The billboard should stay up for as long as the renters paid for the advertising, regardless of the message.

I don't think more people find this billboard offensive than any other religion-related signs; it just seems that christian groups seem more vocal in their opposition to anything non-christian.

Fortunately we don't live in a world anymore where the Church decides what is socially acceptable.

vertiaset: Atheist rationalization #212: The community of the faithful contains sinners, hypocrites and others who are less than perfect. Therefore, God does not exist.

You seem to have missed when Jubeebee said, "One of the very first things which started turning me away from religion..." Notice, no one suggested the only thing which turned them away from a deity was hypocrisy, no one suggested the only thing which turned them away from religion, even, was hypocrisy.

Vangor: G2V: That being said, I hate when atheists call themselves "Free thinkers," as an implicit differentiation between themselves and the religious. Yeah, that'll win people over.

I thought I might chime in with this, but atheists are unified by nothing more than a lack of belief in a deity. Many don't want to be represented by atheist organizations, perhaps with differing agendas, and some argue against the label 'atheist' entirely. Probably not the largest factor in choice of label, however.


I consider the idea of God's existence to be such a non-issue for the daily living of life that I have no desire to be part of any organization that chooses to speak for me on that front. Nor do I find a need to associate with other atheists just because they are atheists. I enjoy associating with people immaterial of their religious beliefs, and don't want to make my friends based on that anymore than I want all my friends to be Republicans or Democrats.

That said, I understand people who want to help others understand that their are good people who are atheists, and that they number more on a percentage basis than religious people often assume. It's basically the same fight with homosexuality.

LordJiro: Drr...drr... (new window)(Warning. Major nightmare fuel)

I thought it was funny how that one short story was scarier than the whole farking manga.

Gregosaurus: Farkshower1972: letrole: Atheism is a Religion.

Calling 'Atheism' a religion is like calling 'Bald' a hair color.

*snicker* Gotta remember that one...excellent!

I always liked: Calling Atheism a religion is like calling "not collecting stamps" a hobby.

libbynomore2: if farkers were the example people used, the world would assume that atheists are among the most mean and cruel human beings on the planet.

Oh cry me a whaaambulance.

/Where's that crybaby seal when we need it?

2 atheism threads in one day. Delicious.

Sgt Otter: Jubeebee: phatbeatz: that is a harsh generalization you make that atheists are all amoral heathens. i don't classify myself as atheist, but i know people that do and honestly, they tend to harbor more good intent than a lot of the christians i know.

One of the very first things that started turning me away from religion was when I realized in high school that most people I knew who were the most vocal about their faith were also the ones who engaged in behavior counter to their professed beliefs the most frequently.

Supposedly, that's what inspired Anton LaVey to start the Church of Satan. He was a professional musician in the Bible Belt, and had two regular gigs, as the house band in a whorehouse on Friday and Saturday nights, and playing the piano in church on Sundays.

He said those that those that hollered and screamed the loudest in church, were the ones screaming the loudest were the ones that were just stumbling out of the whorehouse a few hours earlier.

My grandfather was a simple East texas farmer, and a baptist - and he explained this to me when I was about eight. we were in town, and walking by the local holy-roller church, and all kinds of yelling and hollering was coming from inside. He turned to me and said "Johnny, when you hear folks praying real loud like that....go lock the henhouse."

genner: What happens to people who don't have kids?


We have more disposable income.

W. T. Fark: genner: G2V: genner:
You will never understand the mindset of a moral atheist who cares about the future of humanity regardless of personal reward. So please, just give up trying.

So I should stop trying learn and bury my head in the sand?
I thought atheists yelled at Christians for doing that.

W. T. Fark: genner: PlatinumDragon: If you don't believe in a imortal soul why do you care about what happens 100 years from now?

Why is belief in an immortal soul related, at all, to concern about the future of humanity?

Simple you'll be dead in a 100 years. With no soul no continue and no god to reward you why do you care?

If we have to explain it to you, then you wouldn't understand anyway. People like you remind me why most people still need a God to believe in, in order to maintain their own morality and therefore civil order.

