Comments on: The Most Offensive Atheist Bus Ad Yet http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/ by Hemant Mehta Mon, 28 May 2012 04:40:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Jay Ballou http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-269492 Jay Ballou Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:13:46 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-269492 <blockquote>I don’t get why even atheists have been hoodwinked by Gahndi and the Dalai Lama. They’re not saints, and I don’t think they’re particularly great human beings. They’re religious nuts and hypocrites. One could write the same sort of book about them that Hitchens wrote defusing the Mother Theresa myth.</blockquote> It's easy to say "one could" without actually doing the research and gathering the evidence that Hitchens did. You might as well say that one could write a book showing that everything you believe is true. It's the same sort of intellectual laziness and dishonesty that the religious engage in.

I don’t get why even atheists have been hoodwinked by Gahndi and the Dalai Lama. They’re not saints, and I don’t think they’re particularly great human beings. They’re religious nuts and hypocrites. One could write the same sort of book about them that Hitchens wrote defusing the Mother Theresa myth.

It’s easy to say “one could” without actually doing the research and gathering the evidence that Hitchens did. You might as well say that one could write a book showing that everything you believe is true. It’s the same sort of intellectual laziness and dishonesty that the religious engage in.

]]> By: cl http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-268381 cl Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:30:33 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-268381 Adam, <blockquote>That counter ad doesn’t seem very nice. It’s straight up calling atheists “fools.” Does that mean we could run ads that say “Atheists may be “fools,” but Christians are retarded?”</blockquote> I'm not so concerned about privately-funded ads, which is the context we're in. I wouldn't mind either of those on a bus. OTOH, I think if a particular bus company has a problem with the ad, they can refuse to run it. Where I do have a problem is with similarly insulting or intolerant ideas being promoted in government buildings, for example, the FFRF's sign in Olympia, which is effectively a state-sponsored insult. The first three sentences in that sign are not problematic for me; it's the last one that's inappropriate IMO. And I'm prone to side with the FFRF on many other issues. Adam,

That counter ad doesn’t seem very nice. It’s straight up calling atheists “fools.” Does that mean we could run ads that say “Atheists may be “fools,” but Christians are retarded?”

I’m not so concerned about privately-funded ads, which is the context we’re in. I wouldn’t mind either of those on a bus. OTOH, I think if a particular bus company has a problem with the ad, they can refuse to run it.

Where I do have a problem is with similarly insulting or intolerant ideas being promoted in government buildings, for example, the FFRF’s sign in Olympia, which is effectively a state-sponsored insult. The first three sentences in that sign are not problematic for me; it’s the last one that’s inappropriate IMO.

And I’m prone to side with the FFRF on many other issues.

]]> By: Wendy http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-268109 Wendy Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:40:30 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-268109 Contact Pattison, and let them know what you think!! The bigger the stink, the better. skirwin@pattisonoutdoor.com Contact Pattison, and let them know what you think!! The bigger the stink, the better.

skirwin@pattisonoutdoor.com

]]> By: JSug http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-268042 JSug Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:18:29 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-268042 To be fair, there's a difference between "banned" and "rejected". "Banned" suggests some legal action or government initiative to prevent the ad from being posted. In this case, it was simply rejected by a private company, who has every right to decide what ads they run, no matter how arbitrarily or subjectively they make those decisions. The best course of action in this case is to find out if the local media is interested in reporting the rejection. To be fair, there’s a difference between “banned” and “rejected”. “Banned” suggests some legal action or government initiative to prevent the ad from being posted. In this case, it was simply rejected by a private company, who has every right to decide what ads they run, no matter how arbitrarily or subjectively they make those decisions. The best course of action in this case is to find out if the local media is interested in reporting the rejection.

