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At Denny and Stewart, there's a billboard with a faux stained glass look and churchy type that says "Imagine No Religion." It's been up for a month or two, and the Seattle Times just ran an interview with the guy who paid for it, Redmond's Mike Christensen. Christensen wanted to advertise the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a 12,000-member association of agnostics and atheists. Online, the Times solicits opinions about the godless billboard. Our favorite is "Mike Christensen should change his name to Mike Satansen." Second is the response to the hoary "atheists in foxholes" argument: "'There are no atheists in foxholes' isn’t an argument against atheism, it’s an argument against foxholes."
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In Woodinville there's a hole-in-the-wall charcuterie named Bill The Butcher which has the most outl
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An atheist tired of preachiness (pun intended) about religion rents a billboard to preach atheism? Apparently the man is not above using irony to make his point.
Anyone this militant about getting his message out about atheism has clearly had some bad experiences. Truly sad.
The billboard is thought provoking, clever, and non-offensive (nor is it preachy). What more could you want?
Besides, Christiansen didn't say that he was tired of preachiness, he said that he was tired of religion in government.
'"I like the phrase Imagine No Religion because it doesn't make a judgment," said Christensen.' I agree!
"bad experiences" and "religion" sound like synonyms to me.
On the other hand, I'd question if this ripoff of Mr Lennon is 'fair use'
Perhaps the next billboard should be another John quote:
"god is a concept by which we measure our pain"
That at least is more thought-provoking
Sounds right to me - challenge religion and get rewarded by people spewing hate. I guess hate really is a religious value.
This is just meant to attack Christianity.
Islam and Judiasm always get a free pass.
Larry- that's at least in part what I find so sad. Both that people who profess to believe in something seem to act in complete opposition to it, and that many others are tarred with the same brush as a result.
Ruffhauser - how exactly is this an anti-christian message? The song it comes from is very clearly a world-wide plea. Here's the section paraphrased by the billboard:
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
Doesn't really seem like a message targeted at anyone group. It's hippy-dippy Utopianism, that's all
Bilco -
While I agree that this is not specifically an anti-Christian message, you must also agree that one can basically say all kinds of things against the Christian church and not be labeled a bigot, but if you criticize or condemn Judaism, you will be labeled an anti-Semite, or if you condemn Islam, you will have death threats issued against you.
I doubt that this person is concerend with other religions. It may not be explicit, but it is meant to be understood that way.
And yes, it is quite hippie-dippy and as such, difficult to be taken seriously.
Sorry ruffhauser, but no I cannot also agree. I've said stuff like this against the christian and catholic churches and gotten a couple fist fulls of hate metaphorically punched in my face.
I can also let you know that this billboard was funded by a group of atheists in Wisconsin, land o' cheese and liberal values. And it isn't necessarily a rally to rid the world of religion, although I'm sure many in that group wouldn't be sad to see it go. It's a notification that there are people that don't believe in magic bunnies laying eggs to raise a dude from his grave (sarcasm, I know what Easter is really).
There are a lot of people in the world who don't subscribe to any spiritual much less religious belief. And I, as one, am tired of being discriminated against and being considered to have no morales. Considering I went to a religious school growing up, I can tell you that I have more morales than 80% of those peers.
And another local religious group applauds the Wisconsin group's expression of opinion.
Tell me the difference between this and that crazy nut's billboard down I-5? Oh yeah, taste.
So you're saying your hate was returned with hate then?
What a world, eh?
I never said I had any hate towards the religious. I never meant to nor realize nor was told I had conveyed hate towards the religious.
Most recently, a friend and I were asked if we had accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior. We responded in the negative, as I had done more than my fair share of soul searching, I was prepared to defend my reason why I hadn't (although, I don't think I should have to defend my belief if someone else doesn't). That person then slapped us both in the face.
Was saying no the hatred?
Here's an atheist who spent almost a month in a foxhole with 1st Marines in Viet Nam, February 1968 near Phu Bai.
Here's an atheist who spent almost a month in a foxhole with 1st Marines in Viet Nam, February 1968 near Phu Bai.
I thought it would be more valuable to use my energies to save my ass rather then trust in some myth.
No ruffhauser, it is not a criticism of Christianity. It is a criticism of all such primitive superstition. To a rationalist, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judiasm, and all religions that involve a belief in something that can not be tested and measured by science are equally garbage. What we desire is a world with NO religion. One where adults who insist on talking to their imaginary friends get the mental health treatment they so desperately need.