Is This Atheist Flyer Clever or Offensive?

now, the fundie flyer makes me feel sorry for believers. how little and empty they must feel! life is rich and vibrant and most people can hardly take it all in, even when they try. to think of oneself as an insignificant dot is just… sad.

That’s one way of looking at it, certainly. However, I saw it as being very much true fact. Yes, our lives are just a meaningless dot when compared to bigger things. On a cosmic level we are almost nothing, temporally, physically and in terms of significance. The tiniest grain of sand on a near infinite beach. But fuck me, what a lot of stuff there is in that tiny dot.

I would have put the constitution line above the bible, as it is a much better document for justice.

I like the graphic of the Christian flyer, it reminds me of quote usually attributed to Mark Twain (though I have never seen it specifically referenced) “I do not fear death, in view of the fact that I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” In this, the graphic is completely right.
However, I think it creates a counter argument to the one intended. If your life is just this blip in time, and it is, how can you think the actions in that little blip can set the tone for all eternity? Can god be so petty as to hold a grudge for billions and billions of years? Is any being worthy of worship or the name god capable of holding a grudge that long? Does even Hitler, Stalin, Moa or George W deserve to be tortured without end? It puts it into perspective.

I think the parody graphic is a bit idiotic. I appreciate the thought but the graphic is trying too hard.
I think a long line indicating humanism and a little blip of biblical tradition would better explain the foundation of the constitution.

I thought the Christian one was an atheist one at first; I misread it and thought it said, “The dot is your life. Live for the dot!” As in, don’t worry about eternity, just do what you can while you’re alive.

Truthfully, I was kinda disappointed when I realized it was CCC…

The tiniest grain of sand on a near infinite beach. But fuck me, what a lot of stuff there is in that tiny dot.

that is, in fact, my point. life is a wonder, all by itself. even the “life” of a grain of sand, if you look at it from the perspective of science, is full of amazing realities that can entertain the mind almost endlessly. i know i am a spec in the universe, and yet: i am! that’s plenty to celebrate right there, and then there’s the joy of knowing there are billions like me, but also each unique and complex.

that’s more than enough to keep me occupied for the rest of my life. i don’t have time for superstition.

The Christian flyer makes its point very well. As Christians we are to think beyond this life, not only for our own salvation but in helping others. We are taught not to love for instant gratification and pleasure but to live for a purpose that is greater then ourselves.

Of course that doesn’t that mean we don’t enjoy this life. Of course we do, but it is with a bigger perspective.

I’ll be honest and tell you I think the parody design is absolutely terrible. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not a longer text, it’s not older. It may be more important, but that’s purely an opinion with nothing to suggest that view is correct beyond saying so. I hope this is not the final design. If I saw it, the first thing I’d think—wrongly, I suppose—is that the people putting on the event weren’t very clever.

I too thought that the Christian one was sending good message. At first, I took it as a Humanist message to keep our eye on the big picture. All we have is now, yet we can use that for good works and keep ourselves in context.

Having said that, my observation is that those who proselytize speak a useful insight that does not require a mythical god – in an apparent attempt to have listeners think the other things the proselytizer says about their myth are true.

So how are we supposed to live for the eternity in the past? That doesn’t make sense to me, unless we can time travel in the afterlife! Is that what CCC is saying now, we can time travel in the afterlife?

Edit: It seems to me that the CCC poster is undermining itself with the arrow extending into the past. Do any of you remember anything before you were born? So why should we expect to remember anything after we are dead.

I’m a Christian, who lives for the line, and I see no problem (as in incendiary) with the SSA’s advertisement what-so-ever. It’s actually quite clever.

Jason

Yeah, it fails. I understood the point of the Christian flyer immediately.

The SSA flyer is confusing. I had to look at several times, and I’m still not sure if I understand the point, which takes away from the intended gag. The bible’s not on the same plane as the constitution? The importance of the bible is infinitesimal in contrast to the importance of the constitution? There is little bible in the constitution? I just don’t know.

There’s something I just love about advertisements and propaganda that subverts other advertisements and propaganda. I think it’s pretty effective by way of the humorous contrast, as long as students realize the difference before tossing away another “CCC dot-and-line pamphlet.”

That being said, I do like the perspective the first one gives you — just not their “solution” to realizing it.

I get the point they are trying to make. The Constitution has nothing whatsoever to do with the Bible (they removed the dot from the line), and it’s far more important for the country.

However, that graphic really isn’t the best way to say that. You already have to think along those lines to get it. Otherwise you can’t make the connection.

The Christian poster says to me that your life is entirely unimportant and that only heaven counts. So if it’s so great to go to heaven for all eternity, why not just die to get there immediately?

I don’t think the line/dot refer to physical length of each document as much as they do social importance and relevance in America. At least, where more of that importance should be-obviously with the Constitution. I wouldn’t call it overly clever but it did get a good “heh!” out of me. I approve! 😀

Offensive? Only if I wish to have the incredibly thin skin often associated to the religious. Quite frankly it’s true; our lives are a miniscule, entirely insignificant proportion of the time that has passed and has yet to pass.

Yes, once I saw that it was Campus Crusade for Christ, I understood where they were going with “eternity” is a very different place from where I’m going. Still, the only way I could find it offensive is if it were a threat of hell, and I think that’s rather reaching.

I also think that the atheist response isn’t particularly clever. They would have done better making an original appeal of their own, but hey, whatever lifts your luggage.

The parody is OK.

The dot and line can be comparing relevance

or credibility.

I’m surprised that either flyer has garnered any interest at all, let alone all this. They’re both lame imo.

it does seem silly to trivialize your current life because you think eternity is where all the action is at.

No–if that’s what you actually thought, it would be silly to do otherwise. In fact, “trivialize” doesn’t even make sense here; your life would be utterly trivial, regardless of your treatment of it.

The problem is that there isn’t any reason to think this in the first place.

The Campus Crusade for Christ missed a great tagline opportunity.

They should have ended the flyer:

“Come to the Campus Crusade for Christ, and we’ll do a few lines!”

That is awesome 😀

I like the christian illustration. Yes, my life is a dot. I spend my life trying to make the world a better place for those who will come after me, and remember the lessons of those who came before me. My life in the scheme of the world is pretty insignificant to any other than those who know and love me. I shall make the most of it!
(The message under the line/dot however is bullshit!)

The atheist ad is insufficiently “dickish.” It’s weak, and off point.

I’d have rather seen the life dot and eternity line, with a caption that said: “If you enjoyed the empty non-existence before you’re life, you’ll like the eternity after your life exactly the same.”

They both are lame. Pretty much like the removal of my last post which was perhaps more creative than the sum of both flyers…

Making points gets you one dimension. Place it on a line, and you have two. Woohoo!

Now if perchance, my other comment is still “being moderated” and shows back up, then let the readers decide.

Goodness Gracious….Perhaps I shouldn’t have poked fun at Kenny Rogers and the Fifth Dimension.