Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New Atheist Ads Go Head-to-Head with Bible, Quran
Christian Post ^ | November 12, 2010 | Katherine T. Phan

Posted on 11/12/2010 2:31:04 PM PST by NYer

The Stiefel Freethought Foundation and The American Humanist Association, which has run ads critical of God and the national motto, launched a nationwide campaign Tuesday that directly challenges the Bible and the Quran.

humanists ad
(Photo: Consider Humanism via The Christian Post)
Humanists launched their largest ad campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010. Ads throughout the nation ask the public to consider humanism.

humanists
(Photo: Consider Humanism via The Christian Post)
Humanists launched their largest ad campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010. Ads throughout ask the public to consider humanism.

1 of 2

In its largest marketing endeavor, the groups plan to spend at least $200,000 toward television, newspaper and bus ads promoting secular humanist values by putting them head-to-head with what the group calls "biblical morality and fundamentalist Christianity."

Last year, AHA ran “No God? No Problem!” bus ads for its national holiday ad campaign. But this time around, the group is taking it a step further to show "that secular humanist values are consistent with mainstream America and that fundamentalist religion has no right to claim the moral high ground."

"While the Bible may contain some valuable lessons, it has messages on hate and war. It teaches hate and religious bigotry. It presents values that are the antithesis of American self-reliance, individual liberty and equality before the law," AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt said Tuesday at a press conference announcing the campaign.

The latest atheist ad campaign takes on moral topics including women, slavery, war, homosexuality, and punishment by comparing verses from the Bible and Quran with quotes from AHA or humanist figures. It then invites viewers to "Consider Humanism."

One ad on homosexuality juxtaposes scripture from Leviticus that calls the act of a man lying with another man "detestable," with an AHA resolution affirming "sexual equality" and the legalization of same-sex marriage.

One video ad features the renowned atheist Richard Dawkins giving the humanist take on intelligence. Responding to a Bible verse from Proverbs 3:5, which calls on believers to trust in the Lord and not lean on their own understanding, Dawkins says that belief should be supported by "evidence and logic" and not by "tradition, authority or revelation."

Quotes from the Quran were used in ads addressing the humanist response to war and violence.

"We are raising the flag for atheists and agnostics who are already humanists but didn't know the term and also didn't know there is an advocacy organization out there for them that they might join instead of joining a church," said Speckhardt.

The campaign will include a television spot on NBC Dateline on Friday and print ads in major newspapers, including USA Today, the Seattle Times, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ads will also run in Metro trains in Washington, D.C., on billboards in Idaho, and on buses in select cities.

Earlier this year, AHA also targeted the national motto and the National Day of Prayer in marketing campaigns for its organization. The humanist group ran billboards reading "In Good We Trust" in Idaho in April and later declared May 6 the National Day of Reason to counter the National Day of Prayer.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: bible; christian; gaystapo; koran; muslim
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-45 next last
To: F15Eagle
Well, they certainly aimed for their target audience

You mean all the fundamentalists living in San Francisco?

21 posted on 11/12/2010 3:06:25 PM PST by Misterioso
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: NYer

“The fool hath said in his heart There is no God”

Psalm 53:1


22 posted on 11/12/2010 3:07:09 PM PST by PATRIOT1876 (Language, Borders, Culture, Full employment for those here legally)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer

History repeats:

Soviet Union: Society of the Godless

Society of the Godless; other names include The Union of Belligerent Atheists or The League of the Militant Godless and The Union of the Godless, was a mass volunteer antireligious organization of Soviet workers and others in 1925-1947 . . .

Guided by Bolshevik principles of antireligious propaganda and party’s orders with regards to religion, S.o.G. aimed at fighting religion in all its manifestations and forming scientific mindset among the workers. It popularized atheism and scientific achievements, conducted individual work with religious people, prepared propagandists and atheistic campaigners, published scientific literature and periodicals, organized museums and exhibitions, conducted scientific research in the field of atheism and critics of religion.

S.o.G.’s slogan was:

“Struggle against religion is a struggle for socialism”

(snip)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_the_Godless


23 posted on 11/12/2010 3:08:01 PM PST by donna (Conservatives believe in God, Family, Country. Not money, money, money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer
The humanist group ran billboards reading "In Good We Trust" in Idaho...

About a quarter-mile from where I'm sitting at the moment. It was a largish billboard with a picture of a quarter with an extra "o" on God. Stunningly clever. The current one has a "we believe, they believe" dichotomy in text too small to be read from the road. These guys really need a media consultant.

They're selling it as "all these poor humanists need protection from feeling bad" but it comes across as "everything you believe is wrong." Personally I'm not even offended, it's too juvenile for that.

