Check out this awesome billboard!

[RiverStone]

Location: Madison, Wis.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is the nation's largest association of atheists and agnostics, is unveiling what is believed to be one of the first nontheistic billboards erected in Madison, Wis.

The whimsical full-color 48-foot billboard mimics a stained-glass window and warns, "Beware of Dogma."

"We are launching a campaign to place freethought billboards up around the country, wherever an irreverent billboard is needed--which is practically everywhere!" says Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation spokeswoman.

"We don't go to Mass, but we can go to the masses," adds Dan Barker, Foundation co-president. "We think it is time for the rest of us to use the mass media to counter the ubiquity of religious messages on roadsides everywhere!"

(Madison, Wis., locals can look for it on the feeder road off the West Beltline next to Culver's Restaurant, facing west, Oct. 2-16, 2007.)

more:

http://ffrf.org/

[fenriswolf]

1. awsome, just awsome.

[robinlynne]

2. spectacular! I donated to that group. they do excellent work.

[Az]

3. And they nail it too, its not religion, its dogma that is the problem

Love it. Just love it.

[gateley]

4. K&R! nt

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Congrats Annie Laurie and Dan! Up in time for the national convention in Madison!

[Richard Steele]

6. Now, if only the average High School graduate knew what "dogma" meant....

[RC]

14. Dogma can be a

bitch (a mama dog). Ok, what do I win?

[progressoid]

16. It's that movie with those two guys and Chris Rock right?

[Richard Steele]

19. Yup. I have it on DVD.

I like to get smoked up and watch it with the French soundtrack.
I don't speak French. :smoke:

[here_is_to_hope]

22. *snicker!*

Thats pretty funny! I too love the movie...mmmm...Salma Hayek....

[me b zola]

7. k&r

[formercia]

8. Don't step in the Dogma.

It stinks to High Heaven.

[otohara]

9. Except For The Movie

Dogma was hysterical.

[midnight]

10. It is about time to send a message to people who have this

religious fever.

[Quantess]

11. I really like Madison, WI

Here's one more reason to like the place.

[trusty elf]

12. Let's see how long it takes until some idiot burns it down.

I bet it won't last more than a week or two.

[Donnachaidh]

13. do they have bumperstickers of this?

That's awesome! :bounce:

[no_hypocrisy]

15. Yes they do.

As a matter of fact, FFRF produced a bumperstick I came up with: Thou Shalt Love Thy First Amendment. Go to the website and see if they're selling the bumperstickers. Otherwise, they're available through their paper, Freethought Today.

[Tinksrival]

21. T-shirts too!

http://ffrf.org/shop/products/

I like this one:

Beware of Dogma



and this:

Friendly Neighborhood Atheist



This one sums it up nice:



There's a sale! 2 for $45


Bumper stickers only $2 bucks:



:) I'm going shopping!

[BrklynLib at work]

35. GREAT stuff. Thanks for the link.

[BlueJazz]

17. I'll lay you 5/1 odds that it will be ruined within 10 days.

:(

[FatDave]

31. I'll take that bet.

I used to live in Madison. If there's a place where this can exist, it's there.

[Canuckistanian]

18. About time

About time that atheists started to assert themselves in a religio-crazy world.

K&R

[undeterred]

20. You should also beware of Culvers. The Turtle Sundae is addictive.

I can't stop. I can't leave Wisconsin.

[Eric J in MN]

23. "There is No God" would make a clearer message.

Dogma is only "dogma" to an outsider.

[krkaufman]

39. Where's the humor in "There is No God"? n/t

[spoony]

24. So, they're proselytising.

More and more like fundies every day!

[AuntPatsy]

25. I think perhaps some are but in this case I don't believe it to be their intent, it does not state

beware of religious fervor, it says beware of Dogma, a world of difference and for those comfortable in their personal faith this should not be at all upsetting, I wonder why you always seem to take such threads so personal? Do you doubt that this administration has used and continue to use religion in order to continue their very real reign of terror on Americans? If you doubt that and that far too many churches are complacent in this very real threat your not paying attention. I for one am pretty comfortable in what I believe personally and my faith, I feel no threat at all from such but I feel real fear from those we call fundies, I honestly do and anyone that doesn't are not thinking clearly.

