Unless there is a half-naked Victoria Secrets model on it, I think most people don't really care what a billboard's message is...
Yeah I found it pretty ass backwards myself, considering how atheists cry about is "they force their beliefs on me" then turn around and do the same. That group makes the whole of atheists look like a bunch of hypocrites. The same way a lot of atheists generalize all religious people into 1 small group, this is doing the same thing for the atheist front, making them simply look like "rebels" trying to go against the norm, as if Merry Christmas is some traumatizing thing to hear. Grow a pair lol.
Yeah maan, lol...and Christians getting upset and fighting back with their own billboards. Its like, you know that Jesus wasn't born in December, so why worry about trivial details, and get in the spirit of the holiday you're trying to "defend"; take the money you wasted on a stupid billboard, and start a charity for the local kids that won't otherwise enjoy Christmas gifts this year. Fundamental Christians and Extreme Atheists....one day I think they will grow up and we'll learn they have had a crush on each other the whole time. Why else would they continuously flirt?
What is it when the culture makes celebrating these holidays a norm and pressures people to be normal about it? So they question it, and it's shoving it down peoples throats? Get back to me when these billboards are as common as crosses or even just churches. No it doesn't. The entire culture's messaging power goes into promoting the holidays. They put up some billboards saying "nope." It's completely weighed toward the religious holiday, and yet you complain? I'm sure they don't care if the billboard offends people, but I'm also sure the idea is to make atheists who feel oppressed more comfortable. Look at your reaction. Stop trying to demonize these people. Why should this be the reaction when they reach out to each other? It only seems to reinforce the need for a billboard like this. You can call them hypocrites when they start legislating doctrinal morality, until then you don't deserve to be taken seriously with that charge.
i'm glad you posted this- i hadn't really examined these aspects of the situation earlier. i was originally gonna post something about how just today i saw bumper stickers that said "jesus loves you" and "life is better with jesus" and "honk if you love jesus. text to meet him" and "jesus loves you if you love jesus" painted on the side of a building. just today. lol. if one billboard is "shoving it down throats" those throats must just really love swallowing. i still think they couldve accomplished their goal more tastefully.. but such is life
i don't disagree that it's a little insensitive. but think of what one religious group does at funerals. even in being insensitive it seems the atheists are beat. but hypocritical? not exactly.
I hate having ideals shoved down my throat. Patriotism, religion, holidays etc. They do this from a very young age. When you start school they have you stand up and say the pledge of allegienc in school every morning. Religion was shoved down my throat when I was a kid. It wouldn't be so offensive to me if the masses could think for themselves and not just ignorantly believe whatever we are taught, and then expect everyone else to go along with it. At christmas everyone goes around saying merry christmas and expects you to say it back. Not everyone shares the same views. It's annoying because I would be going against my own ideals and belief system that I came up with on my own.
The only people who feel "oppressed" by Christmas advertizing or in the case above people having the personal freedom of putting bumper stickers on their cars, are people who have nothing better to do but complain. I was militantly atheist from 16-21, and never once did I so much as pass a glance at things that expressed religious affiliation, because it has absolutely no influence on my life. I didn't want to shout my atheism to the world, it was just my personal belief even though I utterly HATED the thought of religions and found every contradiction that I could within it and other things to shut down Christianity if I ever had the NEED (yes, need, not as in going out of my way to try to be a jackoff). We live in a country that was predominantly brought up by Christian peoples (I'm not talking about the founding fathers, but through the years) so if you can't understand why there might be a lot more Christians than anything else, and that likewise it is what the national holidays will be. Try living in a muslim country where violating religious law will get you whipped and then tell me about "oppression" lol. The point is, everybody just needs to shut the fuck up. This sign just shows atheists as dickheads even more. You don't see many Christian billboards or signs or anything talking about "God is going to send you to hell", it is mainly shit like "Jesus loves you" or some other Bible verse that tries to get people to convert. It's not always to force it upon you, it is because many people are very devout, they find much happiness in their devotion and they want others to feel that happiness as well as "rescue them" from what they've been lied to about (hell) This sign does nothing of the sort, it basically attacks religion as made up (hey, just like the atheists on GC lol), and even the spokesman came off as a dickhead. "We, KNOW that God isn't real" (extra emphasis on the no after a short pause for even more emphasis). He doesn't say "we don't believe that God exists". It is made to be controversial and trollish. That is the way I see it, I hardly see it as "helping other atheists feel less oppressed" because there isn't any oppression of atheists. People don't come around asking me my religious affiliation or persecuting me for it, I'm not having trouble getting a job from a religious affiliation. The only time it even comes up is in stupid little debates like this one. By the way, if you don't want to say merry christmas, then I hope that you don't get your children gifts when you have them, or accept gifts from others. You and millions of others came to the conclusion of not believing in God regardless, the sheeple will be sheeple regardless. First World Problems. Like I said, grow a pair lol.
So what is this thread other than you complaining? Nothing better to do I presume. Maybe if had a pair yourself you wouldn't have been compelled to make this topic in the first place.
I don't even see why this subject is being described as a debate. It's something that happens whether it's on a mass scale or smaller. People should question everything and not just go along with an ideal simply because that is what you where taught. All I'm saying is people should be able to think for themseves and form their own ideals. When ideals are embraced on a mass scale then everyone is expected to believe the same way. That's when it becomes offensive. Truth isn't arrived by popular vote.
I originally posted it just to share how ass backwards it is. Hence why all I said was "ha" instead of "omgz how dare they this is like, soo offensive and I won't stand for having atheism pushed on people". Then people went on to express an opposite view, and calling it "oppression", and I countered with what I see it as. That is called a debate, each side expressing his view of the topic at hand. Complaining is "I'm so tired of having Christmas shoved down my throat stupid fucking Christians and their fairy tale god" yet they aren't tired of having Call of Duty or whatever else that is marketed being shoved down their throat, and a variety of other things that ACTUALLY have a major effect in their life lol. It is just their own beliefs (yes, believing that you know there is no God is still a belief, you believe in your knowing such) and teenage angst that never went away which won't allow them to live and let live the way they wish to be treated. Be the change you want to see, instead of marketing atheism like a theology so that atheists will donate to your atheist organization just like a Church. First Church of Atheism Right on the front page, how about some donations to further the cause fellas
I was rash in calling this not a debate which it most certainly is. My major beef is with having patriotism shoved down my throat. To me patriotism is embracing government propaganda.
Compare a couple of atheist signs to more than 300,000 churches in America. I really don't see the problem. I don't bash people for being religious and I expect the same from religious people.