24 posted on 11/12/2010 3:09:10 PM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RickB444
IF they are taking on the Koran then they won’t survive very long.

Does this mean that you have capitulated to the Islamists already? Do they frighten you this much? Man up!

25 posted on 11/12/2010 3:09:55 PM PST by Misterioso
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Misterioso

Sure he’s not just there..I think you know I was just using a figure of speech.

J.S.


26 posted on 11/12/2010 3:10:19 PM PST by JSDude1 (http://novemberspeaks.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Lets consider the biggest proponents of ‘humanism’ the last 100 years.

Stalin. Killed tens of millions of his own citizens.

Mao and company. Killed tens of millions of his own citizens. Forced sterilizations for 1-child only policies.

Pol Pot. Millions killed.

Eastern bloc countries under communism. Millions killed directly or out of neglect of the benevolent humanist governments.

Any humanist - this is your ideology to it’s normal extreme conclusions. Man is everything therefore man can do whatever he wants to others as long as they have the power to do it and might is right. That is humanism in its purist form. We are god. Do what we say, we know better than you, if you don’t we’ll force you to do it or kill you. Humanism makes every single thing you do in your life meaningless and arbitrary, in the grand scheme of things.


27 posted on 11/12/2010 3:12:40 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer

The only claim to goodness or morality the humanists have is due to the Judeo-Christian foundation they blindly stand on, all the while disdaining it.

jw


28 posted on 11/12/2010 3:14:29 PM PST by JWinNC (www.anailinhisplace.net)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lurking Libertarian

“Nice to see them taking on the Muslims, though.”

Even more entertaining will be when the Muslims take on them.


29 posted on 11/12/2010 3:18:20 PM PST by MeganC (January 20, 2013)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Misterioso

“Does God ever take a vacation from Heaven?”

Yes. The last time He did was from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989 when He knew that the world was in good hands in His absence.


30 posted on 11/12/2010 3:21:11 PM PST by MeganC (January 20, 2013)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: MeganC

I see we have another who has read from the Gospel of Reagan.

You also owe me a keyboard!


31 posted on 11/12/2010 3:31:11 PM PST by BenKenobi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: pnh102

“Perhaps these people would be happy if a god like Dionysus was worshipped instead. After all, he never hurt anyone, right?”

This sort of idea actually goes back to Nietzsche and his followers, who maintained that the pagan cults were robust and masculine and that Christianity weakened and pacified mankind. The Nazis then took it up as well, and Hitler (an admirer of Islam) often lamented that Germany was a Christian nation.


32 posted on 11/12/2010 3:40:56 PM PST by Strk321
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Atheism... the new religion. Isn’t that a violation of the First Amendment? No wait - liberals have made it the state-mandated secular religion to be indoctrinated into our kids in the public schools!


33 posted on 11/12/2010 4:33:41 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Strk321
This sort of idea actually goes back to Nietzsche and his followers, who maintained that the pagan cults were robust and masculine and that Christianity weakened and pacified mankind.

I blame that on the feminizing of Jesus that has occurred over the ages. Jesus is often portrayed as a weakling pacifist would never lift a finger in anger towards anyone, even though there is ample Scriptural text that portrays Jesus as a strong man who wasn't hesitant to use physical violence when He felt it was needed to get the job done.

34 posted on 11/12/2010 4:50:44 PM PST by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: pnh102

“I blame that on the feminizing of Jesus that has occurred over the ages. Jesus is often portrayed as a weakling pacifist would never lift a finger in anger towards anyone, even though there is ample Scriptural text that portrays Jesus as a strong man who wasn’t hesitant to use physical violence when He felt it was needed to get the job done.”

Like chasing the money changers from the temple.


35 posted on 11/12/2010 5:22:57 PM PST by Strk321
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Their minds are so open their brains have fallen out (and can’t get up).


36 posted on 11/12/2010 5:26:37 PM PST by Godzilla (3-7-77)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Strk321
Like chasing the money changers from the temple.

Also bear in mind that Jesus was a carpenter by trade. He would have to be physically strong to do this job entirely by hand as it was done at the time.

37 posted on 11/12/2010 6:03:08 PM PST by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: MeganC
Even more entertaining will be when the Muslims take on them.

Given how many atheists buy outright the idea that islam is tolerant and peaceful with cherries on top, it is downright scary what muslims will take off of them.

38 posted on 11/12/2010 6:26:51 PM PST by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

Comment #39 Removed by Moderator

To: Lurking Libertarian

I wonder if some Mullah will issue a fatwa for blasphemy against theses humanists.


40 posted on 11/13/2010 12:57:00 AM PST by bjorn14 (Woe to those who call good evil and evil good. Isaiah 5:20)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-45 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson