By: William Hamby
There's a rampant crime spree going on in America. You won't hear about it
through most media sources, and you aren't likely to hear anyone calling it what
it really is: a Christian crime spree. But that's a very accurate
description.
Over the last few years, various atheist and skeptic groups have started
posting billboards, banners, and other advertisements all over the country. In
response, many Christians are taking it upon themselves to steal or deface them.
The most recent incident was in Virginia, where a
Freedom from Religion Foundation banner was stolen. The press
release title is telling: "Another FFRF solstice banner disappears." All told,
FFRF placed 12 banners in December 2012. Five of them were stolen or vandalized.
(That's 42%.)
Another atheist group in Roanoke, Va, placed four signs.
Two of them were vandalized. In May of last year, an American
Atheists billboard made it
one
day before it was vandalized. A Fresno, CA atheist billboard lasted
all
of three days. This kind of thing has happened in North Carolina,
New Jersey and
Portland, to name a few.
Of course, the public is outraged, right? Freedom of speech is sacred, right?
Well, maybe not so much. In fact, if the media and blogosphere are to be
believed, it's the atheists' fault for speaking something so unspeakable. The
idea that there are atheists out there who would dare to mention their beliefs?
Intolerable.
Said one
blogger,
Never would I encourage vandalism, but in this case I think I’ll let it
slide. Atheists have been vandalizing my beliefs for years, so it’s about time
the shoe was on the other foot...
The best part of this whole situation, though, is that these secular
billboards were part of a Fourth of July project that placed similar ads in
Greensboro, Raleigh and a handful of other cities – and it totally backfired.
They underestimated their demographic, and because the vandalism occurred days
before the Fourth, no one could service the billboard until after the holiday.
It’s the small victories in life that make it all worthwhile.
Let's get a few things on the table from the start. Vandalism is a crime.
Theft is a crime. In fact, theft is specifically prohibited by the Ten
Commandments. Nevertheless, when it's atheists who are the victims of these
crimes, there is little or no sympathy, and sometimes the criminals even get TV
time. After vandalizing a sign in Pennsylvania in front of news cameras, a young
man
had this to say:
“I just think in the light of the elementary school massacre in Connecticut,
that we shouldn’t be divided as a country over petty stuff like is there a God
or isn’t there a God,” McDonald reportedly said. “If they wanted to put the sign
down here with us, that’s fine because we’re united. But to put it above
everybody? No, it’s symbolic."
Three days after this criminal act, the authorities had made no efforts to
bring the criminal to justice. It appears that as of this writing, no charges
have been filed and there has been no arrest despite concrete evidence of both
the crime and the perpetrator.
Here's something else to put in the open. We have every reason to believe
these are all (or mostly) Christians perpetrating these crimes. In the previous
example, it's obvious, but in other cases, we have to ask, "Who else would it
be?" Who else has a reasonable motive to attack atheists in particular?
Christianity is, after all, the overwhelming majority religion in America, and
no other religious group has been as openly hostile to atheists.
In response to this observation, there will inevitably be cries of injustice
from "moderate" Christians. (Think about that for a second. Christians will be
upset at atheists for pointing out that Christians are committing crimes against
us.) These protests are red herrings, as usual. It is patently obvious that
all Christians are not committing crimes against atheists. In the first
place, there aren't enough billboards to go around. In the second, nearly all of
us atheists know and are friends with Christians who accept our views. We know
it's not all Christians. But it is some Christians.
Finally, let's admit that regardless of legal hair-splitting, these are hate
crimes. They are crimes committed by people who hate our views and even hate us
so much that they take it upon themselves to prevent other people from hearing
our voices. The existence of Christian hate for atheists is so well documented
at this point that there ought to be no need for justification. Nevertheless, we
would be remiss if we didn't remind readers of the
inexcusable
treatment of Jessica Ahlquist. Or the
litany
of abuses hurled at atheists during the 9/11 Memorial lawsuit. There are a
lot of Christians who hate atheists. It is surely these Christians who have also
resorted to crime in the name of Jesus.
Fortunately, there is a bright silver lining to this crime wave. In a
nutshell, the Christians are proving us right. Every time an atheist billboard
is defaced or stolen, a Christian is proving not only that (s)he is hatefully
intolerant of atheists, but that (s)he is willing to commit crimes in the name
of Jesus. In the days before the internet, Christians -- especially in rural
areas -- could oppress and discriminate with near impunity, and no one would be
the wiser. Today, we are watching and taking notes.
Each act of vandalism also gives us atheists the chance to take the moral
high ground. There are countless Christian billboards, posters, marquis, and
other displays all over the country, and today as always, they are virtually
unmolested. If atheists were in the business of perpetrating hate crimes against
Christians, it would be noticed. Do we really believe that Bill O'Reilly or Sean
Hannity would pass up the opportunity to publicize an "atheist crime wave?"
Given their penchant for exaggeration and even fabrication, it's even more
telling that no such accusations are brought forth. There simply isn't enough
actual atheist vs. Christian crime to make even a flimsy case.
Of course, there are occasional exceptions to this rule. Atheist vandalism
does happen from time to time, and when it does, the atheist community soundly
condemns the vandals, and raises funds to repair the damaged property. As of
this writing, a thorough Google search could find no similar Christian fund to
repair atheist billboards. One is forced to wonder if this is the reason no
Christian pundits are rushing to allege an atheist crime wave. Perhaps they know
that in doing so, they would expose their own crime wave as well as "moderate"
Christians' unwillingness to condemn the acts or offer reparations.
This is a win-win situation for atheists. A billboard that escapes assault
conveys our message to the public. A vandalized billboard is also money well
spent. It is a dramatic demonstration of just how marginalized we are, and just
how intolerant many Christians are towards us. We can (and do) generate our own
publicity through social media and blogs. We energize our philosophical brothers
and sisters to continue the work of social change. We become more convinced that
our work is necessary.
The time has passed when Christians could bully us with impunity. No longer
will we sulk silently into a corner for fear of further reprisal. We are a
powerful community, and we are gaining strength. It is this power that frightens
many Christians, and some are resorting to crime in the name of their god. This
is a victory for us, for only the powerless resort to such base acts. These
vandals are aware that they can no longer expect our silent complicity in their
religious culture, and all they can manage to do is pester us with petty theft
and spray cans. We will continue to display our billboards, and whether they let
them stand or tear them down, it is we who are winning this culture war.
Amen!
Original.
