A Question for atheists...

[mossrose]

I am not sure if this will be in the right area, so I hope the mods will move it if they feel it is in the wrong place.

A letter to our local paper last week makes me want to ask this to our atheist friends here. I don't have time right now to post the whole letter, and will do so later.

My question is, would you be offended by a sign on church property that says,

"Epitaph of an atheist: All dressed up -- nowhere to go."?

I would love some response to this, and then I will post the letter.

[C. D. Ward]

Today @ 11:31 AM post located here
mossrose:

"Epitaph of an atheist: All dressed up -- nowhere to go."?

It seems somewhat simple-minded and perhaps a trifle smug, but offensive? Not really. At least, I can say that it doesn't offend *me*.

C. D. Ward

[Gordon Freeman]

I first heard this joke from a friend of mine who is an atheist. I got a good chuckle out of it, and so have other atheist friends of mine to whom I've told the joke. I'd say it's pretty harmless.

Personally, I get more offended by slogans like "What if you're wrong about Jesus? Consider the consequences." Or "If you're living like there's no God, you'd better be right." If you want to scare me, fine, but have the courage to make the threat yourself. Intimidation by proxy just makes you look like a wuss.

Incidentally, this reminds me of one of my favorite atheism-related jokes. An atheist dies and find himself standing before the throne of God. Looking up at the Almighty, he exclaims, "Well, I'll be damned! There is a God!" To which God replies, "You're right on both counts." I probably should be offended by this, but I think it's friggin' hysterical.

Gordon Freeman
(not only is there no god, but try getting a plumber on weekends)

[voidhawk]

Not offended, I smiled.

Neat joke Gordon

[Bob Jenkins]

Just where would he go with a tear down the suit and/or shirt (NOT being chauvanistic - or a women with a torn dress)

No offense here!

[Da Lone-Warrior]

Sounds like someone doesn't care for Pascal's wager...

My joke, okay it's the end of the world and all of the physicists, of course, go to heaven(wait,..that's not the joke...) and the first thing they do is go up to God and say, "Please, tell us God..What is the Grand Unifying Theory?" God pauses for a moment and then replies, "Which one do you want to know?"

dlw/George
Who would also be an atheist if the only conceptual referent for God was that which he received, instead of the Open-View of God first presented to him by Greg Boyd, co-author of "Letters from a Skeptic", during which he dialogues with his agnostic father.

[mossrose]

Thanks for the input guys. I am going to now give you the letter that prompted my question. I would also appreciate your input on the letter itself.


http://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.co...y.php?id=78987

“Epitaph of an atheist: All dressed up -- nowhere to go.”
As I drove past the Church of the Nazarene on Sherwood Drive last week this quotation was displayed prominently on the billboard out front.
As an atheist, and as a human being, I was deeply offended. Freedom of speech is one thing, but broadcasting your ignorance for all to see is another. I would have expected more from a church!
Churches pride themselves on acceptance of all people regardless of personal beliefs but this was far from acceptance. To be honest, it was rude. I would really like to know who put up this quote.
Was it the congregation, minister, or just one person voicing his own opinion? How can it be assumed that an atheist has “nowhere to go” when they die? Has anyone at this church actually researched the vast range of atheist viewpoints? I have, and I have also read at least one entire version of the Christian Bible.
I am not posting billboards on my lawn forcing my views on the public and I strongly disagree with what the Church of the Nazarene is doing. Instead of bashing other religions or beliefs, I will instead educate the people of our community on what the general meaning of atheism is.

Atheism, in general, is coined from the Greek word atheos, meaning without god. Atheists assert their belief that there are no gods.
There are many misconceptions about atheism, including the assumptions that people become atheists so they can do whatever they want, and atheists hate God and they worship Satan.
First of all, the motive for every human’s belief is the search for truth, not reward. Many atheists follow strict morals and codes of conduct, and we do not define ourselves as those who abandon morality in search of pleasure.
Second, atheists do not hate God nor do we worship Satan. We cannot hate or worship something which does not exist.
Also, the label “atheist” does not mean that we all share exactly the same set of beliefs or values.
This is very similar to the notion that the label “Christian” does not represent the beliefs of all people who believe in Christ.
In summary, there are many powerful ethical systems which do not require belief in god(s). For someone, or a group of people, to pass judgment based on false “facts” is harsh and hypocritical.
I hope that in the future, the members of the Church of the Nazarene, and the rest of the community, will educate themselves on an issue before they decide to make a hurtful and offensive statement regarding it. Ignorance kills; think about it.

