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June 30th, 2011
06:41 PM ET
Atheists flying ad campaign meets strong resistanceBy Katie Glaeser, CNN (CNN)–It's a battle of belief - and the right not to believe - in a country founded on freedom. "I'm a patriotic American. I served my country. I get out there and celebrate the Fourth, too," Blair Scott, who calls himself a proud atheist, proclaimed. "This America belongs to everyone." Blair, the communications director for the New Jersey-based American Atheists, said atheists in the United States often feel alienated and face accusations of being anti-American because of their lack of belief in God. To combat those notions, his group is using Independence Day to say atheists love their country, too. But the way they're spreading their message might have Americans looking to the sky this Fourth of July and finding something besides fireworks to stir emotion. Planes with banners that read "God-LESS America" or "Atheism is Patriotic" will be flying over 27 states on Monday. While people might be leery to see the messages overhead, the $23,000 campaign has had a struggle with those who are supposed to bring it to life. Justin Jaye of Fly Signs Aerial Advertising, who is orchestrating the flights for American Atheists, said out of the 85 people in the country who fly these sign-pulling planes only about 17 have agreed to fly the messages. "I've been in this business for 20 years and I've never run into so much resistance on people flying," Jaye said. "I've had pilots who are actual atheists who said, 'Justin, I am an atheist and I won't fly it because I can't wear a bulletproof vest.'" Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, says the reaction to the organization's campaign before it takes off shows how much work the group still needs to do. "This is a clear reminder of why we need to keep fighting because the bigotry against us is so thick that a lot of the pilots are afraid to fly our banners," he said. Jaye said while some feared for their lives, others feared for their marriages. He had one pilot say his wife would divorce him if he made the flight. Red Calvert, a pilot and president of Pro-Air Enterprises in Indianapolis, said his reasons to decline the flight were based on his personal beliefs. "I respect our country and I respect our churches and we've got enough problems in our country without stirring up some more," he said. "If those people want to do something they believe in, fine, just don't include me." The American Atheists hope to draw attention and spur public discussion through their campaign on Monday. "It's going to remind people that atheism is at that ballgame and at that beach and at that parade. We are patriotic people," Silverman said. soundoff (2,835 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Next »
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10. Your dog will never ever send anyone to hell, though he may be flatulent occasionally.
9. While everyone has their own personal preference as to which dog is best, no one tells you that you will burn in a lake of fire if you love the wrong dog.
8. If you throw a ball and ask your dog to get it, the ball will come back to you. If you throw a ball and ask God to get it in a prayer, the ball stays there forever.
7. You cannot give God a silly haircut and a sweater.
6. Your dog never created diseases, droughts, crop blights, tsunamis, tornados, or other major disasters, even if he does go do-do on your carpet occasionally
5. People have never killed each other by the thousands over which dog is the correct dog.
4. There has never been any inquisitions to punish people with torture and death for improper attitudes towards your dog.
3. Your dog does not know anything about mortal sin; there is only "No no bad dog", which is only a temporary condition.
2. Your dog always loves you no matter what you do. God only loves you if you strictly obey him.
1. Your dog actually exists.
Cut n past should be banned. Unoriginal at best
No, John. That's a great list. Thanks, "The Top Ten...", for posting it. The more we show Christians how utterly silly their beliefs are, the better.
Athiests are the weirdest bunch i have ever come across. If i didnt believe in god i sure as hell wouldnt be wasting my time trying to convince those who do that he doesnt exist. Its the weirdest behavior ever. Why are you wasting your time? Christians wont listen, and you only have this life to live. Stop wasting your minutes!
Wow, John, you don't seem aware of what goes on around you. Religion unfortunately currently impacts public policy and our laws, in very harmful ways, and that is reason enough for us to work to get people to get past their religious superst-itions.
John, if you think that is cut and paste, then google it and try to find it.
Christians are the weirdest bunch i have ever come across. If i believed in god i sure as hell wouldnt be wasting my time trying to convince those who do that he exists. Its the weirdest behavior ever. Why are you wasting your time? Atheists wont listen, and you only have this life to live. Stop wasting your minutes!
@John
"Cut n past should be banned."
