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 A billboard criticizing Christianity is going up in Charlotte, North Carolina, host city of the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
August 13th, 2012
10:03 AM ET
First on CNN: Atheist group targets presidential candidates' faith with billboardsBy Dan Merica, CNN Washington (CNN) - A prominent atheist group is using next month's Democratic National Convention to take aim at the presidential candidates' religion, putting up billboards targeting Mormonism and Christianity in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Our political system is rife with religion and it depends too much on religion and not enough on substance," said David Silverman, president of American Atheists, sponsor of the ads. "Religion is silly and religion has components that are inherently divisive. … There is no place for any of that in the political system,” he said. The billboards go up Monday in Charlotte and will stay up for a month at a cost of roughly $15,000. The Democratic convention runs September 3-6. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories The billboard targeting Christianity features an image of Jesus Christ on toast and this description of the faith: "Sadistic God; Useless Savior, 30,000+ Versions of ‘Truth,’ Promotes Hates, Calls it ‘Love.’ ”
The billboard targeting Mormonism lambastes - and, Mormons would say, distorts - specific Mormon doctrines: "God is a Space Alien, Baptizes Dead People, Big Money, Big Bigotry.” The Mormon billboard features a man in white underwear, a reference to special Mormon garments. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Both billboards feature the line "Atheism: Simply Reasonable." American Atheists had wanted to put the anti-Mormon billboard in Tampa, Florida, to coincide with the Republican National Convention there later this month. Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney is a Mormon. When no billboard company in the city would lease the group space for such a sign, Silverman said the organization decided to focus solely on the Democrats in Charlotte. “Presidential conventions are for ideas, not ideology - platforms, not platitudes," Silverman said. "If a person believes stupid things, we have every right to question his or her judgment, and that directly impacts how the nonreligious voter votes.” CNN Belief Blog: Atheist leader hopes to mobilize closeted nonbelievers Some religious leaders said the billboards showed a misunderstanding of how faith works. "That billboard makes the most common high-school error when it comes to atheism," wrote the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author, in an e-mail to CNN. "It's not arguing against the existence of God, but against religion. The American Atheists need to go back to school on this one." Martin also questioned the language used on the billboard: "And as for 'promoting hate' they're doing a bang-up job themselves with that billboard." Terryl Givens, a Mormon professor at the University of Richmond, called American Atheists "petty and vindictive." “If this example of adolescent silliness is what atheists mean by being reasonable, then neither Mormons nor other Christians have much to worry about," he said of the billboards. "When atheists organize to serve the poor and needy of the world, they will be taken more seriously." CNN Belief Blog: Unbelieving preachers 'come out' as atheists It's not the first time the American Atheists group has released in-your-face billboards. Earlier this year, the group put up two billboards in heavily Muslim and Jewish enclaves in New Jersey and New York bearing messages in Arabic and Hebrew. “You know it’s a myth … and you have a choice,” the billboards said. At the time, Silverman said the signs were intended to reach atheists in Muslim and Jewish areas who may feel isolated because they are surrounded by believers. In addition to the billboards, Silverman said his group plans to stage protests at both conventions. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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@Yakobi. U get the point Einstein, that's all that matters!!!
I'm so smart, I can't find the 'reply' link!!
"We are a people of different faiths, but we are one. Which faith conquers the other is not the question; rather, the question is whether Christianity stands or falls.... We tolerate no one in our ranks who attacks the ideas of Christianity... in fact our movement is Christian. We are filled with a desire for Catholics and Protestants to discover one another in the deep distress of our own people." – Adolf Hitler
Ugh. As an atheist myself I think these billboards are the worst kind of tripe. Condescension and derision masked as enlightenment?
Let me say for the record that just as certain religious fanatics do not speak for all religious people, these people do not speak for all atheists.
" atheists belief there is no God,"
===============
No atheists do not accept the science that God exists. Belief has nothing to do with it.
Well said.
I'm an atheist but skeptical of the claims on this billboard. The Jewish God (of the Torah) is portrayed as a cranky, vindictive character, but ostensibly turned into a swell God by the time Christians came along – forgiving, kind, compassionate etc. I hate it when fellow atheists play loose with the myths....I mean facts.
Henry,
I have seen a number of christians say that Jesus did not preach love and back it up with the verses they believe show it.....and not just the WBC either.
