American Atheists Removes Religious Billboards from Charlotte

Aren't these threats considered a hate crime? Shouldn't the FBI be getting involved?

A few years back The Atheist Station in Pennsylvania was shut down after townspeople repeatedly damaged the building - including shooting bullets through the walls & windows. I don't understand why this wasn't investigated as a hate crime. Can someone explain this to me?

Here's a short video on the attacks they had to deal with at The Atheist Station - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or1PrgLqWns

Good move to remove the billboards. And even better move would be to use better judgment next time. The negative messages on those billboards might have set the atheist movement back 10 years. See the other thread's comments about this...

The only thing that removing them proves is we can be bullied.

We got our money back from the billboard company and we got enormous exposure from national media including Fox News.  My theory is that all secular activity from the very confrontational but non-violent to positive working with the religious on ethical causes of shared value are positive.  The confrontational actions will get a push back.. However, the example from the GLBT movement is that it works.  At one time I was deeply opposed to Act Up, a very confrontational GLBT group.  I changed my mind when I saw that their actions made a big difference.  We need to act up for our cause.  These billboards did that. 

In the best of all worlds these billboards would not have come down.  We would be able to get the message out without any threats.  However, we live in the world we have.  An given the world we have this is an extremely effective action to move in the right direction.

First let me say i lean more toward not beliving .

Second after a few stories i have a lot of questions.Non you non belivers or church people can answer either.

Let me address the billboards.Why promote hate for others because of what they believe.

What does that make you? I don't hate belivers or non belivers.

Now for reason to wonder about death and what happens.

watch this kid.There is something out there that we don't fully understand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JBPakPKznY

From the age of 18 months little James Leininger was obsessed with airplanes, especially World War II airplanes. After a while he also began to have nightmares about being shot down and unable to escape his burning cockpit.

Every now and then the boy James would give his confused parents more details. He said that he used to fly a "Corsair" from the deck of a boat called "Natoma", that he had known a guy on the boat named "Jack Larson", and that his own name had been, as now, James. He also said that he had been shot down "by the Japanese" over the sea.

His down-to-Earth Christian parents, Bruce and Andrea, were absolute non-believers in reincarnation. In fact, James' father began to do some research into the Second World War just to prove to himself that none of this could be true. However, Bruce was bemused to find that there had been a US Navy carrier called the Natoma Bay which was involved in the battle for Iwo Jima.

Moreover, Bruce found that one of the carrier's pilots had indeed been called James. And this Lt. James M. Huston had been shot down by the Japanese on the 3rd of March, 1945, his flaming fighter plane hurtling into the Pacific. There is a reference to his grave here at findagrave.com.

There was one apparent anomaly. Little James always insisted he had flown a Corsair, the Navy's premier fighter, but Lt. Huston had been shot down in an FM-2 Wildcat plane. Bruce ordered Huston's military service records and found out that before joining the VC-81 squadron aboard the Natoma Bay, Huston had been part of VF-301, an elite squadron of pilots put together to figure out how to fly the Corsair from aircraft carriers. Once he completed his service with that squadron, Lt. Huston was moved to VC-81 on Natoma Bay. This was only about 4 months before he was killed.

And remember that young James L. spoke of a crew member named "Jack Larson"? Well there was indeed a crew member of that name. And this Jack Larson is still alive today. He remembers the moment when his buddy James died: he had been in formation next to Huston when the latter was shot down.

explain it 

http://www.reversespins.com/proofofreincarnation.html 

<p>I beleive that there is a greater purpose beyond our ability to comprehend. I don't know if this allows for me to be an Atheist or not. I'm willing to consider that the Universe is "God" and Life is "magic", along with sufficiently advanced technology. I agree completely with the intent of the messages, but not their implementation. When facing an opponent with both superior numbers and resources, guerrilla tactics are required. Use word play, and find funny ways to poke fun without being cynical. Skepticism isn't proof of cynicism. Focus on sixteen to thirty year old people. Also, I realize the billboards were meant to be, well, direct, but a billboard saying "If you believe in a literal view of the Bible why don't you have Christmas around September?" But I also agree we should all have right to say anything we want. I half agree with BradHart. Instead of pulling them change them to say "Ad removed due to Cains' kind of brotherly love!"</p>

Hello, everyone! In my neck of the woods there are several religiously themed billboards that Atheists should find objectionable and just plain obnoxious. Smug and smarmy, they let everyone know whose territory they're in. I thought the USA was was every American's territory not just the Christian fundies'! A bastion of bigotry and superstition, North Carolina is exactly the kind of place our American Atheists billboards need to go up. Dave Silverman said American Atheists is the Marines of the Freethought Movement and if the fundies mess with us they'll have to deal with us! So far in NC we couldn't fight our way out of a wet paper bag.

I joined American Atheist yesterday and made a small donation to start. I must say I am disappointed American Atheist would cower to this pressure. Very disappointing.

Thought I was donating to a group who would stand up and fight. Maybe there's more to the story to which I am not privy. If so I think it's important that members are aware of the details.

  Well the religious right won again.   The very reason american athiest was founded was thrown out the door.  We bowed to the gods.   American athiest was formed to fight this very issue . Iam a farely new member to this organization , and right now iam mad as hell at the leadership .  I was about to donate , but after reading this article I will not now or never donate money again to american athiest,  Teresa is " sadden" that our freedom of speech has  been censored???    What were you hired for?  I think you and the rest of the leadership was hired to fight the very thing you all wimped out on. All civil rights organizations has been threatened with harm, death, etc etc.  Look at how many people have died and went to jail unfairly for speaking out.  If you cannot take the pressure or the insults or the possible violence or other possible actions that might come from fighten for civil rights, then I think the leadership needs to find someone else who can.