There is no atheist doctrine that condemns or praises actions like this. You may very well hear many atheists complain about religion being shoved down their throats or religious campaigning, but unless the specific group who posted this billboard has done so then this really isn't hypocrisy at all. It was big of you to attack our literacy though.
I think tris was directing that to the atheists who say shoving religion down throats is wrong, not this organization. Although, I agree with you it's not hypocrisy on their part unless they have expressed an ideology that condemns such actions.
was just given a spiritual lesson by someone who approached me today. apparently he didn't like the rap music i was playing in my car. he urged me to join him to "pray on saturday" (7th day adventist church, the same branch that david koresh sponsored right?). he also informed me that he felt jesus in his body for 30 minutes straight at one time during church. he said i can achieve the feeling, too! i said i have weed, thanks though
We can read, thanks. You obviously were careful to word your post so that you did not defend one party, and yet could still attack the one party you wanted to attack. The thing is - it's utterly transparent. You'd be right if your analysis of the situation was correct instead of insane. But it's not correct, it's clearly contrived to give you the excuse to attack atheists. When an atheist refers to belief-shoving, they're typically talking about practices aimed at their children in schools or at various adults in the law or at some combination of these things done by the religious. School prayers - their children shouldn't have to feel ostracized for their religious beliefs. Scripture on courthouses - people shouldn't have to worry whether their religious beliefs will affect the outcome of justice. Hate at funerals - no one deserves that, especially not at that time. Discrimination against some based on sexuality - the law should not legislate religious morality. The 1st amendment protects freedom OF religion and freedom FROM religion. Practically all of those examples (except the hate, that's fucked up but protected) are in violation of the 1st amendment's spirit regarding the free exercise of religion. The latter one is in direct violation of the 14th amendment's equal protections. As long as these problems continue to exist in the service of the religious, I consider atheism on billboards an issue not even worthy of the effort it takes to laugh at the geniuses who think a message you can turn away from is some how comparable.
Our government is twisted along with many people who live under it my question is how can anyone say this is truly wrong if objective morality does not exist?
not sure what you're talking about. the signs themselves don't say anything is wrong, they list myths and happen to list jesus among them. in terms of whether the signs are bad, that's a matter of how widespread the offensive reaction is to them. in terms of whether protecting one group greater than another who do the same things and have the same rights, that's wrong relative to the unconstitutionality of the discrimination. the real question in my mind for this country is not about morality, it's about the telos: what kind of a country do we want to be? do we want to be a country that draws arbitrary lines and discriminates based on them, or do we want to be a country that allows everyone equal freedom and opportunity (at least insofar as we don't artificially hinder either)? morality should be a personal inquiry first and foremost. we should certainly not try to force virtue, but instead we should want to inspire virtue.