I believe in God, but I am not religious

There got that out of the way. That being said I am just a bit tired of this crud.

Every year it is something new, and it always irritates me. I have never once attacked their non beliefs. I speak with my friend Zuggy about this often. He was a Mormon who about a year ago decided he didn’t believe and was an atheist.

I never once tried to get him back to his faith. I did what is hard for most people to do. I accepted where he was heading in life. We often have discussion about people and their inability to handle what others believe. His father is always trying to get him to go back to being a Mormon, sending him emails about god, bringing it up and debating with him.

Post it on a bus, a building, say it on TV. I don’t really care what you believe in, all I care about is whether you are a decent human being or not. My relationship with people isn’t defined by what they believe, but by who they are.

That is the way it should be. So stop attacking each other, and just start living, who cares where you go on Sunday.

the reason you can stop worrying is because there is a God who wants to save anyone who is humble enough to turn to Him

How about “We could have donated this money to a food pantry or an abused-woman shelter but we chose to blow on it this sign that will make no one change their mind about what they believe now”. I guess the font would have to be pretty small…

I don’t go in for the aggressive approach some atheists, most notably Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, espouse, although I agree with their basic premise. Non-believers, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and rationalists in this culture withstand a constant barrage of religious and metaphysical twaddle on a daily basis. That some would engage in a little nose tweaking now and then isn’t surprising.

In normal times, the banner ads on London buses might raise an eyebrow or two at worst but otherwise would likely be ignored. They’re certainly no more provocative than the billboards around here that proclaim the Virgin of Guadelupe to be “the Queen of All the Americas”, or those insipid TV ads for that megachurch that says Jesus is everyone’s pal.

The context in England, however, is much different. The UK has become a predominantly secular culture where the traditional Protestant denominations have dissolved into a cesspool of multi-cultural, PC nonsense that even the liberal British find ridiculous. More citizens of the UK practice paganism than attend Anglican services anymore. With the intellectually-challenged Rowan Williams running the Church of England, it’s not hard to see why.

The other factor is the massive influx of immigrants from Muslim regions of the world that has brought along with it, not by necessity, but it is there nonetheless, a nasty strain of Islamic fundamentalism that British society on the whole refuses to acknowledge, much less confront.

I think Dawkins, Hitchens, and others are reacting more against the anti-intellectual, illiberal, mysoginistic, anti-Semitic, and violent nature of Jihad ideology that has swept through their country than they are religion in general. In my opinion, they toned down the message of those banners considerably. I think what they really meant to say was “There is No God and Sharia Is an Abomination to Civil Society. Now Stop Rioting in our Streets and Leave us in Peace.”

I don’t think the intention of the ads is to “argue people out of their beliefs” with a simple slogan. Some people are literally not aware that they don’t have to believe in a god; they feel pressured from friends and family, and are told that unless they believe in a supernatural being they are doomed to life as a bad person. These ads are meant for them, to let them know that there is a community of people who lead moral, fulfilling lives without religion. It’s not meant for the stalwart believers.

The contention that they should have given their money to a food pantry is completely beside the point. Do you chastise the people who fund the “Jesus” billboards on the highways? Both groups fund such ads because they believe their message will help people.

“However, I don’t see the point in challenging the beliefs of those who do believe in a god. You’re not going to argue anyone out of their belief (certainly not with a bus ad), and you may in fact annoy them into clinging to their beliefs all the more.”

Couldn’t you flip this the other way and say the same thing? I see billboards that just say “Jesus”, or make some other religious statement. What’s the point of putting that out? Nobody is going to become Christian or convert because of a billboard. You’re not going to argue me into belief with it. You may annoy me into becoming more openly atheistic. In other words, your statement is a bit silly.

“Stop Worrying about God and Enjoy Your Life”
I don’t know if that conveys a very good sentiment. It could be read as “screw the rules, have whatever fun you want”.

“Be Good for Goodness’ Sake”
Here’s where I admire atheists more. If you can act ethically/morally/compassionately to others based purely on the principle that it’s the right thing to do, and not because you’re scared of eternal damnation or whatever else, I think that’s a higher grade of existence.

Good post Rach, although some would say if you do believe then you should try to help those that don’t see the light for their own good. But I agree, it’s his choice and he has to live with the repurcussions.

Tyler, yes I do actually. I think that is money that is more useful elsewhere. It’s not that keeping God in people’s minds is a bad thing mind you. I just wouldn’t spend that kind of coin to do it when a food pantry has to appeal to TV stations to ask for more donations. Priorities.

As for letting others know that they are not alone, to me that is a little pathetic. If you need a group or community to help you feel good about your beliefs then why believe them in the first place.

I think they should put the advertisements on the interior walls of all of the hospitals named after humanists….

Certainly we could find ONE somewhere in the country…

As a person who felt guilty for years because I was “supposed” to believe in God and could not let myself be ok because of pressure from EVERYWHERE, I don’t find these signs offensive at all. Maybe someone doesn’t realize that it is ok to find your own spirituality or way of life. The occurrence of these signs doesn’t come CLOSE to the billboards, buses, signs, advertisements in print, TV and all other media promoting God everywhere. Live and let live.

Compared to the acres and acres of Christian advertising all over the place, these campaigns are barely a whisper. I think these ads are useful for the reactions they provoke. Like clockwork, various evangelical groups in both the USA and the UK have tried to get them banned. These ads have lured the fundamentalists into showing their true position on freedom of speech and tolerance of others’ beliefs. You’d think that if Christianity was the absolute truth that Christians believe it is, it would have nothing to fear from a few advertisements.