Graffiti on a Boston Atheist Ad November 13, 2009

Graffiti on a Boston Atheist Ad

By Guest Contributor
November 13, 2009

I don’t even understand this recent vandalism of a Boston Coalition of Reason advertisement.

They crossed out the “out” in “without” — that’s been done before — but why bother putting the words “Are you” in front? That’s just redundant. (Anyway, the answer is no.)

And nice job crossing out the group’s website. Now, no one will know where to go…

Who wrote “kill for” in the bottom background? That doesn’t even make sense.

Seriously, vandals. This is weak. You can do better than that. All you have to do is put a period in the URL and everyone will be confused.

(via Boston Atheism Examiner)

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  • Valdyr

    At least this was a bit more effortful than the whole “MILLIONS ARE GOOD GOD” fiasco.

    Somehow, whenever people talk about being “good with God”, or “getting right with Jesus”, I imagine disgraced capos going before a mob boss with gifts to regain his trust.

    “Word is, he ain’t right with J.C. Salvatore–none of the other families will touch ‘im…”

  • Justin jm

    It looks like the graffiti-ers tried to draw a swastika on the poster and forgot what one looks like halfway through.

    It’s ridiculous that people would stoop to this sort of thing.

  • Richard Wade

    I’ve heard the saying, “I’m good with so-and-so” to mean I have a rapport or a favorable relationship with so-and-so.

    So I think the vandal used the phrase “Are you good with God” to mean are you on good terms with god, or do you have a good relationship with god. This way it makes a completely sensible message with the rest of it about being in need of salvation.

    To find the perp, look for the very, very rare literate vandal.

    They must have gotten excited or rushed at the end, because there’s a redundant “are” at the end.

  • Edmond

    Can YOU be a vandal without god?

  • Lou

    To quote Jack Nicholson: “You can’t handle the truth!”

  • Lou

    That last one may be misunderstood. I was directing it at the vandals NOT the Boston Coalition

  • I’m sure they’ll go back, cross out that exclamation mark, and write in what they think millions of Americans need salvation from, right?

  • Miko

    I’d assume that the “kill for” was added by a second vandal. The first changed the message to the statement “Millions are in need of salvation,” referring to atheists. The second vandal changed it to “Millions … kill for salvation,” referring to the bloody history of monotheism.

  • I think it says, “Killer”… So, we are in need of some “killer salvation”… Just a thought.

  • Sesoron

    I’ve got an idea for the retort billboard: “Millions of people realize that vandalism is immoral without God telling them so. Do you?” That was admittedly weak sauce, so I’m counting on you guys to write something better.

  • The Other Tom

    “Over 40 million americans are are in need of salvation!”

    If they’re going to deface the posters, can’t they at least get their grammar right?

    I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand defacing ads isn’t a great thing, but on the other hand, now they’ve left living proof that atheists are better than them, for all to see. And given that it’s Boston, believe me, people will notice that.

    And the “are are”.

  • Ben

    Actually, I think the “kill for” was there first, as was something else which you can see a faint outline of behind “are” and “need”. Would be interesting if anybody in the area saw was that first vandal had actually written.

  • MH

    I wouldn’t take the graffiti personally. Those ads are being displayed on the T and all kinds of ads are defaced by graffiti on the MBTA.

  • Valdyr

    Yeah, the difference being that small-time gangbangers and bored teenagers don’t typically specifically target an atheist billboard and deliver an articulate religious message while vandalizing. How exactly is this not “personal”?

  • Tim Carroll

    Apparently, at least one American is in need of an elementary school education.
    Also – nice way to tell them how to really confuse people.

  • SeekingDuck

    MH, I ride the T every day. Vandalism happens, but *most* of the ads are *not* vandalized. And of those that are, most are just juvenile plays on words, drawing mustaches, whatever. NOT extended thoughts like “40 Million americans are in need of salvation.”

    How come EVERY ONE of the graffiti incidents that are obviously done specifically to respond to / condemn atheist sentiments gets an immediate response of “Oh, you know kids, they would have vandalized ANY ad that was in front of them!”… that’s demonstrably false.

  • littlejohn

    The most logical response would be to stop trying to analyze the loons who feel the need to alter the messages on signs and invest in Krylon and other spray paint manufacturers. The bullshit market may soon become a bull market!

  • H

    I’ve got an idea for the retort billboard: “Millions of people realize that vandalism is immoral without God telling them so. Do you?” That was admittedly weak sauce, so I’m counting on you guys to write something better.

    now they’ve left living proof that atheists are better than them

    I think a combination of these two statements with “…without God” after the second one would do nicely. Someone can just print it out on a piece of paper and stick it to the wall near the billboard or something.

  • Brian Macker

    Not sure why you are confused by the phrase “Are you good with god?” What it means is, are you paying him tribute by praying to him, accepting Jesus, going to church, etc. There is an implied threat here of punishment in hell. The question here is, “Are you paid up fully with the extortionist?”

    It is not intended to have the same meaning as “Are you good with a gun”.

  • JD

    Vandals for Jesus, indeed.

  • Paolo

    Actually, if you read carefully, the vandal’s work seems to have produced the opposite result! I can read:

    Are you Good with God. Over 40 millions of Americans are in need of salvation

    It means literally that if you do belive in God you need to be saved ahahah

  • Chris

    http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/none/god-gets-bit-more-catty-959359

    I came across this article about Christian repent signs in Japan. I was shocked to see a sign I’ve seen on many occasions turn out to be a god repent sign.

  • It actually looks like someone previously vandalized the sign with the “KILL FOR” message. I am squinting but I swear I see something underneath the black letters, above the words “KILL FOR.”

  • Other T signs have been vandalized. One had the “out” in without crossed out, but it was in pencil so it was very very faint.

  • MH

    SeekingDuck and others. I take the T every day as well. My point was to see this as the act of one insecure person and nothing more. Most people riding the T read the sign and went back to reading the Metro or listening to their MP3 player.

    Imagine if the Boston COR and that guy who wears the Jesus billboard were handing out literature at a T station. Who do you think people would go out of their way to avoid?

    Let’s face it, inside the 128 loop the irreligious are so numerous that collectively they are the walking billboard about being Good without God. While the guy with the Jesus billboard just creeps people out.

  • Ashley

    The dip-sticks didn’t need to write the word “are”, its already there.

    (I just felt like pointing that out.)

  • It was nice of them to add “Over,” to include the tens of millions of other Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and others who will likely need this person’s “salvation.”

  • MH

    BTW For those of you not in the Boston area, here’s a link to the Jesus Guy I was referring to above:

    http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Life/9674-ID-Check-Bob-Whetstone/

  • thilina

    Asking others if they’re good by breaking the law. This thought makes me loose hope in people far more than any christian billboard ever could.