tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post1322474212615403129..comments2023-10-20T02:08:39.524-07:00Comments on Atheism: Proving The Negative: Retraction retraction? Imagining No ReligionMatt McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17071078570021986664noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-80504943147179405112008-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:00Uh Reginald why are atheist defending a billboard ...Uh Reginald why are atheist defending a billboard against the notion of religion yet poop in thier pants about religous expression? Its a hypoctical position for you atheist...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-61517542742336169412008-11-27T05:22:00.000-08:002008-11-27T05:22:00.000-08:00Think about what a billboard would mean if it prom...<I>Think about what a billboard would mean if it promoted religion?</I><BR/><BR/>What is your point? Religious billboards are plentiful throughout the land, so that thinking about them is simply a matter of accurate recall, and does not require any imagination at all.<BR/><BR/>Also, a statement does not end with a question mark.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-27292478651188614292008-11-26T19:26:00.000-08:002008-11-26T19:26:00.000-08:00Anonymous wrote: "you cry babies seem to always se...Anonymous wrote: "you cry babies seem to always see things only from your POV. Think about what a billboard would mean if it promoted religion?"<BR/><BR/>What an interesting comment. Who is seeing things from only one point of view -- the atheists, or the theists? Who thinks it is perfectly acceptable to put up billboards promoting religion, but unacceptable to put up billboards that aren't even critical of religion, but ask the reader merely to imagine no religion. Theists would be quite free to imagine such a scenario and think it would be horrible.<BR/><BR/>The God Speaks billboards clearly promoted religion. I thought some of them were clever/funny. But I also thought it would be fun to make some others that promoted a different line of thinking about religion. The thing is, while no one complained at the billboard that said "Let's meet at my house Sunday before the game", I'll bet there would be a huge public outcry if a billboard were put up reading "Yes, I let children die of malaria, but I have a really good reason."<BR/><BR/>Or what if atheists sponsored a billboard that said "The doctrine of the Trinity makes no sense." There would probably be Christian outrage over such a billboard, but the vast majority of Christians can't explain the doctrine of the trinity (they can say what it is, but can't explain it).Eric Sotnakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06162425851889399481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-68193034672002279952008-11-26T16:29:00.000-08:002008-11-26T16:29:00.000-08:00Atheist are now equating their silly movement with...Atheist are now equating their silly movement with blacks...now I've heard it all<BR/><BR/>you cry babies seem to always see things only from your POV. Think about what a billboard would mean if it promoted religion?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-25913299218448431482008-11-26T00:24:00.000-08:002008-11-26T00:24:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02877962468047811190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-2618942968344341012008-11-25T19:45:00.000-08:002008-11-25T19:45:00.000-08:00Matt McCormick wrote:"If you're angry about religi...Matt McCormick wrote:<BR/>"If you're angry about religion, then that effectively disqualifies you as a religion hater and no one needs to take your objections seriously."<BR/><BR/>Even worse, I think is what people think a non-angry approach to religion must be like. As far as I can tell, what is being supposed is that to be non-angry about religion means that you must say religious beliefs and practices are perfectly rational. Things are supposed to go like this: "I think religious beliefs x, y, and z are false, but of course that's just my opinion. I could be wrong, and so I have no objection to people continuing to hold and act on those beliefs, and I think it is wonderful that they want to share their religion with me, even though I happen to disagree with them. I mean, hey, I probably AM wrong, anyhow..."Eric Sotnakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06162425851889399481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-17090092066341998632008-11-25T18:56:00.000-08:002008-11-25T18:56:00.000-08:00We are routinely subjected to a double standard ab...We are routinely subjected to a double standard about offense and religious claims that is so pervasive not even the atheists notice it. Believers have promoted a culture where the slightest question, challenge, or request for reasons is met with instant outcries of intolerance and incivility. It's hard not to make a paranoid sounding point about how complete the mind control mechanism has become: In their own realm, even doubting thoughts themselves are considered sinful. And if someone on the outside raises questions that might provoke doubts, they are met with the harshest social criticisms. As far as I could tell, the most substantial criticisms that reviewers had of Dawkins' and Harris' books, for instance, were that they were rude, angry, and strident. But in this context, that was enough to refute them to the satisfaction of many readers. If you're angry about religion, then that effectively disqualifies you as a religion hater and no one needs to take your objections seriously. <BR/><BR/>Nevermind that everyday on the way to work I am threatened with bumper stickers that promise eternal torment for for non-believers--that's not rude or uncivil. <BR/><BR/>MMMatt McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17071078570021986664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-73244365177899374272008-11-25T18:47:00.000-08:002008-11-25T18:47:00.000-08:00Some people here might remember the "God Speaks" b...Some people here might remember the "God Speaks" billboard campaign of a few years back (http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/faith/82391.php.) where messages like "The real supreme court is up here" and such messages were posted on all black billboards with white letters (all signed "God"). At the time I made some exploratory inquiries into putting up a few of my own, such as:<BR/><BR/>"Let me drive a while. Close your eyes and trust me."<BR/><BR/>"Because I said so"<BR/><BR/>"Yes, I let children die of malaria, but I have a really good reason."<BR/><BR/>At the time I found it interesting that even people who are normally fairly tolerant of religious skepticism thought it would be unconscionably rude to put up such billboards. I also wondered whether any billboard companies might actually refuse to put them up. The "Imagine no religion" billboard is innocuous compared to the ones like those I've suggested above, yet it still gets taken down. Seems like (still more) empirical proof that Dan Dennett's central claims in his book, "Breaking the Spell" are spot on.Eric Sotnakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06162425851889399481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-11916526670785232662008-11-25T09:41:00.000-08:002008-11-25T09:41:00.000-08:00Matt - I love your example of "Imagine having a bl...Matt - I love your example of "Imagine having a black family". That was spot on.<BR/><BR/>Here's my take on it:<BR/>The ideal - The Constitution does guarantee free speech. <BR/><BR/>The reality - freedom of speech is in direct relationship with how receptive the hearers are of the message. I think you'll find this true across the board. Its basically the idea of a contextualized message. That's why advertisers spend so much money trying to figure out how to get under people's skin - they want to make the message relevant to people. <BR/><BR/>So I don't think this issue is religious v. non-religious so much as it is popularity or unpopularity of a message and the reactions of both sides. If a billboard said "Imagine no atheists" would atheists have the same reaction? Certainly some (but not all) of them would, just like some religious people (not all) reacted this way.<BR/> <BR/>I personally think that religious people shouldn't feel threatened by a billboard. I mean seriously, its a billboard. Sheesh!!Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12935856786211723015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-69280528521849801472008-11-25T06:05:00.000-08:002008-11-25T06:05:00.000-08:00Sounds like it is time to call some news organizat...Sounds like it is time to call some news organizations to do some further investigations and make a big issue out of it. I'm definitely going to mail out a letter to the addresses you provided.Bryan Goodrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14752098113414127313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-15049596488597569762008-11-24T21:39:00.000-08:002008-11-24T21:39:00.000-08:00Thank you for posting this, and for your efforts a...Thank you for posting this, and for your efforts against this blatant censorship and anti-atheist bigotry. I was rather pissed when I read about that <A HREF="http://culturepress.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/beware-of-dogmaatheist-billboard-taken-down/" REL="nofollow">sign being taken down in Rancho Cucamonga </A>a couple days ago. I might just send a couple e-mails over their way myself, just to stir the pot a little...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com