Athiest group's first billboard in state up in Rancho Cucamonga
People of faith have churches and mosques to turn to.
For at least a couple of months, agnostics and atheists can turn to the billboard on Archibald Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has put up a billboard with the message "Imagine No Religion," the first such advertisement for the group in the state. The organization, which advocates the separation of church and state, has a presence in nine states and has a goal of displaying its messages in every state that permits billboards.
For at least a couple of months, agnostics and atheists can turn to the billboard on Archibald Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has put up a billboard with the message "Imagine No Religion," the first such advertisement for the group in the state. The organization, which advocates the separation of church and state, has a presence in nine states and has a goal of displaying its messages in every state that permits billboards.
"Everywhere you go, there are religious sites. There's churches and
steeples ... it's religion by default," said Annie Laurie Gaylor,
co-president of the foundation. "This message introduces the belief
that our society doesn't need religion to function."
The billboard, designed with a stained glass motif, faces southbound traffic on Archibald and will be up through December.
Rancho Cucamonga resident Pete Smits, a Catholic, wasn't sure he understood the message behind the John Lennon-esque statement. "I guess it's a freedom they have, but I'm not for it," Smits said. "I'm against them trying to get (religion) off our coins and state and federal buildings."
The Wisconsin-based organization has billboards in other states with the messages "Reasons Greetings" and "Beware of Dogma."
Dominick Ulloa of Rancho Cucamonga said the billboard will likely be a controversial but as a Catholic, he is not offended by it.
"We live in America," Ulloa said. "They're entitled to do that as much as we're entitled to hang a cross in whatever church we want to."
wendy.leung@inlandnewspapers.com
The billboard, designed with a stained glass motif, faces southbound traffic on Archibald and will be up through December.
Rancho Cucamonga resident Pete Smits, a Catholic, wasn't sure he understood the message behind the John Lennon-esque statement. "I guess it's a freedom they have, but I'm not for it," Smits said. "I'm against them trying to get (religion) off our coins and state and federal buildings."
The Wisconsin-based organization has billboards in other states with the messages "Reasons Greetings" and "Beware of Dogma."
Dominick Ulloa of Rancho Cucamonga said the billboard will likely be a controversial but as a Catholic, he is not offended by it.
"We live in America," Ulloa said. "They're entitled to do that as much as we're entitled to hang a cross in whatever church we want to."
wendy.leung@inlandnewspapers.com
Ah atheism....Where to begin? The opposition to such claims as this will scoff at the idea of thier way of thinking being similar in mannerisms to those who have faith. No belief? It most assuredly is! in the simple sense that the atheist protrude and claim to themselves and others that they are positive that there is no God, to the contrary of agnosticism.
Positive denial in the existence of a creator in any way shape or form. A notion in which the acceptor of the doctrine denies or denounces even a sheer lack of philosophical interest, in God. Now lets take a look at what "belief" actually means. Belief is that of which is accepted by those of opinionated stands who are convinced it is fact.
It is not accepted by everyone or a wide held doctrine, therefore (atheism) classifies as an accepted opinion or a "belief". The objector to this claim will denounce any logical explanations as to what a "belief' truly is and will almost always attach the word to "religious jargon".
Atheist should not be so prudent in their wishful "truths" by applying high confidence in their thinking, they likewise protrude likeness to a religious fervor in a hypocritical fashion.
Personally, I'm quite glad of this message. Theists are blissfully unaware of how difficult it is to be a nontheist in the Inland Empire. Some of us refer to it as "the other closet."
In the last days people will try and reason that God doesn't exist. We are in those days now. And if we look at the history of Isreal, we can learn from their mistakes by turning their back to the Lord over the centuries. Everytime they did they were attacked by outside countries. And our country is heading that way. Look at what happened in elections! The majority voted for a liberally who wants to bring change, a change that will basically allow people to live how they want over time. You think crime is abd now wait till a few years from now. When you take God out of the picture then we lose our protection. You don't have to take my word for it. Read the history of Isreal and the jews. Something to ponder!
There will not be any denying of Hell's existence for the athiest who doesn't repent.
The LAST Days??? This is the absurdity that unenlightened religious zealotry continues to perpetuate. Yet the Days continue, never ending, EVER!
The world might end, BUT the PLANET will continue to spin according to its eliptic parameters, until the REAL end will come, astromically or SCIENTIFICALLY, NOT fanatically.
