Atheist billboard stirs up unneeded controversy, yet again - this time it's Hasidic Jews whose craw - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;35040948]It's almost inherent to human beings to consider their own beliefs as superior. The problem is when you start slapping billboards everywhere to tell everyone how better your beliefs are compared to their without any sort of subtlety and without an actual wish to start dialogue. Those billboards are just here to spark controversy.[/QUOTE] Read the freaking OP. "We have received a dozen emails from Hasidic Atheist Jews since we announced the billboards. … They feel totally alone. We want to tell them they are not alone." They want to reach out to other people who believe the same thing. How does this not compute with you?

[QUOTE=GeneralFredrik;35041011]Read the freaking OP. "We have received a dozen emails from Hasidic Atheist Jews since we announced the billboards. … They feel totally alone. We want to tell them they are not alone." They want to reach out to other people who believe the same thing. How does this not compute with you?[/QUOTE] Because omg atheists pushing their lack of belief on others

Anyone who supports this is an idiot. Not that it wasn't obvious to us non-idiots, but I felt the need. Putting up a billboard is not going to get a believer to suddenly not believe and actively trying to convert people's belief's for no purpose is just... pointless? I'm not particularly religious, but if you need someone to explain to you how this is offensive and an all round bad idea, then you, again, are an idiot.

[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;35040915]So we've degraded to 'they started it', how mature.[/QUOTE] What do you mean? I honestly, for the life of me, can't understand.

And controversy leads to discussion, which is what they are trying to archieve. A [editline]7th March 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Slight;35041044]Anyone who supports this is an idiot. Not that it wasn't obvious to us non-idiots, but I felt the need. Putting up a billboard is not going to get a believer to suddenly not believe and actively trying to convert people's belief's for no purpose is just... pointless? I'm not particularly religious, but if you need someone to explain to you how this is offensive and an all round bad idea, then you, again, are an idiot.[/QUOTE] Should we expell kids for telling others that Santa isn't real? That's about as offensive as those billboards

[QUOTE=Slight;35041044]Putting up a billboard is not going to get a believer to suddenly not believe and actively trying to convert people's belief's for no purpose is just... pointless?[/QUOTE] Good thing that's not the intent then, isn't it? The point is to reach out to more isolated Atheists within religious communities that feel alone in their beliefs.

[QUOTE=Megafan;35041005]The fact of the matter is that there are certain thoughts that are 'more correct' than others. It's more correct to believe that gravity exists according to the scientific consensus than as a force of god, for example. It's more correct to believe in evolution based on the fossil record and carbon dating of those fossils than it is to believe in creationism. Some ideas having more backing than others, it's indisputable.[/QUOTE] Well that's fairly obvious. But religion does offer some comfort that science never will be able to give (even if "you rot and disappear" is the most logical thing that can happen to an individual after he dies, it's not a very good reality and as childish as it is it's not that harmful if they just decide to believe something will happen after they die). Plus, trying to get rid of all religion just because at some people people thought it was a good excuse to make wars and because current religious start to sound rather ridiculous is just idiotic.

[QUOTE=Auth;35040643]Thats a fault of your governmental system not your people.[/QUOTE] Our system of government states quite clearly that there is an unbreakable barrier which exists between the affairs concerning religion and the affairs concerning the government in its duty of managing the country and its inhabitants. The many politicians who are challenging this well-set concept of separation of church and state (i.e. Perry, Santorum, Huckabee, Paul, etc.) were voted into their respective offices of political power by the people. A democratic system of government such as our own relies as much on these elected officials as does it on the voters to uphold its asserted values, laws, etc.- including the concept of separation of church and state. The system is functioning as intended; the problem lies with the people (political officials and voters alike) who have been bastardizing it with their own prejudices and half-assed desires. Thank God some people still have sense enough about them to know that this is wrong- that prejudices and biases are not supposed to factor into our government and need to be opposed at every opportunity wherever, whenever they appear.

I don't see a single thing wrong with these billboards. If they can make billboards for churches and such, why can't these people? It's just them offering their side of the argument, and it's perfectly fine, and I say this as a religious person.

