Controversial Anti-Religion Billboards Purchased

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- A billboard promoting atheist views has been installed in Niagara County, purchased by the Center For Inquiry. Pictured above is the billboard currently on display along the I-190 near the Niagara Falls Boulevard exit. A second billboard with the same message will be installed Monday afternoon along Niagara Falls Boulevard near the airport. The message reads, "You don't need God to hope, to care, to love, or to live."

wgrz.com

So I read this article and have to ask myself does it really even matter? Every time someone comes out and supports something thats not main stream it seems the rest of the world has a conniption fit. I understand religion as most of my family actively attends at church on a regular basis. But everytime someone puts up a sign supporting what others support but without the support of a mainstream religion they get looked down upon and ridiculed? To each their own right? Na more like do it my way or else. I guess I am just perplexed in the times we live nowdays with the gay rights issues and everything else going on why people would still be surprised at some folks not having a belief that fits the mainstream. And what the reasoning for it to be acceptable for the religious nutters to slam us with all sorts of advertising and no one accepting the opposite. Not that in this instance was the sign derogatory in any way that I could see, just plain and simple people speaking their minds with a harmless message. I myself I guess I am still on the fence as far as religion goes, there must be something greater out there but the skeptic in me needs more proof. Your thoughts?

95% of the religion nuts
are only good to get in to heaven.
they would still burn you at the stake
if they could get away with it.
and enjoy it...

reply to post by jaynkeel


I think the most religious of the zealots would be hard-pressed to form sound arguments against what the billboard states.

Keeping score of logic trumping faith has become, well, embarrassing. I don't even like to watch it any more.

They are putting up the same billboards where i live in michigan! Link

Originally posted by chasingbrahman
reply to post by jaynkeel

 

I think the most religious of the zealots would be hard-pressed to form sound arguments against what the billboard states.

It is not the message that is disconcerting its the action and motive that bothers me.

Evangelical Christians is bad enough, but do we really need evangelical atheists? Whats the point? To make others lives that feel solace in a belief as meaningless as the atheistic life feels? The thought of there not being a higher power is very sterile and dead feeling.

Misery LOVES company.

reply to post by jaynkeel


it's extremely hard to get any message out with advertising, we live in an ocean of advertising.
2 billion$+ on the election cycle alone, with all that static, what will be heard.

psychologically, people who go to church, get married and have kids, often feel like they made a sacrifice and are bitter towards others.
jealousy stops one from appreciating what they have and instead worry about others.

those who appreciate what they have, will smile and not care.

mourning, for example is easier if you have a faith, whatever it might be.

in regards to the OP...


i believe that they - the atheists - are quite correct.


not one Human being on this planet needs god (or whatever form of religious god one believes in) – to hope, to care, to love, to live.

each and every Human has the rational capacity to do so without any external guidance or influence.


in this case, religion.


realize this...


it Is the religions that help keep Humanity segregated and separated.


mind you, i personally Do believe in a greater being...

But this greater being is a Neutral Entity on the Great Cosmic Scale that Humans are an Insignificant part of.

as such, i do not rely on this being for directions in my present physical existence. As part of this being's designs, i am already equipped with the tools i need to live...alone and with others.

so with this simple realization, i rely on the instincts, intelligence, rationality and wisdom garnered by myself and others to provide me an understanding of what is right and wrong...for myself, for others, and for the Species as a whole.

mind you, this understanding is untainted by religious beliefs or economic desires...as it needs to be, for if it was, then i would not see the world as it really is...


segregated and separated - despite the intelligence of the Species and its capacity for good, rational sense.


and this will never change unless the Species, as it is, dies.


afterwards, when All of Humanity realizes that the only true thing of importance in this universe is Itself - the Species - then Humanity will start living for the welfare of its Members.


All of them. without separating and segregating guidelines instilled by religions and economies.



yes, i have mentioned this before.

yes, it has been ridiculed, particularly by those in favour of religion or who believe that an economy is the mark of civilization.

to them, and all, i say only this...


so turns the human world. until it ends.

reply to post by jaynkeel


That's a lame billboard, I could think of something much more convincing.

There are over 20 major religions.

What makes you so sure that yours is the right one?
Religion correlates with lower IQs

Drop the Bible and pick up a real science book.

Those would be epic.

I am beginning to find atheists far more irritating than fundamentalist religious types. I really think that money could have gone to a better cause. This won't sway anyone's opinion anyway.

Originally posted by jaynkeel
So I read this article and have to ask myself does it really even matter? Every time someone comes out and supports something thats not main stream it seems the rest of the world has a conniption fit.

What if someone made a billboard saying "Islam is stupid, there was no Mohammed, take off your towels"? Is that ok too?

This billboard does that, in fact it denounces all religions. Admittedly in a "nice" way, but that doesn't change the message.

Let's take it further, to try to engage some small amount of neurons of the crowd listening -- a billboard that says "There is no Santa Claus, kids. No tooth fairy either. Your parents do all that stuff. Also, you will die someday and eventually no one will ever remember you or anyone you knew, your life is basically meaningless and pointless. Enjoy."

