CFI Indiana supports the campaign
May 24th, 2009
The Center for Inquiry, a transnational organization promoting science, reason, and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor, has shown its support for the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign. The campaign would like to thank CFI, especially Reba Boyd Wooden at CFI Indiana, for their generous donation and endorsement of our goals and efforts.
If you are in Indianapolis, CFI has a wonderful center that you can visit in the canal walk area downtown. They put on numerous events every month, with activities ranging in purpose from social, community-building nights to educational lectures and discussions. One of the goals of the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign is to get atheists involved in local community groups, and we encourage you to get involved with organizations like CFI who provide a great service to the secular community.
A message from Reba Boyd Wooden, Executive Director of CFI Indiana:
In my opinion, this is a great message to put out there. Too many people think that you have to be religious to be a moral person. They don’t know they have a choice. They think that it is a given that there is a god, that everyone believes there is a god, and if you don’t believe in god you are a bad person. We secular humanists know that is not true. When I give talks to groups and when I talk with people who come into our center, I give them a copy of the Affirmations of Humanism. The Common Moral Decencies cut across all cultures and religions. Take away the theology and “god stuff” and that is what you have—those values that have been proven throughout the history of mankind to allow people to live in harmony, to respect each other, and to achieve their fullest potential as human beings.
When I am driving to and from CFI Indiana nearly every day from my home in Greenwood (about 10 miles), I pass numerous churches, some with signs that tell me that I will be “left behind” or “go to hell” if I do not believe the way they do, and a large billboard that says “Avoid Hell, Repent Today.” So is it not controversial to post these religious signs, but controversial to post “You Can Be Good Without God”?
Again, thanks to the Center for Inquiry for their support.
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10 Comments Add your own
1. admin | May 24th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I’d also like to take the opportunity once again to thank the American Humanist Association for their assistance in managing our funds.
A big thank-you to both organizations!
2. Sunny | May 25th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Come on with the church signs comment! I know those signs can be tacky; but they are on private property; not on public transit. There is a gross misconception of Christianity that has occurred and fuels your cause. Ever read the River of Fire? It gives a new spin on all those things you resent and dispute ascribed to Christianity.
Power to the Peaceful!
3. Reba Boyd Wooden | May 25th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Of course churches have the right to put anything on their signs that they want to as does anyone on a billboard on private property. I was just trying to make a point that these sayings usually don’t get complaints as an atheist sign would.
4. Brandi | May 28th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I don’t believe in God and my family and friends know it. I haven’t been ashamed to hide it from anyone. I don’t bring it up unless someone else does, and then I’m just very, “Sorry, I don’t believe in God.” Even then, I don’t say anything unless someone asks me directly if I believe or not. I don’t see the need to get into debates about it or not, and if people feel better believing in God, good for them. I just don’t, and I’m good and honest and moral. I do the right things all the time and I don’t expect anything for doing it. I don’t see why someone would feel the need to put ads out there like this one anymore than I can see the reason behind the religious ads. Believe what you want to believe and just have a good life. Don’t push your beliefs on others and don’t let others do it to you either. That $5000 donation could’ve been better spent on food or clothing for some families in need. What a waste!
5. admin | May 28th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Brandi,
I invite you to read our FAQ, in which we address your concern about money being better spent on other things.
6. JLo0312 | May 28th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
The deal is this: Churches are for people that want to worship the Lord. The signs out in front are just like signs outside of schools, government buildings, etc. Except that they deal with God, which insults you.
While Chicago merely shrugs and looks at your signs, not knowing what the ads are for, your message goes largely unheeded, unnoticed, and thus, not necessary. That 5K could have gone to starving families or to help the unemployed, much like church dollars do…but no, you bought signs with the money. Ah, how proud you must feel.
It takes more faith and less intelligence to believe in the big bang theory and evolution than it does to believe that we are all in an orchestrated dance on this world.
Read this book: Darwin’s Black Box.
It is about evolution. How Darwin recanted before he died. How molecular biologists believe in God or intelligent design due the SHEER COMPLEXITY of a single cell, not to mention MILLIONS working in concert.
God Loves YOu. Love him back.
7. Mary Coram | May 28th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I am a Christian, and you are right. You can be morally good without God. People who believe in the Christian faith just believes that you can’t get to Heaven on good works, alone. If you confess the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, you shall be saved and get to Heaven. That is what I believe. But I am glad that there are secular people who are trying to be morally decent!
8. Eric | May 29th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Coming from a donor to this Bus Ad campaign, if you are atheist but you do not see the benefit of this cause and would instead like to support another, such as helping the needy, please consider joining another great cause, Kiva – Loans that Change Lives
http://www.kiva.org/community/
You are given the capability to donate on behalf of a community group. The “Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and the Non-Religious” group is the top donor, ahead of Kiva Christians.
Also consider donating to the International Red Cross. It is the largest international humanitarian organization in the world and it is completely secular.
http://www.redcross.org/
9. LIEZL324 | May 29th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
there is truly GOD, our mere existence proves it, and the existence of those things which man cannot made shows there is a DIVINE BEING who made all those things possible. Take time to read the bible and know about GOD… I suggest everybody to read the articles in this site : http://www.esoriano.wordpress.com
“THE CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO GOD IS AN ESCAPE FROM ALL REALITIES”
“Although there are hidden and camouflaged evil in every society, it is generally the norm in human society to condemn evil. The teachings of God in the bible are against all evil. To deny the existence of God is to favor evil. The slogan “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” implies that there is a struggle deep inside the heart of the formulators of such a slogan. However they are trying to shrug it off, because they want to find a way of escape from feeling guilty in their heart due to all the evil they are doing.
(ROMANS 2:15) Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) (KJV)
The formulators of such slogans are trying to escape all these realities because they are not real people:
1. The reality that there is a Creator of everything that exist;
(ACTS 17:24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (KJV)
2. The reality that everything that exists was planned and created for a purpose. (The harmony in the natural and physical universe cannot logically be the product of an accident or a Big Bang)
(ROMANS 1:19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. (KJV)
(ROMANS 1:20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (KJV)
(JOB 34:13) Who has given the earth as a deposit with Him? Or who has set the whole world in order? (MKJV)
(PROVERBS 8:29) when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, (RSV)
3. The reality that the Bible speaks of scientific truth even before they were discovered by human science because such declaration came from an existing God.
(ISAIAH 40:22) It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: (KJV)
(JOB 26:7) He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. (KJV)
4. The reality that present-day happenings were predicted in the bible thousands and hundreds of years ago before by an existing God.
(ISAIAH 46:9) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (KJV)
(ISAIAH 46:10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (KJV)
(MATTHEW 24:3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (KJV)
(MATTHEW 24:4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (KJV)
(MATTHEW 24:5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (KJV)
(MATTHEW 24:6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (KJV)
(MATTHEW 24:7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (KJV)
(MATTHEW 24:8) All these are the beginning of sorrows. (KJV)
5. And, the reality of their very existence that the prophecy of the coming of “scoffers” is being fulfilled in their person!
(II PETER 3:3) Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (KJV)
Throughout the history of man, those who believed and served God with all their hearts were the greatest men that this world had ever seen. They were the best public servants, the best heroes, the best mentors, the best leaders, and the best neighbors — NONE OF THESE BEST MEN IS AN ATHEIST!
10. Reba Boyd Wooden | June 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 am
Go to http://www.ffrf.org for a list of people who have contributed greatly to the world but were not religious.
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