Humanists Launch Godless Holiday Campaign

[moobu2]

"Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake," proclaims a new holiday ad from the American Humanist Association. Already appearing today in the New York Times and Washington Post, the message will soon be blazoned on the sides, taillights, and interiors of over 200 Washington DC Metro buses.

It's the first ad campaign of its kind in the United States, and the American Humanist Association predicts it will raise public awareness of humanism as well as controversy over humanist ideas.

"Humanists have always understood that you don't need a god to be good," said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. "So that's the point we're making with this advertising campaign. Morality doesn't come from religion. It's a set of values embraced by individuals and society based on empathy, fairness, and experience."

At a press conference today launching the campaign, large displays were featured showing the ads in today's New York Times and Washington Post, the bus posters, and how the posters will look mounted on the side of a bus and inside, behind the driver's seat. (High resolution photos of the bus posters, including images of them mounted on and in a bus, are available online at http://www.whybelieveinagod.org/moreabout.html .) The exterior posters will appear on buses in Northwest Washington starting Tuesday, November 18. The interior posters will begin December 1 in Northwest and Southeast.

LINK

[Ian David]

1. They WANTED a "War on chrisTmas," now they finally have one.

BRING IT, FUNDIES!

[thraxis]

3. These are Humanist fundies and proselytizers. Every bit as obnoxious

as the other kinds.

[cosmik debris]

4. But you say that about everybody.

It has become meaningless from over use.

[Ian David]

5. Oh, give it a fucking rest. Booh fucking hoo for you. GET OVER IT!

Not everyone in the world believes in your Imaginary Friend.

If the only way Organized Religion(TM) proselytized and recruited and forced their agenda on us was by advertising on the sides of buses, the world would be a much better place.

[thraxis]

7. I got over it along time ago. There is a reason why atheists are

the most untrusted minority in America. It's hate crap like this they keep spewing.

[Ian David]

8. Keep whining like a crybaby. n/t

[dmallind]

delete - dupe

[dmallind]

Where is the hate?

Where's teh LArry Hooper in this? Where's the Phelps? THAT's hate - and it ain't coming from us.

[Ian David]

10. Could you imagine an Atheist "Fred Phelps" protesting at the funerals of...

... chrisTians who died while handling poisonous snakes?

Actually...

That would be kinda funny.

I think I'd go to that!

[Tesha]

26. Instead of signs that say "XXXs GO TO HELL!"...

we'd have to have signs that say "XXXs, just like everyone else, DECOMPOSE IN THE GROUND!".

It would be kind of funny.

Tesha

[Book Lover]

11. I beg your pardon (nm)

[thraxis]

15. I really didn't make that up. It came from a study conducted a couple years

ago. There are many many great noteworhty atheists and humanists, but when they make the focus of their attitudes and actions those things or events that some others hold as special or sacred - they had certainly better expect a reaction.

[Tesha]

27. Yes, but the survey included plenty of people just like you!

The fact that a vast swath of America are ignorant and superstitious
is no reason to stop trying to educate them.

Tesha

[thraxis]

31. "vast swath of America are ignorant and superstitious" Yep!

Now you know why myself and others respond the way we do. This group is no different than Right Wingers trying to shove religion down people's throats. Their motives are all the same.

[Tesha]

50. I'm sorry, but you prove my point with every reply you write. (NT)

[EvolveOrConvolve]

66. Which study?

The one you just pulled out of your ass?

[Meshuga]

14. Wow

"There is a reason why atheists are the most untrusted minority in America"

I see that you like to blame the victim in order to keep feeding your own prejudice. You need to take a good look at yourself first before attacking others otherwise no one will ever take you seriously.

[Ian David]

16. I take him as seriously as I do the guy who screams "Jesus is Coming" by the freeway. n/t

[cosmik debris]

17. I doubt that he will be here much longer.

That brand of vitriol usually gets pulled off the shelves when it is discovered to be poisonous.

[Ian David]

18. I wonder how many times his parents brought him to the emergency room as a kid.

Someone like him must have come close to getting a Darwin Award a whole bunch of times by the time they reached puberty.

He probably still does on a weekly basis.

[varkam]

36. "There is a reason why atheists are the most untrusted minority in America."

Is it because of bigotry and prejudice on the part of religious groups?

Oh, sorry, I forgot - it's because we won't shut up and just move to the back of the bus.

If you think that message is "spewing hate", then you are either very sheltered or willing to perform all manner of rhetorical contortions to fit that chip on your shoulder.

[Odin2005]

62. Quit telling us to got to the back of the bus you bigoted A-hole.

:grr:

It's people like you that are turning me into an outright anti-theist.

[Dorian Gray]

64. Honestly???/

Why do you care about the humanist campaign? I have no problem with it. It doesn't threaten my beliefs, and they have just as much a right to express the views as any other group around the holiday season. It's a campaign.

[muriel_volestrangler]

67. There's no 'hate' in that, at all

There's an ethical position - "be good for goodness' sake" (or did you think the song that comes from was a 'hate song'? Have you protested about it in the past?); a philosophical question ("Why believe in a god?"); and another ethical position ("you don't need a god to be good ... Morality doesn't come from religion. It's a set of values embraced by individuals and society based on empathy, fairness, and experience.")

No hate there at all - it's about love, actually. I feel sorry for you, if your life consists of seeing hate where there is none. It must be tiring and depressing for you. If you'd like to talk about it, we're here for you.

[dmallind]

6. Really?

A sign on a bus is as bad as forcing your message onto our money, into our pledge, and on our buildings?

A sign on a bus is as bad as legislating your beliefs into law and using them as a club to marginalize and demonize people whom you think your imaginary friend dislikes?


OK let's go for the swap then - let us change our currency to "we trust there is no god"; let's put "under no god whatsoever because they are impossible" in the pledge; and let's erase all those decalogues from public buildings and replace them with "social cohesion is an evolutionary advantage so use the morality that allows this natural godless construct, will ya? Then let's stop fundies from marrying, ban theists from running for office in seven states' constitutions, and make believers the least trusted and electable minority in the nation.

Then I promise I'll get those damn ads off the buses if I have to buy them myself.

After all, this is just as bad right?

[Ian David]

9. How does someone like Thraxis manage to survive to adulthood? n/t

[thraxis]

12. Life's kinda funny that way isn't it?

[Ian David]

13. You must have required nearly constant parental supervision. n/t

[thraxis]

33. You seem to be obsessed with childhood maladies. Are you

having trouble in that area?

[Ian David]

56. No, it's just that your mere survival to adulthood shakes my faith in Darwin and Natural Selection.

I may have to re-think my Atheism and consider the possibility that there IS a god and that He does indeed protect fools, drunks, and children.

[Goblinmonger]

20. You're my new hero.

Best I could come up with this evening is fuck off.

[varkam]

35. Check. Mate.

:fistbump:

[Goblinmonger]

19. I think I might sign up to be a Humanist fundy

sounds like it might be good to actually hold to the concept the humanity is inherently important. Could you define this fictional "religion" of which you speak so I can discern if I want to start one up for real.

In case you aren't good at picking up satire, Just fucking stop it already...the word "fundy" has now become meaningless.

[thraxis]

21. And yet the word 'fundy' still says volumes. nt

[cosmik debris]

22. It says more about you than about those you insult. n/t

[charlie]

23. Say hi to pegleg n/t

[Goblinmonger]

32. Just keep using the word

to describe anything and it becomes meaningless. Have you even looked the word up? Try it sometime and explain to me how an atheist can be a fundamentalist.


I'm expecting nothing, but hopefully you will try and explain just to provide some humor to my weekend.

[Tesha]

25. I wasn't aware we were sending around teams to knock on your door and bring you the joyous message

of Atheism. But if we are, well, hooray for our side! ;)

Tesha

[TZ]

28. Putting signs on buses is obnoxious?

Wow: well here's how I translate your post: STFU atheist!

[ZombieHorde]

54. Your post is proselytizing and oozing with hypocrisy.

[raccoon]

65. I've never run into any. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

2. but...but...what about Festivus?????

http://www.festivusbook.com/

http://www.religioustolerance.org/festivus.htm

http://www.festivuspoles.com/pages/Festivuspoles.htm

[JerseygirlCT]

24. Serious question: what is the point of this? What is their goal? nt

[TZ]

29. To make this point:

One does not have to believe in God to have morals! Look at thraxis post..he is the poster child for the atheists are immoral scum group.
I think the nasty NC Senate race points out how just calling someone an atheist is an insult to most of America. The right LOVES to paint liberals as "godless" as if that was a horrific thing.

