Monday, December 07, 2009

Evangelical Atheism

Some fools have paid for advertising on the buses around here that says "Yes Virginia, there is no God."

I am an atheist, but i don't like evangelicalism of any ilk.

As if an ad on the side of a bus would convince anyone of anything.

Can't you just see this happening?

Spying one of these ads, a woman slaps herself on the forehead, "Oh man, that makes SO MUCH sense. Now i know the truth. Thank you Atheism Board."

Yeah, right.

Seems like it's just designed to annoy and upset people.



Obnoxiousness from the other side:

Last week i saw a bumper sticker with this

If you are living your life like there's no God, YOU'D BETTER BE RIGHT!

My bumper sticker response?

If you are living your life like your God is the only true God, YOU'D BETTER BE RIGHT!

19 comments:

Mrs. Chili said...

Oy. Really; there's just nothing that can be said, is there?

Lynnea said...

How about:

My God is on the honor roll.

My God kicks your God's ass (donkey of course).

If you can read this, you're taking your faith a little too far.

Forget about Jesus. What would you want me to do?

-----
another thought, if the fish is a universal Christian symbol, is the atheist symbol an ape? Ha. That might be fun. An ape with a dead fish in its hands.
That wasn't very nice was it? Sorry.

luckyzmom said...

About forty years ago my mother advised me that I should reject any religion that proclaims to be the only one. I've learned a lot since then.

Dick said...

I have a problem with organized religion as it is practiced but I do tend to think there is something to spirituality. Maybe it is just a wish for something bigger, more important that what we have here that we can see and feel. And I rather like what luckyzmom' Mom said, above.

As to bus advertising, you know what I used to do for a living. Those damn things were always falling off the sides of busses. They make money with them but they are more of a pain in the a** than they are worth to me.

Clowncar said...

Zealotry of any kind annoys me.

A former neighbor had a bumper sticker that said "Have you been judgmental today?" Which I found rather...uh...judgmental.

meno said...

mrs.chili, nothing good at any rate.

maggie, well you're a feisty one today! I like it.

luckyzmom, so i'm confused, what have you learned? That your mom was right or wrong?

dick, there is something to spirituality. Kindness, helping..that sort of stuff. Wish they had spent that $ on the homeless or something.

clowncar, the perfect unawareness of that bumper sticker is amusing. I once had someone tell me, in all seriousness, that they were the least competitive person in the world.

Scott from Oregon said...

"Seems like it's just designed to annoy and upset people."

Ummm... Yeah. I suppose that is the point. Seeing as how every fuckin' church puts out some stupid bit of garbage on their too big for zoning sign out front. And those crazy people leave their Awake! magazines everywhere. And knuckleheads put crosses atop hillsides...

Seems like tit- for- tat annoyance to me...

nick said...

I'm with Scott, the atheist ads are just a small antidote to all the God-flaunting that's in your face everywhere you look, particularly at Christmas. And particularly here in Northern Ireland. As for using the modest amount spent on atheist ads to help a few of the homeless, what about the millions and millions donated to Church heirarchies that could house all the homeless many times over. And solve all the other social problems with a few quid to spare.

Gina said...

I love it! I'd buy that bumper sticker.

Equal Rights Not Special Ones said...

You know my position.

I think it's ironic this ad found its way on a bus. Mostly because they would NEVER allow non-believers the same rights to free speech as believers in the south.

meno said...

scott, yeah, i certainly understand that. Having Christianity shoved in our faces at every turn gets old. But, i wish everyone would just stop.

nick, have you seen Sarah Silverman's little video about selling the vatican? It's very funny, and partly so because of the truth about all the money spent on that kind of property and folderol, and don't forget the popemobile!

gina, maybe i should market them!

equal rights, i suppose if it were down there the bus would be an arson target. Guess i should enjoy the freedom that allows this ad.

nick said...

I hadn't seen the video, I just watched it. Brilliant! I liked the bit about the caped crusader!

luckyzmom said...

I've learned she was right. I questioned everything and incorporated into my life the things that made sense. What I found makes the most sense is love.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I also don't like evangelism or any other kind of proselytizing because it's arrogant and presumptuous to believe that anyone has all the answers and everyone else is in the dark. Plus, I have never wanted to be a sheep, even though they are nice enough animals. AND I especially dislike implicit threats like the bumper sticker you mentioned, which I have also seen more than once. Smug fascists.

The Topiary Cow said...

Whew--kind of scared of Maggie! :)

This was a great post. Yes very strange...

Of course for those of us who believe that Topiary has the right to World Domination, the question is simple.

Just do like every other religion: destroy everyone who doesn't believe, then the world will be covered with small, inoffensive, sharply trimmed hedges.

Moo!

Dianne said...

someone put up 'keep Christ in Christmas' signs all over the local shopping center

they must have done it while they were shopping

Anonymous said...

How about, "If you are living your life like there is a God and you think you are him/her, YOU'D BETTER BE RIGHT!"

meno said...

nick, glad you liked it. Good stuff!

luckyzmom, i often think of The Beatles line, "and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

hearts, what you said, absolutely!

top cow, maggie is a fierce woman! I'd vote for your plan anyday.

dianne, oh, the irony!

mamalujo, Another great idea. Let's start a business!

Andrea Frazer said...

I do not understand any of this. It's dumb. I say everyone do what makes you happy. This motto works well until politics come into play. And then I shut up and try my best.