Do You Find The New "You Don't Need God" Billboards Offensive?

[David In Indy]

New billboards: "You Don't Need God"






Indianapolis - New billboards go up in Indianapolis next week, telling drivers they don't need God. The signs target every side of the city as part of a nationwide campaign about living without religion.

During the daily commute, drivers will see billboards that some call controversial. They proclaim "You don't need God to hope, to care, to love, to live." The billboards also show a website - livingwithoutreligion.org.

The Center for Inquiry sponsored the nationwide campaign with signs in three cities: Washington D.C., Houston and Indianapolis. Four billboards will go up on all sides of Indy next week, targeting the I-465 loop - 86th and Georgetown, 82nd and I-465, State Road 67 and I-465 and US 31 at Hanna. The signs will stay up for a month.

The Center for Inquiry says it wants to reach out to the non-religious in a positive way.

"We're not trying to get other people to give up their religion. We're just saying that there's a misunderstanding that some people think if you're not religious, you can't even be a good person," said Center for Inquiry Indiana Executive Director Reba Boyd Wooden. "I think this is a great message. I don't see anything wrong with it. If it had been something really disparaging someone's religion, I don't like that."

But not far from the one of the billboards on the southside, some have a different view. Members of New Harmony General Baptist Church admit the group has a right to speak out, but they say the message is wrong.

"I don't believe that message. If I believed that message, I wouldn't be sitting in church right now," said church member Courine Lyles.

"I think it's a crying shame for the religious world. Our nation's supposed to be founded under God and you got people trying to take it away," added member Mark Graves. "Christ is being pushed in the back door."

"Our intent is not to offend anybody, just to get our message out," Boyd Wooden said.

The mobile message promoting science and secular society is already creating debate.

"I'm going see it, but I'm going to drive by and not look at it," Lyles said.



http://www.wthr.com/story/14176792/new-billboards-you-dont-need-god

[David In Indy]

They don't offend me. Although I'm quite certain they will be raising a rukus around here. I wonder how they will be received in D.C. and Houston?

[Lynne]

No, I'm not offended.  I even have hope that the billboards might prompt people to actually examine why they believe whatever it is they do instead of swallowing dogma hook, line, and sinker.

Secular humanism is a completely valid life philosophy.  And it avoids the 'trap' of living a worthwhile life for some nebulous promise of payoff in an afterlife.  I've always thought that distasteful.  Doing what is right is - in and of itself - worthwhile because it makes getting by in this world easier on everyone concerned.

[CellarDweller]

My own opinion, if a person's faith is strong enough, they won't be offended.

Technically, the billboards are not refuting the existence of God, just stating that you don't need Him to do the things listed on the billboard.

I'm sure there are many atheists and agnostics who would agree.

[milomorris]

This billboard is not offensive, IMO. It still promotes hoping, caring, loving, and living. Those are all things Jesus would appreciate.

But I will say that by using "God" instead of "religion" or "higher power," they have confined the scope of the message to the Abrahamic religions. There are religions that have no God, or no single god. A person doesn't need those religions either in order to appreciate the qualities listed.

[Monika]

Stating the obvious, ain´t it?

[delalluvia]

Not offended at all.

Considering how many Christian billboards are up all over the nation pushing their POV, it's quite refreshing and a change of pace. 

[David In Indy]

Not offended at all.

Considering how many Christian billboards are up all over the nation pushing their POV, it's quite refreshing and a change of pace. 

I know what you mean. Those Christian billboards are up all OVER the place around here - mostly advertising churches. And some anti-abortion billboards sprinkled in for good measure.

[Marge_Innavera]

Technically, the billboards are not refuting the existence of God, just stating that you don't need Him to do the things listed on the billboard.

I'm sure there are many atheists and agnostics who would agree.

IMO the message that people who don't believe in a god can 'hope, care love and live' exactly like everyone else is a good counterweight to what many people are hearing about the "unsaved."  Somewhere every Sunday morning, a sermon is being preached referring to people outside the "one true religion" as being totally miserable and disfunctional.  I've often wonder how people who take this seriously can square that with the people they work and interact with; maybe there's just an assumption that everyone whose life doesn't appear to be a train wreck is, at the very least, a 'Christian in their heart.'

Here's an excerpt from a list of the alleged characteristics of the "unsaved".  I've heard many lists like this on religious radio and it's different only in its length:

"In summary, Biblically unsaved people are:

in spiritual darkness, under the power of Satan, without hope, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, being hated and hating others, spiritually harassed and helpless, with many woes, in the trap of the devil, under the dominion of darkness, spiritually dead, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry, sexually immoral, impure, greedy, living an empty way of life, slaves to sin, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers, wicked."


Well, you get the idea.  I'm sure everyone noticed "homosexuals" on the list along with the rest.

[CellarDweller]

IMO the message that people who don't believe in a god can 'hope, care love and live' exactly like everyone else is a good counterweight to what many people are hearing about the "unsaved."  Somewhere every Sunday morning, a sermon is being preached referring to people outside the "one true religion" as being totally miserable and disfunctional.  I've often wonder how people who take this seriously can square that with the people they work and interact with; maybe there's just an assumption that everyone whose life doesn't appear to be a train wreck is, at the very least, a 'Christian in their heart.'

LMAO @ "Christian in their heart".

I know what you mean, regarding the Sunday sermons.  I remember hearing things like that when I went to church with my family.  I was very fortunate that my parents would tell my brothers and I that everyone has a right to their own religious beliefs, and no matter what they were, we should respect them.

The list of those "unsaved" is not surprising, although I did chuckle at "slaves to sin" description.  I pictured a man in shackles, chained to the word "SIN" in big, red letters.

Oh, and off topic, but I love the text under your avatar, Marcia!