AA are always rather amusing on how confrontational they like to be. But they do a good job showing how ridiculous each religion is. Yep, space aliens and people rising from the dead. Thousands of Christian sects, all contradictory on what they claim their god "really" meant, and all having not on scrap of evidence for their claims among them. Each religion sure that they and only they have the "right" answer, and causing untold harm and hatred because each thinks his invisible friend is the BEST. And alas, no theist can see that their religion is just as silly as the next. Honestly, if you think your religion is the only right one, come to the US Capitol steps and I'll make sure we have altars for everyone. Then we'll see who can get their god to light the altars on fire. But no one will come since they know their religion isn't as sound as they would claim it to be, despite claims to the contrary. So much for healings and your magical miracles, cowards.
"since they know their religion isn't as sound as they would claim it to be"
I always ask my stupid catholic friends why it is that the pope needs bullet proof glass.
If god can't protect his second in command what the fvck good is he?
While I commend Christians for coming on here it probably isn't the best place. Your witness to God coming from a good place but you have to remember people on here don't know God you have to put yourself in a frame of mind that God is non existent to even somewhat relate to people on here. Maybe ask Saint Therese of Lisieux for help or read about her because she questioned the existence of God toward the end of her life as well as Mother Teresa who felt the same abandonment. They never lost faith but they believe they felt what Christ did on the cross when he recited Psalm 22.
"you have to remember people on here don't know God"
What does go look and sound like?
Allie: And you DO know god? Can you be any more arrogant?
What do you think we think God is? Knowledge or a feeling because that will make a difference in how I respond.
"you have to remember people on here don't know God " -too funny. Neither do you. There isn't one to know, and the one you follow certainly can't exist based on the characteristics claimed for it.
And as for Christians "coming on", your priests have far too often done that inappropriately. Now you are being called out on it. Get used to that. There is more "to come".
Allie: And you DO know god? Can you be any more arrogant?
--–
How is that arrogant? I love God but I know well my nothingness to him. I don't know all his thoughts and way. No human does I am merely a creature that he made I am not supposed to know how and what he thinks but I know him in my soul.
Bob
"you have to remember people on here don't know God " -too funny. Neither do you. There isn't one to know, and the one you follow certainly can't exist based on the characteristics claimed for it.
----–
How do you know the depths of my soul to make a claim like that?
@Allie
Why don't you post it in both contexts? Is that too hard for you?
Or is it just fact that you won't because you don't want to mislead yourself by giving both sides of the answers?
condescending, much? and you expect people to respect you for such bi*tchy attitude?
"How do you know the depths of my soul?"
Well tell it.. use your emotional coerced methods. Seen it thousands of time where emotional guilt trips do wonders to knock you sheep back in line. Won't surprise me here.
Wait why would you think it matter to me? That is a bizarre question. Why wouldn't it be both? I was just trying to figure out which type of atheist you are.
What type of atheist?
LOL
Tell me more or your education / indoctrination of that.
Answer
"How do you know the depths of my soul?"
Well tell it.. use your emotional coerced methods. Seen it thousands of time where emotional guilt trips do wonders to knock you sheep back in line. Won't surprise me here
---
You act like I don't like my shepard
Answer
What type of atheist?
LOL
Tell me more or your education / indoctrination of that.
-----
Well enlighten me. My intent wasn't to be obnoxious in any way unfortunately it wasn't taken as such. I love to learn about people I feel at somepoint we can all reach common ground if we understand one another.
@Allie
I don't care whether you love or hate your shepherd. You have to explain your shepherd factually. Explain your shepherd into this existence.
@Allie – In your own response you say you don't know god. This means that you can't really tell me anything about him. Are you really just trying to spread ignorance? I can just ignore you from here on out. Thanks.
Well Allie..
Here let me give you hints at your verbal comments ...
I am sure you don't like to be categorized into a group and thusly be tied into a group. You mentions a type of atheist. Already in your mind – you have pegged to your understand to relate individuals to a group. Treating every individual as a group.
You religious people often recite "we are not all like that"... want your individuality. Correct.
Then thus you like everyone else formally uses the group – which everyone hates to be associated – but will immediately classified and treat individuals as per group. I find that a huge laugh.
Give some thought as to why you use your words in the field of context that you do. You need to think more.