It is more than a little worrisome to me that so many religious people subscribe to the apparent belief that their motivation to be a good and moral person isn't that it's its own reward, but because they fear eternal punishment if they aren't.

vertiaset:
Atheist rationalization #212: The community of the faithful contains sinners, hypocrites and others who are less than perfect. Therefore, God does not exist.

Oh my...is this what you actually believe? That non-believers would even consider that a causal relationsuhip, let alone an argument against God? Do straigh-faced remarks like this actually sputter and backfire inside that skull of yours on a regular basis?

You don't anger me; I pity you. You're not even grasping the fundamental laws of basic reasoning before tryng to use it against those who feel differently from you.

Frankly, it's kinda sad, bro.

genner: What if it didn't feel good?
It doesn't always.

Then I wouldn't. However, helping people has always felt good to me. I enjoy volunteering my time, resources, energy, and skills to charities and organizations. The moment I cease to enjoy this, I either halt with that particular charity or organization or halt altogether.

Yours is not an argument against me wanting better for the world after I am gone, though, since I clearly want better for the world after I am gone currently. I may not enjoy bacon in a few years, but this nor my understanding of taste does not preclude me from enjoying bacon now.

letrole: Cyber_Junk:Err, you did read his Fark name...right?

My surname is Le Trôle.

Your name is no excuse for being a dick.

Funny how god lovin' types have some much hate.

Wenchmaster: genner: What happens to people who don't have kids?


We have more disposable income.

Depends how many pets you have. I'm pretty sure one of our cats has officially cost more than a child this year. :)

genner: W. T. Fark: genner: G2V: genner:
You will never understand the mindset of a moral atheist who cares about the future of humanity regardless of personal reward. So please, just give up trying.

So I should stop trying learn and bury my head in the sand?
I thought atheists yelled at Christians for doing that.

Well, for one thing, you'll suffocate, fool. Plus, you'll get sand up your nose, cigarette butts in your mouth, and used condoms on your ears. No one trusts a man with condoms on his ears.

Hey, for once it's dying batteres in keyboard causing typos, and not scotch!

/don't get used to it

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!@!?!?!

what the children the church castrated in the middle ages for high singing voices? the children relegated to alms houses in the 18ᵗʰ and 19ᵗʰ centuries? the children molested by priests?

jso2897: This is how this plays out:
The local yokels discover that they can't legally have the billboard removed.
They torch it.
The burning debris falls on the businesses they own, and burns them down.
They all hold hands and praise the Lord for his infinite wisdom and mercy.
The Aristocrats!

You forgot the circle jerk before saying 'The Aristocrats!'

Oh...there it is, nm.

They all hold hands and praise the Lord for his infinite wisdom and mercy.

genner: So I should stop trying learn and bury my head in the sand?
I thought atheists yelled at Christians for doing that.

Let me ask you this - why do you do things for your loved ones? Like, if your wife/husband/child wants a gift, why do you give it to them?

LordJiro: Drr...drr... (new window)(Warning. Major nightmare fuel)

/first thing I thought of when reading your comment.

It's nice to see I'm not the only one who thinks of Junji Ito when I read the words "drr drr..." ;)

/That image probably works better in context.
//Anybody seen a film called "Marronnier? (pops to youtube trailer)" Is it any good?

hechz: THINK OF THE CHILDREN!@!?!?!

what the children the church castrated in the middle ages for high singing voices? the children relegated to alms houses in the 18ᵗʰ and 19ᵗʰ centuries? the children molested by priests?

The children given some of the best education in many American cities by the Catholic Church?

Oh noes!

The world moves on. If you want to dismiss an entire religion because of its actions in the past, be please consistent and dismiss every Western nation for their brutal and inhumane treatment of the peoples they conquered for their land.

gilgigamesh: W. T. Fark: genner: PlatinumDragon: If you don't believe in a imortal soul why do you care about what happens 100 years from now?

Why is belief in an immortal soul related, at all, to concern about the future of humanity?

Simple you'll be dead in a 100 years. With no soul no continue and no god to reward you why do you care?

If we have to explain it to you, then you wouldn't understand anyway. People like you remind me why most people still need a God to believe in, in order to maintain their own morality and therefore civil order.

It is more than a little worrisome to me that so many religious people subscribe to the apparent belief that their motivation to be a good and moral person isn't that it's its own reward, but because they fear eternal punishment if they aren't.

