Atheist ads come here

November 13, 2008 by Gene Veith

A few weeks ago, we posted about atheists in England proselytyzing for their lack of faith by putting ads on buses. That has inspired a similar campaign in Washington, D. C. Atheists have bought space on metrobuses to display the slogan “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.” (Cf. the post below. Atheists can be quite unsophisticated when it comes to philosophy.)

Also, atheists in New Jersey have put up billboards along I-95 that read “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.”

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Paul E.

FYI, atheists are also buying space on billboards in Denver and Colorado Springs. They contain the same message as the New Jersey ones described by Dr. Veith.
Ryan

I can’t remember the last time, if ever, a billboard influenced me in any way including philosophically. They just clutter up the landscape in my opinion.

(I do admit using the little blue signs at exits to find a place to eat when traveling.)
Joe

There was a billboard (in Little Saumico, Wisconsin; north bound lane of 41/141 at Allen Road) that read:

“Don’t make me come down there.”
-God
Anon

If someone doesn’t believe in God, they really do believe that they are alone. . .
Don S

It’s funny how people take comfort in the thought that they are not alone in their sin or disbelief. Yet, when we die, we are utterly alone, at least with respect to other humanity. I can’t even imagine how one could face the prospect of death without the hope of God’s promises through Christ, or why they would ever want to.
tODD

At one point, atheists mostly seemed to be about showing how smart they were, relying on intellect rather than faith. Now, a handful of them seem to want to show that they can be just as ridiculous as the worst examples set by Christians.

I was always annoyed by (most of?) those “God” billboards, because they were largely pointless. To pick on Joe’s example (@3), what, exactly, is the value of having somebody read that “God” is angry (?) with us and doesn’t want to come “down here”? Does it tell us about Jesus? God’s love? How about the idea of Immanuel, God with us? Is God a petulant dad who’d rather not be bothered with us? So on top of the bumper-sticker-level logic/humor, you’ve got bad theology.

And now the atheists want in. More power to ’em, as it can only discredit them in general.
Bike Bubba

I love these billboards. When I hear “just be good for goodness’ sake,” my answer is:

Define good. Why is it good? What makes you the arbiter of that which is good?

If ya know the right questions, these billboards could be as persuasive as Chairman Mao in getting people to come to Christ!

(by persecuting the church, Mao is said to have increased its numbers fifty-fold)

Wouldn’t it be great if each of us could be as effective an evangelist as Mao? Without the mass slaughter, of course. :^)
Christopher

In the next while, I will be posting some material on the growing popular atheist movement. I’ll be starting with Christopher Hitchens’ “god is not Great” and offering a chapter-by-chapter evaluation of his book.
James

I saw this on CNN or something and tried to ponder how to counter their argument in a simple, pithy response, like their posting. What would you say would be a good counter (without sounding irrelevantly intellectual or sophisticated and distant)? Something to read on the subway or side of a city bus….

How do we know Evangelicals are behind those billboards?

If anything, it seems to be an appeal of one brand of cheap American popular theism (though older) to culture today.
The Jones

“Good for Goodness sake.” Seems we’ve got a bunch of Kant-ian moralists.