[spoony]

26. Perhaps you didn't see their t-shirts

The purpose of this organisation is not to denounce dogma, it is against religion. These are not atheists, normal everyday people who do not have theistic beliefs, these are evangelists who like stuffing it in people's faces. Just like fundies. I refuse to truckle to fundies or their mirror opposites.

[AuntPatsy]

29. I saw the teeshirts but still did not see anything that bothered me but if what

you say is true and they demand you don't believe simply because they don't then I have to agree that they are no better but not knowing more about their organization I can't say one way or the other perhaps later I will check them out.

I do have to agree with you in that I don't like someone telling me what to believe be it right or left, I have my own beliefs and to date I have never ever had anyone demand that I shouldn't believe, I have had great debates in the past but none that left me feeling maligned or ridiculed for my personal beliefs.

As far as those on Du here, none of the thread upset about religious fundies being dealt a slap in the face bother at me at all, they do deserve it, too many people have been hurt by so called people with faith, ridiculed, demeaned and instantly labeled and not in a good way, I guess some feel a bit vindictive and want blood in return but as I have said unless I begin to see people being harassed on the same level as the fundies have harassed such groups do not bother me and they shouldn't you either.

Worrying about another's soul is a waste of valuable time if you ask me and one of the reasons I haven't found another church to my liking as of this time, that time that can be better spent worrying about the poor, the needy, health care, murder, mayhem and rape of children and countless innocent victims worldwide and on a daily basis and trying to find a way to aid in stopping such.

[no_hypocrisy]

38. I respectfully beg to differ.

I've belonged to Freedom From Religion since 1985. This group was born due to the organizers being "put out" (expelled) of American Atheists by Madelyn Murray O'Hare herself for their tolerance of other viewpoints.

Freedom From Religion emphasizes neutrality of the public forum, to be free of religious messages of all kinds in order to protect minorities of ANY religious or nonreligious group from a religious majority that uses government at any level to harass, persecute, and leverage against that minority. FFRF does not proselytize atheism or freethought. It exists as an oasis for anyone who has a need to be with people who do not belong to a particular religion or religious creed and to discuss issues concerning the Establishment Clause and civil rights for the nontheistic.

[BrklynLib at work]

37. Eloquently said.

[Synnical]

40. All religion all day tv programs

All religion all day billboards all over the US.

Churches with changing signs every day.

Churches are tax exempt - we pay for our highways.

And the Freedom From Religion Foundation puts up ONE billboard in WISCONSIN and it's "proselytising" (sic)?

Gimme a break.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[Arugula Latte]

27. This is great.

More of us are making ourselves known to each other. The religious have had a monopoly on public discourse for waaay too long. It's time we took our seat at the table.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

28. this is not 'non-theistic'

A McDonald's billboard is non-theistic. This is anti-theistic...and therefor about as those lovely, "let's talk before the game on Sunday, love God" billboard...just the other side of the same coin.

sP

[Solomon]

32. You guys kill me. There's not one thing anti-theistic about that sign.

Doesn't say don't believe in God. Not even close. Dogma is not God. Religion is not God.

You guys have churches on every corner, people running all over the place trying to convert other people. Billboards and church signs promoting religion everywhere.

One billboard that says "Beware Dogma" and you get all riled up. Amazing phenomenon how one-sided one can be because of dogma.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

33. hmmm...Freedom FROM Religion...

interesting...I don't care that it is there...but it is just (as I said) the other side of the same coin...what I find interesting and funny as well is that YOU GUYS cannot admit that.

sP

[BrklynLib at work]

36. Definition of dogma

dogma

Main Entry: dog·ma
Pronunciation: \ˈdȯg-mə, ˈdäg-\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural dogmas also dog·ma·ta \-mə-tə\
Etymology: Latin dogmat-, dogma, from Greek, from dokein to seem — more at decent
Date: 1638
1 a: something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet b: a code of such tenets <pedagogical dogma> c: a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds
2: a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church

No mention of god in there...

[roody]

30. Very nice. My karma ran over my dogma.

[BrklynLib at work]

34. Breathtakingly beautiful.....and it applies in so many different areas.