@Allie
I don't care whether you love or hate your shepherd. You have to explain your shepherd factually. Explain your shepherd into this existence.
My Shepard was born in Bethlehem and was crucified under Pontius Polite and suffered and died for our sins. He also has 22,000 references in a standard encyclopedia; more than anyone else.
Just the facts mam
@Allie – In your own response you say you don't know god. This means that you can't really tell me anything about him. Are you really just trying to spread ignorance? I can just ignore you from here on out. Thanks.
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Read my comment again. I said I don't know is ways but I know God in my soul.
@Allie
"My Shepard was born in Bethlehem and was crucified under Pontius Polite and suffered and died for our sins. He also has 22,000 references in a standard encyclopedia; more than anyone else."
Do some more research to really understand that reality.
I, myself, have deduced your god and all other gods out of existence. It is based on parts of understanding and empirical evidence. You want to share your emotions – I fully understand. What you have are a book and a whole lot of bs.
Allie
Answer
Well Allie..
You religious people often recite "we are not all like that"... want your individuality. Correct.
Then thus you like everyone else formally uses the group – which everyone hates to be associated – but will immediately classified and treat individuals as per group. I find that a huge laugh.
Give some thought as to why you use your words in the field of context that you do. You need to think more.
--–
There are some atheists that refute the existence of God and that's it there are others on here that mock religion, religious people, sacared scripture and chasitse people calling them all sort of things on here – there is a difference. I ask which type of atheist you are so I know what I am dealing with.
Answer
@Allie
"My Shepard was born in Bethlehem and was crucified under Pontius Polite and suffered and died for our sins. He also has 22,000 references in a standard encyclopedia; more than anyone else."
Do some more research to really understand that reality.
I, myself, have deduced your god and all other gods out of existence. It is based on parts of understanding and empirical evidence. You want to share your emotions – I fully understand. What you have are a book and a whole lot of bs.
-–
I guess that is where we will have to disagree then because I believe I have something better than empirical evidence. I am interested in finding out what specifically in sacred scripture is bothersom to you. Can you site specific texts so I can understand you better?
@Allie
You want others to pat you on the head. You want that affirmation that you won't be laughed at until you give accounts that your belief is valid.
I am not that person. I will ridicule you to no ends. Facts and proof, not emotions will sway anything coming out of the religious' person's mouth. All the niceties of pretense are out the door when you are foolish to just give raw emotional accounts.
Answer
@Allie
You want others to pat you on the head. You want that affirmation that you won't be laughed at until you give accounts that your belief is valid.
I am not that person. I will ridicule you to no ends. Facts and proof, not emotions will sway anything coming out of the religious' person's mouth. All the niceties of pretense are out the door when you are foolish to just give raw emotional accounts.
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NOT TRUE! My shepard was mocked and humiliated and we are supposed to rejoice when we are mocked and scorned for his sake. I just wanted to know who I might have a civil conversation with. My atheist and agnostic friends might fundamentally disagree with what I believe but they always respect me as a person which was kind of my whole point to begin with that this isn't the right place for all of this. I am sure when you are with your religious friends you respect them.
How incredibly tolerant of American Athiests. Why can't people just live and let live?
Ask your average believer that question.
Yeah, Christianity has a long history of live and let live......
*sarcasm is my second favorite asm"
I sugest you review the song lyrics to Live and Let Die.
Gee, maybe because religious people want to take away their rights as citizens?
“No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.” – Vice President G. H.W. Bush, 1988
@William
Paul won the illustrious Award for Redundancy Award for the lyrics to that gem.
"in this ever changing world in which we live in"
I'm all for Christianity as long as they are focused on the word of Christ and not picking and choosing which sins to condemn and judge.
They haven't really changed what sins they are condeming for 2000 years which is living the Word of Christ. It is a sin to knowingly know someone is committing a grave sin and not telling them.
As an Atheist I have no issues with people believing what they choose to – it's when they think their beliefs are so much better or more moral than somebody else's that they try to make their beliefs law that others must abide by.
"It is a sin to knowingly know someone is committing a grave sin and not telling them"
Is it a grave sin to not tell them?
So then, if it would be a grave sin to not tell them, you would be committing a grave sin too, so then you would have to tell yourself that you are committing a grave sin, or you would be committing a grave sin not telling yourself about your grave sin, which in turn would be another grave sin, which you would have to tell yourself about, or it would be yet another grave sin.
