Outrage after atheist billboard quotes bible.
Discussion
The best part of this has to be that christians want the atheist groups prosecuted for hate crimes after using a biblical quote that condones slavery 
WGAL.COM said:
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A billboard designed to criticize the Bible instead offended many African-Americans in the Harrisburg area. The sign was vandalized overnight, and the president of one of the groups that funded it issued an apology.
On Wednesday morning, a Harrisburg Symphony billboard replaced the controversial atheist sign. Lamar Advertising officials said they had to replace the original billboard because of the vandalism.
"I take the concerns of the community seriously. However, we also have to support the First Amendment right for advertisers," Lamar's general manager said.
People at the billboard site on Wednesday said they are happy it has been replaced. But they said the message the atheist sign left behind was so offensive to African-Americans that they are protesting to send a message to everyone that it was a hate crime and is not acceptable.
The original billboard at 13th and Paxton streets showed a black slave in a metal collar along with a quote from the Bible, "Slaves, obey your masters." The billboard is in an area of Harrisburg with a large African-American population.
The sign was paid for by two groups -- American Atheists and Pa. Nonbelievers. Organizers said the sign was their way to criticize the state Legislature for making 2012 the "Year of the Bible."
Some who saw the sign only saw the picture, not the message. About a half-dozen people confronted the Pennsylvania director of American Atheists.
"The message that we want to send, obviously -- slavery is brought to you by the Bible and the House of Representatives," said Ernest Perce V, of the American Atheists.
Perce said the message shows the Bible promotes slavery, and that the state House should not have voted to make 2012 the "Year of the Bible" in Pennsylvania.
Martha Brown, of Harrisburg, said she disagreed with the message of the billboard. "That's not true," Brown said. "I believe the Bible. I read the Bible and I'm not racist."
Brown said she drove to see the billboard for herself after work, as did some members of Harrisburg City Council.
"I thought we were a whole lot further along than that in this society that people want to express themselves in such a derogatory way," said council member Eugenia Smith.
"There are plenty of places that they could have made their point," said council member Sandra Reid. "They chose to use a very negative image from our past and put it in our neighborhood."
So far, it is not the reaction anticipated, Perce said.
"The reaction that I wanted is these people to get upset and help me repeal the 'Year of the Bible,'" Perce said. "That's the reaction I need."
Brian Fields, the president of Pa. Nonbelievers, issued the following statement on Wednesday morning.
"I want to say that I'm truly sorry that many people have misunderstood this billboard. It was never our intention to use 'race' as our message itself -- The point of our billboard was:
The bible is NOT holy or moral as promoted by the Pa. House of Representatives in the 'Year of the Bible.'
The bible was used as an excuse for many very bad things, including American slavery.
We would have hoped this message was clearer to observers. In any case, the point is currently moot. The billboard was destroyed by vandals overnight. Attached is an image, submitted by one of our members who discovered it, of the destruction.
The irony of course is that in what they destroyed: they left the bible verse that supports slavery, one of many missed opportunities in the bible for the authors to actually say 'Slavery is bad.' They removed the entire point of the billboard, the criticism, and left the actual ignorant and savage part."
http://www.wgal.com/r/30624435/detail.htmlOn Wednesday morning, a Harrisburg Symphony billboard replaced the controversial atheist sign. Lamar Advertising officials said they had to replace the original billboard because of the vandalism.
"I take the concerns of the community seriously. However, we also have to support the First Amendment right for advertisers," Lamar's general manager said.
People at the billboard site on Wednesday said they are happy it has been replaced. But they said the message the atheist sign left behind was so offensive to African-Americans that they are protesting to send a message to everyone that it was a hate crime and is not acceptable.
The original billboard at 13th and Paxton streets showed a black slave in a metal collar along with a quote from the Bible, "Slaves, obey your masters." The billboard is in an area of Harrisburg with a large African-American population.
The sign was paid for by two groups -- American Atheists and Pa. Nonbelievers. Organizers said the sign was their way to criticize the state Legislature for making 2012 the "Year of the Bible."
Some who saw the sign only saw the picture, not the message. About a half-dozen people confronted the Pennsylvania director of American Atheists.
"The message that we want to send, obviously -- slavery is brought to you by the Bible and the House of Representatives," said Ernest Perce V, of the American Atheists.
Perce said the message shows the Bible promotes slavery, and that the state House should not have voted to make 2012 the "Year of the Bible" in Pennsylvania.
Martha Brown, of Harrisburg, said she disagreed with the message of the billboard. "That's not true," Brown said. "I believe the Bible. I read the Bible and I'm not racist."
Brown said she drove to see the billboard for herself after work, as did some members of Harrisburg City Council.
