Donor's Billboard Asks Viewers to 'Imagine No Religion'

August 28, 2008

Donor's Billboard Asks Viewers to 'Imagine No Religion'

A man’s decision to pay for a billboard asking Seattle residents to “imagine no religion” has sparked interest in a Wisconsin nonprofit group that promotes the separation of church and state, reports The Seattle Times.

Mike Christensen, a 28-year-old software engineer from Redmond, Wash., who identifies himself as an atheist, joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation, in Madison, Wis., several years ago because he disagreed with the Bush administration’s policies on religious issues. “I like the phrase ‘Imagine No Religion’ because it doesn’t make a judgment,” said Mr. Christensen. “It provokes thought.”

The 14-foot-by-48-foot billboard has helped bring in five new members and about 20 prospective ones, according to the charity. The organization began a campaign to spread its message via billboards in cities around the country 30 years ago; billboards urging viewers to “Keep Religion Out of Politics” were posted in Denver this week and will be posted in St. Paul next week, to coincide with conventions by the two major political parties.

Comments

Have Yoko Ono and the Estate of John Lennon caught wind of this? Could make for some interesting discussion.

— gina Aug 28, 03:25 PM #
Great idea!

— Ken Lindquist Aug 28, 04:16 PM #
One could just as well post boards saying “keep atheism out of politics” since both religion and atheism represent belief systems. But to do either is to ask for the removal of peoples values and world views from politics, which even if possible, is not desireable. The America of the constitution is one of diversity in the public/civic forum.

— Shannon Barnes Aug 28, 05:08 PM #
This group is simply at the other polar end from groups that place billboards throughout rural America boldly declaring things like “Eternity is a long time to be wrong.”

Both are on the fringe; neither contributes anything to the broader, nuanced discourse on the proper and optimal role of the church within the state.

Wackos of the world unite under your respective banners, but hopefully the rest of us can replace the drone of the polemics with reasoned discourse.

— Luke Peterson Aug 28, 07:00 PM #
To Mr. Peterson’s point: I disagree with the notion that keeping religion out of government is a “fringe” idea, or that people who believe religion and government don’t mix well are “wackos [who] unite under [their] respective banners.”

I believe most reasoned discourse should start from the point of justifying the need for religion in gov’t instead of trying to defend its erasure.

Presupposing we’re discussing “the church,” for instance, already makes a huge leap about the group’s intent. Polemics, indeed…

— SJ Aug 29, 12:22 AM #
Mike Christensen has a Constitutional right to politically express his evangelical atheism.

However, Mr. Christensen does not have a Constitutional right to deny me the same right to politically express my evangelical theism.

Rather than being an enlightened advocate of tolerance and inclusion, too many followers of the atheistic body politic today voice a militant intolerance toward other faiths that smacks of intellectual bigotry.

— Robert Kornegay Aug 29, 08:59 AM #
@Robert K: I’m offended that I have to pay taxes to support federal funding of faith-based groups working towards purposes that I consider immoral. I’m sorry that you consider this militant intolerance on my part. What I do not understand about evangelicals such as yourself is why you think I am denying your freedom of expression unless I agree to pay taxes to support you. That’s just wrong.

— Dwight Arthur Aug 29, 09:33 AM #
I think the better phrase might imagine there is no politics in the church, because the Constitution of the United States says that Congress may make no law regarding the founding of a religion, or restricting the freedom of it’s people to freely practice their faith, which is why people like this gentleman in Washington can say the things that he says. If he were in Saudi Arabia or any other Muslim country, he would probably been arrested and if not murdered, “reeducated”. This is just typical of the rampant intolerance of all things Non-Christian, where as Christians are always told to be tolerant and to have a look the other way mentality. I don’t think this is equal treatment under the law, and wish we could all just let people live their faith, and let others live their faith or no faith as they choose.

— Eddie E. Aug 29, 05:08 PM #
In response to: @Robert K: I’m offended that I have to pay taxes to support federal funding of ANTI-faith-based groups – like Planned Parenthood – working towards purposes that I consider immoral.

— p Aug 29, 06:57 PM #
the U.S. has done a pretty good job at not mixing religion and politics but everyone favorite president has made it an issue. blame Bush for most people current beliefs on why separation of state and religion is needed. plan parenthood is not wrong having a kid to neglect or not raise properly is wrong.

— Jonathan Cummings Sep 4, 12:56 PM #

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