FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — Community residents are protesting a billboard they call offensive to Christians.
The sign states: “Being a good person doesn’t require God. Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone. www.FreeThoughFlorida.com.”
So, the atheist billboard is offensive, but this series is okay?
There’s a double standard here. When atheists speak out about their lack of belief, they are considered to be intrusive and offensive. When Christians speak out about their belief, it’s treated as okay, even though the two things are objectively identical.
Here is an excellent monologue on that topic:
#1 by Trevor at March 25th, 2010
I’ve always disliked billboards like the second one for the reasons you’ve stated as well as my belief that they devalue the religion as a whole. I feel this way anytime I see a sign or bumper sticker that uses some clever-but-not-really pun or phrase to express one’s belief in Christianity (or any belief, for that matter). I feel that such things degrade what should be a profound and personal set of beliefs and values. Things like this also speak to the commercialization of Christianity, which is also degrading to the religion. T-shirts like “Satan is a NERD”, stickers like “REAL men love Jesus!” Really?
On a similar note, I’ve always been puzzled why people need to use things like bracelets, bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc. to express their beliefs. To me, all these things do is apply a label to the person wearing them and they allow themselves to more easily be judged and stereotyped. Is simply believing not enough? Does one need to stand on a soapbox with a megaphone shouting “This is what I believe!” in order to feel secure about themselves? I could speculate forever, but at the end of the day I guess I really just don’t know.
It’s not that I dislike Christians a priori, however, this is something I see often so it’s a good example.
#2 by Issa at March 25th, 2010
@Trevor “On a similar note, I’ve always been puzzled why people need to use things like bracelets, bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc. to express their beliefs. To me, all these things do is apply a label to the person wearing them and they allow themselves to more easily be judged and stereotyped.
I’m not much into bumper stickers and slogan T-shirts, but I do like other forms of marking myself like tattoos (of which I now have 6) and jewelry (like those that symbolize a religion or relationship). Things like clothing, hairstyles, and jewelry are an extension of the body, and I appreciate connecting my mind and body by adding to my body the ideas that are important in my mind. This is why I especially like tattoos, as they take an idea that’s important and literally change my physical body.
I also appreciate the “advertising” aspect. My dreadlocks advertise that I’m a hippie to anyone who cares to know (either way – whether hatefully or joyously), and love that I come with an advance warning system.
My Burning Man tattoo causes people to ask about it and gives me the opportunity to tell people about Burning Man, which gives a new idea to people who might someday go. When I was Pagan, I wore a prominent pentacle necklace. This allowed me to have LOTS of conversations with strangers about Paganism, most of which were extremely positive.
“To me, all these things do is apply a label to the person wearing them and they allow themselves to more easily be judged and stereotyped.”>
I think people tend to like labels and stereotypes. We like to label ourselves, which helps us shape how we see ourselves and the way we fit into the world. Labels also help us identify people who are aligned with us. The label “Democrat” doesn’t perfectly describe me, but I do know that if I meet another Democrat, we likely agree on more political things than we disagree on. With a lot of markers like bumper-stickers, T-shirts, jewelry, clothing, etc, they allow us to be stereotyped, but since we are aware of the perception of these things prior to donning them, they allow us to be stereotyped correctly. I know what dreadlocks mean to people who see them, and that’s what I want them to think. A Christian person may wear a cross necklace because they want you to know of their Christian faith before they even open their mouths.
In closing, here are some John/Paul lyrics that have stuck with me for a long time:
“And have you traveled very far? Far as the eye can see…
How often have you been there? Often enough to know.
What did you see when you were there? Nothing that doesn’t show.”
I usually take these lines more metaphorically, but I think it applies here, too.
#3 by Issa at March 25th, 2010
Oops. Close italics fail.
#4 by Trevor at March 25th, 2010
@Issa Hmm… I hadn’t thought of it that way. My reasoning makes the assumption that being stereotyped was a negative thing. I also hadn’t considered that there could be a positive aspect to having a few labels tossed on me from the get go. This also shows that, barring some obvious exceptions, that the right attitude can make a positive situation out of just about anything.
More things to ponder on…