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Nontheist ads go up on CATA buses, group says
This article was published October 4, 2011 at 10:28 a.m.
PHOTO BY GAVIN LESNICK
An ad from the Central Arkansas Coalition of Reason adorns a Central Arkansas Transit Authority bus.
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LITTLE ROCK — Advertisements questioning the existence of God have gone up on the exterior of 18 Central Arkansas Transit Authority buses, the group sponsoring the campaign said Tuesday.
The ads - which say "Are you good without God? Millions are" - were placed by the Central Arkansas Coalition of Reason after a dispute between it and CATA that ended with a federal court decision.
A private agency that sells advertising for CATA in February cited the risk of vandalism as reason for a requirement that the group pay a large damage deposit. The Coalition of Reason sued in federal court and a judge ruled the advertising agency had violated its free speech rights by declining to apply the same standards to the atheist ad as it applies to religious ones.
The ads are scheduled to run for four weeks.
Comments on: Nontheist ads go up on CATA buses, group says
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pat7220906231328 says... October 4, 2011 at 11:21 a.m.
MAYBE we should go with "LET GO AND LET GOD"....I realize the bus drivers can't just quit, but maybe they should. GOD BLESS AMERICA
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Philosopherick says... October 4, 2011 at 11:57 a.m.
I'm really sorry for the millions(?)who are denying the goodness of God. I will have to include them as a group in my prayers, because they are missing out on the most wonderful relationship that exists, that being between a needy human race and a bountiful and loving God and Creator.
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cindi22202170708 says... October 4, 2011 at 12:02 p.m.
Philosopherick, praying for someone against their will is sorcery. I wouldn't recommend doing so. These are great ads to show other atheists that there are like-minded folk around. We are a growing group as those brainwashed in the past can find the facts as to older myths and legends that were used to form the christian/bible mythology. There is no god - deal with it already.
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jetjohn says... October 4, 2011 at 12:18 p.m.
"I'd rather live my life as if there is a God..and die only to find out there was none....than to live my life thinking there was not a God and die and found out there was one..This makes good commonsense to me. To doubt in God or not believe is not using one's mind wisely in case we were to die today.
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shadowrider says... October 4, 2011 at 12:27 p.m.
Those who believe in and have a relationship with God are not brainwashed. They believe on their own freewill. In my own life I was an alcoholic. When I came to know God and was filled with his Spirit there was no more desire for booze. I've been sober over thirty two years. That to me was proof God IS real. I've seen many more things in life that prove his existance. Someday those who deny him will find that God does exist. I pray you come to that knowledge before you pass away. To find out after is not a fate I would wish on my worst enemy.
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Stargazer says... October 4, 2011 at 12:30 p.m.
"An educated man will question the existence of God, a wise man accepts the reality of His presence." There are those who are not capable of seeing beyond the three dimensional reality of this level of existence and are unable to comprehend the concept of eternity. An atheist would have us believe the sheer perfection of the world, and indeed, the human body is the result of random chaos rather than accept and believe in something beyond the recognition of 5 of their senses. Be kind to those who lag behind in acceptance and pray they too, will be blessed with the "perfect peace that surpasses all understanding." God Bless you all.
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Jfish says... October 4, 2011 at 12:37 p.m.
You should not have to advertise to get people to think like you, this goes for the religious as well as the non-religious, just another insecure group.
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RonalFos says... October 4, 2011 at 12:40 p.m.
Even God does not dictate what a person believes, or expresses about their beliefs. He gave us free will for a reason. Certainly no one else has been given the right to do it for him.
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Populist says... October 4, 2011 at 2:57 p.m.
Bah Humbug. It is one thing not to believe, but it is in bad taste to insult others for believing. These atheists are just a bunch of scrooges. They have a first amendment right to speech, but their speech is in bad taste.
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shosanna says... October 4, 2011 at 2:59 p.m.
I am a logical type. For me, there have been too many coincidences in my life for them to be coincidences. It's freaky sometimes. So that's why I believe in God. And I believe in the God of the Bible. I also believe that the God in the Bible does not force Himself on me or anybody. Fear won't get you into heaven, only love. It says in the Bible that God is gentle yet desires all to come to Him. But we have free will because if we didn't, then God would basically be a spiritual rapist.
With that said, all the politicos who ram their Christianist beliefs down my throat, no wonder you have atheists and god-haters. Us Christians should be more like that Quaker group that was shot up in church by a sicko. They forgave and behaved with such love and selflessness that every person regardless of religion was in awe of them.
That is how us Christians should behave. Otherwise you are turning the Cross into the Mark of the Beast. God is so loving and so kind that if we get out of the way and pray and be kind to people, we will win more souls for him than if we are screamers who tell people they are going to hell, without any other explanation. I am guilty of this and am a hypocrite for bringing it up but we should be able to win somebody over without a word, just through our deeds. How short I fall.
Being kind makes people trust you. Being a rigid Pharisee makes them not trust you or the God you claim to represent.
