"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

[Apex]

I think it was terribly enlightening.

It's awe inspiring to see the majority faith get all riled up over the free speech of a minority.
It really shows you how little society has advanced in some ways.

wa:do

No one is getting riled up over free speech. It is perfectly possible to be for someones right to free speech while, at the same time, finding their speech distasteful. Merely voicing your opinion is not the same thing as disagreeing with a minorities free speech.

 

[Magic Man]

Good god people! You do not need to take everything other people as if the meaning is supposed to lay on the extreme radical side of an issue.

That's true. How is this relevant, though?

 

[Magic Man]

That is not what I am referring to. That sign is not really condemning or purposefully insulting. The examples I gave are actually bill boards I saw driving to Florida once. The "Hell is REAL!" is meant to try and scare people into believing in Christianity. Kind of the "Hell fire and brimstone" approach that never works as is unethical, imo.

So, you're just making the wrong comparison? I don't equate the signs in the OP with the "Hell is real" signs. I equate them with the kind that Penguin posted. For the same reason you think those signs are perfectly fine, I think the "atheist" signs are, too.

What magazine was it in? And I fail to see where that add is meant to purposefully offend someone else or try and tell someone that their beliefs are wrong or stupid. Its simply promoting our Church in a friendly manner, where is the problem with that?

I also fail to see where the ads in the OP are meant to purposely offend someone else or try to tell someone that their beliefs are wrong or stupid. It's simply promoting atheism/agnosticism in a friendly manner, where is the problem with that?

 

[Magic Man]

If you wish to read this into it then yes. But that is not the intent and trying to say so is disingenuous. This also shows a lack of understanding of our belifes. We do not believe "non-LDS" means "non-truth". Insinuating we do is dishonest.

Wait, on the one hand you're saying that you're reading something in the atheist ads that no one else here is seeing, and then you call doing the same to the LDS ads "disingenuous"? Insinuating what he did is not dishonest. From all of the LDS I've met or talked to, I get the impression that most are very self-righteous, and I have no trouble believing that most of them would agree that "non-LDS" means "non-truth". I would say those who don't believe that are the minority.

 

[doppelganger]

Isn't putting up a sign with your creed in a completely public space like a bus FAR less intrusive and therefore less likely to offend than attempting to invade someone's home space and family life with your message?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Going back to this post now that I'm not trying to type on my little iPod screen...

If they were responding to an insulting add with another insulting add, I could see it. I would not support it, but I would not really oppose it either.

I really don't see why you would consider the atheist ad any more insulting that the Christian one.

Then there is a 99.9% chance it was a LDS magazine, such as the Ensign, that is written for a LDS audience and is distributed soley to LDS members. This makes your analogy inapplicable.

I checked - the ad was from Time magazine:
Deseret News | New LDS ad campaign touts the 'Truth Restored'

Edit: Apparently, similar ads also ran in Newsweek, US News and World Report, and Sports Illustrated.

If you wish to read this into it then yes. But that is not the intent and trying to say so is disingenuous. This also shows a lack of understanding of our belifes. We do not believe "non-LDS" means "non-truth". Insinuating we do is dishonest.

It's not about your beliefs, it's about the message of the ad. In its context, I think "truth restored" implies something close to "the Christian religion is the true one and all other denominations have a corrupted version of it." If that doesn't match your beliefs, I think that speaks more to a problem with the ad than a problem with dishonesty on the part of the reader.

 

[painted wolf]

No one is getting riled up over free speech. It is perfectly possible to be for someones right to free speech while, at the same time, finding their speech distasteful. Merely voicing your opinion is not the same thing as disagreeing with a minorities free speech.

I take it then you haven't been reading the news on the reaction to the signs in England and elsewhere.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Hampshire | Man refuses to drive 'No God' bus
They are suing to get the signs removed.
BBC NEWS | UK | 'No God' campaign draws complaint

They were banned in Italy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4287979/Catholic-Church-blocks-plans-for-atheist-bus-adverts.html

I could go on. Voicing your opinion and calling for the signs to be removed are two different things.

wa:do

 

[Storm]

However, no one in the religious community seems to think there is anything wrong with it.

