Catholic League Fires Back At Lincoln Tunnel Atheism Billboard

[WillParkinson]

Catholic League Fires Back At Lincoln Tunnel Atheism Billboard

Days after the American Atheists posted their "You Know It's A Myth" billboard at the New Jersey entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, the Catholic League has erected an answering billboard at the other end.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a lay civil rights organization that receives no church financing, said that an anonymous donor in Manhattan came up with the money — about $18,500 — to buy the 26-by-24-foot billboard at Dyer Avenue and 31st Street for about a month. It went up Monday afternoon. Mr. Donohue said the billboard was not intended as “a statement against atheists or agnostics, most of whom are good people,” but as a repudiation to “aggressive, militant atheism” that he believes is growing increasingly prevalent in America. Joseph Zwilling, the director of communications for the Archdiocese of New York, said that while the Catholic League does not speak on the Archdiocese’s behalf, he thought the billboard “articulated the reality that Catholics and Christians believe in Jesus.” “Jesus historically lived, there’s no doubt about that,” Mr. Zwilling added. “He was a real person in a real time, and for Catholics and Christians we believe he was the son of God.”

Actually, a lot of us "aggressive, militant atheists" aren't so sure that "Jesus historically lived" at all.

[trotsky]

1. "agressive, militant atheism" = voicing an opinion

The "good" atheists remain quiet and if they say anything at all about religion, they compliment it and say how much they wish they were a believer.

[rfranklin]

4. What about aggressive theism?

There is a church on virtually every corner of my town. And they are subsidized by the government....they're tax free!

Don't get me started about the Crusades and the Inquisition!

[backscatter712]

8. That's nothin'.

Go to the Bible Belt, if you're not a believer, you're harassed and ostracized. They'll try to get you fired, try to convert you when you're at the grocery store...

And they only go that far because they can't legally imprison you or assault you for being atheist.

Yet I'm "aggressive and militant" for doing nothing more than openly stating that the Bipolar Imaginary Sky-Daddy's a figment of the imagination.

[timtom]

59. I would certainly agree with you.

The Bipolar Imaginary Sky-Daddy IS a figment of the imagination.

And so is Harry Potter.

And Bugs Bunny.

[theaocp]

6. Ignorance is bliss

or so I'm told. Blind faith is sure some kind of opiate. Must be nice. :puke:

[JoePhilly]

11. You have to understand Bill's position ...

See ...

1) If you won't worship Bill's God in the manner Bill expects, even if you do so quietly, you've attacked Bill directly.
2) If you speak of the fact that you don't believe as Bill does, in front of Bill, you've attacked Bill yet again.
3) If you speak in front of others about the fact that you don't believe as Bill does, you've attacked Bill yet again.
4) If you hang a billboard to express your opinion, and it is counter to what Bill believes, you've attacked Bill yet again.

That's 4 direct attacks on Bill. So clearly that's "aggressive, militant atheism".

[TroglodyteScholar]

45. Bingo.

If putting up an athiest billboard is a militant and aggressive act, is bill not a militant and aggressive theist?

[AngryOldDem]

2. Good on Bill.

Meanwhile, that $18,500 could have gone toward feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and clothing the naked...you know, the things that Christ told his followers to do. But money well spent for the Catholic League.

I also call bullshit on this "most of whom are good people" crap. More passive-aggressiveness from Blowhard Bill.

And is there **really** an historical record that Christ existed?

[Sherman A1]

17. That $18K did create work for a few folks so

agree or disagree with the message, it was not a total failure. People need jobs and there was printing, transporting and posting all involved so good came from it.

[Not Me]

24. ...just what I was thinking

It kept a couple union sign workers going for one more day.

[Sherman A1]

33. Maybe you and I should just grab the

:popcorn: and watch the rest of this one unfold.......

[ChazII]

41. Great minds think alike....

that also crossed my mind. Some people were employed and received a pay check for their work.

[AngryOldDem]

52. And that's cool.

But how many groups in the area could have really helped a lot of people with that money, for more than just one day, had the Catholic League so chose to do something else with it, other than throwing it away on a one-upmanship bit of moral grandstanding?

