Atheist Billboard to Go Up in South Florida June 13, 2009

Atheist Billboard to Go Up in South Florida

By Guest Contributor
June 13, 2009

The first atheist billboard in South Florida is about to go up thanks to an anonymous donor!

It’s straight-forward in its message and makes excellent use of color:

flashbillboard

The billboard will go up on June 22nd and will remain there for a month. If you’d like to help keep it up for one additional month, please consider donating here.

(Thanks to Cindi and Ken for the link!)

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  • Reginald Selkirk

    Two full slogans and a web address. I think they should have kept it shorter; after all, people will be driving when they see these.

    BTW, their logo is a nuclear powered light bulb?

  • Andrew

    An excellent way to annoy religious people AND graphic designers/anyone with taste.

  • Shelly

    I’m loving this movement of Atheism Awareness. But one minor little thing…I know it’s just semantics, but am I the only one who thinks saying something like “Don’t believe in God?” doesn’t sound quite right. To me, it implies that we acknowledge God’s existence, but don’t believe in Him, which can lead to thinking we’re choosing a side – the “devil’s”. I think saying something like “Don’t believe God exists?” nails it better and is more accurate. And this doesn’t apply to just this billboard in particular, but in anyone’s usage of the phrase. I know, I know.. it’s semantics. But does anyone else feel this way, too? Forgive me if this is a tired topic/discussion… I’m new to this site & and to exploring my atheism in general.

  • stephanie

    I’ve ridden through Florida and seen the billboards. That’s actually kind of tasteful… 😛

  • Thumpalumpacus

    Shelly,

    I usually just say “I’m faithless.” I like it’s baldness. Somehow, though, I don’t think “Faithless? You’re not alone” would go over well.

  • I hate to be a naysayer, because I love the cause, but that’s one ugly billboard.

  • Jim

    I appreciate the effort the people behind this billboard went to.

    Can we form a new group: “Godless Graphic Designers”?

  • Way too busy. It reminds me of 1997’s geocities/lycos webpages…or heck, 2007’s myspace webpages

  • Reginald Selkirk

    I usually just say “I’m faithless.”

    I personally like “godless.” Maybe because it’s so blunt.

  • Kevin Charleston

    “excellent use of color”. What grade did you teach again Hemant?

  • Adding my voice to those who think the billboard is tacky and too busy. I like the message, but there’s something to be said for good graphic design.

  • John Moeller

    An excellent way to annoy religious people AND graphic designers/anyone with taste.

    Hehe. I was going to say something about why Hemant is a teacher instead of a graphic designer, but this is better.

  • AxeGrrl

    I have to say, I much prefer ‘being a good person doesn’t require God’ over the atheist bus ads’ ‘there’s probably no God, so stop worrying….’

  • John Moeller

    BTW, their logo is a nuclear powered light bulb?

    Incidentally, nuclearatheistlightbulb.com is available.

  • Miko

    First thing I though upon seeing that, before reading the text: “Looks like an ad for an astrologer.”

  • Another Atheist

    If you’d like to help keep it up for one additional month, please consider donating here.

    I can’t afford to donate anything right now, but I would gladly donate my graphic design services to come up with something slightly less painful on the eye.
    Ouch!

  • littlejohn

    Well, I *hope* it stays up for a month. I suspect it will mysteriously fall victim to fire, deconstruction or over-painting before the month is over.

  • Eliza

    @Shelly: Welcome! to this site and exploring your atheism.

    I agree w/ you on the implication we may convey, inadvertently, by phrasing these questions as if god/s do/es exist & we’re just denying it. Good to point this out whenever you see it, as I think atheists do often forget to be alert for this implication.

    FYI, I’ve heard/read (can’t remember which) that many Christians hear atheists say “I don’t believe in god” & interpret that to mean that we believe god exists, we’re just not putting stock in him/her/it. Like they might say, “I don’t believe in Ouija boards”, meaning they do believe they exist, just not that they have power others claim. If that makes sense…

  • ThatOtherGuy

    Hmph, looks a little garish to me 😐

  • Shelly

    @Eliza: Thanks for the welcome! And your comment is my point exactly, but much more eloquent. Christians believe their God is good, and for us to “say” that we “know He exists, but choose not to follow Him” (as “we don’t believe in God” suggests) does make us seem evil. And we don’t need that extra hurdle.

  • I like this one!

    The message is positive and it completely avoids any perceived attack on theists or theism. However, I do wonder a little about the color scheme and the lightbulb, clouds, and stars. It seems rather busy and garish, but at least it’s eye catching! I hope the drivers rushing by can manage to comprehend the entire message in one or two seconds.

  • Love the concept. But it looks too much like one of those dime-a-dozen ads you see on bulletin boards.

    Also, it reminds me of a used car ad for some reason.

  • Until now, as a graphic designer and an Atheist, I always thought that religion and bad design went hand in hand. Apparently I’m wrong, this thing is a visual catastrophe.

    If it does anything at all, it certainly proves that Atheists can be just as tacky and clueless in their fervent, unbridled evangelism as anyone else.

    We can do better, it’s not a competition after all.

  • Richard Wade

    I like the words, but the graphics are too hard to read. You have only two second-and-a-half glances for anyone driving to read a billboard. The multiple fonts, with shadows, multiple colors, and those distracting stars add up to a visual jumble. To have all that up there, it has to be much simpler visually.

  • Richard Wade

    Hi Shelly, I just noticed your comment. Also, welcome. I hope you stay and add your insight.