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;35040948]About the bible being called fairy tales, the difference is that, yeah, people still believe in the bible. Massively.[/QUOTE] This doesn't take away my right to call the bible a fairy tale, EVER. This just shows that a lot of people believe in a book written a thousand years ago. [QUOTE]And the bible itself wasn't written in the same aim as a fairy tail.[/QUOTE] I disagree. A guy who is 500 years old, taking aboard one of every animal sound like a pretty darn good fairy tale. The talking snake and the talking burning bush also sounds like a fairy tale but that might be my interpetation. [QUOTE]The book itself is full of stuff that todays sounds unacceptable and intolerant, but your common Christians are often forgetting these parts and concentrating on the still useful stuff[/QUOTE] Okay, so they disregard the stuff that actually gets in our way as a society as a whole (gay marriage etc) and the whole, love thy neighbour is instead accepted? Sounds good. [QUOTE]There are still people persuaded that everything has to be taken literally and obeyed thoroughly, while others take the book more as the vision of a good society written by several persons (which was the case, the new testament WAS written by several people) who had different visions of it.[/QUOTE] So the new testament isn't really a book FROM god but rather high priests. Mortal men who had their own interests in the making of it.

I don't see what the issue is, I think it's actually a pretty decent idea. I had 6 years of "Religious Education" before someone actually asked me why I believed in God and all I could think of was, "They told me to."

[b]Yet another fucking religion thread.[/b] Goody.

[QUOTE=lavacano;35041569][b]Yet another fucking religion thread.[/b] Goody.[/QUOTE] I know! It's great fun discussing!

[QUOTE=Nossy;35038090]Fed up of the mindset that if you're an atheist it's your duty to tell everybody how much better you are than religious people, and that all of their beliefs are stupid. edit: Before rating me dumb, take the time to actually think. If this was a religious billboard insulting atheism, you'd all be up in arms about it. Like Funky Pickle said, there are obnoxious people in both groups.[/QUOTE] Same can be said about all the other religious billboards.

[QUOTE=MR-X;35041903]Same can be said about all the other religious billboards.[/QUOTE] Yeah, and your point is?

[QUOTE=J-Dude;35039019] Thing is, the reason people get so angry when they hear atheists has NOTHING to do with their decided lack of respect for their god, or their possible "allegiance with Satan". They're angry because deep down, [B]they KNOW the atheist is right[/B][/QUOTE] Uh, know. Religious people do not know "deep down" that atheists are right. That's stupid. By your logic, I could say atheists only say they don't believe in god because they hate God, and want to freely be able to sin. Ironically, a lot of extremists think that. [editline]7th March 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=MR-X;35041903]Same can be said about all the other religious billboards.[/QUOTE] exactly. All religious billboards piss me off, including atheist ones.

because you don't hear news from normal atheist. or normal religious people

I think it would just be better to do away with the religious billboards for all faiths/atheism, All they do is piss people off. Religion should just be a private matter kept between you, and your fellow believers. And without those atheists yelling at them too. That doesn't help, they need to be mad at the radical religious people that push it to everyone. But not all.

No proof god does or doesn't exist. Anything done in the name of god is by the people of the church, it's also a good excuse. Blame the people, not the religion.

[QUOTE=Keyblockor;35042333]No proof god does or doesn't exist.[/QUOTE] We've been over this before. There is no need to disprove something that was never proven to begin with. Unless you believe that [I]any[/I] idea, no matter how unfounded, is credible until absolutely disproven, you're being a hypocrite with this statement.

[QUOTE=Noble;35038143][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/rM4dH.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] It's funny because the ancestors of the people who made this were probably Confederates. AKA traitors to the United States.

[QUOTE=The Kakistocrat;35042060]Uh, know. Religious people do not know "deep down" that atheists are right. That's stupid. By your logic, I could say atheists only say they don't believe in god because they hate God, and want to freely be able to sin. Ironically, a lot of extremists think that.[/quote] I'm speaking from experience. Unless you are far... FAR gone, there is no possible way to go through a religious life without the distinct feel that something is amiss. When you step back and ask yourself if the world portrayed in your religion is the same one you live in... the smallest of voices answers simply... "No." You try your best to shut it out, but that little voice frightens you, because it threatens everything, or so you think. I remember just how fearful I was to even look up atheist arguments or websites, because I was terrified they could, and WOULD convince me. I'm not saying there aren't true believers, but I'm saying that even the believers must know in their heart of hearts that when they shut out the voice of the opposition, they know they're not being honest with themselves.

