Shock tactics are an element for both, but I think the style, message, and venue are all different in important ways. Kimstu already pointed out that this is a college campus and not a funeral, and this kind of thing is more common at colleges. This has a humor factor to it and the WBC certainly doesn’t do that. And the Atheist Agenda message is “the Bible is smut,” meaning it contains violence and sexual content sometimes associated with porn. It offends people but there’s some basis for the argument. The WBC’s message is “God Hates Fags,” by which they mean… that God hates fags. And that people who don’t denounce and persecute gays should suffer and die.
I agree they are not equivalent.
However, on its own terms, the AA message is juvenile. It main value is transgressive humour, which is fine on its own but petty and offensive when aimed at the average (religious) schmo, who has done nothing specific to offend them, other than be religious.
Sort of like mooning grannies for laughs, to protest that old folks run everything and are resposible for all social ills. Heh, those grannies sure are a bunch of stuffed shirts! We sure showed 'em! Why, we’ll get the message out that being old is not cool! And lots of publicity!
On its own, absent the transgressive humour element, the message is incoherent. Sex and violence in a work of literature is … bad?! Your average college student is hardly likely to clutch their pearls and swoon.
No argument there. But if there was no place for juvenile humor, people wouldn’t use it.
The difference is that atheists are correct and the WBC is not.
Oh, I think there is a place for it - to take the stuffing out of those who have, by their own acts, been offensive themselves. So not all old folks, but targeted at those who are agitating to get kids out of parks or whatever; not all religious people, but the Westboro Baptist types. If anyone deserves a good mooning, or the equvalent, it is them.
The reason why this stunt lacks real teeth is that it is so very undirected - it is offensive equally to some kindly old lady who simply believes in Jesus and bakes cookies for church socials, as it is to the rabid Westboro types; it is in effect treating them as equally offensive (and thus equally deserving of a good mooning).
It looks to me like their target is anybody who is cherrypicking out the ‘bad’ parts of the bible to give it status as a pure and inspirational holy book. Nothing to do with the fanatics - I suspect the casual christians are the target. In fact, if this is the intended target then it automatically filters it so only their targets are offended - persons who aren’t anal about an unjustified and fraudulent read of the bible as perfect wouldn’t be offended. (Although such people might shake their heads at the purile juvenility of targeting religion, which is inherently above reproach).
Hey, I only read the Bible for the articles.
Those whacky college students, this is what they do. They try on ideas for size and sometimes they get a bit overzealous in the execution. The only interesting thing going on here is that the words “atheist” and “porn” are involved. Walk onto any campus in the US and you will find some students protesting something in an odd way, adamant in their convictions even if the rest of us don’t understand.
To those religious folks who find themselves offended - that’s the point, IMO. Aggressive religious zealots are a staple on the college campuses I have attended, what better place to convert, and I see this demonstration as a protest against that. Good for the goose, good for the gander.
Looks as kaylasdad99 suspiciously. "Didn’t Oui go tits-up back in the 80s? Over 20 years ago?