Rebecca Taylor
Sherwood Park

Now, some response from you all, please?

[The Laughing Man]

My response?

:hilar:

[Bob Jenkins]

From one whose "skin" is thin at times, I would recommend a thicker skin for her.

However, if Rebecca sees the sing as trading on "scare" tactics I would have to give her some support even though it is a nice "twist" on words.

My blog says it all.

[DunnySaze]

A got a chuckle out of it, and didn't find it at all offensive.

Here's another I like...

One day the zoo-keeper noticed that the orangutan was reading two books - the Bible and Darwin's Origin of Species.

Surprised, he asked the ape, "Why are you reading both those books?"

"Well," said the orangutan, "I just wanted to know if I was my brother's keeper or my keeper's brother."

Some other religious chuckles ---

A woman went to the post office to buy religious stamps for her Christmas cards.

"What denomination?" asked the postal clerk.

"Oh, good heavens! Has it come to this?" said the woman. "Well, give me 50 Baptist and 50 Catholic ones."

A woman was at the beach with her children when her four-year-old son ran up to her, grabbed her hand, and led her to the shore, where a sea gull lay dead in the sand.

"Mommy, what happened to him?" the son asked.

"He died and went to heaven," the mother replied.

Her son thought a moment and then said, "And God threw him back down?"

A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

Little Johnny jumped up and yelled, "Because people are sleeping!"

One beautiful Sunday morning, a priest announced to his congregation: "My good people, I have here in my hands three sermons...a $100 sermon that lasts five minutes, a $50 sermon that lasts fifteen minutes, and a $10 sermon that lasts a full hour. "Now, we'll take the collection and see which one I'll deliver."

A local priest and a pastor were fishing on the side of the road. They thoughtfully made a sign saying, "The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it's too late!" and showed it to each passing car.

One driver who drove by didn't appreciate the sign and shouted at them, "Leave us alone, you religious nuts!"

All of a sudden they heard a big splash, looked at each other, and the priest said to the pastor, "You think maybe we should have just wrote 'Bridge Out' instead?"

[mossrose]

The jokes are very cute.

Am I wrong to think that this lady is being just a little over-reactive here? Especially her last two sentences seem just a little off the wall.

And, I wonder what she would say if someone asked her, "Well, what DO you think happens to you when you die? DO you have someplace you believe you go to?"

[The Laughing Man]

I am not posting billboards on my lawn forcing my views on the public and I strongly disagree with what the Church of the Nazarene is doing. Instead of bashing other religions or beliefs, I will instead educate the people of our community on what the general meaning of atheism is.

She obviously hasn't ever heard of the "Godless Americans' March on Washington." Quite the interesting display of signs those atheists carried.

[DunnySaze]

Today @ 07:08 PM post located here
mossrose:

The jokes are very cute.

Am I wrong to think that this lady is being just a little over-reactive here? Especially her last two sentences seem just a little off the wall.

And, I wonder what she would say if someone asked her, "Well, what DO you think happens to you when you die? DO you have someplace you believe you go to?"

I agree. I think the reaction was a tad overdone.

[Gordon Freeman]

Today @ 01:48 PM post located here
mossrose:
Thanks for the input guys. I am going to now give you the letter that prompted my question. I would also appreciate your input on the letter itself.[...] Now, some response from you all, please?

I'd say she needs to lighten up. There are many examples of oppression against atheists in Western society, but this isn't one of them. And while I applaud her attempt to dispel hurtful stereotypes about atheists, the fact is that the church sign didn't promote any of these stereotypes. It didn't say that atheists were Satan worshippers, it didn't accuse atheists of hedonism, and it didn't say that atheists secretly hate God. It's just a joke that plays off the old phrase, "All dressed up and nowhere to go." And the joke makes sense, since atheists don't expect to "go" anywhere after they die, and since people are usually buried in a nice suit or dress. There's nothing here that promotes harmful stereotypes about atheists, so why get upset?

Gordon Freeman
(a Satan-worshipping pleasure-seeker who secretly hates God )

[C. D. Ward]

De gustibus non est dispudandum...

C. D. Ward