    I agree with you and Eliza. It’s not “just semantics,” as if that is not important. Exactly how we phrase things is important when trying to reach potential friends lost in a hostile audience. The phrasing “Don’t believe in a god?” or “Don’t believe in any gods?” or your suggestion, “Don’t believe God exists?” would be more accurate and lessen (but not entirely eliminate) that annoying accusation that we secretly believe and just want to be spoiled kids.

    Unfortunately, with only fractions of seconds to get the message across, public graphics have to pare down every word, and sometimes the important nuances are shaved off.

  • Tim

    I must add my distaste for the graphic design. That’s really bad!

    The message is a bit weak, too, as others have pointed out already.

    This is a case where I think nothing would have been better than this something.

  • Man, you’re all haters. I still think it looks nice. It would definitely get my attention.

  • I’ll take these criticisms constructively. Consider though, the main point of the message is to inform atheists that there is a local organization for them, secondly, go to any site where xtians write anything, look at their spelling and sentence structures, do you really think they will notice subtleties like you guys did?

  • Ouch

    Consider though, the main point of the message is to inform atheists that there is a local organization for them, secondly, go to any site where xtians write anything, look at their spelling and sentence structures, do you really think they will notice subtleties like you guys did?

    This dreadful, run-on sentence is more painful to read than that billboard. Keep trying, though.

  • iMissDouglas

    Wow. Does nobody here understand the concept of audience? Has nobody here ever driven through florida? 5 minutes out of the Orlando airport and you see billboards in garish fonts with ugly clip art telling you how much Jesus loves the dangly ballsack on the back of your stupid truck. This billboard looks just like the mindless godvertising that already litters the florida highways. Because it blends in so well, it will be read, seen, and hopefully at some small level, understood by those currently wrestling with their faith.

  • Francia Barksdale

    That is not a nuclear light bulb. The detail inside the light bulb is the symbol for the American Atheists Association. As for the design, it’s not the best, but it does make an excellent start in an area that could use some higher level(and I mean critical, not heavenly) thinkers expressing themselves.

  • Kyrox

    Excellent use of colour?! Oh wow. The message is good, but that is one terrible design. Looks like it’s one of those awful banner ads you find all over the web.

  • Richard Wade

    FLorida Atheists and Secular Humanists making the acronym FLASH is very cool. That makes the light bulb logo make sense.

    While the graphics can be improved, the message is excellent, and I hope that the FLASHers keep up the good work.

  • Bob

    While all you “Art Critics” waste your time discussing the graphic design, people are out there, doing the ground work, donating their time and a lot of money to put the board up and help the cause. I would like to think you are not the bunch of losers that you come off to be. Why not go to the site and contribute $5 or do you believe you’re more valuable to the cause sitting at your computer and knocking the work of others?
    I’m with those of you that are positive! I hope every one of these big mouths designs an Artistically Brilliant Billboard, funds it and gets it up there!

  • Hemant, Thank you for posting the billboard picture and the story. I must say I am surprised and disappointed that many of your readers chose to criticize the language or graphics of this billboard, rather than applaud its effort and message.

    Are the colors loud? Yes to attract the attention of the traffic and the news media. Is the message simple? Yes, to attract those that agree with the message, or may be on the fence about “God”.

    IE- the use of the word GOD-This billboard is not meant to attract the approval of those that are already solid agnostic/atheists. It is meant to bring more people who question God’s existence in to learn more about what FLASH has to offer.

    If the word “GODLESS” was used, it would throw the whole idea of our campaign into the negative and trying to turn people off category. That is not the point of the message.

    Please give us your support instead of nitpicking. Thank you all for your opinions, especially those with positive comments.

  • Karin

    If anyone has a problem going to the linked image of the banner for South Florida, please follow this link instead;

    http://www.freethoughtflorida.com

    Hotlinking is enforce at the website which is throwing a 404.

    That is all…. I live in Florida & I want one of these signs on every street corner!!!

  • Open letter to believers From Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists

    To all who are teaching, promoting and propagandizing the dogma that one MUST believe in a god in order to be a good and moral person and that without a god one is immoral, your teachings and declarations are false!

    Read Full Letter – http://www.freethoughtflorida.com/openletter.html

  • mr. wingnut

    my favorite bumper sticker=god save me from your followers.take a look at my blog at this email add. look in hot mail,let me know if you can see it, sorry about the spelling,

  • wendy

    I think most if not all of the posts’ on this site are showing just how concientious atheitst’s are about their own existence. I.E. Responsibility as humans to be extremely aware of our failing’s, so much so that even the details/semantics of a billboard message are thought over and over and over and over. Just remember….The fanatic or even “casual” religious individual has their message/messages engrained in every single thing you and I do everyday. Fighting back with the intent to eventually get the Aetheist message on an equal standing is the only way on finding and creating true morality and a higher quality of life in this world. If you don’t believe or see that, you are truly underestimating the importance of your own existence just as the religious would like it. Remember….”we” already get it. They don’t…So a message like…”You don’t need God to be a good person”..really hits home to those some of the idiots. I am an oil painter and would agree that the billboard is not attractive…I am just thrilled that there is one…but is there only one and where will it be? Ridiculous that we are working at such a small level of communication with the masses in this day in age. I will be more than happy to donate and subscribe to the effort. I just logged on and will read further to try and get more details..I really hope and wish all atheists’ and even agnostics would start fighting back against the absurdity that realists have to live with everyday. It makes me sick to live sometimes. (Ava Worthington case on court tv as I write)

  • Jacquie

    graphic designer and an atheist willing to donate my services to the next billboard. Jacquiephelps at earthlink dot net. Love the message but lets drive it home with better design.