Oh religion, you so crazy

[BerenTebogo]

So, about a week ago the North Carolina Secular Association released this press release:

(North Carolina, June 22, 2010) "One Nation Indivisible"

These words, superimposed over an image of the American flag, are appearing on billboards across North Carolina--from the mountains to the sea--in advance of the Independence Day week-long celebration. The billboards, scheduled to run for four weeks, are located in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.

At a total cost of $15,000, they are being sponsored by the North Carolina Secular Association (NCSecular.org), a coalition of local secular, humanist, freethought and skeptical groups throughout North Carolina, with additional funds provided by FreeThoughtAction, a national organization whose mission is to "encourage the continuing growth, open engagement, and public acceptance of a freethought community in American society."

"This is a positive message of unity and inclusion for all Americans," said Joseph McDaniel Stewart, vice president of FreeThoughtAction. "It is designed to bring nontheists and theists together as patriots in a shared society."

Stewart added: "When the words 'under God' were inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance between 'one nation' and 'indivisible,' they made a lie out of both those ideals because you can't have an indivisible nation if you draw a line between the godly and godless. We all belong here."

"This concern is especially notable for North Carolina," said William Warren of the Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics. a member group of the North Carolina Secular Association sponsoring the local ad. "It is written into the North Carolina Constitution that one must believe in God to hold public office. Even if this requirement can't be enforced because it violates the U.S. Constitution, it's still there. Imagine how people would feel if the state constitution required office holders to be white and male."

During the last election, nontheist Cecil Bothwell, a duly elected councilperson in Asheville, had his right to hold office challenged because of the state constitution's religious restriction. Article VI, Section 8 disqualifies from office "any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God." It is listed first, ahead of the prohibition of anyone convicted of a felony or anyone convicted of treason.

"As innocuous as this billboard is, it was rejected by one of the three largest billboard companies in North Carolina as 'too controversial,'" Stewart said further. "This just goes to show how real our concerns are and how necessary our message is."

Which was in response to their ad campaign featuring 6 of these billboards:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8iQUQj9AP...P1010001_a.JPG

And immediately there was some backlash from the religious community. Comments to the local media (aired on TV nonetheless, lol) saying such ridiculous things as "It's been under God for 200 years and they want to take it away from us."

Those who aren't retarded will note that the "Under God" was added in the 1950's under Pres. Eisenhower as a "hearts and minds" attack against Soviet Russia.

So, just how crazy are these southern religious folk? Let's jump over here http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/0...iref=allsearch at CNN to check it out.

jonathan

Sorry Nate Activist Christianity is all about us against them..It'll be some time before these types of Christians if they ever do come to their senses .. ...it's their reaction to being rejected, which means they are stony ground according to the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke of in Matthew 8; Mark 4; and Luke 8....forgive them Father for they know not what they do ...

Jessie Ware, Horn Lake, MS

Lord you are in control, deal with this as you will. I would not want to be the on responsible for paying nor the one hanging when you decide enough is enough.

PeterMo

Folks, this is really disturbing. Our country and Consitution is built upon Christian values and belief in a God. If you don't like it, move to Iran or Iraq and enjoy their beliefs and government control. This disgusts me.

This isn't cherry picking either. These are 3 of the first 6 comments over at CNN. Hallelujah!

So, fast forward a week and what happens? Well, North Carolina doesn't disappoint, that's for sure.

http://cnnreligion.files.wordpress.c...octv.jpg?w=640
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<obje...mbed></object>

You can hear the colorful opinion on the vandalism from the local media in the video.

--

So BG, indelible symbol of what it means to be an American or phrase added to polarize the godless communists vs. the righteous Americans during the cold war?

--

Also, as for my own opinion, if I was even remotely on the fence about my personal beliefs, listening to these people would make me run away from theism as fast as I possibly could.

*****

Video doesn't want to embed. Here's link. 1:30 long
http://www.wcnc.com/news/Controversi...-97338669.html

[Mizango]

Oh man, they've been talking about that shit all week down here. Fuck that noise, whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

[Alleya]

I can understand the comfort argument of religion now: it must be very comforting to be so sure that anyone who disagrees with you will be murdered and tortured for all eternity.

[BerenTebogo]

Oh man, they've been talking about that shit all week down here. Fuck that noise, whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

How do you survive down there man? I'll never understand.

[Denchi]

Sigh, these religious nuts really need to worry more about sexual assault in churches more than a fucking billboard.

QQ

[Mizango]

Reminds me of this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/7832647.stm

Man refuses to drive 'No God' bus

A Christian bus driver has refused to drive a bus with an atheist slogan proclaiming "There's probably no God".
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...460_bus_pa.jpg

Ron Heather, from Southampton, Hampshire, responded with "shock" and "horror" at the message and walked out of his shift on Saturday in protest.First Bus said it would do everything in its power to ensure Mr Heather does not have to drive the buses.Buses across Britain started displaying atheist messages in an advertising campaign launched earlier this month.

Mr Heather told BBC Radio Solent: "I was just about to board and there it was staring me in the face, my first reaction was shock horror. "I felt that I could not drive that bus, I told my managers and they said they haven't got another one and I thought I better go home, so I did. "I think it was the starkness of this advert which implied there was no God."

When he returned to work on Monday he was called into a meeting with managers and agreed to go back to work with the promise he would only have to drive the buses if there were no others available.

