# Your beliefs and thoughts on the "atheist billboard" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 28, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195 "2010-11-28T19:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/201 "2010-12-02T14:38:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Say what? It’s a nationwide terror campaign, with websites full of death lists, harassment campaigns, death threats to family members, songs and T-shirts [celebrating the bombing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Robert_Rudolph#Fugitive) by Eric Robert Rudolph; that sort of thing. A few crocodile tears shed after the fact doesn’t qualify as anything but political cover. Then you should easily find me a cite for a major (i.e. not three people and a website) pro-life group that advocates violence. Show it of STFU about your “nationwide terror campaign.” I’m not a fan of billboard wars in any context, but I don’t see how anyone could applaud the atheist one and be offended by the Catholic response one. Well I see how they can, but to suggest there is anything wrong with one or the other is completely hypocritical regardless of where you believe the facts lie. Not to mention, as has been pointed out, that facts =! truth when talking about religious mythology. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/202 "2010-12-02T14:42:17Z")
> [@fuzzypickles](#): > > Dunno about that…asserting that myth is reality (and presuming that I believe the same) comes across as pretty offensive to me. It doesn’t presume you believe the same. It _encourages_ you to believe the same. Suppose I put up a billboard that said, “You know the sky is plaid” (to paraphrase **DT** ). Would that be _offensive_? Of course not. Delusional, sure. **Curtis** , are you seriously suggesting that every time the cops beat up a member of a minority Al Sharpton comes running? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/203 "2010-12-02T14:43:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Still not plaid. And you know quite well what I mean when I say the sky is blue; during the day, no clouds, etc. I do. And knowing that doesn’t make it any less fun posting with you. 😃 “Oh look, the sky is plaid!” “I told you not to buy a house in Linden…” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/204 "2010-12-02T17:39:24Z")
The sky here is stark white – it’s snowing. (Well, just a little dusting, but it’s pretty) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/205 "2010-12-04T14:10:15Z")
If the billboard is aimed towards wavering atheists, is it still considered to be some sort of attack on Christians? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/206 "2010-12-04T14:25:38Z")
EVERYTHING is an attack on Christians, didn’t you get the memo? ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/207 "2010-12-04T15:56:13Z")
You gotta admit though it is pretty funny… ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/208 "2010-12-04T16:52:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If the billboard is aimed towards wavering atheists, is it still considered to be some sort of attack on Christians? Unless a billboard is in the “atheist part of town” its not aimed towards atheists. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/209 "2010-12-04T17:10:38Z")
The story says 'boasting" atheism. You can not even get a news story without slant. Do thy say religious billboards are boasting religion?" ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/210 "2010-12-04T18:30:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It doesn’t presume you believe the same. It _encourages_ you to believe the same. That’s my point. What I believe is what I believe, it’s nobody’s fucking business. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/211 "2010-12-04T20:56:37Z")
> [@fuzzypickles](#): > > That’s my point. What I believe is what I believe, it’s nobody’s fucking business. Yes it is the business of other people, considering how much damage religion does. Like racism or sexism, religion is a belief system that make people dangerous to others, and often themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/212 "2010-12-04T20:56:45Z")
I’m an atheist and I don’t like it. It’s just more proselytizing bullshit. Like we don’t already have enough of that in this country. There is a pair of secular humanist billboards coming out of Philadelphia via the Betsy Ross that says, ‘‘What some religions believe…’’ and uses a quote from scripture that emphasizes inequality of the sexes. The second billboard says, ‘‘what humanists believe…’’ and uses a quote about equality. That one doesn’t really bother me as much, I guess because it’s saying something explicit about humanist values. Maybe it should bother me, though. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/213 "2010-12-04T22:44:24Z")
[This](http://gothamist.com/2010/12/03/atheist_billboards_all_the_rage.php) is how it’s done, people. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/214 "2010-12-06T00:43:50Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > As an atheist, I don’t like it because it’s counterproductive and makes us look like assholes. > > As someone who believes in the freedom of belief, it pisses on the faith of other people. > > As a guy with a background in advertising, I hate it because the headline is weak and does nothing to persuade “potential buyers,” rather makes a statement that is contrary to most of its audience’s beliefs — losing any persuasive power right off the bat. People won’t even get to the second line, which is simultaneously smaller yet more compelling and something likely buyers could get on board with. > > As a graphic designer, they’re going with a bastardization of the _Jewish_ star? Granted, Jesus was Jewish but this holiday is celebrated in the Christian faith. It’s an awkward muddling of symbology. > > As a typographer, they need to learn how to fucking kern between the “Y” and “ou.” > > Crap all the way around. I would pay to watch a show that had you ripping on signs and advertising the way they do on the pre-Oscar shows. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/215 "2010-12-06T02:21:26Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Unless a billboard is in the “atheist part of town” its not aimed towards atheists. Which is the atheist bit of New York? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/216 "2010-12-06T08:02:15Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Which groups are those? I’m only aware of a few disturbed individuals, who are promptly condemned by major anti-abortion groups. True Scotsmen are never terrorists ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/217 "2010-12-06T09:00:52Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Which is the atheist bit of New York? :dubious: That’s my point — there isn’t one. When you buy time on tv or radio, or space in print advertising, you can get demographic information of the people that watch or read particular media and can target your audience accordingly. With many billboards, unless you’re in a part of town prevalent with a particular ethnic group, billboards are viewed by anyone who ventures out into the environment. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/218 "2010-12-06T09:06:43Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > I would pay to watch a show that had you ripping on signs and advertising the way they do on the pre-Oscar shows. That’s good, 'cause due to the content, I’d probably have a hard time getting advertisers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/219 "2010-12-06T15:15:14Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > That’s my point — there isn’t one. > > When you buy time on tv or radio, or space in print advertising, you can get demographic information of the people that watch or read particular media and can target your audience accordingly. With many billboards, unless you’re in a part of town prevalent with a particular ethnic group, billboards are viewed by anyone who ventures out into the environment. You appear to be reading **Czarcasm’s** question a bit too literally, then. His point is that the _intended audience_ of the billboard is closeted atheists. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195/220 "2010-12-06T15:35:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You appear to be reading **Czarcasm’s** question a bit too literally, then. His point is that the _intended audience_ of the billboard is closeted atheists. Exactly. Of course if you wish to take it that literally, you can also say that it was intended for the general population, and not Christians. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-beliefs-and-thoughts-on-the-atheist-billboard/562195.md?page=10)