American Atheists Removes Religious Billboards from Charlotte

[rug]

Large Volume of Threats by Email, Phone Ends Campaign to Question Faith in Politics

For Immediate Release: August 23, 2012

Cranford, NJ – American Atheists announced today that the billboards the organization had placed in Charlotte, NC, ahead of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, criticizing Christianity and Mormonism would be coming down weeks early.

“It is with regret that we tell our members and all of those who treasure free speech and the separation of religion and government that American Atheists and Adams Outdoor Advertising have mutually agreed to remove the billboards immediately,” said Amanda Knief, American Atheists’ Managing Director.

“No subject, no idea should be above scrutiny—and this includes religion in all forms,” Ms. Knief said. “We are saddened that by choosing to express our rights as atheists through questioning the religious beliefs of the men who want to be our president that our fellow citizens have responded with vitriol, threats, and hate speech against our staff, volunteers, and Adams Outdoor Advertising.”

Teresa MacBain, American Atheists’ Public Relations Director said, "It saddens me to think that our country is not a safe place for all people to publicly question religious belief. How can we grow as a nation when such censorship exists from our own citizens?"

http://atheists.org/american-atheists-removes-religious-billboards-charlotte

[Angry Dragon]

1. some religions have no tolerance of others

added: some

[rug]

3. Did you leave out the word "all" or the word "some"?

[Angry Dragon]

4. will add some

Can you think of any religions that are intolerant??
Or any that promote tolerance??

[rug]

6. Thank you.

There are both. Indeed within them, you'll find both. And within tolerant religions, you'll find intolerant people. Why, I bet we may find some right here on DU.

[Angry Dragon]

9. no names of religions??

[rug]

11. I daresay you'll find few religions that are explicitly intolerant on their face.

Here's two:

Fred Phelps' Westboro Bible Church and and Richard Butler's Church of Jesus Christ Christian.

The obvious explicitly tolerant religions are Buddhism (excepting the Hindu massacres now going on) and the Unitarians.

But if you want to seriously answer your question, you'll have to have a little more nuance. My original answer stands.

[cbayer]

2. While I support their right to have these billboards, I think a less vitriolic

message would have led to a more favorable result.

[rug]

5. Here they are.

Simply reasonable.

[cbayer]

7. I think they went out of their way to offend when they had an opportunity to inform.

What did they anticipate the reaction would be?

[rug]

8. Well, one expectation might be to show how intolerant religionists are.

But if that was the hypothesis, it's a skewed experiment.

[cbayer]

10. You could be right about that. They may have planned it exactly as it has unfolded.

[dimbear]

12. Nice Christian example of turning the other cheek. When "Monsignor Castell"

of the German TV show "Your Move, Father Castell" explained the doctrine of turning the other cheek, he said it was so as not to be hit too often in the same place.