[thraxis]

34. Trouble is though - thraxis is far from right wing. thraxis is trying to

ridicule any group that operates in such a manner. There are many atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Universalists, etc., who are confident and quite happy in being just who they are.

[varkam]

37. Thraxis speaks in the third person.

That's just creepy.

[Silent3]

39. Zathras used to being beast of burden.

Zathras have sad life, probably have sad death, but at least there is symmetry.

[TZ]

44. !

:rofl:
I never thought a B-5 quote would work so well in R/T....

[Ian David]

57. Nobody ever listens to Zathras... or Thraxis. n/t

[moggie]

63. Mongo only pawn... in game of life

[thraxis]

49. thraxis are very creepy

[Ian David]

58. I read somewhere that people who refer to themselves in the third-person are usually sociopaths. n/t

[moobu2]

38. Why do you feel so threatened?

All they’re saying is that there is no need for a belief in a god to be a perfectly moral person.

[thraxis]

40. And I agree with that. But it is obviously directed to coincide with

one particular holiday which is sacred to one particular group. The message isn't coming out on the 4th of July or Labor Day.

[TZ]

42. Okay so atheists should ONLY speak when its appropriate

according to you. Is Ramadan okay with you? How about Passover? Kwanzaa? Orthodox Christmas? When is it NOT somebodies religious holidays?
boy is your post bigoted.

[thraxis]

45. As a general rule here, atheists usually reserve the majority of

their barbs for christians and christian holidays. This is my appropriate time to speak.

[TZ]

46. I don't think so.

Maybe you just actually notice it more..because of your sensibilities. But hey, if you want to encourage atheists to continue their "war on christmas" sure, go right ahead. And "Happy Holidays" to you too!:*

[varkam]

52. Happy Holidays? You must want to murder all Christians, you bigot.

:rofl:

[Ian David]

59. You don't Need a Job. Just Labor for Labor's Sake.

There.

I said it.

HAPPY?

[TZ]

41. and thats what makes your post so odious

To know it isn't just the rw fundies who think atheists are immoral and shouldn't speak out..Liberal believers feel the same way.
I'll repeat what I told you above..your post is saying that atheists should just shut the fuck up. Damn those uppity godless types..wanting to defend their ideas!

[thraxis]

47. Far from the truth. Most people I know are live and let live. they are not

out to scorch anyone's beliefs or religion. Virtually all the spewing I see hear is against christians and christianity.

[cosmik debris]

53. I think he is trying to tell us to follow his example

and concentrate on insult and derision. We should be denigrating the ideas of others rather than discussing them. That is the example he has set for us.

It seems somewhat ironic that he expects something from us that he is unwilling to give to others.

I guess that's the way those asshole theists are doncha know. (Thanks thraxis for showing us how we should behave.)

[JerseygirlCT]

61. Ok.

I was thinking of a similar, but more offensive, I think, campaign I saw running in the UK.

That one was intentionally insulting, and I didn't get the point, really.

I had a few minutes, finally, to look at the website listed for this one, and can't see anything really objectionable here.

I don't agree, but that's just fine, there's no reason I have to agree at all.

As to your first sentence, I think I get in trouble, because I just take that as a given.

[thraxis]

It certainly isn't directed at Ramadan or The Festival of Lights.

It's all too obvious what the point is. And yet people that speak up about it are criticized for doing so.

[TZ]

43. uh you do realize that the Festival of Lights

coincides with the Christmas season and thats one reason why its called the Holiday season?
Wow...

[thraxis]

48. The festival of lights is a hindu holiday and it is not celebrated

at Christmas time.

[TZ]

51. The festival of lights is also a synonym for HANUKKAH

Having grown up Jewish the two terms are used interchangably.

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[frogmarch]

55. We're all godless.

Some people just don't realize it.

I like the message, and if it sparks meaningful discussion, so much the better.

[laconicsax]

60. This is really entertaining, please, continue.

:popcorn:

[aska]

68. Morality comes from the conscience.

Morality comes from the conscience, we're all born with one. Just don't tell humanists that the conscience comes from God. :-)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

69. I know a humanist minister.

Who goes to my Unitarian Universalist church.

We don't need a god to scare us into being good.