[onenote]

25. the money spent on the atheists' billboard could've done the same thing

Not sure exactly what your point is. Hopefully it isn't that atheists don't care about feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and clothing the naked so its okay for them to spend money on a billboard but not okay for Catholics.

If two sides of a debate want to make their points through opposing billboards, so be it. Can't criticize one without criticizing the other, imo.

[trotsky]

39. I think the point is the hypocrisy factor.

The Catholic Church and its leadership have time and time again promoted themselves as arbiters of what pleases god and what is moral and good. Granted, Donohue's little club isn't an "official" organization but bonds are there.

[AngryOldDem]

51. "By their works ye shall know them"

"Faith without works is dead." "Pluck the mote out of thine eye before your neighbor's." (Loose translation, but it serves my point.)

I have major issues with groups such as the Catholic League that make a great show of how "holy" and "Christian" they are by pointing out everyone else's failures and foibles but apparently not walking the walk publicly themselves.

And to hear Donohue talk, he is just a few rungs below the magesterium when it comes to authority.

It would be poetic justice if this billboard was toasted from on high like the Big Butter Jesus statue was in Ohio this past summer.

I have no problem with the original billboard because, as you say, there was no hypocrisy behind it.

[darkstar3]

40. The money spent on the atheist billboard IS for a good cause,

just like the money spent on the gay pride parade.

[rug]

3. Billboard wars. Merry Christmas.

[trotsky]

7. At least Bill is on your side, rug.

Happy Solstice!

[rug]

10. He's not. I don't support idiotic fights.

[trotsky]

14. You don't?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x264223

[rug]

15. That's right I don't. Did you pick a side in that fight?

[trotsky]

19. At least you admit you intended to start a fight. n/t

[rug]

20. I was referring to the headline in the article.

Besides, you don't need bait.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x266015

[trotsky]

22. Where's the fight?

I see none. Unless you're choosing to start one?

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Hey, it's a free country. Let them love their Jesus.

Let me love my freethought.

[Sherman A1]

12. Agreed

[Bluenorthwest]

23. That would be fine if they'd let me love my chosen partner

in peace, but they don't.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. The Catholic League should be named as a Terrorist Organization....

Their assets should be confiscated and anyone who contributes to or aids them in anyway should be sent to Gitmo.

:sarcasm: , but not really.

[JoePhilly]

13. I'm pretty sure that the Catholic League is comprised of ...

Bill Donahue and no one else. So sending him to Gitmo doesn't seem all that extreme.

:evilgrin:

(typo)

[BrklynLiberal]

48. You know what...I bet you are right!!!

[BurtWorm]

16. I wonder why they didn't capitalize the initial of 'it's'.

Freudian slip, probably.

[lunatica]

18. Just as I expected. Another religious war starts

Why don't people just keep their beliefs or non beliefs to themselves? Who cares if some people are Atheists? No one gets burned at the stake anymore.

[sinkingfeeling]

32. No, but in this state, Arkansas, the constitution prohibits a non-believer from holding public

office or from testifying in a court. (I'm about to break that one in Feb.)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/18/usnews/whispers/main4809510.shtml

[lunatica]

49. I guess they'd like to burn Atheists at the Stake again

And if they get their opportunity I'm sure they'll jump for it. This country is taking giant strides backwards in evolution. It's de-evolving!

[meow mix]

21. nicely whitened jesus family

:rofl:

[Arugula Latte]

43. I know!! That photo is hilarious.

The ridiculousness of it all is just heightened by those Caucasian models. :rofl:

[Deep13]

26. hypocrit. "Agressive, militant" = when THEY do it. nt

[Bonhomme Richard]

27. Atheist are OK as long as they stay in the closet with the gays. n/t

[AndrewP]

34. Bingo

[whistler162]

28. To be fair...

"Actually, a lot of us "aggressive, militant atheists" aren't so sure that "Jesus historically lived" at all."

I am not sure you exist either!

[WillParkinson]

29. My apologies!

I just noticed that I did not provide the link to the article. http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/12/catholic-league-fires-back-at-lincoln.html

[sinkingfeeling]

30. Really? Could somebody please explain the Virgin birth?

[backscatter712]

37. Mary and Joseph got frisky before they got married...

and concocted the Virgin Birth story to avoid getting stoned to death for adultery?

