Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Battle of the Bus Slogans:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_07-2008_12_13.shtml#1228935725
From the [1]Washington Post
The American Humanist Association [ran] ads [in November] on 200
Metrobuses, feature a Christmasy motif and the text "Why believe in
a god? Just be good for goodness' sake."
The ads offended some people who believe you can't -- or shouldn't
-- spell "goodness" without "godness." WMATA received about 250
letters and e-mails decrying the ads, twice as many as praised
them. "May all your atheist buses break down!" read one irate
message....
[A rival group will now be running another set of ads, which] will
feature the familiar Sistine Chapel image of God's finger reaching
out to Adam along with the words "Why Believe? Because I created
you and I love you, for goodness' sake. -- God." ...
The organizer of the latter campaign reports that she started the
campaign because she is "so tired of God and religion being attacked."
I'm all for people expressing their views on these subjects,
especially in a polite form, as they seem to be doing. To be sure,
some people are inherently offended by any criticism of religion, but
I don't see why avoiding offense to them should be a goal of polite
people who want to express themselves on this important topic. The
most they can be expected to do, it seems to me, is express themselves
without name-calling and personal insults.
This having been said, it's hard to imagine much persuasion going on
here. To be sure, the irreligious and the religious will feel some
sense of validation from the ads that they support them, and will feel
encouraged to express their own views. But even this strikes me as
likely to be a pretty modest effect in D.C., where both the
irreligious and the religious are doubtless aware that there are many
people who share their views. (In places where a group is likely to
feel more isolated, public statements that support the group's views
may well embolden its members to speak up, though public criticism of
those statements might have the opposite effect.)
Thanks to [2]Religion Clause for the pointer.
References
1.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/08/AR2008120803404.html?hpid=sec-religion
2. http://religionclause.blogspot.com/
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