Oooh goody - goes for pastes of Bible quotes too then, eh?
p.s. It should not be called "cut & paste" - it is "copy & paste... or copy/paste. "Cut & paste" is what you did on worksheets in kindergarten.
Good one, A-J.
You know the greatest devotees of God are not just the believers who do good to please God but also those who despise Him or Her. Because in the end both have God on their minds and in their hearts, some with love and others hate. Say all you want atheists but you are just as devoted to God through your hate. If you think about God you serve God in your own strange way. You would like to think you are different from the sheep but you and the believers are the same. both always trying to press your beliefs, force your beliefs about God on others. totally ridiculous. You want to despise religion, then I can't argue with that...its man made after all. But to say that God doesn't exist because you think He or SHE doesn't through your own infinite wisdom and knowledge is just plain stupid. Just as stupid as the believer who tries to say his/her way of worship is the true way. True worship is rooted in faith, its in the heart, in the mind...., not rituals, not Lamas or Popes...Bibles or Korans. or even in Science! True faith or understanding of God, the Supreme whatever He, She, IT may be is shown thorough tolerance, understanding and kindness to all beings..I don't have the answers and even if I did i wouldn't tell you because only when the time is right for you, would you actually listen. until then best of luck in this life.
@John
You said: "Atheists are the weirdest bunch i have ever come across. If i didnt believe in god i sure as hell wouldnt be wasting my time trying to convince those who do that he doesnt exist. Its the weirdest behavior ever. Why are you wasting your time? Christians wont listen, and you only have this life to live. Stop wasting your minutes!"
I have noticed, that in the absence of atheists, Christians tend to blather on about their beliefs. They tend to reinforce each other's delusions. They play a spiritual game of "I will tickle yours, if you will tickle mine" .
Atheists inject reality into the conversation. Atheists say: "Yes, yes, daydreaming about Santa and his eight tiny reindeer is fun, but let's be adults for a while."
Atheists force believers to see the world as it really is. We make believers take off their "Bible Glasses" as Ken Ham talks about.
Cheers!
Is this what athiests stand for? Is this what you guys are about? Ridiculing, mocking, making fun of people? Patting each other on the back for who can be the most hateful? I simply dont understand why one would waste their time and im hit with a barrage of hate letters and ridicule. You are the most religious bunch and belong with the end of the world nut cases. Im glad im not religious or athiest. I love god and ill watch from an island as you all fight to the death. Strange.
David, in case you didnt notice. A room full of athiest do exactly the same thing. Its called solidarity. That is why athiests meet in groups and collect money to fly banners. But when christians do it its stupid, but when you do it, its logical. Im sorry but it sounds very religious to me. I think both parties are in for a rude awakening. Jesus hated religion. You all have something in common. Stop the hate, spread the love. Proof is manmade.
I have never been to any form of atheist meeting. I have way too much other stuff to do.
How about rest of you non-believers? Been to any atheists meetings?
Nope. Never been to any atheist gathering.
@The Top 10 Reasons Your Dog Is Better Than God
Bravo...!!! Well done !!! LOL !!! 😀
Regards,
Peace...
Just because you're an atheist that doesn't mean you're unpatriotic and just because you're religious that doesn't mean you're a patriot. Shoving your belief or non-belief down other people's throats isn't right though. America isn't God-less, but that doesn't mean everyone believes in God. If atheists want to send a message to the American public, they should try to do it in a way that expresses what they believe without offending other people. All these banners will do is make people dislike atheists even more.
Religion is for cowards who fear death
Nice way to insult people. By the way, this article describes extreme religious activites
Of course atheist are patriots. They don't believe in our politicians.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0giVL4j8mQ
Conservatives are Satanists
As a Satanist, i take offense to that!
Just kidding, I don't give a d^mn.
These so called patriotic "god fearing" Americans seem to forget that this country allows freedom of belief and expression. They are in fact the anti-American ones.
People of faith have always been the unpatriotic ones and they always will be. They will listen to their religious leaders before they listen to our national leaders and that disgusts me beyond measure. I am sick of them demanding their faith be the lay of our laws.
Karl, the reason bush got into the white house was because of religion. What do you mean they wont listen to our leaders? They put him in the white house. Werid comments
Without GOD those lost soles wouldn't even be here on earth let alone have country called AMERICA!! I guess to each his own. I'll keep GOD in my life. How about you?? Stand up & defend your beliefs.
