"Don't believe in God? You're not alone." was the message on a billboard put up by the Cincinnati Coalition of Reason (Cin CoR) on Reading Road at 12th Street, one block south of Liberty Street in Cincinnati. It went up on Tuesday but by Wednesday afternoon the group was told it would have to come down again. Lamar Advertising, the company that owns the billboard, leases the land on which it stands and the landowner wanted it taken down. He (or she) had been receiving death threats. Fred Edwords, national director of the United Coalition of Reason, said, "We weren't given the landowner's name or precise details, Nor did we pursue them. It was sufficient to learn that this person had received multiple, significant threats and that Lamar would act quickly to alleviate the problem. Nothing like this has ever happened to us before."The billboard campaign in Cincinnati is only one of ten going on nationwide this year and, while the current situation is unique, threats are not. Additionally, Atheist billboards have been vandalized recently in Colorado and Idaho. Shawn Jeffers, co-coordinator for Cin CoR, said, "Everything that has happened shows just how vital our message is. It proves our point, that bigotry against people who don't believe in a god is still very real in America. Only when we atheists, agnostics and humanists come together and go public about our views will people have a chance to learn that we too are part of the community and deserve respect... Hopefully this turn of events will cause more and more nontheistic people in Cincinnati to realize how necessary it is to get organized."
Cin CoR announced today that the sign will be moved to a new location near the Sixth Street Viaduct where it won't be subject to landowner restrictions. They also announced that new billboards will be erected in Cleveland and Columbus.
A video report from WKRC Channel 12 in Cincinnati can be viewed here.
Photo Credit:
1) The Cincinnati billboard (photo by WKRC-TV)
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Comments
Gotta love that christian compassion.
yep sounds very christian of them
"Believe in gawd or I'll keel yeh!"
They must be pro-life.
I think if God wanted these atheists dead, he would address it himself. Or are we doubting his power? Doubting his existence? It must feel a little like doubting Santa's existence when you were a kid. Why ditch Santa but not God? Santa haters.
Sounds typical. I bet those same people would claim that they worship a peaceful, loving god!
Did Christians make these death threats? It is reasonable to assume religionists were incensed by the billboards. But given recent history, my money is on Jihadists making most of these threats. They are very thin-skinned about aspersions being made on behalf on non-belief, and do not agree in turning the other cheek.
The message of the billboards is ironic, that anti-religionists need to network together to promote an alternative to a God centered life. Isn’t that already happening in Hollywood?
Lightning rods on tops of churches show a lack of confidence.
ROFL, Kiri. Benjamin Franklin (inventor of the lightning rod) used a similar argument when confronted by religious folks who said that protecting yourself from lightning was impiously trying to thwart God's Will. Because of this opposition, it was nearly 75 years before the majority of churches in Europe installed the rods. The irony is that they were forced to do it since, due to the fact that the tallest buildings at the time were churches, they got struck by lightning most frequently. They eventually got tired of having their churches damaged or destroyed and their ministers, bellringers and congregations electrocuted while the less pious (who had lightning rods) got off scott-free.
God told me to skin you alive.
So, are you saying that all atheists/agnostics are loving, caring, nice people? HA, funny! Studies have found that when you look at Christian vs Non-Christian people...there are many, MANY more Non-Christians that commite crime, divorce, etc. I would say that most people who are doing hatefule things and claim to be 'Christian' aren't really. They are just looking to subscribe to some type of organized group to feel like they belong and have a reason to do what they do, to justify it.... remember though, it is what they WANT to do not the beliefs of that group (christian or otherwise)!!
"So, are you saying that all atheists/agnostics are loving, caring, nice people? HA, funny!"
Hello Nina. Why bother asking the question if you are going to answer it for me? I can't see where I or any of the people quoted in the article made such a claim. And I wouldn't make such a claim either. All Humans, including atheists, vary considerably in the qualities you mentioned.
Also, what studies are you referring to? A 2005 study by Gregory Paul in the Journal of Religion & Society found a positive correlation between religiousity and societal ills like crime. So did a UN study. The Barna Group, a religious polling outfit here in the US, lists divorce rates for Christians varying from 26-34% (depending on sect). Atheists & agnostics are listed at 30%, which is within the Christian range. Non-Christian faiths are listed at 38% but economic status is a better predictor than religion. 22% of upscale folks get divorced but it's a whopping 39% of poor folks.
how about you religious crazys and there are non religous people out there to were aLL HUMAN~~~ get over ur crop because the fact is if u kill someone you go to hell any way i thaugh u dumb shoots and statistics dont matter in life is that all human beings are statistics oh and that dude said ill skin u alive mate SATAN SKINS PEOPLE ALive funak sometimes i wish god did exist so some of u Dumbo SHootS would go to heoll and we wouldnt cause if god existed he made us the way we are so maybe if he does exist he wants us to learn to understand his work the BIBLES ARE RITTEN BY MAN NOT GOD! unak u dnt get this shoot in australia jeeze
@ barry rob whyatte;
Seriously? You may want to look into a little thing called spell check.