*raises hand* I do, and I've said so in this thread.

 

[challupa]

You must have missed some of my previous posts. Pleas go back and read the ones about some of the Christian signs I have seen and my opinion of them.

You're right, I haven't read the whole thread. I did see you saying you didn't like the ones that talk about hell and brimstone. I am just adding my thoughts about all religious signs in general. I don't see them as anything but trying to get people to come around to the religious way of thinking and many of them say those who are not believing what we believe are inferior. Not in so many words most of the time, but the inference is there. I was not personally responding to your posts as much as stating how I felt about those kinds of signs.

 

[challupa]

*raises hand* I do, and I've said so in this thread.

Thank you Storm, I appreciate that

 

[Smoke]

The ASA has ruled that the atheist ads are acceptable.

Stand by for cries of persecution from Christian Voice, the Catholic League, and the American Family Association.

 

[Willamena]

Good news all around.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I just heard on the radio this morning that the atheist bus campaign is coming to Canada.

The Freethought Association of Canada will be running ads on buses and subways in Toronto: Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign - Official Website

They announced today that their ads have been approved by the Toronto Transit Commission. The text (and the gaudy colour scheme, unfortunately) is the same as the British ads.

In related news, Charles McVety, the president of the Canadian Family Action Committee (and of the Canadian Christian College as well) and normal go-to guy for the Reglious Right's opinion in Canadian media, has declared that the ads are bigoted and "attack ads": Atheism Examiner: Toronto atheist bus ads said to be ‘attack ads’

 

[challupa]

I just heard on the radio this morning that the atheist bus campaign is coming to Canada.

The Freethought Association of Canada will be running ads on buses and subways in Toronto: Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign - Official Website

They announced today that their ads have been approved by the Toronto Transit Commission. The text (and the gaudy colour scheme, unfortunately) is the same as the British ads.

In related news, Charles McVety, the president of the Canadian Family Action Committee (and of the Canadian Christian College as well) and normal go-to guy for the Reglious Right's opinion in Canadian media, has declared that the ads are bigoted and "attack ads": Atheism Examiner: Toronto atheist bus ads said to be ‘attack ads’

Calgary transit too it seems I have heard.

 

[logician]

Why have atheists stooped to emulating the worst practices of religion? Indeed, the very practices they (rightfully) revile and condemn?


They're no worse than the religious ones. However, it's symptomatic of getting down in the muck with the worst of theism.

Are you kidding? It's all about advertising in today's world, drug companies advertise every drug conceivable for every possible ailment, why can't atheism join the club?


If the words "IN God WE Trust" on coinage, "under god" in the pledge etc. are removed, then this will become a valid point. Atheists at least have to pay for their
advertising, for theists its state sponsored.

 

[Storm]

Are you kidding? It's all about advertising in today's world, drug companies advertise every drug conceivable for every possible ailment, why can't atheism join the club?


If the words "IN God WE Trust" on coinage, "under god" in the pledge etc. are removed, then this will become a valid point. Atheists at least have to pay for their
advertising, for theists its state sponsored.

I didn't say they can't. I just think it's tacky.

 

[challupa]

I didn't say they can't. I just think it's tacky.

Yes, but I think religious ads are in poor taste too. I guess they're saying if we can't beat them join them

 

[Storm]

Yes, but I think religious ads are in poor taste too.

Absolutely!

I guess they're saying if we can't beat them join them

Yes, but that disappoints me.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Calgary transit too it seems I have heard.

According to the atheistbus.ca web site, atheist/freethinker/secularist societies in Calgary and a few other Canadian cities are watching this campaign, with plans to implement their own if this one goes well.

 

[challupa]

According to the atheistbus.ca web site, atheist/freethinker/secularist societies in Calgary and a few other Canadian cities are watching this campaign, with plans to implement their own if this one goes well.

Ah, so its a wait and see scenerio. Okay, could be interesting how Canada takes this.