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Atheist tv advertisement

The word atheist is heavily stigmatized in most parts of the world. Many
theists will point to the few fascists who promoted atheism as well as
slaughtering or oppressing their citizens to advance their goals. We all
know that they are not the face of atheism and it's time that we
make it clear to theists that this is the case. That rediculous view is what prevents other people from distancing themselves from their religion in spite of a lack of belief.

Picture this. A tv advertisement introduces average mothers, husbands,
high-school students, business-men, scientists, and other ordinary
people who proclaim their atheism and demonstrate their ethics with
their life. It would publicize *some* atheist organization so as not to
be accused of simply a slander piece against any organized religion.

Thoughts? This would obviously take a very large budget. I also think it
would be enormously effective.

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Permalink Reply by Selen on April 28, 2010 at 7:05am

Atheist advertisment is a complicated sysytem,with a lot of targets . Maybe need to analysis what should be hit first, and then according the group the design the advertisment. God actually is not the target to show to the atheists, the main problem is human phsycology, they need something to cheat themself and take as true to make satisfied.It is a kind of ability to creat what belif to be truely.
If I use such ability , to do what I want, suppose I love a man, creat my dream,and try all methods, I could be a great writer someday. The warmth of religon is same of one's life.
What will you do if you could use your life as a chess?

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Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on April 28, 2010 at 4:33pm

Ok, these are new to me. I suppose that's one take.

Perhaps it's a pie in the sky idea. It just gets nauseating that this untruth exists and is ubiquitous. It would be nice if there was a way to invalidate it on the world stage. It's just one of many though.

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Permalink Reply by AletheaT on May 29, 2010 at 3:14am

Ugh I remember these, they are the worst. I think if the mormons could afford a 60 second commercial someone could cough up dough for an atheist ad.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Hochbruck on April 28, 2010 at 10:20am

Advertisement is always packed with the message: where shall the money go?!
Companies and service firms are very easy with that: they offer what they have to sell.
Churches offer what they think they have to sell, or what the buyer should think they have.

Ads of the kind you propose would be goal-less, just as if somebody would place ads "Use your brain" and "Don't believe everything" and "Be kind to people and the world", "Be responsible" … something so obvious and innocent one should not place ads or it.

So we think ... that's why I support the idea of ads, but with a Atheist Organisation like The Giordano Bruno Foundation or something behind it.

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Chase on May 27, 2010 at 10:54am

If you were to ever pull it off, think of the response!

We had ads on buses; they freaked out.
We put up billboards; they freaked out.
We visited the President; they freaked out.
We have videos on the Internet; Meh... things on the Internet can't be trusted so we can just ignore it.
We put an ad on TV; **FREAK OUT!!!**

If it is on TV, people start worrying because they cannot control what the kids see. In commercials they see sex, junk food, violence, encouragement to eschew personal responsibility, and drugs (just to name a few.) But send a message that you can be a good, responsible, moral person without God and you will reap the whirlwind. If it is on TV, sadly, it becomes real, it is in their face, it is an attack.

People hate to be challenged in fundamental ways because it screws with their own personal feeling of safety; they have learned to work in the world as they see it and having a core belief challenged makes all of their defenses go up. If not having been brought up a freethinker, I have never met anyone that converted either direction (to or from belief) who did so without some inner (and often outer) turmoil. The ad would be creating that turmoil and we as a species are generally resistant to change; we react as an animal would - will this impede my ability to survive?

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Permalink Reply by Martin John Donohoe on May 29, 2010 at 1:12am

So.....continue with the ads on buses, billboards, internet and elsewhere.

Let them freak out. They are working!

Atheism is the fastest growing philosophy in the world bar none.

Much faster than the much vaunted (by muslims) supposed growth of islam.

And it is spread by reason and not by the sword or torture or peer pressure so it is more likely to be genuinely felt.

Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan, Ibn Warraq and a host of others are carrying the message on a daily basis over the internet, in bookshops and in other emerging media.

They are prevailing. More power to them, they are our modern day dragonslayers.

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Permalink Reply by AletheaT on May 29, 2010 at 3:16am

Yes let them freak out. :D

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Permalink Reply by Staks Rosch on May 27, 2010 at 3:26pm

I think it would be better without an organization promoting itself. It is a good idea.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on May 27, 2010 at 7:06pm

A tv commercial that doesn't promote some organization or that has no other goal than to attack religion could not happen, in my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Martin John Donohoe on May 29, 2010 at 2:56am

I think the first clip satirizes religion admirably and would make an excellent ad for atheism.

The pastor who thinks it supports his religious cause is seriously misguided. LOL