<div>Absolute certainty in a belief that if someone does not believe in God, their "eternal soul" is damned forever, renders the "Millions are Good without God" message one that might do great harm, for someone who takes this belief with utmost seriousness and acts accordingly. From this point of view, it is not "benignly worded," but suggests that not believing in God is an acceptable option, when in fact the fate of a persons eternal soul is in jeopardy, if they take the billboard seriously.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Those who argue that religion is not a primary source of problems in our world seem to downplay that if someone takes certain rather incredible yet common religious beliefs seriously, and acts upon them, vandalism, war, bigotry, etc., become reasonable. The aggressive tactics of missionaries (sometimes not calling themselves "missionaries" explicitly) have been and still are defended given the logic that if unbelievers are not converted, their eternal souls are lost; extreme measures are reasonable given this logic. What is the importance of one human biological lifetime compared to the future life of an eternal soul?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>If I really believed with certainty that those who do not believe in God would have their eternal soul damned, I might defend vandalizing a billboard with a message suggesting that not believing in God is acceptable, as a form of "civil disobedience," a moral duty, even if illegal and risking penalties from the justice system of the State.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I'm not sure what Thoreau would think about a billboard vandalized due to religious principles:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>From Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," available online in total at the website below:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy <i>is </i>worse than the evil. <i>It</i> makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and <i>do</i> better than it would have them?" </div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong><font color="#000066" size="6" face="Garamond">Civil Disobedience - Part 1 of 3</font></strong> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil1.html">http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil1.html</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>------------------------------------------</div>
<div>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 6:35 PM, Paul Rumelhart <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:godshatter@yahoo.com">godshatter@yahoo.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex" class="gmail_quote">It's not the fact that it's a little vandalism that is the important<br>point, at least to me. It's the intolerance of such a benignly worded<br>
sign that I find astounding.<br><font color="#888888"><br>Paul<br></font>
<div>
<div></div>
<div class="h5"><br>the lockshop wrote:<br>> "...this is attention Moscow can do without."<br>><br>> While I agree that it's not terribly flattering for Moscow's reputation as<br>> the most left leaning township in Idaho, I hardly see it as anti-crime<br>
> priority #1. After all, what's the worst that might come of the negative<br>> publicity? The American Atheist Assn. won't have it's winter solstice<br>> bachanal in our bustling metropolis? Or, perhaps the ACLU spring fertility<br>
> rite and craft fair will see attendance suffer? I very much doubt it.<br>><br>> If this is the most egregious crime to be reported from our sleepy little<br>> burg to make the internet rounds, I'll be happy to admit that, while I don't<br>
> care for vandalism of any kind, compared to other forms of noteriety we<br>> could be villified for, I'll somehow find a way to come to terms with the<br>> shame.<br>><br>> g<br>> ----- Original Message -----<br>
> From: "Kenneth Marcy" <<a href="mailto:kmmos1@verizon.net">kmmos1@verizon.net</a>><br>> To: <<a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a>><br>> Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:57 PM<br>
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] And Yet, The Saga Continues . . .<br>><br>><br>><br>>> On Thursday 12 November 2009 12:09:48 Tom Hansen wrote:<br>>><br>>>> For a historical aspect of dastardly doings done dirty . . .<br>
>>> <a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Photos/GoodGod.htm" target="_blank">http://www.tomandrodna.com/Photos/GoodGod.htm</a><br>>>><br>>> Following the URL <a href="http://www.americanhumanist.org/" target="_blank">www.americanhumanist.org</a> to their web site, then<br>
>> entering Moscow in the site's Search box, reveals that their site is<br>>> reporting the vandalism Internet-wide. Since this is attention Moscow<br>>> can do without, it behooves local law enforcement personnel to do<br>
>> everything reasonably possible to bring closure to this matter.<br>>><br>>><br>>> Ken<br>>><br>>> =======================================================<br>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>>> <a href="http://www.fsr.net/" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>>> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
>> =======================================================<br>>><br>><br>><br>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>><br>><br>><br>> No virus found in this incoming message.<br>
> Checked by AVG - <a href="http://www.avg.com/" target="_blank">www.avg.com</a><br>> Version: 9.0.707 / Virus Database: 270.14.62/2499 - Release Date: 11/12/09<br>> 06:33:00<br>><br>> =======================================================<br>
> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>> <a href="http://www.fsr.net/" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
> =======================================================<br>><br>><br><br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>
<a href="http://www.fsr.net/" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br>