As for religion, I say that a person can believe in God without ANY faith in religion. Also, you are NOT an atheist if you consciously ponder His/Her Existence based solely on the limited view of TRUTH that YOU possess. You are A Theist, or ONE who ponders just such thinks. A Gnostic and Agnostics are a different case. Dat Vass ZEN, Ziss Izz Tao
Imagine no religion? Ok, let's: Without religion there'd be: No hospitals. No universities. No social aid societies (like Red Cross, Salvation Army). In fact, there'd be no America. Certainly the freedoms that we enjoy and that are guaranteed to all Americans would not exist because without religion there'd be no U.S Constitution.
If you choose not to have faith, so be it. Your choice. You have the freedom to choose as you see fit. But please, do not do the people of faith such a massive disservice as to suggest that the world would be better off without religion, because that is most clearly not the case.
I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and 99& of what I have is the direct result of the goodness of God directed into my life. Be thankful Americans - in spite of everything else - be thankful.
You can never convince a religious person that god doesn't exist, they would then have to admit that what they had been doing/living for most of their lives was wrong. Imagine the world free from religion, no muslim fanatics, no christian fanatics, no cults, it would be a peaceful world, that's for sure. Religion is the biggest con game that the world has seen, and most of the world can't see it. Do catholic priests molest children...yes. Does the church know about it...yes. Did they still take their money in...yes. Did theytry to cover it up...yes. Come on people, if this is just an example of how religion works for you, wake up. The pope is just a man, and so was Jesus. Wake up and see religion for what it truly is, a con perpetrated by man on man.
I don't claim that the absence of religion would make the world some type of utopia but I am glad there are signs like these just so other atheists and agnostics don't feel like they are so alone.
It's no fun when you can't even discuss your beliefs with friends and family because of the stigma associated with the rejection of Christian beliefs.
Few people take the time to entertain the opposite view if only just to strengthen their own reasoning.
George Berkely’s Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous is a good read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Dialogues_between_Hylas_and_Philonous
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Three_Dialogues_Between_Hylas_and_Philonous
Everybody wasting their time with this story, arguing for and against, when we're losing jobs left and right. As in, Democrat and Republican all losing jobs. Let's stop worrying about the lack of religion for two seconds and try to focus on an ailing economy and the crooks behind it all.
Religion has been the number one cause of death and suffering in the history of the world. From the crusades, to the Holocaust, the current war between Israelis and Palestinians. The list goes on and on and on.
I am all for a world without organized religion, or at least one without the self-righteous proselytizing and passing judgment on those who disagree with their fairytale beliefs.
Atheists and all others must learn there is no such provision as SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE in the Constitution of the United States.
Then we should add that to it, huh?
You're not attempting to opine to a reasonable public that we should devolve 350 years and live in theocracies ruled by "enlightened nobles"—are you? I'm sure that since the Puritan invasion, those few theologians that we would dare to imagine on the same hand as the intellectual founders this country; were rather indifferent to mixing politics and religion. As history records, they had nothing to fear of persecution. They were just here for the hard winters. There is no need to fear that people believe in things unseen and ideas indemonstrable, then build into government a world to match that vision; for National Socialists are a ‘pure science’ well reasoned bunch and Native Americans got a fair shakedown. Americans should have no apprehension of faith, no suspicion of belief in things unseen. We’re not like them. Right? The stronger the conviction for a doctrine then more true it becomes, correct?
Many have died to keep theology and unreasonable belief in its private sacred place. You do them a dishonor by your willful ignorance.
It is absolutely disgraceful and an indictment of America that a sign such as this has now been made to come down. Any arguments about theism or atheism aside, this is a disgusting example of censorship and the infringements of the basic right of someone to publicly ask such a fundamental question. Lawmakers should have a close look at this. Religious beliefs are personal and should not be forced on others; otherwise how fundamentally different are we from those who we describe as terrorists?
"Jesus Loves You" and "Allah Is Great!"
These are equally objectionable. If I lived in the area I would make sure to call City Hall to complain about religious signs. It only took 90 calls to have one sign removed. Now let's make it 91 or more against the religious ones.
To those who don't believe in the existence of a supreme being and who say things like, "Imagine no religion",
should note that ATHEISM IS A RELIGION!
What is a religion? A religion is any
philosophical belief or world view that
infuences the way a person interacts with
others, his/her environment, and governs
the manner in which he/she conducts him
or herself.And whatever or whoever is at the center of that belief or world view is, for all intent and purposes, the deity. So the only question that remains is NOT whether or not there is a supreme
being, i.e. God, but which one is it that the atheist has a beef with. In most cases I have found that the deity that gives your typical atheist the most trouble accepting is the God of the Bible.
So then to those who say "Imagine no
religion" I say this: Instead of trying to do the impossible, why not try to live and let live? There would be a lot less
"fuss'n'bother" if this were taken to heart.