The Freedom From Religion Foundation is extending its campaign of irreverence to the Great Southwest by bringing billboards with thought-provoking messages to Albuquerque, N.M.
The national state-church watchdog is sponsoring 10 billboards for a month at different Albuquerque locations. The signs, two with each message, say:
"Imagine No Religion"
"Reason's Greetings"
"Beware of Dogma"
"Keep Religion OUT of Government"
"Praise Darwin: Evolve Beyond Belief"
Most are designed with a colorful stained-glass window motif and are imprinted with the Foundation's name and Web address, ffrf.org.
The signs are located at:
9712 Central Ave. SE, east of Moon
8910 Central Ave., west of Unser
701 Comanche NE, west of I-25
4600 Coors SW, south of Gun Club
1712 Eubank NE, south of Indian School
9700 Fourth Street NW, north of Alameda
500 Juan Tabo NE, north of Central, south of I-40
11515 Menaul NE, west of Chelwood at carwash
412 San Mateo NE, east side of San Mateo
6144 Second St. NW, south of Osuna
The 32-year-old Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., has 141 members in New Mexico and hopes to attract more with the colorful campaign. The FFRF has placed billboards in about a fourth of U.S. states and more than 30 cities since launching its campaign in October 2007. The Foundation, with the help of its more than 14,000 members nationwide, has also sponsored bus sign campaigns in Madison, San Francisco and Seattle.
"These billboards promote freethought, evolution and the separation of state and church," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-president. "We'd like to invite everyone to imagine a world free from religious wars, sectarian strife and superstition. Reason is always in season."
This year is of particular importance for freethinkers who are celebrating the sesquicentennial of the publication of Charles Darwin's landmark work, "On the Origin of Species."
Foundation Co-President Dan Barker said it's important for Americans to see positive mention of Darwin, given that about half of them embrace the legend of creation in the biblical book of Genesis. Barker is also the author of "Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists" (Ulysses Press, 2008) and other freethought works.
"It's a 'sign of the times' that those of us who are nonreligious are finally being allowed to purchase space to advertise our views, and make freethought a part of the debate in our nation," Barker said.
Comments
I rather dislike that 'Praise Darwin' sign. It seems to me that the ignorant and deluded will not 'get it'... EVER. That sign will not promote thought... it will provoke fear in their feeble minds, by creating the impression that 'evil atheists' are attempting to replace worship of 'god' with worship of a man... replacing god with man... or placing man over god. We can be assured that Christ-cult pastors will be screeching that bilious message from the pulpit... and it will be heeded.
FFRF... that message is a REALLY BAD idea. Dan Barker... as an ex-pastor... you should know better. Really.
Lamar Advertising.
You Just LOST ALL of my accounts.
9598 wrote: "Lamar Advertising. You Just LOST ALL of my accounts."
Hilarious.
That would be WHY, exactly? Because you DISAPPROVE of the 1st Amendment? Because Lamar Advertising apparently APPROVES of the 1st Amendment? Because you are distressed by the notion that people who have ideas different from your own are allowed to express them?
Here's something to think about, 9598... the early colonizers of this country came here to GET AWAY from people like you.
Hi Trina. Many Christians agree with a separation of church and state. FFRF is going after prayer before city council meetings, in my neck of the woods. Check out my article "Turlock City Council in struggle between free expression and establishment of religion"--respecting that 'wall'. Isn't atheism implicitly religious, in that it does not remain neutral or agnostic, and goes right out and 'believes'? Maryann
Maryann wrote: "Isn't atheism implicitly religious, in that it does not remain neutral or agnostic, and goes right out and 'believes'?"
No. Consider:
1) I DO believe that gods DO exist.
2) I DO NOT believe that gods DO exist.
3) I DO believe that gods DO NOT exist.
1) The defining statement for 'theist'. It ASSERTS that the 'truth value' of the LOGICAL PROPOSITION 'gods exist' = TRUE.
2) The defining statement for 'atheist'. It expresses skepticism... PERIOD. That's IT... that's ALL. It asserts NO logical propositions whatsoever.
3) The defining statement for what is called 'strong atheist'. It ASSERTS that the 'truth value' of the LOGICAL PROPOSITION 'gods DO NOT exist' = TRUE. As a LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE of 'believing' that gods DO NOT exist, the statement "I DO believe that gods DO NOT exist" ALSO applies. SO, strong atheist FALLS UNDER the atheist definition, but it DOES NOT DEFINE atheist. ALL 'strong atheists' are atheists... but NOT all atheists are strong ath
Duck--Believing not-x is the same as not-believing x. If I do not believe you exist, it means I believe you don't exist. I either believe 'something is the case' or 'something is not the case'. Atheists believe. They believe God does not exist. If they don't--they shouldn't call themselves atheists.
Maryann Spikes said: "I either believe 'something is the case' or 'something is not the case'. "
This is the problem with many theists. They are unable to realize that it is ok to admit "I don't know", or perhaps they are unable to realize that this is an option.
Theists like this think that every question can immediately be answered with a yes or no, when the nuances of questions sometimes make uncertainty the most valid status.
Do gods exists? My answer: I don't know. So until the gods or someone else show me some proof I am not yet a believer in any such gods.
Maryann, let me ask you a simple question as an example: Did I have Pizza for dinner last night? By your 'logic' you would have to suddenly assert that "Yes, Peter had pizza" or "No, Peter did not have pizza." But really, you don't know one which is true. So you would be wisest to say that you don't deny that I ate pizza, but nor could you assert that I did.
Peter, prejudicial generalizations aside, you have made your point well. Some atheists simply lack a belief in God (are more like agnostics), others have an actual belief that God does not exist. Atheists who speak "against" belief in God and donning the label "atheist" with pride are of the former sort, having an actual belief. Trina (and each person of FFRF) is that sort of atheist, and I'm still curious about how she personally would answer my question.
