OC Register: "Atheist bus-shelter ads in O.C. question God"

[Xicano]

30 ads are going up from Anaheim to Mission Viejo meant to let nonbelievers know they aren’t alone.


ANAHEIM – A local group of atheists that sparked controversy in May by helping pay for a billboard questioning the existence of God is "striking out on its own," this time with 30 bus-shelter ads across Orange County.

Several self-described atheists, with a group called Backyard Skeptics, said they plan to gather at one of the bus benches in Anaheim for a news conference at 4 p.m. today to announce the new campaign.

The ad on the bus shelter just outside a Target shopping center at Euclid Street and Lincoln Avenue features a photo of a book emblazoned with the words "Holy Bible" – and underneath that the slogan "Have Doubts? So Do We."

Bruce Gleason, director of Backyard Skeptics and a Villa Park resident, said the campaign is meant to "let other nonbelievers know there is a community of non-theists who share the idea that we can be good without God."


http://www.ocregister.com/news/bus-310158-gleason-ads.html?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:37c563f1-32c0-4503-a38d-b8edfd61d3db

[Kalidurga]

1. I call it the

wholly babble.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. I predict even THAT ad will be called militant, offensive, rude, etc etc etc...

by the usual wailers and gnashers of teeth.

Make no mistake, atheists' gravest offense in their eyes isn't doing or saying anything. It's existing.

[KurtNYC]

3. There is a term for a group of people who unite based on their beliefs

about God.

[hootinholler]

4. I wonder what that term might be?

If you mean congregation, that could apply, but atheism is not a religion, but the lack of one or at least the lack of a deity in their religion.

So please do tell, what did you have in mind?

-Hoot

[cleanhippie]

7. Funny thing is, atheists don't HAVE any beliefs about god.

So what was your point?

[humblebum]

9. No beliefs about God, but tons of concern. Otherwise, the

subject would never be mentioned. However, the ads are fine.

[cleanhippie]

11. Again, wrong. Atheists don't have any concerns about god either.

What atheists DO have concerns about are the attempts of believers to force their beliefs on everyone else. If believers did not feel the compulsion to force their beliefs on others, there would be no issue at all. Vocal atheism is simply the natural reaction to the evangelicalism of believers, and nothing more.

[humblebum]

12. you are concerned about others' beliefs and the free expression of them.

that's quite obvious. No one is forcing anything upon you.

[cleanhippie]

13. I realize that you must tell yourself that in order to rationalize your beliefs.

And I am ok with that. That is how concerned I am with your beliefs. Too bad you cannot see that too.

[cleanhippie]

14. Here is an example of believers forcing their religion on everyone that I am concerned about.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x293875

Lets chat about this, shall we?

[humblebum]

15. Make up your mind. nt

[cleanhippie]

17. About what? Are you unable to multi-task?

At any rate, we are only talking about one thing here, people forcing their beliefs on others. I provided a current and appropriate example for us to discuss. Is there a problem with that?

[humblebum]

18. In no way is that forcing beliefs on others anymore than crosses

in a vet's cemetery are. Other faiths are allowed to place their symbols there to.

[cleanhippie]

19. Are we discussing the link I provided?

If so, let's move this conversation there please.

[humblebum]

21. Yep. Very anti-Christian article. Let any other faith or non-religious group put

up memorials if they feel so inclined.

[cleanhippie]

22. *facepalm*

Why do I even bother?

[humblebum]

23. Don't ask me, I've wondered that, too. nt

[cleanhippie]

24. I guess its because I find it difficult to believe that human could be so detached from reality

and in such a state of denial.


Its my need to try and help people, but I think this situation really requires a professional.

[humblebum]

29. I think you need to work on yourself before applying your self-declared

talents to others.

[cleanhippie]

35. See, there you go again, making things up.

Never said I had any talents at all. Maybe ask the Doc to help with those projection, comprehension, and dishonesty problems while at it.

Good Luck.

[humblebum]

20. deleted

[Goblinmonger]

26. There aren't crosses up in vet's cemetary

That is Normandy. US cemetaries allow for symbols to be put on the gravestones and have atheist and others.

[humblebum]

30. Is there a functional difference? Both are symbols. In that respect there is no distinction.nt

[Goblinmonger]

38. There is

Because when people say what you said, others visualize what is actually Normandy because it is such a pervasive picture and they think that is what is up in our cemeteries. It's not like it is a cross with an atheist symbol in the middle.

[laconicsax]

28. Good point, Tony. n/t

[Goblinmonger]

25. I realize you and I disagree a lot

but are you frickin' serious? Nobody is forcing their religion on me? My money says I trust in god. The pledge that I have to hear every f'in day at school tells me I live in a nation under god. Abortion laws. Gay marriage laws. That's just the beginning. Don't tell me with a straight face that nobody is forcing anything on me.

