Until you can show otherwise, what I have done is compared the worst of the Christian billboards to the worst of the atheist billboards.
What is unfair about that?
Mostly harmless.
Religious intolerance in general is pretty ugly though. From believers or non-believers.
Without trying to dig up examples to confirm whether or not there are more strongly offensive billboards that represent either view, it’s clear that examples of one side’s most offensive are being shown to compare. Therefore common sense should lead you to question the fairness of the comparisons.
It begs to venture that there are likely “worse” atheist-view billboards in existence without having to comb the net to prove it to you. We agree to disagree on this one. If because I don’t want to take the time to google around about it, then you win.
Dude, I went through the trouble of Googling “worst atheist billboard” and “offensive atheist billboard” and I can’t seem to find anything other than that some Christian groups are offended that they exist at all. You would think that if there were extremely offensive atheist billboards out there some Christian on the Net would be screaming about it, but so far…nada.
They’re just on the net and obviously not meant to be taken seriously. They were parodies made with old WWI and WWII posters in response to right-wing/Fox News hysteria about the so-called “War on Christmas.”
Still, I do wonder what would happen if somebody did put up a billboard with one of those posters. Would anybody get the joke?
Okay. Let’s say that I was completely wrong, that there are simply no more offensive billboards out there to be found that promote the atheist view.
Since though obviously some of the most offensive Christian ones were selected to compare (you can admit that, right?), what’s the point in submitting the comparisons? That religious fanaticism is worse than anti-religious fanaticism?
I wouldn’t admit that. I find most anti-abortion billboards (which are typically underwritten and designed by Christian groups) far more offensive.
In any event, though: yes, that’s exactly the point.
Speaking as a weak atheist, I would rather that “my” side not be offensive at all, but people being what they are, I’ll settle for less offensive.
It does seem to show that, when it comes to offending and being offended, some Christians come off as extremely hypocritical. It also shows us that “assuming the other side is just as bad” is often a bad assumption, and should be avoided unless proper examples can be had.
Christian here (former agnostic) and it doesn’t bother me. After all, if we should be entitled to what we believe and how we state it, so should atheists.
You didn’t try very hard. I found this one in under a minute. I’d say “Christians love slavery” is on par with “atheists hate america”.
Leaving aside the fact that no real people were accused of anything in that billboard, I will have to admit that that Bible verse offends me also.
I find a gross mischaracteriazation of another’s belief system offensive.
I specifically condemned Christian groups that do the same sort of thing. I am a Christian, but I do not necessarily associate with any of the groups of Christians that funded those boards. By the same token, I don’t assume that all atheists are associated with a particular group. I have no desire of associating with any of those groups on either side.
That said, I think there’s some examples on what I would consider to be decent billboards from both sides. For instance, I think the “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.” is a fine billboard that expresses a supportive message to atheists, gets awareness out there, and doesn’t have to be a abrasive. If I were an atheist and I felt like I needed some networking or companionship or whatever with that, then I might consider looking up such a group.
Similarly, I think the “Everyone has an opinion on evolution. Read ours. Post Yours.” is a fine billboard because it appears as though they want to have an open and honest discussion about the topic and appears to invite both believes and non-believers; whether that holds true when you actually visit the site, I don’t know, but that doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, that same group screws it up with the “Are they making a monkey out of you?” I also think all of the anti-atheist and anti-homosexuality ones are overboard and just as out of line as the one posted in the OP. I have no interest in associating myself with any of those groups.
Regardless, that some Christians do it doesn’t make it okay for atheists to do it, or vice versa. To assert such is a classic tu quoque argument. I think neither side should engage in such behavior, I will not associate myself with any groups that do, and I will condemn any groups that do so, even if I agree with their perspective.
I do, too. When Christians get together and decide once and for all what they do and do not believe, which verses are history and which are allegory, we atheists will be as happy as fruitflies at a watermelon eating contest.
I agree with that.
I explained that since examples that represented the Christian view were so over-the-top, it was reasonable to be suspect of the fairness of the comparisons.
Why do you think the example A Monkey With A Gun was able to find was not included in these? It’s because someone has gone out of their way to skew the examples in pursuit of their not so hidden agenda.
Czarcasm, why can’t you just admit that the examples you presented with your link were unfair to compare to one another?
This one’s particularly stupid, since the Bible itself starts with a reference to the actual Big Bang (ref. Genesis 1:3)
Unless they’re saying that God’s not a Johnny Galecki fan?
Fair enough, but most Christians primarily get offended when you present an accurate characterization of their ridiculous belief system.
I could either take it on blind faith that one side is just as bad as the other, or I could compare the one example A Monkey With a Gun came up with(which was a short-lived billboard put up during a political campaign) to the many examples of extreme Christian billboardery that I have seen so far, three of them within driving distance of my house.
Once again “one side is just as bad as the other” is seldom correct.
I welcome you, or anyone else, to make a “more fair” comparison using the extremes of both sides. What I will not accept is a fake comparison that allows one side to “trim the fat” so to speak.
I’m not a Christian, but I dislike this billboard (the one in the OP) for two reasons:
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It is commenting on Christmas, which is a holiday beloved by Christians and non-Christians alike. The immediate reaction I suspect most people will have is ‘aw, give it a rest already’, and to think whoever put up the billboard is just not a whole lot of fun; and
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It is framed in a deliberately insulting manner: ‘you know I’m right’ is never a good opener, as naturally enough it only appeals to those who, in fact, already think you are right - yet it is aimed at those who do not.
That said, there are certainly some far more obnoxious Christian billboards - but since when was there a contest to see who could be the most obnoxious? (I think the anti-abortion types would win hands down, if there was. Nothing an atheist could possibly dream up could top some of those.)
This was more of a traffic comment than a religious comment, but I used to see this billboard on highways: DRIVE LIKE HELL. YOU’LL GET THERE!
Of course eventually I realized that it was supposed to be read as DRIVE LIKE HELL (i.e., badly) YOU’LL GET THERE (to Hell!)
But the first way I read it was DRIVE LIKE HELL (i.e., fast) YOU’LL GET THERE! (where you’re going, and sooner!)