'Praise Darwin, Evolve Beyond Belief' billboards go up

'Praise Darwin, Evolve Beyond Belief' billboards go up

www.examiner.com

To mark the Feb. 12 bicentennial of the birth of science giant Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the release of Origin of Species, Darwin's seminal work on evolution, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has placed billboards "praising Darwin" in Dayton, Tenn., and Dover, Penn., during the month of February.

The pleasing image, reading "Praise Darwin: Evolve Beyond Belief," uses a stained-glass window motif and King James biblical style, and features the iconic image of Charles Darwin, as well as the Foundation's name and website, ffrf.org. The Madison, Wis.-based Foundation is a state/church watchdog and the nation's largest association of atheists and agnostics, with more than 13,000 members.

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[edit on 11-2-2009 by The All Seeing I]

What a cleverly brilliant birthday card... proselytizing secular logic over blind faith while honoring a great man and his life's work. The whole play on the religious theme in aesthetic is in good fun, yet on a more serious satirical note presents Darwin as a sort of messiah mascot who has lead us to the Truth and as we all know "The Truth shall set you free"... free as in 'freedom from religion' as the Freedom from Religion Foundation has so appropriately gained in name. Happy Birthday Darwin, i hope you are aware of our collective gratitude for your gift to humanity.

www.examiner.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 11-2-2009 by The All Seeing I]

reply to post by The All Seeing I


I both agree...and disagree with this.

I agree, we need to stop focusing solely on what is in the Bible...evolution did happen...almost certainly. So why not believe it...we should belive it and we should be glad that Darwin did all that he did.


However....it's clearly done in jest to Christians....and I don't see the need for poking fun at anyone. Many Christians, like myself DO belive in evolution.

Good message perhaps....but why the need to do it in such a way :/

While I am not a believer in mainstream religion. I would point out that this type of billboard does little to free the minds of the masses. If anything it will only perpetuate the belief that Science is a religion and darwin is its false idol.

pretty pointless, science and religon are not incomaptible, just separate in my view

Science can deal with the physical issues to be tested, the "how" if you will, while religion deals with the soul and the "why"

Why either side needs to berate the other is baffling

reply to post by blueorder

pretty pointless, science and religon are not incomaptible, just separate in my view

I have to disagree on that one I'm afraid, science requires evidence in the real world.

Religion does not require evidence, it requires faith which is the opposite, with science we can learn the hows. With religion we can learn , ah well nothing really only how to suspend critical thinking and reason.

reply to post by The All Seeing I

It reminds me of communist propaganda;

Russia, 192(?) | Drawing by M. Dobnyinski
Project for a communist mass festival, dedicated to the "visible god" the Machine

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[edit on 12-2-2009 by Byrd]

For those who are so inclined, explanation and proselytism is not necessary.

For those who will never understand, they will just be galvanized against science.

All in all, a bad move by this atheist group. And yes, it certainly does make Darwin look like a false prophet/ icon of the group. They're doing a great disservice to science and logic.

I think you guys have completely missed the point.
Creationists are not factored in to this equation.

What better way to;
gain exposure for your cause,
build morale for your supporters,
solicit for new members and funds
?

This is a very smart move, thoroughly thought through in timing (Darwin's B-Day) and location... they chose to put up the billboards in Dayton, Tennessee because the town was the site of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" in 1925 and also in Dover, Pennsylvania, because this was the town where the local school board drew national attention and a federal lawsuit when it sought to allow the teaching of "intelligent design" in science classes.

[edit on 11-2-2009 by The All Seeing I]

The Vatican is celebrating Darwins birth and holding a special counsel to comemorate his theory. They support it, and were initially going to leave the creationists out of the meeting but decided to add it as a "cultural phenomenon." A number of Popes have embraced the teachings of evolutionary biologists and the Vatican has stated that there is no conflict between Evolution and God.

It is great to see the Vatican embracing Evolution, and giving Intelligent design fanatics the sleight of calling them simply a "cultural phenomenon."

Well lets see now...

in 1992 the Catholic Church officially apologized to Galileo,
who died in 1642, which would make it 350 years too late.

Darwin died in 1882, which would make this apology/endorsement 126 years too late.

So by my elementary calculations the Vatican is on average 238 years behind.

Seems a little silly, is this good PR to admit such incompetence?

Besides what good does it do to apologize to dead men or to their descendants... unless they have evolved to the point of traveling back in time to tell them in person? Though i would imagine to make up for their misdeeds, the Church has given them each their own penthouses in heaven fully hooked-up with the latest greatest wireless webcam techno-gadgetry.

[edit on 11-2-2009 by The All Seeing I]

Originally posted by moocowman
I have to disagree on that one I'm afraid, science requires evidence in the real world.


Religion does not require evidence, it requires faith which is the opposite, with science we can learn the hows. With religion we can learn , ah well nothing really only how to suspend critical thinking and reason.

erm sorry, that is what I said.

THey are not incompatible, they are separate

Science reguires testing in the physical tangible world, the "how"


while


Religion is concerned with non physical matters such as the soul, the aftelife, and the "why" of it all

You can happily accept both "realms"

Evolution vs Creationist/Intelligent-Design Theory.

