards atheist, but I don’t know, I could be wrong and maybe they lean more Christian….
@BENDITLIKEBECK I find it interesting you say such a thing. But in your belief.. We all rot in boxes buried six feet in the ground, then turn into dust eventually. So.. There won’t be any remorse over fairy tales, seeing as how we don’t have souls that exist beyond our physical form. Kind of defeats the cold satisfaction you’re looking for as tormented metaphysical consciousness(es) bemoan the non-existance of an Omni-Powerful/Present creator.. Which is harder to believe, the Universe as a whole is an accident (life, planets, gravity, and so on), or a divine presence created all that is before you? I find the latter a bit more believable than “POOOF!” existence.
Right, a wizard must have made the poof.
You misunderstand atheist philosophy. God can’t exist because then he would be smarter than they are, and since they KNOW, without any reservation whatsoever, that God can’t or doesn’t exist, then they must be the smartest beings in the universe, since they know enough to KNOW that there is no POSSIBLE way God could exist. Atheist don’t admit they BELIEVE God doesn’t exist, they say they KNOW God doesn’t exist. To say “I believe there is no God” would make it a religion, or at least make them admit that atheism is a religion already. So you see the contradiction inherent in their thinking…
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