Atheism: It's less work.

[seriousfic]

What's the point of an atheist billboard? Like, a billboard promoting atheism? Because I've heard about them existing, but by definition, converting someone to atheism makes no difference to the atheist. Whether they believe in God, Buddha, or nothing, everyone ends up in the same place. So why spend time and money on something that makes no difference? It's like taking out a TV ad telling people to break their eggs at the big end instead of the small end. Who cares?

You would think one of the appeals of atheism would be that you don't have to spend time on religion, yet some people spend so much time on evangelizing their beliefs that they might as well be putting in an hour at the Church of Atheism. Like, every article at io9 that touches on religion at all will have someone going "PHILIP PULLMAN PHILIP PULLMAN PHILIP PULLMAN" or even getting into a debate about probably the most subjective concept in the universe. "I don't believe there is sufficient evident to support the existence of God!" "I do!" There, the topic has been exhausted.

It seems to me a better case for your beliefs would be just being a slacker. Maybe get a T-shirt that says "This is what I'm doing while I could be believing in God."

Comments

[lejo.livejournal.com]

The purpose is more about taking atheism out of the closet. There is genuine and intense antipathy towards atheists. It's pervasive and sinister with no counterpoint being voiced.

So the billboard's aren't about 'converting' so much as connecting. It's about making it okay to actual tell people, "You're mythology doesn't apply to me."

[latetothpartyhp.livejournal.com]

Meh. The t-shirt idea falls apart if people see you wearing it while schlepping groceries on the bus or scooping dog poo off the lawn. In such situations it's possible the people reading it are likely to think "Jesus Christ, is my existence really about 40 more years of coupon clipping and lawn care?" and react poorly.

It's for the same reason I recommend against anyone wearing a "Jesus is the reason for the season" button in December. You never know when some stressed-out shopper might get stabby.

[mcity.livejournal.com]

>Making "I'm an Atheist" something you can say to people without them responding, reflexively, 'oh, that person's going to hell then,' is a real goal.

Hello, I'm Jonathan, I'm a Christian, nice to meet you. Are you an atheist? It's cool. Whatevs.

There.

Done.

[derawr.livejournal.com]

I would buy that shirt. No joke.

[mcity.livejournal.com]

Speaking as a Christian, anything to shut up /r/atheism.

[pendown.livejournal.com]

Speaking as an atheist, I'll drink to that. Can we get the rest of /r/eddit while we go?

[mcity.livejournal.com]

All you need a cute photo of a cat, something about SOPA or how internet piracy=joy and shining light, and maybe someone in a Legend of Zelda costume. Plus a rage comic.

If there was some way to attach a lethal virus to a jpeg, reddit would go right out of business.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Presumably, if the billboards got people to switch to atheism, there would be less regressive social policy based on religious belief, which would then benefit atheists. I don' tthink that's really what the billboards are for, but it answers what atheists could get out of it if they were.

[pendown.livejournal.com]

The point is that when even completely inoffensive billboards are deemed too contraversial (https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/completely-inoffensive-atheist-ad-offends-a-bus-company/) something is wrong. It's ultimately the same political point as Pride Parades (although without the cool party attached). "You aren't alone" mixed with "We aren't going away". Both of which a significant subset of Christians (and I don't mean just the Phelps') would like to change.