Atheists flying ad campaign having problems getting off the ground

[BT]

Atheists flying ad campaign meets strong resistance

By Katie Glaeser, CNN

(CNN)?It's a battle of belief - and the right not to believe - in a country founded on freedom.

"I'm a patriotic American. I served my country. I get out there and celebrate the Fourth, too," Blair Scott, who calls himself a proud atheist, proclaimed.

"This America belongs to everyone."

Blair, the communications director for the New Jersey-based American Atheists, said atheists in the United States often feel alienated and face accusations of being anti-American because of their lack of belief in God.

To combat those notions, his group is using Independence Day to say atheists love their country, too.

But the way they're spreading their message might have Americans looking to the sky this Fourth of July and finding something besides fireworks to stir emotion.

Planes with banners that read "God-LESS America" or "Atheism is Patriotic" will be flying over 27 states on Monday. While people might be leery to see the messages overhead, the $23,000 campaign has had a struggle with those who are supposed to bring it to life.

Justin Jaye of Fly Signs Aerial Advertising, who is orchestrating the flights for American Atheists, said out of the 85 people in the country who fly these sign-pulling planes only about 17 have agreed to fly the messages.

"I've been in this business for 20 years and I've never run into so much resistance on people flying," Jaye said. "I've had pilots who are actual atheists who said, 'Justin, I am an atheist and I won't fly it because I can't wear a bulletproof vest.'"

Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, says the reaction to the organization's campaign before it takes off shows how much work the group still needs to do. "This is a clear reminder of why we need to keep fighting because the bigotry against us is so thick that a lot of the pilots are afraid to fly our banners," he said.

Jaye said while some feared for their lives, others feared for their marriages. He had one pilot say his wife would divorce him if he made the flight.

Red Calvert, a pilot and president of Pro-Air Enterprises in Indianapolis, said his reasons to decline the flight were based on his personal beliefs.

"I respect our country and I respect our churches and we've got enough problems in our country without stirring up some more," he said. "If those people want to do something they believe in, fine, just don't include me."

The American Atheists hope to draw attention and spur public discussion through their campaign on Monday.

"It's going to remind people that atheism is at that ballgame and at that beach and at that parade. We are patriotic people," Silverman said.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/30/atheists-flying-ad-campaign-meets-strong-resistance/

[kimba1]

i`n been listening to athiest podcast for months now and find it very enjoyable. it does not effect my beliefs at all.but honestly i found little chance this getting mainstream acceptence.

[Xavier_Onassis]

People who believe are believers. Atheists appeal to logic. Logic is not going to work with people who were taught religion as children. In countries where a majority of people are atheists or agnostics, atheists doing missionary work are not successful in luring believers away from their beliefs.

You believe, or you do not.

You have doubt, or you have none, or at least have suppressed then very successfully.

It is rather like my refusal to eat chicken feet. I am convinced that chicken feet are too icky to eat. I am so convinced that I am unable to bite into a chicken foot. When in the presence of people eating chicken feet, I look away.

Rationally, I can accept that a chicken foot COULD be delicious. But it is still icky, because it is a chicken foot.

[Kramer]

Atheist = Liberal

There is no logic in Atheism, Liberalism, or Man Made Global Warmism.

[Plane]

People who believe are believers. Atheists appeal to logic.

What logic is that?

[Xavier_Onassis]

The logic is that there is no proof that the universe was created by an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent, yet entirely invisible and totally imperceptible entity.

It is as logical to conclude that the Biblical God does not exist as it is to conclude that the Flying Spaghetti Monster does not exist. If you add that that the same God is actually Three, three, three gods in one, and that the Book of Revelation makes any sense at all, then the Biblical God is even less probable than the FSM.

My personal view is that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that God exists and insufficient evidence to prove that he does not. Like St. Thomas, I feel that I have the right to proof.