The most true American God is money.
Lost soles? Nope soles are still in my shoes.
You keep "GOD" in your life, but keep it out of my government and schools or we are going to tax the hell out of you. How's that for Patriotism....
Yeah, Joann, a sole is the bottom surface of a shoe, the part that contacts the ground and takes all the grit and nasty. Soul is either a mythical aspect of personality, a person's emotional spirit, or a style of cooking.
Mike: prayer has never been shown to do anything other than keep the masses occupied. And please, look up "your" vs. "you're". The rest of your post is painful to read because you're confusing them,
Anyway, few of those people that you mention gave up their lives for a god. They had far better reasons for what they did. Why would a god need a human to do anything for it?
christianity is a man made structure to control people. They use fear, shame, and empty rewards (fake afterlife). There may be
some good in religion, but that good can be had without it. It is time for people to wake from this delusion.
If "jesus" answered your prayers, try praying to a fire hydrant-you'll get the same result!
You just dont understand so you have simplified the reasons and mock them. I dont understand why you are so angry. Giving up your life for god has nothing to do with what god wants. This is deep deep stuff and you scratched the surface, found it uncomfortable, then resorted to retreat and sarcasm. Its so strange.
John, you can go on denigrating people who don't agree with you, but stevie68a's post is deeper than anything you've come up with here.
Stevie's fire hydrant example is just that, an example, and a very apt one, as an inanimate object. Until you can present tangible evidence that your god answers prayers (and note that no one else has succeeded in doing that so far), a fire hydrant is a great comparable to your god, and far more useful -especially if a fire breaks out.
Not angry, John, contemptuous and disturbed. The dominance of fantasy over reason is dangerous, and our country is in a dangerous position. Delusion in power could be disastrous.
@Mike I couldnt agree with you more.
@incred np my pleasure
@erc Ill look it up when I get the chance. (my guess was a bit high)
Christians believe in something, atheists blieve in nothing. So what's the big deal? Christians don't hate, they just want u saved. If u don't want to, its perfectly ok WHY SHOULD ANYONE CARE IF YOU DON'T?. They will not waste $23k to denounce ur atheistical views because there is nothing. More people will go to church, others will hate ur cause when they see your signs, its a Joke! Remember! "HE CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THE ATHEISTS" and that goes for everybody else who don't believe in Him. Have a Great 4th!!!
You mean, aside from the millions they spend in billboards and other advertising, Christians don't advertise like this tiny bit of advertising by some atheists?
Because we don't share your beliefs, that means we believe in nothing? What ignorance! What arrogance! "better to say nothing and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"
We believe in nothing? Wow, the ignorance of the masses. I am somewhere between an Atheist and Agnostic. I don't necessarily believe there is no god (or thing that created everything) but I if he is there, I believe he doesn't give a care about individuals on an obscure planet in the universe.
I believe I AM RESPONSIBLE for my life, not some fictional being. I believe I should respect others as long as they respect me. Just because I don't believe some God handed down ten rules (that just so happened to coincide with the exact problems Moses was having with his followers) doesn't mean I think it's alright to murder or steal (unfaithfulness is up to the individual and whether his wife will cut his balls off.)
As an Atheist I believe in many things, just things I have to come to terms with instead of blindly following a book of fiction.
Shayna, he meant you dont believe in god. Why get so worked up? He believes in god you dont. So yes, you believe in nothing, athiests dont. You may believe you will have another beer, but hes talking about god. Whats the issue
Medicine, technology & hygiene has done more for the human race than all the prayers ever said. Give me an antibiotic and a bar of soap & YOU PRAY!
One person putting one soda can in the recycling bin has done more for the human race than all the prayer ever done has.
I love Shayna!
Amen!
Great post, Shayna. It really annoys me when Christians spew about how their personal god is going to save them and how prayer will help, and then they go running to their doctor with any illness or injury, to receive the latest that man-made medical technology can do for them.
