Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Atheist hate speech provokes backlash
Atheist activists are known for their angst-inspiring billboards. These messages typically take aim at religious institutions and those who subscribe to them — and they’re also generally very timely, with themes focusing upon holidays and political happenings. During an intense electoral season, for instance, American Atheists, an organization devoted to spreading secularism, is taking aim at presidential candidates’ faith.
But, in North Carolina, where the group’s billboards were strategically posted just weeks ago in an effort to coincide with the Democratic National Convention, complaints have led the organization to take the offensive messages down.
American Atheists and Adams Outdoor Advertising are reportedly removing two Charlotte billboards blasting Christianity and Mormonism following an outpouring of complaints and threats.
The Bradenton Herald report that the billboards, which targeted the faiths of President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, went up two weeks ago and were intended to be displayed for the duration of the national conventions.
So, what was it that led to such intense reaction from those who observed the billboards? Consider their contents. As previously reported, the first has the header “Christianity.“ It goes on to call God ”sadistic“ and to dub Jesus Christ a ”useless” savior. The full text reads, “Sadistic God; Useless Savior, 30,000+ Version of ‘Truth.’ Promotes Hate, Calls it ‘Love.’”
News reports about the billboards apparently led to a national outpouring of anger. Amanda Knief, managing director of American Atheists, told Fox News that “vitriol, threats and hate speech” has been waged against staffers, volunteers and against Adams Outdoor Advertising, the company that helped place the billboards.
“It was a mutual decision between us and Adams Advertising for the safety and interests of both organizations that the billboards come down,” Knief said of the decision to take the controversial billboards down.
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22 comments:
So much for freedom and free speech you conservatives cherish. Sigh.
They still have the freedom to put it up. The problem is that liberals truly want to offend people. Compare putting up billboards with the sole purpose of trying to offend believers (whether it is true or not is irrelevant) with having a cross on a city symbol that was settled around a Spanish Mission. Do you see the difference between the two. If you go out TRYING to offend people, you should expect a backlash. Other assholes ran into the same problem when they put up billboards calling Bill Clinton a rapist (again, the truth of the statement is immaterial).
If we could just get the liberals to be less mentally retarded and offensive and the conservatives to be less preachy and tight-assed.
Well, taking down those billboards is a great start. Now all we need do is put a bounty on the head of every atheist. Dead or alive, with a bonus for the former. It will finally rid our society of this vermin.
Why are people like 2:44 AM commenting like that on this site when the site is about free speech and he/she is patently opposed to same, or is it some weird and perverse take on "free speech".
Christians complain about an atheist billboard while there are thousands of message boards in front of churches. Their faith cannot stand a few billboards? Is it that fragile?
As for 2:44, you right wingers always say that atheists have killed millions of people. If that is the case, you should not be threatening us. You know what we can do.
I'm a Christian would have preferred the billboard remain in place - it is a country where we're supposed to be free to be an idiot and say anything we want (other than "Fire" in a theatre of course...).
Atheist's have a faith just as strong as any Christian, they just won't admit it. Belief in anything that can't be proven is "faith". Just as I can't prove there is a God, they can't prove there isn't one.
Sigh!
"Just as I can't prove there is a God, they can't prove there isn't one."
Hard evidence goes a long way to come down on one side vs. the other.
Anonymous 3:16 said...
"Why are people like 2:44 AM commenting like that on this site when the site is about free speech and he/she is patently opposed to same, or is it some weird and perverse take on "free speech..."
Why are people like you opposed to any speech that you disagree with? Obviously, you have a problem with understanding what "free" means.
Whoever thought up those ads had never heard the addage that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Do they seriously think that vitriolic comments like that would change anybody's opinion? Their main effect appears to be to allow that sub-section of atheists who are virulent God-haters to let off steam.
@4:53
Just because you have free speech doesn't mean that you can come into my house and yell at me, and if you wanted to stand on the sidewalk and yell, it may be legal, but it would be rude. Similarly, making comments that are totally off-topic, ridiculous, and extreme, is also rude. Just trying to keep things polite is a good enough reason to be against rude comments, and it has nothing to do with being against free speech. If you want to say something that has nothing to do with the topic being discussed, you are free to take it elsewhere.
Yes, I see the irony ...
Bonus English Lesson No. 1
"there" indicates location
"their" indicates possession by more than one
"they're" contraction of "they are"
ex. They're moving their stuff over there.
I am ok with leaving the billboards in place - but they were clearly intended to cause maximum offense.
The Atheists should therefore be thrilled that they have achieved what they set out to accomplish.
Oh for crying out loud people! For the love of Gan (sorry, just finished the Dark Towers series last night) Will you please use nicknames (Name/URL option) instead of referring to posting times?! It makes the flamefest so much easier to follow. And yes, "faking" somebody else's handle is cheating and admitting defeat.
(Waits for somebody to fake the "Dman" handle in 3, 2, 1...) :)
Crap. "Tower" vice "Towers."
Dman,
My own handle is intended as a reminder that everyone should use a handle. (Think Star Wars.) It's clear that some here deliberately refuse to do so because they want to cause confusion and because they don't want to own their own words. In other words, they're deliberately disruptive.
If Jon was running an experiment on what absolute free speech without restriction looks like, he couldn't have done any better than this comments section. (Though even he had to draw the line at spam.)
6:36 Am - Do you think religious billboards and placards don't cause any offense to those who don't believe what they say -especially with references to going to Hell for types that religious ppl don't like. Counter billboards and placards wouldn't even be necessary or existing in the first place if THERE WERE NO RELIGIOUS BIGOTS around to be as annoying as any other protestors.
3:44am brings up an excellent point. Sure, I have no doubt some people are offended by religious billboards/placards. No argument there. But I also have to point out that, generally speaking, their purpose is not to offend. They might offend, but that's not their intended purpose. I say "generally" because you're always going to have your nutjobs out there like the Westboro Baptist crowd.) On the other hand, American Athiests messages appear (to me, at least) to be purposefully intended to insult, or at very least poke fun of Christians. That's the difference.
Atheists make fun of Christians just as you (you as in the general sense of the word) make fun of mind readers, astrologists, etc.
I have an acquaintance who always talks about how he hates it when someone says "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays". The problem is that they say "Merry Christmas", but what he hears is "You dont believe in God, therefor you are a worthless pos and are going to rot forever in Hell". So he feels no problem in cussing those people out and yelling in their face, even though they were probably just trying to be polite. These billboards remind me of him.
"...but what he hears is "You dont believe in God, therefor you are a worthless pos and are going to rot forever in Hell"
No, what he hears is "I...I...I...", and he sounds rather fragile.
Nevermind, that's basically what you said (after thinking about it more than one-second), but the problem is clearly his and he should be ashamed of his behavior. Anybody remember shame?
When I hear "happy holidays" I just get disgusted because I know it's politically correct crap-speech and the people are probably forced to say it or get fired, but I just say thanks and move on.
3:32 sounds like a threat to me. Can you clarify or have you run away?
5:02 I have seen many clips on YouTube of high-profile "Atheists" being highly critical of Islam in very public debates and other fora incl tv interviews - eg. Hitchens, Dawkins and Harris.
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