That's also the same thing -- people who believe in nothing, trying to destroy the beliefs of others and substituting what they see as reality for what they see as fantasy.

In the end, what matters about someone's beliefs is not whether they were true, but what effect they had on their lives. I have met so many Christians with a positive spirit and who bring positive contributions to the world. I have met so many atheists who can't see beyond their own nose, whose only goal in life seems to be to spread misery, to destroy any and all faith and above all to prove to the whole world that they are right and everyone else is wrong. I know which of those 2 groups of people I'd rather be with.

You forgot the Religious Fundamentalist who shove religion into everything, who try to control how people think and live their lives,

Gay Marriage, Abortion, Etc


if one group can have advertisements so can the other, we should have the rights to express of equal opportunity

This is from the Center for Inquiry.

They are "secular humanists."

It's kind of the ultimate feel-good approach to life if you want to be an atheist and not have to worry that much about good and evil.

It is a BIG DEAL among upscale scientists and intellectuals.

Wikipedia reports that these are some of the people identifying themselves as secular humanists:
Steve Allen
Isaac Asimov
Noam Chomsky
Sir Arthur C. Clarke
Albert Einstein
Friedrich Engels
Karl Marx
Julian Huxley
Linus Pauling
Gene Roddenberry
Carl Sagan
Kurt Vonnegut
Frank Zappa

en.wikipedia.org...

You can see where this is headed. It reads like a who's who of NWO publicists, apologists, and hangers-on.

We can safely assume, then, that this is another front group for the enemies of freedom.

I wish they would be honest with us! Those billboards, decoded, should read something like: "Grab our ankles..."

reply to post by TupacShakur


A star for your thoughts. I would give more, but as it seems, no matter how much i click...

reply to post by TupacShakur

Originally posted by Observer99
a billboard that says "There is no Santa Claus, kids. No tooth fairy either. Your parents do all that stuff. Also, you will die someday and eventually no one will ever remember you or anyone you knew, your life is basically meaningless and pointless. Enjoy."

It sounds like you're saying that these atheist billboards simply tell a TRUTH (like there is no Santa) and there's a chance that that fact will burst the bubble of the fantasy of religion... Because what the billboard says IS a fact. Belief in a God is not necessary to be kind, loving and compassionate.

That's also the same thing -- people who believe in nothing, trying to destroy the beliefs of others and substituting what they see as reality for what they see as fantasy.

I love it when people claim that atheists 'believe in nothing'... That's a good one.

In the end, what matters about someone's beliefs is not whether they were true, but what effect they had on their lives.

I'd rather believe something that's TRUE, thanks. You can believe a lie if that's what you choose, but I'm going to stick with the truth.

I have met so many Christians with a positive spirit and who bring positive contributions to the world. I have met so many atheists who can't see beyond their own nose, whose only goal in life seems to be to spread misery, to destroy any and all faith and above all to prove to the whole world that they are right and everyone else is wrong. I know which of those 2 groups of people I'd rather be with.

And I have met so many Christians with a poisonous and mean spirit who contribute nothing but bigotry, judgment and hatred to the world. All of the atheists I know are moral, kind and compassionate, open-minded and understanding of others. They don't care what YOU believe, but would like to have the freedom to have and express their beliefs, too.

I know which of those 2 groups of people I'd rather be with.

As far as the billboard, it's freedom of expression. I'm all for it.

Well in America you have the "freedom" to express your views for the right amount of money to pay for propaganda regardless of the topic.

Me, I do not support organized religion why? because religion is a mulitbillion dollar empire that is not difference than any other corporation.

With that say, well you can guess the rest.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


I think your dead on with both side having their faults in their beliefs. As I too have met the good the bad and the ugly of both sides of the argument. to free speech right, even when it's hard to comprehend others viewpoints some times, example westboro church.

Originally posted by SeleneLux

It is not the message that is disconcerting its the action and motive that bothers me.

Evangelical Christians is bad enough, but do we really need evangelical atheists? Whats the point? To make others lives that feel solace in a belief as meaningless as the atheistic life feels? The thought of there not being a higher power is very sterile and dead feeling.

Misery LOVES company.

It's good that we're starting to see such billboards because there are people such as yourself out there who apparently have nothing but misconceptions about atheism. Opening a dialogue on the issue may hopefully lead to your education on the matter.

Originally posted by SeleneLux
To make others lives that feel solace in a belief as meaningless as the atheistic life feels?

How do you know how the atheistic life 'feels'?
What makes you think atheist beliefs are meaningless?

The thought of there not being a higher power is very sterile and dead feeling.

Perhaps to you. But the belief that the religious god is a fantasy is very freeing and empowering to me. I feel more alive and more a part of everything than I ever did when I believed in a god.

People are different.

Originally posted by Domo1
I am beginning to find atheists far more irritating than fundamentalist religious types. I really think that money could have gone to a better cause. This won't sway anyone's opinion anyway.

Agreed.

I'm sure if a Christian group was to put a "pro-God" billboard, atheist groups would be in an uproar. Yet, they see no problem with these billboards of theirs.

A bit of a double-standard, if you ask me. I'm a Christian, but not an "evangelical" Christian.