See how fvcking stupid religion is.
Allie, that's great as long as you're making sure the people who are committing grave sins are the same people who agree that they're sins. Meaning, keep it in your own yard.
@Allie
You said, "They haven't really changed what sins they are condeming for 2000 years which is living the Word of Christ."
Yet they managed to splinter into some 38,000 different denominations, sects and cults, each with their own interpretation. Each with their own unique set of sins to condemn.
You said, "It is a sin to knowingly know someone is committing a grave sin and not telling them."
I really don't need your interpretation of your fairy tale. If I have an urge to know what the Tooth Fairy thinks of my behavior, I'll ask her myself.
You are free to believe whatever nonsense you so obviously do. Go right ahead. Stupidity isn't illegal in this country. But my suggestion to you and all other believers is to keep your bullshit to yourself.
Yeah Allie...shame on you for giving your thoughts on religion in the faith section of the CNN. You should just keep it to yourself. *rolls eyes*
@Kalessin
You said, "Yeah Allie...shame on you for giving your thoughts on religion in the faith section of the CNN. You should just keep it to yourself."
You and Allie, just like everyone else, are free to spout nonsense all over this comment section. It is highly entertaining. Just don't expect to get a free pass your for silly ideas.
"Lord God, give us the strength that we may retain our liberty for our children and our children's children, not only for ourselves but also for the other peoples of Europe, for this is a war which we all wage, this time, not for our German people alone, it is a war for all of Europe and with it, in the long run, for all of mankind."
-Adolf Hitler, January 30, 1942, in Berlin
I think it's funny how so many atheists talk about having proof and facts to their beliefs so they must be right and anyone who has a belief in God must be wrong. They seem to forget the word "theory" that is so much apart of science, like the theory of evolution. If it's a theory, it's not fact. Yes, you test theories and you do learn more about the subject matter. Still, you are working with a theory as a whole, not fact. Similarly, I have my faith and religious beliefs. They get tested all the time. Faith isn't a complete knowledge of things, kind of like theory. With what I've learned from these tests I choose to believe in God.
You first need to learn what a scientific theory is, because you very obviously don't.
Evolution is no more a theory than is gravity.
Trevor, that's such an original thought. That's never come up here before. No one will come along and ask you to actually go look up the word 'theory' either, because your thought is so original.
A theory is what one or more hypotheses become once they have been verified and accepted to be true. A theory is an explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers.
In general, both a scientific theory and a scientific law are accepted to be true by the scientific community as a whole. Both are used to make predictions of events. Both are used to advance technology.
Trevor,
Gravity is just a theory so why not get on your roof and test it?
Very few atheists claim to know there are no gods. They simply don't believe in phenomena for which there is no evidence.
In thousands of years of searching, not a single shred of evidence was ever found to even suggest there are gods. Your god is just as as likely to exist as the Tooth Fairy, as there is no evidence to support the notion of either.
LMAO!
Theories change though as the hypotheses are tested. So they are not facts.
Again, Trevor: gravity is a theory. Try that on for size.
Theory that uses the same formulas that allow you to talk on a cell phone, or watch Satellite TV, or any other technology......to say you have been tested is redundant we all have problems.
Gravity is a scientific law, not a theory.
g = G * m / r^2
God is everything. Gravity is evidence of God.
So Trevor if your God is everything, then he's responsible for all the millions of starving people on this planet, every few seconds someone dies from starvation, including children. Your God is responsible for that atrocity. The hurricanes, the tornadoes, the drought going on. Your evil God is responsible for all of that, killing women and children every day, when with a great magical jester it could wipe it all out, but no your evil God stands by and does nothing day in and day out. Oops another child just died from starvation.
God gave us agency to choose and we are responsible for our choices. With that agency I think we are suppose to help those in need. If God just fixed everything on earth, I think that would defeat part of the purpose of us being here: to learn to choose God's will. Unfortunately there are those who suffer. Hopefully I can do what I can to help. I think God will take care of those who aren't taken care of in the eternities.
P.S. Apparently there can be two "Trevor"s on here. The original Trevor did not post "God is everything. Gravity is evidence of God" although I agree that God is everything.
Judaism. God punishes his chosen ones to Holocaust, pogroms, and 4,000 years of persecution. Makes one day of candle oil last for 8. Asks his followers to love him.