I would be very upset if there wasn't a God. There has to be a reason for my existence. I don't think I am being arrogant to want to be more than a chance occurrence of nature. And I also don't want to shove God down somebody's throat because I don't like it when they do it to me, because I am not "Christian" enough for their political party.
I am not good without God, but I am good without Pharisees.
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JakeTidmore says... October 4, 2011 at 6:38 p.m.
You say to-may-toe, I say to-mah-toe.
I think Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Shintoists, etc., all need a sign to put on the side of a bus. Of course it's hard to top the Holy Crap-oly threat of an afterlife concentration camp to show you really mean it.
Anyway, it's a free country so what's the big deal?
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23cal says... October 4, 2011 at 7:45 p.m.
jetjohn says...
"I'd rather live my life as if there is a God..and die only to find out there was none....than to live my life thinking there was not a God and die and found out there was one..This makes good commonsense to me. To doubt in God or not believe is not using one's mind wisely in case we were to die today.
This is known as "Pasquale's Wager", and is one of the most common and lamest "reason's" to profess Christianity that is imaginable. Jet..what if you find out you have the WRONG god? After all, there are over 250,000 known ones so far, what if you bet on the wrong one? Let's face it, at 250,000 to one, your odds aren't much better than an atheist's.
How can you not believe in Pikkiwokki, the Padua New Guinean Mud God? If you're wrong, you won't get a pig and all the coconuts you can carry. This may not seem like much compared to the eternal life your god promises, but some folks REALLY like coconuts.
Or, try this one: the religion of Cal-ism requires that in order to have an eternal and happy afterlife, you have to believe in Cal and walk bare naked down Main Street at noon. I'd hate for you to die and find out there really is a Cal, so I guess I'll see you---all of you--at noon on Main Street.
Try this: if you don't believe in Allah, you are doomed. I'd hate for you to die and find out there really is an Allah....or an Odin...or a (249,998 others).
See how goofy your argument is? It makes as much impression on an atheist as a Muslim threatening you with Allah's displeasure would have on you.
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Packman says... October 4, 2011 at 9:26 p.m.
eteam - As a Christian, I'll be praying for you whether you like it or not. God Bless You.
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23cal says... October 5, 2011 at 7:28 a.m.
Packman:
There are legitimate times when people say "I'll pray for you", such as when you have a major calamity in your life. A simple "I appreciate your thoughts and your concern" suffices in the face of these sincere expressions of care.
However, there are times when "I'll pray for you" is spat at you with a sneering curl of the lip and no sincerity whatsoever.
It seems sad to me that as Christians sometimes "I'll Pray for you" is used as a jab. It is just another tool to be pulled out when lies, misinformation, bluster, appeals to emotion, and fear mongering haven't carried the day for them. It's like a drive-by praying, you know? It isn't as if the magic won't work if the fact that a prayer is coming remains undisclosed.
It is often a phrase used to get the last word in and more often than not to add insult to injury disguised behind a phrase that is actually meant to be used as a progressive thing. It is a dismissal tinged with a suggestion of smug superiority. It isn't used in this instance for any of the reasons that are sensitive or compassionate, as “I’ll pray for you” implies. It is essentially a declaration of forfeiture on the topic at hand, instead of the integrity to admit "My stance on this issue just plain sucks." “I’ll pray for you” may be perceived as a pious dismissal, a quick and convenient way to cease a discussion in which the other party is becoming too increasingly challenged—or even uncomfortable—to reflect beyond their comfort zone or to be open to learning something new and unique. It is a condescending last-word-getter.
And it is always disingenuous; I have never believed the other party actually did make good on their word and really prayed for me....unless they were praying for an agonizing and lingering death for me starting immediately. What makes them think their prayer will benefit me if they’re only really praying for me to be “saved” or, more likely, that I’ll see things their way—my understanding of legitimate prayer is it doesn’t work that way. It is driven by love and compassion and a desire to be of service; not as a selfish device to placate one’s own motives.
Saying you'll pray for someone for the purpose of making them feel bad and making yourself feel superior, well that comes uncomfortably close to violating the spirit of the commandment not to take the Lord's name in vain, at least as I understand it. I have no patience for that kind of nonsense and I resent the fact that some people feel justified and safe harassing others in that manner. Especially when they know you are an atheist and that their prayer won't mean diddly doo to you.
Based on your past self congratulations for "pushing my buttons" this way, I have no doubt all the above applies to you and you have once again confirmed my faith in the hypocrisy of many Christians.
I don't want the prayers of someone who is so blatantly mean-spirited, and I am fully capable of praying for myself if I feel so led.
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Populist says... October 5, 2011 at 8:20 a.m.
Some so-called Christians are just mean. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." However, there are many good Christians who do follow the example of Christ. Much of the anti-hunger money comes from Christians and Christian charities.
The philosophy of Christ's love is so beautiful that I choose to believe it. I guess it is just "faith."
An interesting book about faith and Christianity is "Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh. A good website for Christian philosophy in these trying times is Sojourners.
Being a Christian should not make any of us feel superior. We are all sinners and must struggle daily to overcome our tendency to sin.
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