[QUOTE=Keyblockor;35042333]No proof god does or doesn't exist. Anything done in the name of god is by the people of the church, it's also a good excuse. Blame the people, not the religion.[/QUOTE]You can't prove something doesn't exist, its an impossibility. You can only prove an alternative that refutes the original claim. So that "You can't disprove God" bullshit some people like to try has zero place in any discussion on the matter. [editline]7th March 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Megafan;35042413]We've been over this before. There is no need to disprove something that was never proven to begin with. Unless you believe that [I]any[/I] idea, no matter how unfounded, is credible until absolutely disproven, you're being a hypocrite with this statement.[/QUOTE]Also this.

[QUOTE=Slight;35041044]Anyone who supports this is an idiot. Not that it wasn't obvious to us non-idiots, but I felt the need. Putting up a billboard is not going to get a believer to suddenly not believe and actively trying to convert people's belief's for no purpose is just... pointless? I'm not particularly religious, but if you need someone to explain to you how this is offensive and an all round bad idea, then you, again, are an idiot.[/QUOTE] I hope that between the time of this post and the time of my response, you actually read the OP.

[QUOTE=J-Dude;35039019]I really don't understand this mindset that says if someone deeply believes something, you're not allowed to call bullshit. All the billboard is doing is saying these religions are myths. They're not INSULTING anyone, they're making a statement. Insulting an idea is NOT the same thing as insulting the people who believe that idea. If they want to get all rowdy about it, that's THEIR problem. They are within their right to create a counter-billboard summarizing why it's NOT a myth. But they won't do that, and you KNOW why they won't do that. Thing is, the reason people get so angry when they hear atheists has NOTHING to do with their decided lack of respect for their god, or their possible "allegiance with Satan". They're angry because deep down, they KNOW the atheist is right, but accepting that means they give up the promise of immortality, ultimate justice, the chance of seeing their lost loved ones again, and the notion that the Universe is objectively good. They're angry, they're scared, and they don't like us reminding them of those niggling doubts in their own minds. I know, because it's how I was before I realized the value of accepting the truth over downing the painkillers.[/QUOTE] You're an insulting fool who is making other peoples minds up for them.

[QUOTE=King Tiger;35042819]You're an insulting fool who is making other peoples minds up for them.[/QUOTE] I felt the same way when I was religious, I don't think he's too off target.

[QUOTE=J-Dude;35039019]I really don't understand this mindset that says if someone deeply believes something, you're not allowed to call bullshit. All the billboard is doing is saying these religions are myths. They're not INSULTING anyone, they're making a statement. Insulting an idea is NOT the same thing as insulting the people who believe that idea. If they want to get all rowdy about it, that's THEIR problem. They are within their right to create a counter-billboard summarizing why it's NOT a myth. But they won't do that, and you KNOW why they won't do that. Thing is, the reason people get so angry when they hear atheists has NOTHING to do with their decided lack of respect for their god, or their possible "allegiance with Satan". They're angry because deep down, they KNOW the atheist is right, but accepting that means they give up the promise of immortality, ultimate justice, the chance of seeing their lost loved ones again, and the notion that the Universe is objectively good. They're angry, they're scared, and they don't like us reminding them of those niggling doubts in their own minds. I know, because it's how I was before I realized the value of accepting the truth over downing the painkillers.[/QUOTE] i tihnk it's less that and more that some people just don't like atheists

[QUOTE=LCBADs;35042855]I felt the same way when I was religious, I don't think he's too off target.[/QUOTE] I'm sure that's the way most atheists feel after they drop their religion. He's making up people's minds for them based on his own experiences without any evidence.

[QUOTE=Keyblockor;35042333]No proof god does or doesn't exist. Anything done in the name of god is by the people of the church, it's also a good excuse. Blame the people, not the religion.[/QUOTE] There is proof that the god of the bible doesn't exist. It's called the problem of evil

[QUOTE=Nossy;35038090]Fed up of the mindset that if you're an atheist it's your duty to tell everybody how much better you are than religious people, and that all of their beliefs are stupid. edit: Before rating me dumb, take the time to actually think. If this was a religious billboard insulting atheism, you'd all be up in arms about it. Like Funky Pickle said, there are obnoxious people in both groups.[/QUOTE] Most of FP would do this though, so you're gonna get lots of boxes.