You don't know if God doesn't reward them in his kingdom from their sufferings on earth.
Allie
If your mom and Dad torture your cat to death, and them bury him in a nice grave, you have really sick parents.
If your God does that to the Jews, then you have a really sick God
Conservative christians are still mourning the loss of Peggy Rea, the actress who played Boss Hogg's wife on the Dukes of Hazzard.
That's so hilarious!
The atheists should know that the people they label 'haters' love them enough to pray for them today. Peace.
Prayer is a self-serving activity.
and you should know the people you labeled "satan worshiper" or "fools" do the thinking for you every day. peace
Jeb, nice thoughts, but you are deluded. It has been clearly demonstrated that prayer does nothing to influence the outcome of various events. Furthermore, your religion dictates hate and bigotry in its main text, particularly toward non-members of your religion, so your claim of love for us is actually not supported in your own doctrine and the reverse is actually the case.
Instead of praying for the souls of all atheists, atheists would rather you spend that time actively helping the poor and desti.tute.
Two hands working accomplish more than 1000 clasp in prayer.
@Jeb,
These people that claim to 'love' the 'haters' also claim that everyone, not just Atheists, deserve to burn in Hell for eternity.
Is the billboard correct when it states, "Promotes hate, calls it 'Love'"?
Jeb
We don't need your con men defrauding little old ladies.
We don't want your preachers buggering little boys
And we don't accept your prayers.
@William Demuth
Here! HERE! Well said sir.
It's "hear, hear", not "here, here".
Once again with the atheists vs. religion. Here's a brief run down of the situation, atheists belief there is no God, yet cannot disprove God's existence. Theists believe in God and cannot prove God's existence. It seems to me that both sides are equally disadvantaged, yet both sides claim truth. What gets me is atheists love claim superior intellect despite being in the same situation as theists, albeit taking the opposite stance. This cycle has been going on since the days of Plato, who many think believed in a God he labeled the Divine Artesian and Democritus, one of the first self identifying atheists in Ancient Greece (also the creator of the theory of atoms). Thousands of years later, here we are, same situation in spite of our "superior" scientific knowledge. That being said, I can't take atheists seriously because if they were truly as intellectually superior (same for theists) they would realize that being agnostic is the most sound choice empirically and logically speaking.
" atheists belief there is no God,"
Most Atheists simply lack a belief in God.
You can't prove Gandalf doesn't exist either
Disprove the Great Mutant Cosmic Star Goat (braise Him!) does not exist.
The onus is upon the people proposing the ridiculous (theists) to convince others (atheists) of its validity. I need not disprove ghosts do not exist, those who believe in them need to convince me that they DO.
Incorrect. You are confusing atheist and agnostic.
Atheist don't believe in a supreme being of any sort, because they don't exist.
Agnostic are indifferent as there is no proof that a supreme being either exists or doesn't exist.
What? Gandalf doesn't exist? Next thing you'll tell me is that Captain Kirk doesn't either.
I am not confusing atheists and agnostics. I'm saying agnostics have a much better argument then atheists because they acknowledge the situation empirically can't be proved one way or another, therefore their argument is superior to both atheists and theists based purely on measureable information.
With so many different cultures since the dawn of humanity (most of them polytheistic) there have likely been tens of thousands of gods, godesses, etc. Let's narrow it down to 10,000 just for fun.
And since most people these days who prefess a religion are monotheistic (sorry Hindus, you're outnumbered), that means most folks are 99.99% atheist.
So close, yet so very far.
to argue the merits of one over another infers validity while to ignore the perceived reality of either religates them to unimportance
Nice to see Atheist once again proving how open and accepting they are of others beliefs, unlike all those religious types.
Until the advent of God there was no evil.
LOL!!!!!!!
"We were convinced that the people needs and requires this faith. We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not merely with a few theoretical declarations: we have stamped it out." – Adolf Hitler, October 24, 1933.
May the US follow in Hitler's footsteps in this regard.
Jeebus and Hitler, coming to a movie theater near you soon!
Jeebus freaks, whackin their tiny little carrots with tiny plastic mustaches on their tiny little Christian lips
@John I can love you and still think your stupid.
"Smart1" said, "...still think your stupid."
How amusing, "Smart1", since YOU'RE too stupid to know the difference between "your" and "you're"!