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U.S. atheists sue to run bus ads for a God-free lifestyle
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Post by
ElhonnaDS
I would be interested to know if the transit authority has ever run any ads for specific religious groups on their buses. If it's a government organization, I would think that it would violate the separation of church and state to use a government agency to advertise anything about religion.
Post by
pezz
Like Skee said, this whole problem arises because the government is running the buses. Privatize the industry and the problem goes away.
Post by
ExDementia
Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, BUT the bus company should have final say in what ads they want to run. Otherwise they would be forced to post NAMBLA ads if the situation arose.
Post by
238331
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
pezz
That aside, doesn't it say somewhere that the official religion of the US is Catholic Christianity? And as such, maybe they have the right to reject a legally blasphemous public display of anti-religious beliefs. I am just guessing here, my knowledge of the legal system is about as good as my knowledge of history, if not worse (let me hint you: I am bad at history). The fact that if such a law existed, it should be abolished is a whole new story...
But assuming the legal system doesn't prohibit the display of such an ad, then I must stand behind the good atheists. As an agnostic myself, I see no reason to stop fellow citizens from sharing their religious beliefs. We should all be equal, I am sure that is somewhere in both legal and holy books.
Yeah, just no....
I mean, the entire reason that our country was established is because we were being persecuted for NOT BEING CATHOLIC. Now, if you had to argue anything, then I would certainly say that our government does show a bit of favoritism to Christianity. The whole "One Nation under God" thing and "In God we Trust".
Not to mention the fact that JFK being a DRATTED PAPIST legitimately terrified people as late as the 60's.
Post by
107106
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
xaratherus
Now, if you had to argue anything, then I would certainly say that our government does show a bit of favoritism to Christianity. The whole "One Nation under God" thing and "In God we Trust".
Not saying you're incorrect, just wanted to point out that the founding fathers did not include either of these. They're both fairly recent additions. "One nation under God" was not in the original Pledge; it was added sometime in the early 1900s. The same holds true regarding "In God we trust"; it was added (to all money; it had appeared sporadically on money previously) in the 1950s.
In regards to the bus company: As others have said, if it's a publicly-funded transit board, then they cannot refuse the advertisement save that they refuse any advertisement that makes a statement regarding religion. If they're privately-owned and operated, then they're well within their rights.
I would like to mention: Earlier someone mentioned that running an atheist ad would lose them money. The opposite holds true as well: Refusing the ad will likely result in some (limited) boycott of the company by not only atheists/agnostics, but of theists who also separate religious law from secular.
Post by
107106
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
238331
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
ExDementia
And, while it obviously was put in referring to Christianity,
*technically* it doesn't endorse any one God
(not that that's any better, it's just not necessarily referring to Christianity).
Maybe I read this wrong but... What?
Christianity doesn't endorse one god?
Post by
ElhonnaDS
And, while it obviously was put in referring to Christianity,
*technically* it doesn't endorse any one God
(not that that's any better, it's just not necessarily referring to Christianity).
Maybe I read this wrong but... What?
Christianity doesn't endorse one god?
I think he's saying that the
government
doesn't specify any one god over another, and just says "God" in general. This could refer to several monotheistic religions, techically.
Post by
Adamsm
I've seen ads for movies, tv shows, radio programs, and campaign's on buses, but never anything for religion; if they are suing, they are backing a losing horse.
Post by
Pwntiff
I think he's saying that the
government
doesn't specify any one god over another, and just says "God" in general. This could refer to several monotheistic religions, techically.
Indeed. And "under God" was added in 1954. This is the original:
I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, BUT the bus company should have final say in what ads they want to run. Otherwise they would be forced to post NAMBLA ads if the situation arose.
http://www.cat.org/about/funding.html
Nearly 85% of their funding comes from government funding. NAMBLA is an organization that's entire purpose is to promote something that is currently illegal. They can say "There's the door" to them, but not an atheist organization because there are no laws concerning (a)theism.
Besides, the entire issue is the transit authority is trying to make them pay a excessive deposit that supposedly no other advertiser has had to.
Post by
Skreeran
I've seen ads for movies, tv shows, radio programs, and campaign's on buses, but never anything for religion; if they are suing, they are backing a losing horse.Here in America at least, we have lots of religious ads on billboards. Don't really have ads on the buses where I live, at least not where I live.
Post by
Adamsm
I've seen ads for movies, tv shows, radio programs, and campaign's on buses, but never anything for religion; if they are suing, they are backing a losing horse.Here in America at least, we have lots of religious ads on billboards. Don't really have ads on the buses where I live, at least not where I live.
And we have a few ads on billboards as well; but yeah, never seen a single one for any of the Church's on the side of a bus; so not sure why the Atheists just don't get some billboards instead of being tied up in court losing more money.
Post by
Pwntiff
I've seen ads for movies, tv shows, radio programs, and campaign's on buses, but never anything for religion; if they are suing, they are backing a losing horse.Here in America at least, we have lots of religious ads on billboards. Don't really have ads on the buses where I live, at least not where I live.
And we have a few ads on billboards as well; but yeah, never seen a single one for any of the Church's on the side of a bus; so not sure why the Atheists just don't get some billboards instead of being tied up in court losing more money.
Buses are better advertising.
Post by
Adamsm
Not if you put the billboards by major freeways; would get more views then heh.
Post by
Pwntiff
Not if you put the billboards by major freeways; would get more views then heh.
Depends on the locale, really. In the middle of a metro area, buses are probably better because you'll get surface street advertising and advertising to pedestrians.
Post by
Heckler
Not if you put the billboards by major freeways; would get more views then heh.
Depends on the locale, really. In the middle of a metro area, buses are probably better because you'll get surface street advertising and advertising to pedestrians.
Here in Seattle I saw more Portal 2 ads on buses than on billboards (note, that doesn't necessarily mean there were
more
bus ads, I'm just saying I
saw
more bus ads, personally).
Post by
324987
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
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