[Arugula Latte]

44. Best cover story ever!: "Gawd did it!"

I mean, hey, if you're going to be perceived as a cuckhold, Joseph, might as well be cuckholded by the All-Powerful Invisible Big Guy himself.

[MadBadger]

31. I take the Lincoln Tunnel everday and yet to have seen it

[pnorman]

35. "not intended as “a statement against atheists or agnostics, most of whom are good people,”

One wonders: "Does he REALLY believe that?" Or is he just being (hypocritically) polite?

[Dappleganger]

36. And you're both entitled to your opinions.

[Le Taz Hot]

38. Well, it's a good thing that this economy is so stellar

that they could afford to spend $18,500 for a billboard because no one out there is homeless, hungry or cold.

". . . 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"
Matthew 25:45

[ChazII]

42. +1 n/t

[blondeatlast]

47. Matthew is the Bible book that the fundies forgot (or wish they could). nt

[piratefish08]

57. if those misspent dollars bother you, don't ever stroll through Vatican city.

They have billions at their disposal and people literally starving in the streets in view of the guards.

[blondeatlast]

46. Happy holdiays, DAMMIT! nt

[hobbit709]

50. the supporters of the Church Of Pedophilia would be wise to remain quiet.

[rug]

55. Which church would that be, hobbit?

[RainDog]

58. he's probably referring to the systemic cover up of abuse by the Catholic Church

that extends over at least 4 decades, to every continent in the world, and rises to the highest office of the organization.

I may be wrong, but I think that's what Hobbit is referring to.

Every religious group has pedophiles as part of their organization, of course, but the Catholic Church is the only one that claimed its pedophiles were not subject to the laws of the land in which they resided concerning child abuse but, instead, should be dealt with by the church hierarchy who then, again in a systematic fashion, transferred these pedophiles to other parts of the world where they were again able to engage in abuse of children.

I think that's what Hobbit is referring to.

The judgment by courts in various nations regarding these crimes would lead me to believe this is, indeed, the one Hobbit is referring to.

[AnArmyVeteran]

62. Just 4 decades? Probably centuries of horrendous abuses.

[rug]

68. Therefore one billion plus people belong to the Church of Pedophilia?

Pretty simple-minded statement.

[hobbit709]

60. The one headed by the guy in Rome

[Joe Bacon]

53. Yes, we know that Child Molesting Priests are real!

And those who apologize for and cover up their actions are beyond despicable!

[Greyhound]

54. LOL! Still waiting for one shred of evidence that he even existed.

You'd think that anybody that went around doing the stuff he supposedly did would merit at least a passing reference somewhere during his life.

[A HERETIC I AM]

65. It'll be a long wait, too.

Since the story of Jesus is nothing more than a rehash of much older and wide spread savior-god myths, and the savior-god/sacrificed god man motif is prevalent in ancient times, why should he be any more real than Apollo, Mithra, Horus and any of the dozens of other gods alleged to have appeared on earth?

The story of Christ is simply a personification of the movement of the sun through the seasons, with various references to Astrology thrown in throughout for good measure. It is a play, indeed a "passion play", but a play nonetheless.

What kills me about these silly dick wagging sessions (and that is really what this is all about) is that the Catholic league and indeed all of Christendom CAN NOT STAND to have any doubt shed on the myth they have been selling for almost two millenia. If someone tries to poke a hole in the myth, the push back is almost always immediate.

[RainDog]

56. ...

[AnArmyVeteran]

61. Did they put up a billboard condemning pedophile priests and pedophile-condoning Popes???

Damned hypocrites!

[11 Bravo]

63. This Christian wonders, Mr. Donohue, what's the "aggressive, militant, atheistic" equivalent ...

to the Crusades? The Inquisition? The burning of alleged witches?

[Tansy_Gold]

64. "Catholics and Christians" ???

Are Catholics not Christians?

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

66. Religion Is Like A Penis

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

67. That looks as mature as a 6yo shouting "Is TOO! I'm rubber and you're glue!"

But hey, it wouldn't be a free country if whiny crybabies couldn't express themselves.