One of my professors was actually like this. Shortly after 9/11, when everyone was kind of in a weird mental state anyway, he privately confided in me that if God did not exist, he wouldn't give a damn and would go around hurting people. I kid you not.

Anyone remember the name of that country who had freedom of speech and freedom of religion?

Vangor: genner: What if it didn't feel good?
It doesn't always.

Then I wouldn't.



Then your doing it for the reward.
Same as the theists.

Uncle Tractor: vertiaset: One of my main problems with atheists is that all too often in abandoning their faith they also abandon any sense of morality. Many, certainly not all, become moral relativists or, even worse, amoral. After all, if man is the measure of all things and there is no right or wrong, just "things people do", then there is no evil and, conversely, no good.

What a strange ... and dangerous ... world view.

Christians really shouldn't play the morality card.

Yes, you are a complete tard. Be proud of that

How about I put tubgirl on the next billboard? It'll certainly draw complaints away from the atheist billboard.

Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-O and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have.

-Penn Jillette (new window)

/especially Jell-O

vertiaset: he best thing is to let Christianity die a natural death.... When understanding of the universe has become widespread... Christian doctrine will be convicted of absurdity....

FWIW, since all your quotes come from the exact same place, you may want to read:

Link (new window)

MBK: To play devil's advocate...

If you are going to complain about signs that are pro-religion, then you shouldn't complain about the protesters who dislike "anti-religion" signs. If you do, doesn't it make you hypocritical?

No.

fumb duck: can I borrow that?

How about a t-shirt?

Link (new window)

When you look inside yourself and identify why you dismiss my belief completely.....

Then you will understand why I dismiss yours.

W. T. Fark: privately confided in me that if God did not exist he did not believe that God exists, he wouldn't give a damn and would go around hurting people. I kid you not.

FTFM

genner: G2V: genner:
Simple you'll be dead in a 100 years. With no soul no continue and no god to reward you why do you care?

I like people. I don't know if it's upbringing, or chemical processess occurring in my head, but go figure.

Besides, wishing for a nicer world is simply logical. The more niceness to go around, the more likely you are to encounter some yourself.


I mean, is the only reason you care about people because you'll be rewarded for it by God?

That's fine in the short term. The question was about a 100 years in the future. You'll be dead so no niceness will come to you.

As for my motivation no...it's not all about rewards or punishments. I follow God because I actually like the guy.

Well, there you go. It's not all about what affects me. I just like people. Sure, they're people I'll never meet, whose lives will have no affect on my own, and who my life is unlikely to affect either.

The same can be said of the starving in Africa, the impovershed in Asia, and really just about everyone outside of my day to day life. Doesn't mean my empathy just evaporates. Like yours, I imagine the primary cause is because you don't want people to hurt, it runs contrary to the emotions of most people naturally. Even babies like positive emotions and no one has explained the bible or atheism to them yet.

Obviously, one can debate the root cause of that predisposition towards positivity, but that just brings you back to the whole
'chemical processes and evolutionarily beneficial' vs 'divine goodness' debate, where we must necessarily part paths, I assume.

Now admittedly, phrased that way you could say if i believe I'm nice because I evolved to want to be that way for advantage, it's no more 'genuine' an emotion than people being nice because they don't want God to kick their asses.

Which I'll accept. I don't believe the universe cares about good or evil, so I think nice is more or less what you make of it.

vertiaset: in the name of ATHEISM

Convenient that the conclusions you draw from history about motivation and intent match your perception. Care to cite primary sources for this in a speech or something? Or do you think it was a backroom conspiracy?

Atheist organizations?

B-b-b-b-b-but Atheism isn't organized, therefore it cannot be a religion. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

W. T. Fark [TotalFark] Quote 2009-07-05 07:13:20 PM
gilgigamesh: W. T. Fark: genner: PlatinumDragon: If you don't believe in a imortal soul why do you care about what happens 100 years from now?

Why is belief in an immortal soul related, at all, to concern about the future of humanity?

Simple you'll be dead in a 100 years. With no soul no continue and no god to reward you why do you care?

