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Atheist group takes message to Lakeland via billboard
by Neil Johnson - The Tampa Tribune
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/02/021442/atheist-group-takes-message-lakeland-billboard/news-metro/
LAKELAND - Motorists along one of Lakeland's major thoroughfares are being greeted with a billboard asking a provocative question: "Don't believe in God?"
Then there's the answer: "You are not alone."
The billboard went up Sunday on eastbound Memorial Boulevard near Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, making Lakeland the second Florida city to have a billboard sponsored by an atheist organization.
The bottom of the billboard lists the Web site of Atheists of Florida, the group that paid for the message, www atheistsofflorida.org. The organization picked Lakeland for the billboard to mark the opening of a chapter in the Polk County city, said Rob Curry, the group's president.
The main goal is to increase awareness of the secular group, which was founded in 1992. The group has about 1,000 members statewide, Curry said, with fewer than a dozen in the Lakeland chapter.
"We want other people in the secular community who are non-religious to become aware of us," he said.
...
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http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/02/021442/atheist-group-takes-message-lakeland-billboard/news-metro/
Comments 1 - 26 of 26 |
Reload Comments | Back to Top | Page Numbers2. Comment #429989 by benjamingeiger on November 6, 2009 at 3:17 pm
By the way, here's another local news story on the same sign, with video:http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Billboard-supporting-Atheism-upsets-some-Lakeland/_mpBHsRgpE2-fpXHhZODYA.cspx
Other Comments by benjamingeiger
3. Comment #429991 by BiologicDentists.com on November 6, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I wish they had these billboards when I was a kid. Things have progressed a lot, especially because of the internet. I wish Richard Dawkins could live forever. Other Comments by BiologicDentists.com
4. Comment #430006 by Jos Gibbons on November 6, 2009 at 4:07 pm
The many bus campaigns, billboards etc. in the last year or so have made a monotonous cliché of immediate negative reactions. I was not surprised to hear them already. One woman says the sign should come down in case the children are brought up taught to be non-religious, another wants it to go, free speech or no free speech, and then there's the "black churches" thing. I'm guessing that no-one thinks the colour a church is painted matters, and therefore that "black" is a label for the people who go there, at which point I ask:(1) Why is insulating religion from certain things more important when the adherents are black? Just about every answer I can imagine is horribly racist.
(2) Why are there black churches, anyway? Shouldn't churches be for everyone? This is an issue of (a) tolerance, (b) the truth. Whatever is true about Jesus, Mohammed, the Big Bang etc. is one thing. Why have ethnic divisions of opinions on it? It's very strange.
I think one of the most valuable things these billboards can do is to expose how silly are the reasons for which people wouldn't like them to be here.
Other Comments by Jos Gibbons
5. Comment #430008 by BiologicDentists.com on November 6, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Won't it be a grand day when at least half the population is atheist? I wish I could be alive to see it! Other Comments by BiologicDentists.com
6. Comment #430028 by pipsy on November 6, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I think half the population is Atheist, just a large chunk will not admit it for various reasons. Other Comments by pipsy
7. Comment #430032 by root2squared on November 6, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Nice. This is a good message to put out. Other Comments by root2squared
8. Comment #430033 by effymeral on November 6, 2009 at 6:07 pm
i often wonder if i'll ever live in a time when we wouldn't need the ads at all, when the disbelief itself wouldn't have to be pointed out Other Comments by effymeral
9. Comment #430043 by Sally Luxmoore on November 6, 2009 at 6:55 pm
I hope that website is getting thousands of extra hits a day. They should publicise the extra interest shown, which I'm sure will hugely outnumber the noisy complaints of these few people who can't cope with free speech and 'threatening' ideas. Other Comments by Sally Luxmoore
10. Comment #430059 by caraz84 on November 6, 2009 at 8:16 pm
AM A ZING please get them billboards all over the uk so no one has much of a choice but to look at themOther Comments by caraz84
11. Comment #430064 by esuther on November 6, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Am I the only one who looked at the clouds floating by on the billboard and suddenly heard in her head...'The Siiimmm sooonnns' ?Other Comments by esuther
12. Comment #430075 by robotaholic on November 6, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Here is one of the comments on the website: So when they sneeze, we can't say God bless you? I bet you anything if they found themselves in a life/death situation they will call out to God. Regardless God loves them and the sad part about it is that they've allowed satan to convince them that God does not exist. I will pray for them.
Notice we atheists are convinced god doesn't exist but we all really know god does exist on our deathbed.
