Darwin Billboard Stolen?

According to the FFRF the "praise Darwin" billboard recently put up in Ohio has been stolen. Here is the press release:


Feb. 17, 2009

A billboard placed in suburban Columbus, Ohio, by the Freedom From Religion Foundation commemorating the Feb. 12 bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth was stolen only two days after it went up, sometime after nightfall on Thursday, Feb. 12.

A local resident of Whitehall noticed the billboard was missing on Friday, and reported its absence to the Foundation over the weekend.

The Foundation had placed the "Praise Darwin: Evolve Beyond Belief" billboard on East Main and Fountain Lane, Columbus, on Feb. 11, in response to the refusal of the White Hall City Council to adopt a Darwin Day proclamation proposed by city council representative Jacqueline Thompson.

The billboard site is technically in Columbus, so the theft was reported to Columbus police yesterday. The theft is a misdemeanor. Police will be checking videos by local businesses.

The Foundation has been tangling with Whitehall Mayor John Wolfe over the city's unlawful Christian display every December. The mayor had dismissed state/church critics as "atheists, antagonists and a minority," and in public comments had proclaimed that the United States is a "Christian nation."

"It appears the mayor's attitude has encouraged a license against free speech and free thought," said Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor. "It took a lot of gall--and a very long ladder--in order for a lawbreaker to climb up and rip off our fully-illuminated banner," she noted.

"Our pro-Darwin billboard will be back in Whitehall sometime next week," said Dan Barker, Foundation co-president.

What's "amazing," Gaylor added, is that the same billboard message has been up unmolested for several weeks in Dayton, Tenn., and Dover, Penn., where emotions still run high over their respective classroom battles over teaching evolution.

"Yet when locals in Dayton wanted to respond, they rented a billboard for their creationist views. They didn't suppress our speech or vandalize our property. That's much classier than what happened in Whitehall," said Gaylor. "And," she quipped, "a 'war of the billboards' is good stimulus for the economy!"

The Foundation, the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics), has 13,600 members nationwide, and 300 members in Ohio.

This year not only marks the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth, but also the 150th anniversary of the release of Origin of Species, Darwin's seminal work on evolution.

A challenge to believers; How seriously do you take your claims?

I've always wondered why so few believers seem to take their beliefs seriously. I've met many Christians who say they "believe the bible 100%." However, none of them even attempt to follow the advice of Jesus. They don't sell all their belongings, for one thing.

When I ask them, they all say they agree with Jesus. They all agree that Jesus' statement that it's more difficult for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle is accurate... but they all seek money. They have jobs. They try to get promotions. They buy big screen televisions and Nintendo Wiis and every material thing I can imagine.

They don't seem to take Jesus' claim that faith can move mountains seriously either. When they need to move a mountain they hire mountain movers... metaphorically speaking of course.

What about Jesus' claim that when any two Christians get together and ask for something they get it? "Ask and ye shall recieve?"

As a member of the ACA recently pointed out there must be a lot of selfish Christians out there. Any two of them could end hunger, end the exploitation of children, end war. Of course we all know this isn't true. The bible is just wrong on this. The strange part is that Christians don't take that seriously though. Why don't they care that the bible is wrong? Why doesn't it bother them?

Those are a few of the really straight-forward claims. I'm also wondering about the implications of their beliefs.

Occasionally a crazy person will kill his or her children and say "I sent them to heaven." Nobody takes them seriously... but why not?

Theists... do you not believe these children are in heaven? If so, what did these people do wrong?

I understand you might say "suicide is a sin" but I'm not talking about suicide. I'm talking about kids who were killed. There was no choice. Didn't the parent accomplish their goal? Sure, the parent might go to hell in your view... unless they ask for forgiveness according to some of you... or whatever criteria your church has for getting in.

But the point stands. The kids got to heaven.

And you believe if someone kills you that you will go to heaven too, right?

So why shouldn't I kill you? Wouldn't I be doing you a favor?

You might say "but I'll miss my family."

No problem, I'll kill them too.

And since you will not need your stuff any more, can I have it?