If we have to explain it to you, then you wouldn't understand anyway. People like you remind me why most people still need a God to believe in, in order to maintain their own morality and therefore civil order.

It is more than a little worrisome to me that so many religious people subscribe to the apparent belief that their motivation to be a good and moral person isn't that it's its own reward, but because they fear eternal punishment if they aren't.

One of my professors was actually like this. Shortly after 9/11, when everyone was kind of in a weird mental state anyway, he privately confided in me that if God did not exist, he wouldn't give a damn and would go around hurting people. I kid you not.


Where do you people get your misinformation\propoganda? You Fail horribly. Fear is not the motivation. The motivation for Christians is to let their light shine, to try and be as good as Jesus was.

Open your minds atheists. Try and actually get to know the people you mock/hate.

vertiaset: Many, certainly not all, become moral relativists or, even worse, amoral.

The atheists that I know are atheists in no small part because religion contradicted their own moral sense. The point of the sign was to let people like you know that religion is not required for a moral sense.

This is going to continue to happen more often, in more places, until religion is finally relegated back to its rightful place in America:

personal preferences, nothing more.

Mongo cut wood:
Where do you people get your misinformation\propoganda? You Fail horribly. Fear is not the motivation. The motivation for Christians is to let their light shine, to try and be as good as Jesus was.

Open your minds atheists. Try and actually get to know the people you mock/hate.

Can you read?

genner: Then your doing it for the reward.
Same as the theists.

Except your argument was not for reward or lack of reward, nor was mine. To begin, however, this is such a pointless argument to make since if material rewards, such as an eternity of bliss, are equivalent to personal rewards, expanded knowledge or affection, not an action exists which is not done out of motivation for the reward.

You asked, specifically, "If you don't believe in a imortal soul why do you care about what happens 100 years from now?" Afterward, you sadi, "Simple you'll be dead in a 100 years. With no soul no continue and no god to reward you why do you care?" To my knowledge, no one has mentioned rewards, and I am almost certain not within the conversation before I began responding to you.

Dragonsbreath: Anyone remember the name of that country who had freedom of speech and freedom of religion?

Canada?

The sign only says "it's ok" to be atheist. Thats what makes the whole protest so damn stupid. I could understand the anger if the billboard was saying "But thou must!" But then again, if their beliefs are so frail that a billboard in favor of free will threatens them, that explains the RAAAAGGGEEEE!!!11!

I'd like to see it changed to an Islam billboard, purely for the lulz.

Vangor: You asked, specifically, "If you don't believe in a imortal soul why do you care about what happens 100 years from now?" Afterward, you sadi, "Simple you'll be dead in a 100 years. With no soul no continue and no god to reward you why do you care?" To my knowledge, no one has mentioned rewards, and I am almost certain not within the conversation before I began responding to you.

I think the answer of most atheists to that question is "I simply do care. Much like I get hungry or thirsty, or fall in love, or enjoy music, I care about other people. It needs no justification."

FitzShivering: Depends how many pets you have. I'm pretty sure one of our cats has officially cost more than a child this year. :)

Same here. I spent several thousand dollars last month in a losing battle to save one of my furchildren. Have another cat who is diabetic. Special food, insulin, vet visits- all fairly expensive.

/Childless by choice
//Curmudgeon by temperment

Mongo cut wood: Where do you people get your misinformation\propoganda? You Fail horribly. Fear is not the motivation. The motivation for Christians is to let their light shine, to try and be as good as Jesus was.

What color of the sky is it in your world?

/former sunday school teacher
//most Christians are filled with an unhealthy amount of fear for a group of people who think they are going to heaven

It's really disgustingly stupid how religious morons think we are trying to repress them when they have a firm hold on everything in the public.

It's an uphill battle trying to keep religion as a private matter. Outspoken Atheists usually don't preach about Atheism.

For the most part we usually speak out on the obvious constitutional infringements being done such as try to keep religion of any kind out of:
-Government
-Public schools
-Public buildings
-Pretty much anything that tax money pays for

Am I being militant?

1: Do unto others as you would have done unto you
2: Live and let live

/Agnostic
//Holds these truths to be self-evident
///Would have at least a small modicum of respect for religious farkers if they did me the same farking courtesy