I am an atheist. But I refuse to be an in-your-face atheist because of how much I despise the in-your-face Christians that are so mind-numbingly common here in the South. About the only thing I do that bothers people is when I refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. When they ask why I don't recite it, I explain that, as an atheist, I find the 1950s-era addition of "Under god" personally offensive. When they accuse me of being unpatriotic, I ask them if they would recite the Pledge if it said "One nation which has completely turned its back on Jesus." I haven't run into any Christian who has said that they would recite that pledge...
Whether you believe or do not believe, keep your thoughts to yourself. I don't want to hear them.
Then why are you here?
Relions don't keep to themselves, they spread like a mind virus. When you have billions on people living their lives based on childish beliefs its time for the sane ones to step in and point it out.
Talking snakes, talking bushes, magic gardens, magic boats, walking on water, virgin births, resurrections...COME ON! Grow up! People are so scared of dying they'll believe anything.
How much more suffering can we take in the name of dog?
My dog has never caused anyone suffering. Okay, she did dig that hole that my wife stepped in and broke her foot, so maybe you have a point afterall.
My dog is better than their god.
If atheists want to be patriotic, that's fine. But do they have to try to do nothing more than stir up public debate and make a statement on our country's independance day? Our country, the one they are so proud to be a part of, was founded by men and women who wanted to be able to worship God. When they said freedom of religion, they weren't talking about the freedom to believe that there is no God. They wanted freedom to worship the true and living God without the Church of England telling them they didn't have the right to. People nowadays twist our founding fathers words around to suit themselves. Washington and the others NEVER envisioned the U.S. of A. as a country that didn't worship God and Jesus. This is a sad state our country is in now. May God have mercy on us.
Why do many Americans believe that the thinking and words of the so-called founding fathers represent the final words on many subjects, especially religion? While many of these gentlemen were outstanding, their views were largely shaped by 18th (not 21st century) thinking and societal norms. Whether believers like it or not, many of these guys were not christians and some were bordering on being atheists. I think claiming to be a "deist" during those times was one way of saying "I don't believe in a christian or traditional god but I don't want to be shunned or murdered so I'll just play along..."
I don't think this group of men thought they had the last thinking or word on government – if they did, they wouldn't have provided for amendments to the American consit!tution.
Except for the Treaty of Tripoli which was UNANIMOUSLY passed by the US Senate – which explicitly states the US is not a Christian nation and is secular. Nice try, but you need to brush up on your history.
Actually, Jimbo is entirely wrong. The truly founding fathers (Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, et al) were rationalists and (marginal) deilsts) not Christians. They were far more interest in protecting reason from religion than the opposite. They were open to consideration and discussion of the nature of creation, and the spirit of the universe. Today they would be atheists. There were those in the Congress that were devout Christians, and they were welcome as well to a nation that was open to free, read free discussion and judgement. Today, with the evidence overwhelming, they would nonetheless insist on one's right to believe any silly thing that one wanted.
The Founding Fathers were actually ESCAPING British religion, and wanted ALL to be able to think as they wanted. Jefferson was an Athiest. Franklin was a great friend and believer in Voltaire. Adams, Madison etc, etc were Diests, and absolutely did NOT believe in Christianity.
to all........ I doubt anything will change your minds, but this site is a neat read if you are interested.
http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0192_America_-_A_Christia.html
So why did Washington say that His blessings were needed in our government if he wasn't a believer? If you don't believe in God, then you obviously do not believe in hell either. But can you be 100% certain that hell doesn't exist? I for one am not willing to take that chance.
I love Jimbo's logic and i see it so much from the faithful. It's so myopic. No Jimbo, the country will not devolve into anarchy if it doesn't believe in your god, there are many prosperous non-christian countries to attest to this.
Hell doesn't exist Jimbo.
Nice biased website there. A Christian website is not a reliable source for U.S. history.
So because that is a Christian website it means that those things aren't true? This truely is a sad time for our country. May God have mercy on us all.
@Jimbo
You said "So because that is a Christian website it means that those things aren't true?"
Not necessarily. But they are questionable. You see, christians tend to believe in fairy tales and they play loose and fast with facts. A christian website is suspect because it is christian.
You said "This truely is a sad time for our country. May God have mercy on us all."
He won't, because he doesn't give a shit (that is assuming he exists).
@Jimbo
Washington was just 1 of many – you have not proven your case.
