Atheist Ads on Buses Rattle Fort Worth

[SecularMotion]

FORT WORTH — Stand on a corner in this city and you might get a case of theological whiplash.

A public bus rolls by with an atheist message on its side: “Millions of people are good without God.” Seconds later, a van follows bearing a riposte: “I still love you. — God,” with another line that says, “2.1 billion Christians are good with God.”

A clash of beliefs has rattled this city ever since atheists bought ad space on four city buses to reach out to nonbelievers who might feel isolated during the Christmas season. After all, Fort Worth is a place where residents commonly ask people they have just met where they worship and many encounters end with, “Have a blessed day.”

“We want to tell people they are not alone,” said Terry McDonald, the chairman of Metroplex Atheists, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Coalition of Reason, which paid for the atheist ads. “People don’t realize there are other atheists. All you hear around here is, ‘Where do you go to church?’ ”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/us/14atheist.html?hp

[Goblinmonger]

1. To far too many people, the simple declaration that there are other atheists around

means that atheists are as bad as the most heinous RW fundy wackos. Too many of those that think that are on DU.

[trotsky]

2. "We want to tell people they are not alone"

They're not preaching, they're not insulting, they're simply letting people know they aren't alone.

And the fine Christians of the world simply cannot tolerate this. Why there are even DUers who have attacked the atheists for "proselytizing" and insulting Christians.

[dkf]

3. Christmas is a commercial orgy anyway.

Religious holiday indeed.

[MineralMan]

4. A pertinent sign would be:

66% of The World's Population Is NOT Christian

[Goblinmonger]

5. Or, 66% of the World's Population has a Jesus-Shaped Hole in their Heart.

:rofl:

[cleanhippie]

10. +1

[SocialistLez]

13. +1 NT

[Gman]

6. In Ft. Worth, you're almost embarrassed to be Catholic

as you get an "oh really?" when asked. That's the buckle of the bible belt.

[rurallib]

7. do they count Bushco as 'good xtians?' I surely wouldn't

Do they actually pay people to drive around in vans with a counter message? What a fucking waste.

[Leftist Agitator]

8. Ugh...

"After all, Fort Worth is a place where residents commonly ask people they have just met where they worship and many encounters end with, “Have a blessed day.”

Remind me to never live there. Or to visit there.

And I thought Appalachia was bad...

[SocialistLez]

14. Don't come to AR. When I worked as a cashier, it was common

for customers to ask me what church I went to, if I was 'saved', if I knew Jesus...

Maybe I just gave off the vibe that I wasn't saved.
I never had a chance to ask the other cashiers if they experienced this sh**.

[cleanhippie]

9. Funny how those that cry about not having religious freedom are the ones trying to opress

everyone elses religious freedom.

And couldn't that money for the stalker van be better used to you, HELP SOMEONE IN NEED!

[darkstar3]

11. That's the beauty they see in the "respecting religion" argument.

If they try to persecute people of other faiths, or if they try to persecute gays or minorities, well then it's just part of their faith and you need to respect it.

It's called being a dick and trying to make you eat one too.

[cleanhippie]

12. You owe me a keyboard, dammit!

It's called being a dick and trying to make you eat one too.

THATS fucking funny!

[Mariana]

15. They ARE helping people in need!

Everybody needs Jesus!

:puke:


Seriously though, these "local businessmen" who are funding the van must be attracting lots of new customers with all the publicity they're getting. It's a smart move, really. As advertising goes, the stalker van is probably pretty damn cheap. Don't you suppose that churchgoers are being told they should patronize these particular businesses? I expect they are.