First Bus said in a statement: "As a company we understand Mr Heather's views regarding the atheist bus advert and we are doing what we can to accommodate his request not to drive the buses concerned." It added: "As an organisation we don't endorse any of the products or sentiments advertised on our buses."The content of this advert has been approved by the Advertising Standards Agency and therefore it is capable of being posted on static sites or anywhere else."

The advertising campaign is backed by the British Humanist Association and prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins. Hanne Stinson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, said: "I have difficulty understanding why people with particular religious beliefs find the expression of a different sort of beliefs to be offensive.

"I can't understand why some people seem to have a different attitude when it comes to atheists." Pressure group Christian Voice has questioned the campaign's effectiveness but the Methodist Church said it would be a "good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life" and suggested it showed there was a "continued interest in God".

The advertisements run on 200 bendy buses in London and 600 vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales.

To each his own and all, but how can one side of the coin be immoral and down right offensive, yet people who dont normally subscribe to general bullshit are expected to simply "deal with it". Delicious double standards.

Also, inb4 you guys are athiest trash, which I am not. I dont like labels, sorry.

[Ramor]

i love the northeast, i don't think i'll ever be able to live anywhere else, once i'm done with school i'm moving right back here

[Mayareira]

You liberals can git out if you don't believe in God.

[Pirian]

I've actually seen one of these here in NC and didn't think anything of it. Nor did I even notice that "under god" had been removed

[Salodin]

On that note, I wish I could read an article about how religious nuts feel about the sexual abuse in churches. Do they justify it or something?

[Mizango]

How do you survive down there man? I'll never understand.

Have you seen my compound lol? I run a physics cult that is pursuit of all things truth in my spare time.

[Mizango]

On that note, I wish I could read an article about how religious nuts feel about the sexual abuse in churches. Do they justify it or something?

Only the pope, he was under fire a few months ago for basically pushing it under the rug and no punishing one of his priests at the Vatican iirc. Feel free to correct me if any of that is wrong.

[Talint]

I'm really getting tired of idiots saying that this nation was founded as a "Christian nation". I want to shove the Federalist papers in their face and go, "Point to where it favors Christianity in here."

[BerenTebogo]

On that note, I wish I could read an article about how religious nuts feel about the sexual abuse in churches. Do they justify it or something?

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor 15:58 NIV

Laus Tibi Christe!

Second comment on a Yahoo article on the Belgium church raids.


...At least they're consistent?

Have you seen my compound lol? I run a physics cult that is pursuit of all things truth in my spare time.

lol

[zoobernut]

Holy shit! Reading the comments under that video really make me want to rage.

Poor Miz I really do understand why you need so much property around your house. It is a buffer from what is lurking in the woods.

[Devolver]

How do you survive down there man? I'll never understand.

When people say things like this I feel like I live in a 3rd-world country.

[Mizango]

Oh man, those Yahoo news comments are gold. The next time there is ANY sort of Science article pertaining to anything from DM to exoplanets all the way to amino acids on meteors, watch the bible beaters come out of the woodworks throwing scripture from every angle at the article, shit is hilarious. You can actually see the doubt and common sense leaking in as they try to furiously refute any findings. Its too funny.

On that note, im taking bets on how long it takes for Vajra to come in here and shit all over this thread with his fire and brimstone talk?

[Mizango]

When people say things like this I feel like I live in a 3rd-world country.

Tell 'em.

[BerenTebogo]

I'm really getting tired of idiots saying that this nation was founded as a "Christian nation". I want to shove the Federalist papers in their face and go, "Point to where it favors Christianity in here."

This is on the side of the NCSA website:

Relevant Quotes
"...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

- U.S. Constitution:
Article VI


"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

- U.S. Constitution:
First Amendment


"...the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion..."

- Treaty of Tripoli:
Article 11


"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

- Pledge as originally written by Francis Bellamy in 1892


"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

- Pledge as it was from 1924 - 1954


"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands; one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

- Pledge since 1954


"E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One)"

-The Motto our
Founders gave us

Presidential Quotes
"If there is one thing for which we stand in this country, it is for complete religious freedom, and it is an emphatic negation of this right to cross-examine a man on his religion before being willing to support him for public office."

- Theodore Roosevelt

"We cannot permit any inquisition either from within or from without the law or apply any religious test to the holding of office. The mind of America must be forever free."

- Calvin Coolidge

"I believe in an America where the separation of Church and State is absolute--where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be a Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote--where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference--and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him."

- John F. Kennedy

"I believe in the American tradition of separation of church and state which is expressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. By my office--and by my personal conviction--I am sworn to uphold that tradition."

- Lyndon B. Johnson

"Keep the church and state forever separated."

- Ulysses S. Grant

"The divorce between Church and State ought to be absolute."

- James A. Garfield

"I believe in the separation of church and state and would not use my authority to violate this principle in any way."

- Jimmy Carter

"Thank God, under our constitution there was no connection between Church and State..."

- James K. Polk

We all agree that neither the Government nor political parties ought to interfere with religious sects. It is equally true that religious sects ought not to interfere with the Government or with political parties. We believe that the cause of good government and the cause of religion suffer by all such interference.

- Rutherford B. Hayes

"The United States has adventured upon a great and noble experiment... of total separation of Church and State."

- John Tyler

Sorry for formatting nastiness.

[Chun Liroy]

Have you seen my compound lol? I run a physics cult that is pursuit of all things truth in my spare time.

Yo, I built up my defenses
When I'm left to my devices, time gets suspended
more than DMX's driver's license♫