]]> By: Nico http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-267971 Nico Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:41:48 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-267971 Understand, that the maritimes is still fairly "churchy", and as such, such heathen concepts as "sunday shopping" were introduced only a couple years ago, and is still a ridiculous point of contention. There's still a great deal of pearl clutching horror about how people aren't at home with families and in churches on sundays, like it used to be. Atheism...and progress just don't fly here. Try again in 50 years, because that's about how regressive this place is. I would however love to see atheist bus ads. we just got an atheist group on campus, but the posters are regularly torn down or defaced, unlike the christian student groups who defy a proselytizing ban and placed flyers on almost every seat in a lecture hall. Can't imagine the stink if the atheists did such in kind, but that's how it goes here. Understand, that the maritimes is still fairly “churchy”, and as such, such heathen concepts as “sunday shopping” were introduced only a couple years ago, and is still a ridiculous point of contention.

There’s still a great deal of pearl clutching horror about how people aren’t at home with families and in churches on sundays, like it used to be.

Atheism…and progress just don’t fly here. Try again in 50 years, because that’s about how regressive this place is.

I would however love to see atheist bus ads. we just got an atheist group on campus, but the posters are regularly torn down or defaced, unlike the christian student groups who defy a proselytizing ban and placed flyers on almost every seat in a lecture hall.

Can’t imagine the stink if the atheists did such in kind, but that’s how it goes here.

]]> By: anton http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-267937 anton Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:22:47 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-267937 To Kimbo Jones: The document of which you speak starts of by saying that Canada acknowledged "the supremacy of God". I have lived in Canada for most of my 70 years and I can assure you, there is no separation! To Kimbo Jones:

The document of which you speak starts of by saying that Canada acknowledged “the supremacy of God”. I have lived in Canada for most of my 70 years and I can assure you, there is no separation!

]]> By: Buffy http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-267810 Buffy Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:56:09 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-267810 Interesting how the Christians claim the atheist ads were an attack on people's beliefs just for saying <em>there probably isn't a god</em>. Now they purposely call non-believers fools. How is that not an attack? (And don't dare give me that "We're just quoting the Bible" excuse). They're nothing more than hypocrites. Interesting how the Christians claim the atheist ads were an attack on people’s beliefs just for saying there probably isn’t a god. Now they purposely call non-believers fools. How is that not an attack? (And don’t dare give me that “We’re just quoting the Bible” excuse).

They’re nothing more than hypocrites.

]]> By: Cait http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-267763 Cait Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:12:18 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-267763 It's a shame they won't run it, but I think that pretty much anyone who reads the newspaper has heard of these ads. So even if attempts to advertise are unsuccessful, at least people know that there are more atheists out there than they thought. And if any religious groups try to retaliate, it really just makes them look like childish, and shows that their beliefs aren't solid enough to withstand criticism. ...I think that intelligent people who haven't made their mind up about religion yet will see that, and maybe it'll push them towards getting away from religion. It’s a shame they won’t run it, but I think that pretty much anyone who reads the newspaper has heard of these ads. So even if attempts to advertise are unsuccessful, at least people know that there are more atheists out there than they thought.

And if any religious groups try to retaliate, it really just makes them look like childish, and shows that their beliefs aren’t solid enough to withstand criticism. …I think that intelligent people who haven’t made their mind up about religion yet will see that, and maybe it’ll push them towards getting away from religion.

]]> By: Adam http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-267755 Adam Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:55:51 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-267755 That counter ad doesn't seem very nice. It's straight up calling atheists "fools." Does that mean we could run ads that say "Atheists may be "fools," but Christians are retarded?" No, not even a little. But, just because the word fool comes out of their bible, they can use it, and it's obviously not offensive. That counter ad doesn’t seem very nice. It’s straight up calling atheists “fools.” Does that mean we could run ads that say “Atheists may be “fools,” but Christians are retarded?” No, not even a little. But, just because the word fool comes out of their bible, they can use it, and it’s obviously not offensive.

]]> By: cl http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/02/05/the-most-offensive-atheist-bus-ad-yet/#comment-267751 cl Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:45:01 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=8523#comment-267751 Hemant, In this case, I agree with you again. The wording of this ad should not be an issue IMO. However, I did take issue with the wording of the FFRF's sign in Olympia. Hemant,

In this case, I agree with you again. The wording of this ad should not be an issue IMO. However, I did take issue with the wording of the FFRF’s sign in Olympia.

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