What is your opinion on "atheist billboards"?

Much like atheist tracts and atheist monuments and atheist after school clubs, they’re a thing that amuses me at the same time I wish they didn’t have to exist.

I have no problem with them at all, but I wonder if they’re the least bit effective.

Religious people aren’t going to all of a sudden stop believing in the god of their choice, on account of a billboard.

Protected speech.

It is protected speech, but I would prefer not to see public declarations of religious belief or non-belief. I don’t see what purpose it serves.

I think it can be a good thing. People need a place to find other like-minded folks and also a place to vent.

As long as religious billboards can exist, atheist ones can of course too.

Personally I think people should not try to publicly convert one another, but it doesn’t really bother me.

My local area has nice ones. They say things like “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake.” As far as religious messages go, I can get behind that.

I feel the same as with any other billboard; I wish they did not exist.

@Haleth Where?!?! I’ve never seen anything like that in NoVa. I’m very intrigued and curious.

Being an agnostic, I think they should stick them on the fence…hahahahahahahaha <hiccups>

I find anyone who feels the need to broadcast personal beliefs of any kind on a billboard fearful and weak minded. At least with radio or cable I can change the channel.

@Cruiser – I assume that means Jesus billboards as well – we have tons of them where I live. I’m not sure what they’re really supposed to be accomplishing.

If you go to an athiest board you will shockingly hear opinions that are well…athiest. I would agree with @Cruiser when it’s not a themed board or somewhow topic related.

I’ve never seen any billboard that I liked. In my opinion they are a variety of public nuisance. Really ugly. Great way to screw up a landscape.

I suppose we are talking about physical billboards and not web boards then? Missed that. That changes my opinion of course. They are just as shitty as the christian ones

I think the mere fact that anyone feels some hardcore need to showcase their belief systems is annoying. I’m an Atheist and feel no need to proclaim my beliefs publicly. Live and let live and while you’re living your own truths just be quiet about it. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean your should or that it is necessary.

Anyone that is really secure in their own beliefs feels no need to bash or convert others.

You guys do realise that the atheist billboards are basically a protest against the eleventy-billion “abortion is murder” and “don’t make me come down there -God” billboards and roadside crosses and other nonsense those of us in the South are subjected to every time we get into a car, right?

Oh god yes, those are easily covering a quarter of the fucking billboards here in Tennessee.

@Seek That makes sense, I don’t see many billboards around here but we do have one religious nut that stands on corners with a huge sign proclaiming ones need to be saved by Jesus. haha

I don’t remember seeing any atheist billboards. Who commissions them? What’s an example?

I only remember seeing the opposite – “Jesus is the only way to heaven” or something, which I take as a weird and slightly disturbing sign that there are some weird Christians around. Or the anti-abortion ones, which seem like a worse semi-related sign of thinking I strongly disagree with.

I really don’t like billboards of any kind much. I don’t care if atheists, theists, anti-theists, Victoria’s Secret or Cabela’s have billboards, they’re all eyesores.

I agree with @Seek . I think they’re mostly reactionary to religious billboards.

Some feel the need to push back.

But I agree with most here ,that billboards, in general, are an eyesore, and distraction.

Dayumnd filthy devil wurrshippurrs. They’all will go to hayul.

Nobody is holding a gun to your head to make you read them, is there?

the eleventy-billion “abortion is murder” and “don’t make me come down there -God” billboards and roadside crosses and other nonsense those of us in the South

And West Michigan.

A great reminder of why I left there at age 19.

I think all billboards are atheist. Well, at least I’ve never seen one inside a church. ;-)

Tom kick crasshhhh

Now I don’t think it’s protected speech everywhere. Caution need to be taken where you put it. I live in a rather religious country and public declaration atheism or anything that support atheism will more likely be condemned by local religious group, which will easily ended up in anarchy and the person who put the billboard being assaulted (in the name of God!).

I’m with @Seek that they are a reaction to the Jesus/life/religion in your face billboards. On one hand I’d like atheists to be able to say “we” don’t do that, but at the same time I see how the only way to show the theists that putting up billboards is annoying, and so in your face to people who don’t think the same way or believe the same things. Although, in the end I don’t think it shows those theists much of anything. They don’t get introspective about it, they just feel they need to fight more. Be louder. Plus, they can tell the flock the country really is trying to take away their religious freedoms. It feeds into their propaganda machine.

Mind you, I don’t think most religious people are trying to put up billboards and frighten their followers, but enough are that it’s a thing.

I think the intent of religious billboards is to convert people and get the people putting the billboard messages up into heaven. I don’t think the intent of the atheist billboards are to convert people, but maybe I’m wrong?

I don’t believe in them

Atheists are not a group of organized people following a doctrine of conversion, no.

Are there some atheists who are specifically interested in tearing down religion by aiming to deconvert individuals? Sure. But there’s no “we atheists” involved… it’s just individual people doing individual things. No different than, say, vegans. Some vegans just pass on the presh-grated Parmesan cheese when their salad is delivered, and other vegans pour fake blood on themselves and vandalize butcher shops.

As a former Evangelical, I almost feel like I have to atone for the years I spent indoctrinating children and young teenagers, so I have no problem getting into discussions with adults in an attempt to persuade them to reconsider their religious beliefs – or at least to get them to stop foisting it on others. But I usually keep it limited to online discussion forums and the people who knock on my door on Saturday morning. They deserve it.

@Seek I agree there is no real “we” for atheists, but there is a perception by many theists that there is. I just had a conversation two weeks ago with this guy who was telling me how atheists are and what they believe. He had no idea I was an atheist. I’m sure he assumed I was a theist, because I had just agreed with him on something regarding the Bible and Catholicism. I told him he was wrong about generalizing about atheists, but I kept my lack of belief to myself, because in the moment I was interested in hearing him babble without reservation.

He talked about books he had read written by atheists on atheism, and someone he had a recent debate with (that’s how the Catholic thing came up) and he could cite these people to reinforce his perception of atheists.