"I thought we were a whole lot further along than that in this society that people want to express themselves in such a derogatory way," said council member Eugenia Smith.
"There are plenty of places that they could have made their point," said council member Sandra Reid. "They chose to use a very negative image from our past and put it in our neighborhood."
So far, it is not the reaction anticipated, Perce said.
"The reaction that I wanted is these people to get upset and help me repeal the 'Year of the Bible,'" Perce said. "That's the reaction I need."
Brian Fields, the president of Pa. Nonbelievers, issued the following statement on Wednesday morning.
"I want to say that I'm truly sorry that many people have misunderstood this billboard. It was never our intention to use 'race' as our message itself -- The point of our billboard was:
The bible is NOT holy or moral as promoted by the Pa. House of Representatives in the 'Year of the Bible.'
The bible was used as an excuse for many very bad things, including American slavery.
We would have hoped this message was clearer to observers. In any case, the point is currently moot. The billboard was destroyed by vandals overnight. Attached is an image, submitted by one of our members who discovered it, of the destruction.
The irony of course is that in what they destroyed: they left the bible verse that supports slavery, one of many missed opportunities in the bible for the authors to actually say 'Slavery is bad.' They removed the entire point of the billboard, the criticism, and left the actual ignorant and savage part."
You mean mentioning that the bible supports, and was used to justify slavery was a bad thing to do? I presume you see no issue in the states especially, with billboard, after billboard, after church sign, after church sign telling me I am a sinner, to be damned, etc. It is only the use of biblical quotes on atheist billboards that are offensive?
Ian974 said:
How could you expect to get any positive response, or put across any point with a poster like that?
This is nothing to do with religion, slavery or racism, and all about the moron who put the poster together and thought 'yeah, that'll work'
Isn't it more about the moron who wrote in the bible that one can have slaves? And kill neighbours and so on if they commit adultery!?!?This is nothing to do with religion, slavery or racism, and all about the moron who put the poster together and thought 'yeah, that'll work'
Jasandjules said:
Ian974 said:
How could you expect to get any positive response, or put across any point with a poster like that?
This is nothing to do with religion, slavery or racism, and all about the moron who put the poster together and thought 'yeah, that'll work'
Isn't it more about the moron who wrote in the bible that one can have slaves? And kill neighbours and so on if they commit adultery!?!?This is nothing to do with religion, slavery or racism, and all about the moron who put the poster together and thought 'yeah, that'll work'
The creators of the billboard should have borne in mind that stupid people are stupid. Irony, sarcasm and subtlety are not things with which stupid people concern themselves. A better statement would be
Slavery is bad
The Bible says slavery is good
Therefore the Bible is bad
Although the complex logic might still be beyond large chunks of the target audience.
Slavery is bad
The Bible says slavery is good
Therefore the Bible is bad
Although the complex logic might still be beyond large chunks of the target audience.
The slave trade couldn't have occurred without Christianity. In fact the papal bull which started the slave trade stated
"We grant you [Kings of Spain and Portugal] by these present documents, with our Apostolic Authority, full and free permission to invade, search out, capture, and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ wherever they may be, as well as their kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities, and other property [...] and to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery"
That's mankind's moral compass. No wonder the world is the way it is.
"We grant you [Kings of Spain and Portugal] by these present documents, with our Apostolic Authority, full and free permission to invade, search out, capture, and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ wherever they may be, as well as their kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities, and other property [...] and to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery"
That's mankind's moral compass. No wonder the world is the way it is.
Puffing Devil said:
The slave trade couldn't have occurred without Christianity. In fact the papal bull which started the slave trade stated
"We grant you [Kings of Spain and Portugal] by these present documents, with our Apostolic Authority, full and free permission to invade, search out, capture, and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ wherever they may be, as well as their kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities, and other property [...] and to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery"
That's mankind's moral compass. No wonder the world is the way it is.
I'm not sure it would not have happend without the churches approval although I would agree that it would not have been so extensive. There were, of course, slaves and slave trading before the church and there was not just the one church around. There were two catholic churches, the east and the west, and there were many subsets, some of which were against slavery. The Jesuits were the very devil."We grant you [Kings of Spain and Portugal] by these present documents, with our Apostolic Authority, full and free permission to invade, search out, capture, and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ wherever they may be, as well as their kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities, and other property [...] and to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery"
That's mankind's moral compass. No wonder the world is the way it is.
But I would also agree that the western catholic church gave it legitimacy. And that is the big thing they must accept. There was a bit of backtracking later but once the business got underway and money started rolling in it was generally accepted.
Read: The Dark Side of Christian History, available on Amazon. It opens your eyes on what the church did.
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