One is backed by science, the other faith.
One explains the origin of the species, the other the origin of life.

If you pick and choose what appears to be compatible parts of each, you could say you are embracing both theories, but with compromise to each. In other words, contradictions are erased with a little self editing. As the pope recently put it... Creationism is a "Cultural Phenomenon".

Originally posted by The All Seeing I
Evolution vs Creationist/Intelligent-Design Theory.

One is backed by science, the other faith.
One explains the origin of the species, the other the origin of life.

If you pick and choose what appears to be compatible parts of each, you could say you are embracing both theories, but with compromise to each. In other words, contradictions are erased with a little self editing. As the pope recently put it... Creationism is a "Cultural Phenomenon".

depends on your approach, you could say contradictions ARISE from self editing

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[edit on 12-2-2009 by Byrd]

Yea... Um, science is "We saw this, we tested this, we know it happens." Religion is "Here little boy want some candy?" Science is done in labs by scientists who studied the subject for years. Religion is done by the lowest forms of humanity who cling to their bibles because without their security blanket called Jebus they'd be to scared to step outside. How come you never hear of the Jews protesting this? Or witches? Or Buddist monks? Why is always a bunch of Christian clergymen outside a school shouting "Give us access to your little kids!"

To each his own. Religion is not all bad. As I stated earlier I am not religious but I have no problem with someone who wishes to pray to Jesus, Buddha, or Allah. As a matter of fact I also believe that in our last moments, if given adequate time, we would all kneel and pray to a god despite our religous affiliation.

Originally posted by Afrosamurai
Yea... Um, science is "We saw this, we tested this, we know it happens." Religion is "Here little boy want some candy?" Science is done in labs by scientists who studied the subject for years. Religion is done by the lowest forms of humanity who cling to their bibles because without their security blanket called Jebus they'd be to scared to step outside. How come you never hear of the Jews protesting this? Or witches? Or Buddist monks? Why is always a bunch of Christian clergymen outside a school shouting "Give us access to your little kids!"

Im pretty sure the "jews" do something similar in Israel, the Hindus in India, the Muslims pretty much everywhere, but sure, you take your narrow agenda and focus on the Christians

You are just the mirror image of a religous fanatic

reply to post by The All Seeing I


Science, 'so-called', had Lucy the hominid pegged as a human ancestor as recently as 2000.
Now, they say she was australopithecus afarensis.
Here's a video on different discrepancies classifying human 'transitionals'.

Arizona state museum STILL contends Lucy is our ancestor DESPITE evidence gathered from scientists!!!

Lucy's Smile: How Teeth and Diet Evolve Together
Jim Watson, ASM assistant curator of bioarchaeology and UA asst. professor of anthropology

Teeth are often some of the best preserved evidence of our oldest fossil ancestors. Lucy's jaw was found mostly complete and it can tell us a lot about what foods she ate during her lifetime. As Lucy's descendants began to evolve, through several species, and eventually into who we are today our diets changed, and so did our teeth. Our modern human dentition is the result of up to five million years of changes in diet and physical form that led to our pearly whites.

Originally posted by The All Seeing I
What better way to;
gain exposure for your cause,
build morale for your supporters,
solicit for new members and funds
?

What cause?

Morale? Are people out there honestly suffering some existential war within day and night? And would such disturbed people really find solace in a billboard? To those people I say; get a hobby.

New members and funds? For what? I'm going to take a flying leap here and assume youre one of those atheist zealots who get a charge from percievably winning a battle that A) doesnt really exist outside of those fighting it, B) is absolutely pointless to fight even if it did exist, C) insecure in your own belief so you need to rally troops to the cause thereby justifying your belief with numbers all which is not unlike any other religion out there.

So what are the members and funds for? Some anti-religious crusade?

Funny thing about that, a crusade is a crusade regardless of how self-righteous you feel.

This hardcore anti-god thing is absolutely no different than the hardcore pro-god thing.

It's all a waste of time and at worst it's needlessly destructive and at best it's exactly the same as the thing you crusade against.

My favorite atheists are the ones who claim to be freeing people of the controlling forces of religion only to go around bolstering the controlling force of government. A slave is a slave regardless of who your master is. Maybe you're not one of "those" types but it's funny nonetheless.

The religion of no religion. More of the same.

BTW, belief in evolution and Darwins work doesnt just negate faith.
Look, we came from bacteria. There is no god!

That's just as stupid as saying: there is a god so Darwin was full of BS.

The billboard definitely does more harm than good. It solidifies positions and encourages the rift.

reply to post by Clearskies


Heh, Surtees's a dope.

"can't really say on the basis on a few differences it's a separate species"

Erectus is just a human?

Perhaps the humans over in the bible belt look a bit like H. Erectus,





but I don't generally see such 'unevolved' or 'affected' homos around my environ or any place I've been to.


G: erectus; H: ergaster; N: Sapiens Sapiens

[edit on 12-2-2009 by melatonin]