Other Comments by robotaholic
13. Comment #430079 by rod-the-farmer on November 6, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I left a phone msg with the reporter suggesting he should tape the follow-on Q7A session due to be held 23 Nov. DO NOT tell the audience they are being taped, thus preserving the spontaneity of their reactions. Then post it on YouTube. Other Comments by rod-the-farmer
14. Comment #430091 by DRogers1082 on November 6, 2009 at 10:39 pm
this bilboard is awesome. i would love to get one put up where i live. i give them a standing ovationOther Comments by DRogers1082
15. Comment #430114 by Crazycharlie on November 7, 2009 at 1:13 am
I wish I had seen a billboard like this when I was about 12. It would have lightened my heart to know other people were out there like me. Let's hope millions of others will be encouraged by these billboards.
None of us would be seeing these billboards or the ads on subways if it wasn't for Richard, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Dan, PZ, etc. They are the intellectual muscle behind the open questioning and criticism of religion we've been hearing for the last few years.
Other Comments by Crazycharlie
16. Comment #430127 by Bolland on November 7, 2009 at 3:49 am
I would prefer:"Don't believe in God, devils, witches, angels, etc. Don't worry, you're not alone".
They are all part of the same package and joining them up reinforces the message.
Other Comments by Bolland
17. Comment #430131 by Et in Arcadia ego on November 7, 2009 at 6:27 am
"Black churches , places where black people worship white people". Somebody should make THAT billboard.Other Comments by Et in Arcadia ego
18. Comment #430136 by Big T on November 7, 2009 at 7:20 am
Jos Gibbons: Martin Luther King Jr. once said something to the effect that the most segregated time in America was Sunday morning. And, you are correct, sir, to feel that the remark about "black churches" smacks of racism. I guarantee you the person who said that thinks that black people are too dumb to rationally evaluate a billboard about atheism.Other Comments by Big T
19. Comment #430146 by The Truth, the light on November 7, 2009 at 11:17 am
How is "Don't believe in God?" a provocative question?It's like asking, "Don't like eating brussel sprouts? You're not alone".
Other Comments by The Truth, the light
20. Comment #430147 by phil rimmer on November 7, 2009 at 11:17 am
Big TThe remark about black churches was made by a black man, in fact. You may wish to amend your comment.
I think Jos Gibbons' points still stand, however.
Other Comments by phil rimmer
21. Comment #430157 by rjj_98 on November 7, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I am living in a small city in Thailand. Tonight I saw the LDS set up at a place where many Thai's go in the evening to walk and get exercise. All I see these churches do here is try to recruit people, they do no good. Whereas many expats, without any religious affiliation will take it upon themselves to go out and do good works (donate books, computers, teaching English, etc, etc). Seems our side needs a bit more advertising, to stop the madness from spreading everywhere. Buddhism is fairly innocuous, unlike the LDS :(Other Comments by rjj_98
22. Comment #430177 by TIKI AL on November 7, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I still think the blue sky is too "churchy".I'm leaning towards a chocolate statue of Brad Pitt.
Other Comments by TIKI AL
23. Comment #430261 by conrad72 on November 8, 2009 at 6:21 am
The comments below that article make me want to punch a kitten.Its sad to think people in my country are that narrow minded.
Other Comments by conrad72
24. Comment #430271 by kev_s on November 8, 2009 at 9:57 am
@ The Truth, the lightReminds of one of my favourite childish jokes ... "What's the difference between brussel sprouts and bogeys?" (or boogers in the US)
Answer: "You can't get children to eat brussel sprouts."
Other Comments by kev_s
25. Comment #430512 by Big T on November 9, 2009 at 6:29 am
Phil Rimmer: How do you know the person who made that remark is black? Because the billboard is in a largely black neighborhood? Or do you have some other knowledge I know not of?Other Comments by Big T
26. Comment #430900 by phil rimmer on November 10, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Comment #430512 by Big TI saw the guy interviewed on TV saying those exact words. Can't find the link now, sorry.
Other Comments by phil rimmer
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1. Comment #429985 by benjamingeiger on November 6, 2009 at 3:10 pm
It's about time people around here stood up for reason. The billboard certainly did its job: I live about ten miles (16 km) from this billboard and I wouldn't have known Atheists of Florida had a Lakeland chapter otherwise. Then again, I probably wouldn't have ever seen the billboard had it not been for the media hoopla caused by people protesting it...Other Comments by benjamingeiger