How about answering my questions about why you, and many other Americans, are stuck in the 18th century when the authors of your const!tution clearly allowed for change?
HotAirAce...... Just because so many people in the USA have lowered their morales and standards for what is acceptable and what is the social "norm" does not make it right. I believe the Bible and what it says. Therefore I believe that things like h-omo-se-xua-lity are not only wrong, but a sin. I believe that God intended for all countries and governments to rule their lands according to the word of God. That is why I believe that a country that pushes God out of it the way we have will be judged accordingly. So it's not that I am stuck in an 18th century way of thinking, I am stuck in a word of God way of thinking.
That's an 18th Century BCE way of thinking.
@Jimbo
Thanks for the explanation. I would have much preferred that you were a strict const!tutionalist rather than a literal word of god type as then your thinking would have been about 1800 years more evolved and you would understand that no one, certainly not atheists, has improperly pushed god(s) anywhere. All that has happened is various levels of government have been asked to conform with the const!tution and the law, using the legal due process. Anything that was being done illegally can hardly be called a right, so no rights have been lost. Hopefully you would agree this is much better than living your life according to 2000+ years old books with questionable authenticity and numerous errors.
Jimbo: "I believe that God intended for all countries and governments to rule their lands according to the word of God."
Ah,
Like being executed for carrying sticks on the "Lord's" day (oh wait, first you have to figure out which day that is...)?
Like stoning to death wayward children?
Like stoning to death adulterers?
Like requiring rapists to marry their victims?
@HotAirAce........ What errors have you found in the Bible? I am interested in hearing what they are and where I can find them.
@i wonder....... Obviously you haven't read the Bible and understood it. God set forth rules and laws for the Jews in the Old Testament. They were for the Jews only. During the ministry of Jesus, He began offering salvation to the Gentiles. Those rules and laws for the Jews of old did not apply to the Gentiles or even the Jews anymore.
@Jimbo
It would be trivial to find lists on non-beleiver websites where the bible is throughly shredded, and if you have been reading for comprehension in here you would have seen many errors and inconsistencies discussed previously (Dave J does a great job as usual), but I will refer you to a believer site:
http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/bible.htm
The mental gynastics they go through to explain things is highly amusing. My favorite error (missing for the above list) is the value for pi – I'm sorry but 3 is not good enough for a supernatural being.
@HotAirAce........ I have read over the website recommended. Honestly, I didn't find anything highly amusing. I truly believe that the Bible contains NO errors. But that's just my thoughts. You can think whatever you want. Someday we will find out who is right and who is wrong. If the way you believe is wrong, those that have not accepted Christ will be spending an eternity in hell.
Hey, there are lots of us out here who are religious Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Native Americans and so forth who DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE ABRAMIC DEITY and CANNOT USE THE WORD "God." We don't do the Old White Man with the Beard.
One of the MOST annoying things about religion in American is that people act like it's Fundamentalist Christians, Atheists (who are really mostly ANTI-THEISTS opposed to the Abramic deity - that's the Old White Man with the Beard) and NOTHING ELSE.
That is simply not true.
I have never had a Buddhist, Jain, Native American or Hindu try to force me to obey their religion. I have never heard of any of those groups blocking stem cell research or harassing patients at Planned Parenthood. I have never heard them at a school board meeting trying to force everyone to learn their creation myth as an alternative scientific theory.
They earned my respect by being decent, and I give them decency in return. If Christians, Muslims and some others were as decent and respectful of others, I wouldn't bother them at all.
My favorite way to tell people I'm an atheist if they ask is (I'm in the south and must be careful; they pack heat openly here), "I simply believe in one less god than you do."
I'll bet you get a lot of blank looks after that statement! The good ol' boys around here wouldn't have a clue...
Asking Southerners to do math? Wow... you must leave them frozen in place looking blankly at nothing.
Thank God for atheists......
The life expectancy in US has risen from 38 to 76yrs. Why would God treat your ancestors any different from your generation? Infant mortality was high too early on. Its science that has come to the rescue. Not God. And you will unabashedly use medical science to treat yourself, only to turn back and deride it when opportunity affords.
Great post, D'Bourgeois. I'll remember that one.