To Christians (not just the guy known as "Christians") I would ask what sense would it make to follow up Jesus with a visit from a guy like Mohammad, who contradicts Jesus?

My main point is that it is not unsurprising that evangelical atheism is doomed to failure. I really doubt that anyone will become an atheist because he saw a pro-atheist message trailing behind an airplane in the sky, even on July 4th.

[Plane]

  I would be intrested in the logic that disproves God.

  Or even the logic that disproves flying spagetti monster .

[Kramer]

  I would be intrested in the logic that disproves God.

  Or even the logic that disproves flying spagetti monster .

Since you can't proof either then it takes the same faith to be an Atheist as it does to believe in God.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Theoretically this is true, but to believe in the Christian version of God requires a belief in a Trinity, which is also One, and that requires at least three times the effort.

Throw in all that stuff in the Apostles Creed and the Book of Revelations and you have at least twenty times the effort involved.

I requires NO degree of belief to be an agnostic.

[Plane]

Theoretically this is true, but to believe in the Christian version of God requires a belief in a Trinity, which is also One, and that requires at least three times the effort.

Throw in all that stuff in the Apostles Creed and the Book of Revelations and you have at least twenty times the effort involved.

I requires NO degree of belief to be an agnostic.

Is this the logic you earlyer refered to?

There just has to be more to it.

Consider that if you found a watch , or a drawing , you would think you had found evidence of Man because nature doesn't make metal fit together in a device nor does nature make symbols for people to understand.

But if you observe a bird or bat , or the mind of a woman , you must ascribe all of the intracate interconnectedness to accident .

[Xavier_Onassis]

Not to an accident, just to a protein that figured out how to replicate itself, and then evolved into something more complicated.

In the case of God, you have to either believe that God always existed (which I find even harder to believe than a self-replicating protein) or a vastly talented Being that created Himself out of nothing.

If God created everything, then you are stuck with the same question: what created God?

Is it not more likely that a self replicating protein, after millions of years, created itself?

[Plane]

Not to an accident, just to a protein that figured out how to replicate itself, and then evolved into something more complicated.

In the case of God, you have to either believe that God always existed (which I find even harder to believe than a self-replicating protein) or a vastly talented Being that created Himself out of nothing.

If God created everything, then you are stuck with the same question: what created God?

Is it not more likely that a self replicating protein, after millions of years, created itself?

Why is that MORE likely?

Most of the protiens that you are useing right now are puzzles of a million peaces each and you are useing thousands of verietys of them.

Do we even know of any single protein that replicates itself with no help?

[Xavier_Onassis]

For all we know, some protein is reproducing itself for the first time NOW.

When it can be replicated in the lab, I am sure that the "There had to be a God to create it all" types will not be impressed, but I'd say it is only a matter of time before they can do this in the lab.

It is far, far more likely than an eternal being or one that creates himself out of nothing.

[Kramer]

Theoretically this is true, but to believe in the Christian version of God requires a belief in a Trinity, which is also One, and that requires at least three times the effort.

Throw in all that stuff in the Apostles Creed and the Book of Revelations and you have at least twenty times the effort involved.

I requires NO degree of belief to be an agnostic.

Then take all the tribes from all over earth, past and present, that worship God(s) and you have a phenomenon that trumps Atheism and makes Atheists look rather foolish, dumb, and unintelligent.

So let's see here there's about (billion to one odds) 1 billion believers in God to 1 un-believer in God (Atheists) and you side for the Atheists in your so-called logic. 99% of us humans are born with something embedded inside us that connects & draws us toward a higher power aka God. We seek God, we want to be with God and to worship God but since you are in that small 1% that don't believe in a higher power so you then somehow conclude that believing in God isn't logical.

[kimba1]

lets try a differing question,is there examples of religion that has stopped science?

I remember a book written that was approved by the vatican which was stated as the only reference to human anatomy and it stopped research for decades maybe even over a century.

pretty sure stemcell research has been greatly effected by religion.