[humblebum]

31. OK, I'll gnarl up my face and say nobody is forcing anything on you.

That better? There's many things I don't like either, but that is the price we all must pay for living in a pluralistic society.

[Goblinmonger]

37. Do I have a choice to use the money?

Do I have a choice to ignore the anti-gay laws?

[darkstar3]

27. Tell that to the two men in ties who knocked on rang my doorbell this morning.

All they wanted to do was bother me about gawd.

[humblebum]

32. Normal people would hang a sign out "No soliciting- commercial, religious, or otherwise."

I've done it for years, works great. Problem solved.

[darkstar3]

33. They ring anyway. The only sign more ignored than "no soliciting" is "Yield".

But thanks once again for demonstrating how members of the majority have absolutely no idea how their reality is not the only reality.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

36. Well, since atheists don't ''unite'' in any meaningful fashion...

...such a term doesn't apply to them.

[onager]

5. Oh noes! It'll ruin the Harvest Crusade!

And what is the Harvest Crusade? Gee, I'm glad you asked.

Harvest Crusade is a big Jesuspalooza being held in Anaheim's Angel Stadium from August 12–14, 2011. Featuring a long lineup of those oxymoronic "Xian rock groups" and lots of preaching. Google for more info on your own, my keyboard is refusing to type the link.

The hook for Harvest Crusades - each Xian is supposed to bring an unsaved friend! To hear one of the world's oldest and dumbest marketing pitches.

(I'm sitting here LMAO, trying to imagine the reaction if atheists rented Anaheim Stadium for 3 days of concerts by Bad Religion et. al., and rants by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris.)

Since the Harvest org is tax-exempt, naturally these wing-dings are strictly non-political. Even if past guests have included G.H.W. Bush, Liz Dole, and Jim Dobson. Cough...

While spying on local Fundie radio here in SoCal, I've been hearing a lot of aggressive pushes for this year's Harvest Crusade. Complete with bragging about attendance and how many Lost Souls have been snatched from the fires of h-e-double-hockey sticks.

That led me to commit the ultimate sin against religion: fact-checking.

The Harvest Crusades started in 1990, so that's a 20-year track record. According to the Harvest website: More than 4,240,000 people have attended a Harvest event in person, and more than 353,300 people have registered decisions of faith in Jesus Christ.

So that works out to 17,665 new converts per year. To my great disappointment, the website doesn't count back-sliders, de-converts, people who became atheists after hearing those No-godawful bands, or new Xian converts poached by the competition.

(According to some irate web posts - the Jehovah's Witnesses and other "cults" hang out in the parking lots after Harvest Crusades and do their own counter-marketing of the new converts. The Law Of Unintended Consequences strikes again!)

But wait! Over at the Xian website Ministry Watch, I read this data from 2007: All Harvest Crusades combined since 1990: Total Attendance - 2,372,850 (over 2 million); Decisions for Christ - 191,785.

So attendance zoomed by 2 million people between 2007-2010? Hmmm...

This led me to check past attendance claims/projections, in the Los Angeles TIMES and Orange County REGISTER newspapers:

July 30, 1992 - More Than 100,000 Expected at Revival : Religion: Anaheim Stadium will be the scene of the third annual Summer Harvest Crusade, the Southland's largest festival of its kind.

By 1999, they were "expecting" more than 180,000.

I wonder where they expected to put them. As of 2005, Anaheim Stadium had a maximum capacity of 45,050 seats.

Oh, that's right - Creationist Math.

[AlecBGreen]

8. hahaha

...the website doesn't count back-sliders, de-converts, people who became atheists after hearing those No-godawful bands

:spray:

Someone just recently posted about how they are a Christian, they love to rock out, but Christian rock sucks. I agree.

[Iggo]

34. Whenever I see those bumper stickers ('HARVEST')...

...I want to yell at them, "It's a cook book!"

[cleanhippie]

6. Meh. Just another example of Christians being persecuted.

[Rob H.]

10. I like them!

Here are some better shots from Backyard Skeptics' website:

[Xicano]

16. Have you seen their "Atheist's 10 Commandments" =)

From their webpage:

1. Thou SHALT NOT believe all thou art told.
2. Thou SHALT seek knowledge and truth constantly.
3. Thou SHALT educate thy fellow man in the Laws of Science.
4. Thou SHALT NOT forget the atrocities committed in the name of god.
5. Thou SHALT leave valuable contributions for future generations.
6. Thou SHALT live in peace with thy fellow man.
7. Thou SHALT live this one life thou hast to its fullest.
8. Thou SHALT follow a Personal Code of Ethics.
9. Thou SHALT maintain a strict separation between Church and State.
10. Thou SHALT support those who follow these commandments.