Religious Rightist Refuses Atheist Billboard in Brooklym

[cbelt3]

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/07...?hpt=hp_t3

"(CNN)–A controversial billboard from a national Atheist group was scheduled to go up in a heavily populated Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn on Tuesday but was bumped when the owner of the building objected to the advertisement."

[Ted King]

cbelt3 wrote:
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/07...?hpt=hp_t3

"(CNN)–A controversial billboard from a national Atheist group was scheduled to go up in a heavily populated Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn on Tuesday but was bumped when the owner of the building objected to the advertisement."

If the lease agreement the owner of the building had with the billboard company says building owner can review the advertisements that would go up on his property and reject them if he wants, then that's that. But if the billboard company just acquiesced after the building owner objected then that still may be legal by the contract the atheist organization had with the billboard company, but it is more troubling.

I'm sure social conservatives will be complaining mightily that the atheists are having their religious freedoms trampled on. Not. It's a case of religious freedom clashing with property rights and it's not even close - property rights wins hands down. See, people very frequently have no problem favoring other rights and freedoms over religious freedoms - contrary to the impression you would have gotten from social conservatives recently.

[decay]

have you seen the news about the billboard in Harrisburg, PA?

http://news.yahoo.com/video/lancasterwga...38689.html

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.s...t_325.html

The billboard saying "Slaves, obey your masters," a quote from the Bible, was paid for by the americanatheists.org. The sign is at 13th and Paxton streets in the Allison Hill neighborhood, the city's most racially diverse section.

The message is intended for the state lawmakers who recently passed a bill announcing 2012 as the Year of the Bible, the organization said.

"The message this billboard conveys is the House of Representatives should not be celebrating a barbaric and Bronze Age book," according to the American Atheists website. "We do not in any way condone slavery, but the Bible does. We have outgrown such hideous actions toward humanity."

The mayor called the group anti-Christs.

"I'll continue to pray for the atheists, that they may find Jesus Christ one day," said Mayor Linda Thompson, who is the capital city's first African-American mayor.

State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-Chester, who is also a Baptist pastor and one of the co-signers of Year of the Bible legislation, said the Bible is not outdated. "On the flipside, this is going to encourage people to read the Bible," he said. "My master is Jesus Christ. I'm a slave to Christianity. I'm a slave to Christ."

[Lux Interior]

I'll continue to pray for the atheists, that they may find Jesus Christ one day

I would pray for a lot of Christians to achieve the same.

[OWC Jamie]

Claudia is unhappy.

[decay]

Lux Interior wrote:

I'll continue to pray for the atheists, that they may find Jesus Christ one day

I would pray for a lot of Christians to achieve the same.

:jest:

[Grace62]

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-758697?hpt=hp_bn1

[decay]

wonder if you'd ever see this written:

Although some in the Catholic community might not appreciate the outreach, American Atheists do have every right and every responsibility to advertise their organization and their movement as they see fit.

While I was at the site photographing the billboard, I asked a few local people what they thought of the billboard in their neighborhood. None of them wanted to be identified but they all told me they were not happy about it. They told me they felt it was disrespectful and insulting but they agreed that the American Atheists have the right to put up their billboards where they want.