Maryann Spikes says: "each person of FFRF) is that sort of atheist".
Actually, one does not need to be an atheist at all to be an active member/supporter of FFRF, only to believe that church and state should be separate (i.e., government not getting into the business of endorsing one religion over another, nor endorsing religions in general).
There are devout religious ministers who firmly believe that the worst thing for religion would be for it to be government run (just look at the Church of England, where the country has turned mostly to secular, non-supernatural approaches to our world's issues).
FFRF protects religions from government, in addition to protecting government from religion (and most of all protecting people from government endorsement of religion).
Maryann: Lastly, "lack of belief in gods" is not "agnostic". "Lack of belief in gods" is "atheist".
Agnostic is believing that it is impossible to "know" whether gods exist. Many agnostics admit that they can't really know for sure, but they opt on the side of belief (theists). Other agnostics admit that they can't really know for sure, and opt for saying that until they see adequate proof they will withhold belief (atheists, like me). Non-agnostics say that they know for sure because they have actually heard god's actual voice (psychotics).
I've never met an atheist who denies it is 'possible' for there to be some kind of god somewhere, somehow. But I have met many that believe that the god stories of the Bible, Koran, etc., are way too far-fetched, contradictory and nonsensical to be true. Thus, while I don't deny the possibility of some kind of god, I don't really believe there is any, and I'll readily go out on a limb deny and the likelihood of a god from any of those books.
The “Freedom From Religion Foundation” (FFRF), an organization established in the USA which is a country premised upon the concept of freedom of religious expression.
Atheist activist orgs, such as the FFRF, are certainly well within their rights and are to be encouraged since nothing discredits atheism like simply letting atheists speak as loudly and often as they wish.
Let us consider some of the billboard messages:
“Imagine no religion”
This is quoted from the John Lennon song, “Imagine” which is an atheist anthem that calls for conversion to atheism as it states, “I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will live as one.” Activist atheism is not simply about living non-God related lives but about seeking converts. Lastly, we do not have to “imagine no religion” but merely have to consider the history of the last century; the most secular and bloodies century in human history.
“Praise Darwin”
An atheist tendency is the doing away with a “super”natural God and replacing Him with natural gods. “Praise God” is replaced by “Praise Darwin” as the FFRF somehow infers that God does not exist based on biology. FFRF co-founder, Dan Barker, has stated, “Darwin has bequeathed what is good” and apparently, what is good is that “abortion is a blessing” and concluding that Jesus was “a moral monster.”
“State/Church: Keep Them Separate” (or, “Keep Religion Out of Government”)
This is an activist atheist tendency towards confusing the Constitution’s “Establishment Clause” against a state religion with Jefferson writing of “a wall of separation.” Jefferson, deist or not, attended Christian church services in the Capitol Building. Ironically, the FFRF would have called for his impeachment for doing so. Apparently, the FFRF understand Jefferson better than Jefferson understood Jefferson. The Declaration states that our rights were given to us by “our Creator…nature’s God.
“Reasons Greetings”
Another anti-Christian quip replacing “Season’s Greetings.” The FFRF came very close to quoting the Bible which states, “‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 1:18). Dan Barker has stated, “we also champion reason as its [faith’s] replacement, as the only viable tool of knowledge.” Yet, ask him to justify his reliance upon reason from reason and he will reason to reason which is circular logic. He also misunderstands faith which is not belief without evidence but trust; that upon which we rely once we have followed reason, evidence, etc. as far as it will go. No epistemology is self validating and neither is reason.
We can only hope that the FFRF and others will continue their propagandizing as it give occasion to pull the mask of erudition away from the zealous atheist preacher.
Mariano: If anyone really wanted an "anti-Christian quip" then instead of replacing “Reasons Greetings” with “Season’s Greetings"....
Let's all replace "Merry Christmas" with "Merry Christ-myth".
Trina and Mahoney,
I did not get the "praise Darwin" sign.
O.k., I get it.
I agree, let's keep religion out of Government. That is why I posted my recent article.
Just one question, Can we have Christians in Government?
Christians in the government has never been argued against, but since they need to make decisions for people that may not be Christian, it would be best for all their constituents if they avoid making decisions based solely on their religious beliefs and prejudices.
I found this quote and decided it needs to be seen on your page.
"The conclusion may be true, but it might be false for anything any humanist, atheist, gnostic or whatever, knows: they have never thrown themselves into the mental position of those who think differently from them, and considered what such persons may have to say; and consequently they do not, in any proper sense of the word, know the doctrine which they themselves profess. If they did, they would not need billboard campaigns to try and convince people it is possible to be a good person without God.
I really should not say any more. That logic is just that unbeleivable to me."
Yet, ironically, Jim. You can drive across America and see billboard after billboard promoting god and the church and the fact that you are "lost" without either.
Go figure.
Peter M., What are some examples of FFRF protecting religion from government? Note that I am 'for' the wall of separation between church and state (see my article on the Turlock City Council and what FFRF is doing about it)--not for freedom from religion (even an anti-narrative is a narrative)--but for freedom from government-established religion. On the "Darwin" thing--many Christians are evolutionists as well (see my most recent article on faith and reason/science). --Maryann
I think it's funny that people that don't believe in God, spend so much time talking about it. And in this case, spend a lot of money. If God is nothing, or God is all in ones mind, why spend your time speaking about nothing? If there is no God, just walk away and don't worry about it. However, what we see is a bunch of Christian-phobics trying to gather the troops in order to hate people. Maybe some day we will have the Pagan Roman that they want, and the lions will be feed well once again.
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