When the American Humanist Association put up its billboard on US-95 in Moscow, Idaho, in mid-September, they knew there would be people who didn't like its message. They didn't expect a reaction that included vandalism though. In October, someone used spray-paint to black out the word "without" in the billboard's message, "Millions are good without God" so that it then read, "Millions are good ... God."Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, commented, "We're disappointed that someone felt the need to sabotage our message. We don't see the billboard as being controversial or an attack on religion; we see it as just stating a point of fact. It's saddening that some people react with such antagonism to the mere statement you can be good without a belief in God."
"If we replace the billboard our next slogan might read 'Being good without God clearly not for everybody'," he joked. The replacement they put up though, kept the original message.
On November 4th, the billboard was defaced again.
This time, the vandal(s) just sprayed over the "out" so that the slogan then read, "Millions are good with... God."
David Niose, president of the American Humanist Association, had this to say: "The irony here is worth noting. Some individuals are committing criminal acts while apparently claiming that their religious view of the world leads to good behavior. It's not a very convincing argument on their part."
"This is not just vandalism," he added. "It is religiously motivated vandalism which attempts to silence a minority viewpoint. Everyone, not just humanists, should be concerned about such acts."
The humanists have just put up another replacement billboard. This one has a new slogan. It reads "No God? ...No Problem!" Only time will tell if that message is too optimistic.A KLEW-TV on the story can be viewed here.
Photo Credits:
1) First defaced billboard (AHA)
2) New humanist billboard (photo from KLEW-TV)
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Comments
I agree that the vandalism does reflect poorly as stated. When I read "It is religiously motivated vandalism which attempts to silence a minority viewpoint. Everyone, not just humanists, should be concerned about such acts." I also think how a minority viewpoint seeks to silence the majority, and everyone should be very concerned about that.
I'm glad you agree that everyone should be concerned about such acts, Réne. I am curious though, about what you mean by a minority viewpoint that seeks to silence the majority. Are you perhaps referring to the religious right's common complaint that secularists are trying to take religion out of the public square? I'll have to write an article about that someday. It seems a lot of people have misconceptions about what a public square is... and what it isn't. I'll give you a hint though; the "public square" does not include courthouses, public schools or any government buildings... and no secularist is trying to take religion out of it.
God Sucks. And Jesus sucks, too.
Correction to article. Moscow, Idaho is on US-95, not I-95. I-95 runs along the east coast.
Thanks, Randolph. I've added the correction.
This sign is cute. Nice colors, smiling faces, and short, upbeat text. I love it.
Certainly, vandalism is not justified.
The ads are mere propaganda that answers to an argument that no one has made. The claim is not that atheistic lack of morals but a lack of moral premise, lack of ethos.
Yet again, during a time of the year when people are generally more inclined towards charity—peace on earth and good will towards non-gender specific personages—atheists are busily collecting hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars during a time of recession not in order to help anyone in real material need but in order to purchase bill boards and bus ads whereby they seek to demonstrate, to themselves, just how clever they are—need any more be said?
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