@ Nina;
I'd like to see whatever study you're referring to. At any rate, why not look up the religious orientation of the nice folks locked up in federal prisons. I'd be willing to bet that %95 of them believe in one magic sky fairy or another. Oh, and they're all innocent to boot.
No god, No devil, No heaven, No hell. There is this life. Live it well. You don't need a galactic space ghost in order to do that.
What, only Muslims have Jihad? Ok, so they're the only ones that use that word. Christians use "Crusade". Same thing. So is it unfair to assume the death threats were from Christians? I don't think so. First, what's the majority in the US and in that locale? I'll bet Christian, so there's one justification for the assumption right there. Next, which religion has a track record in this country of protesting, peacefully or otherwise, to media they find offensive to their beliefs? Far and away it's Christianity. So there are two solid justifications for the assumption.
Now of course the Christians can trot out the NTS defense and claim these are just crackpots and that they don't represent "true" Christian belief, but without a condemnation from ANY Christian organization of such threats, and their lack of support for the right for the billboard to exist, regardless of its message, then we have no choice but to believe they condone the behavior, so this is Christianity approved.
Actually, jihad has different word and meaning than crusade, although both are mouthed by religionists. At any rate, when Christians start to riot in the streets after a sitcom shows a picture of Jesus being urinated on, or a crucifix immersed in urine, then I’ll concede my assumption is wrong. Walk into a church in this country and declare loudly that there is no God, and you are likely to get icy stares or an invitation to leave. Walk into a US mosque and declare the same thing, and I’ll bet the reaction will be a bit more aggressive. That’s why free-thinking purveyors of popular culture are reluctant to insult Islam like it currently insults Christianity. Better to kick a puppy than a pit bull.
@Croce
My friend Croce who writes erroneous information about religious/atheist posts! This person is clearly uneducated, as in a response he posted to me he claimed "The Flat Earth Society" website was the atheist response to "2,000 years of theological study and examination". The problem is, the Flat Earth Society was started (as their website says) by a man who based his ideas based on bible passages. Laugh at Croce's ignorance.
Being a vocal atheist I have received death threats from people of all 3 major monotheistic religions, as I refute them all equally. Your lack of knowledge is astounding sir. Ask Sam Harris or Richard Dawkins how many death threats they've received from followers of the bible. Thousands is the answer. Same Harris wrote a book about it, "Letter to a Christian Nation."
@Croce
Here is some educational information for you:
Crusade - A holy war undertaken with papal sanction.
Jihad - A Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels.
Both are holy wars in the name of religion. You sir, have been thoroughly served.
@Nina
Hello Nina. Did you know that out of all the inmates in the US 2% of them affiliate themselves as atheist and the rest are religious? Did you know per capita atheists donate more money to charities than anyone else? Atheists are also more accepting of human beings in general of all races, countries, and sexual orientation. The "holy books" draw more dividing lines than anything else in modern culture, if you actually don't ignore all the horrible things contained in them. Educate yourself, then speak.
For good measure, maybe this is why the faithful feel they need to make death threats to those with a different philosophy...
Deuteronomy 13:6-10...this says to kill non believers. Excellent...believe what we tell you or we'll kill you. How very religious.
LOL. Have fun in hell everyone. Oh, it exists. Believeing it doesn't will only get you there faster. Stay cool! Ha.
I agree with Travis... Hell exists and I, like Travis, LOL (laugh out loud) gleefully at the thought that so many of you will be be going there for eternal cruel unending torture. (When I say "you" are going there, I mean atheists, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and anyone whose version of Christianity is not the same as mine.) This gives me (and Travis) great joy.
Some minister wrote, "... This gives me (and Travis) great joy."
Nice Christian values there, taking joy out of the misery and suffering of others. Unless that was a troll using satire.
Those making the threats bring shame on the community of Cincinnati, shame on their religion, whichever that may be, shame on Ohio and shame on the citizens of the United States. In our country, we have agreed such behavior is NOT how disputes will be resolved. The proper response to a view you disagree with is to offer a respectful and peaceful alternate view. Those making threats failed to do that. This story isn't about belief or non-belief in fairy tales, it is about respect and disrespect for the values of private property and freedom of speech. To betray these values is to betray our most sacred American value - respect for individual liberty to exercise one's personal sovereignty. If freedom of religion leads you to violate other freedoms and the freedoms of others, you make an argument to justify losing your own.
Well said, Naumadd.
Though the billboard says nothing negative about religion at all, these hateful reactions by believers sure do. These death threats demolish the notion that religion makes you a more moral person.
People like this are why I feel such a sense of irony hearing the song "They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love..."
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