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Church signs in your face every day ?

I've long been annoyed at having to see so many proselytizing church signs erected just feet away from the state highways that I drive every day . So many of them ... they're all so , so , so ridiculous.

To me it's just a constant reminder that there are religious forces of diabolical intents constantly at work , trying to sabotage any hopes of the people of the community to grow up and live a life free of religiously imposed thinking disorders . Should these proselytizing signs be considered to be unconstitutionally violating the rights of people to drive on State highways without having religious rhetoric imposed upon them ?

Scottzillyun 6 July 13
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23 comments

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5

Not really. Keep in mind that banning religious messages displayed in places where they are visible to all could easily backfire with a ban on secular messages as well. I realize that's a bit extreme, but If I want them to respect my rights, then I must respect theirs. The problem rests more in what we call rights than in the messages displayed.

The messages they put up on their own property and those they pay to have put up are not a problem when it comes to my rights. Remember, I have the right not to read them, just as they have the right not to read ours. Our concerns for such matters should be related to that separation of church and state.

If you want to have some fun, rent a billboard for your own message. Make it in good taste, but really offensive. See how that goes over.

3

I've become religiously jaded to the point of being annoyed not just with the signs in your face but the symbols also - as in people who have to wear their necklaces with the letter 't', ugh ...

3

I have six churches that I have to pass using any of the main roads in my area. So, yes, I also comprehend the frustration.

@Storybook Yes, you ARE being watched, behave damn you.

2

Sometimes I wish atheists would take out billboards as well so I could feel less supressed lol

We should do that ...it could start a civil war though , ha !

2

I don’t pay any attention to them. I have better things in my life that’s worth worrying about and taking notice of.

What if everyone had that attitude about everything thats wrong with the world ?
Everything would go unaddressed wouldnt it ?
Like it actually pretty much does .
There would be chaos ...like there is !
Of course , none of us can deal with every ugly thing we see but we should be a participant in the world we live in and help create shouldnt we ?
Can we realistically do that without practicing awareness ?

@Scottzillyun I see your point indeed, but religion isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I see this as Resident Evil world where mostly everyone is infected with the T-virus. Christ-virus in this case. But I do see your point, though.

2

I usually pay close attention to them, I find it Extreamly amusing when you see someone paying for a bilboard in as a or a hilarious accident. It restores my "faith" in humanity.

That has got to be Texas! I lived there briefly, and in the area, you would see Jesus signs before porn shop signs and after firework shop signs.

Lmfao wtf! What is Jesus doing on the Devil’s territory? Jesus is truly a perv! Let adults be adults in fulfill their needs of having a sex drive.

2

I don't care or bother, never complained of a burger king sign either. Not annoyed by street signs or stop signs. Not my church.... not bothered.

2

I recognize the right of free speech but since I live in the Houston area, I too feel better bombarded with mega churches. I feel a better use can be found for these huge structures. And they don't pay taxes.

2

I hate them too. And where I live they're everywhere. I don't know if I would go so far as to think of them as unconstitutional or have it be illegal, as long as other religions or signs arguing against religion are also permitted.

I think that in the bible belt that challenging the ' special privileges' of the dominant cults would meet resistance , subtle at first and then escalating to whatever level of violence was deemed necessary to maintain ' special privileges ' ?

2

The 2nd church sign I see every day is a lifesize billboard of a bloody Jesus hanging on a cross ...do children need to see that ?

Maybe you can hire someone to visit the sign with spray paint?

1

I get offended when every time I see a new one driving down the road I remind myself NONE of them any taxes!

Daa666 Level 3 July 18, 2018
1

Thank God I live in the UK . . . . . . . . . . . .. .(sorry couldn't resist the pun)

Shaved Level 5 July 14, 2018
1

I don’t pay attention to them, I see them as no different than ads for restaurants, tourist attractions, stores, etc that I am not interested in.

PDF Level 5 July 14, 2018
1

I seldom pay attention to them.

1

Fortunately we don't get too many along the roadside in Victoria Australia, don't know about the other states but I doubt it. I have to share one classic on a road I regularly take with you all "Jesus' Second Coming is as certain as his first" - well, in the words of the old Diana Ross and The Supremes song..."I'm Still Waiting..."

1

No. I don't care for them either, but restrictions on speech are a slippery slope. Get over it.

1

No, they are protected as free expression. Overly protected, in fact, here in 'Murica. I don't even register them anymore, though. They are of no consequence.

1

I live in a small town with like 42 churches. I understand your frustration.

Etre Level 7 July 14, 2018
1

I would think so. Maybe someone can start a petition drive to get a law passed.

1

Yes, I'd say it violates our constitutional rights. Imagine if dozens of other religions had billboards up by the highways, promoting their mythology. Which might be what needs to happen so that Christians are forced to lose their special privileges.

Exactly !

How does it violate constitutional rights?

@PDF Well, I'd say that freedom of speech ends when threats begin. So I should be able to travel the roadways (that I pay for with taxes) without having giant messages on the roadside that indirectly threaten to torture me. You might say "they don't threaten, they just say 'turn to Jesus' or something nice like that". But that message inherently conveys "...or else you'll burn in hell!"

You might say I'm exaggerating. Well what if the billboard said "make sure you pay Tony Mobboss the protection fees!" That's not a direct threat either. But that message inherently conveys "...or else his goons will beat you with bats and toss you in the river!" Now you might see my point more clearly.

It's our constitutional right to travel public roads without being threatened by torture.

@DustinFL that’s quite a stretch. The first amendment doesn’t cover private property like that (which is where the signs are) and I very much doubt this would fall under the “Fighting words Doctrine” from Chaplinsky v New Hampshire. I just don’t pay attention to the signs any more than I do the signs for Taco Bell or Walmart.

@PDF I know the court would rule against it, as they did in Snyder v. Phelps, 562 U.S. 443 (2011), but I still think it shouldn't be allowed. I also think it qualifies as "False statements of fact", but that would get thrown out too.

Well I guess that tells how much it violates constitutional rights.

Not necessarily. You and I both know that the messages often contain false statements of fact. Just because the judge doesn't want to be chastised for disrespecting the "christian nation" and rules that claims of real life fairy tales are NOT false statements of fact, doesn't mean that our rights as described in the constitution are not violated. It just means a judge won't dare be honest about it.

Sure

The US Supreme Court justices are currently five Catholics, three Jews, and one Episcopalian on the bench. So they all believe in magic, and are certainly going to avoid any ruling that declares religious teachings false claims of truth.

0

Thanks everybody for your thoughts on this topic.
I'll try to clarify and expand somewhat . Firstly, I feel very , very Anarchistically inclined these days . So , no , I have little more respect or reverence
for ' the state ' as it exists than I do for the ruthless fairy tale religions themselves . So , I guess when ya have no respect for either it's hard to feel obliged to obey the rules or wishes of either . To be frankly honest , over the last few years I struggle with having given up on humanity VS really not wanting to do that ! It doesn't help that there's also a simultaneous struggle against giving up on notions of meaningful personal relationships as well and feeling that much of the perceived necessity for doing that appears to be due to the socially disruptive influences of the Theocratic combinations of the State and the religious cults upon the culture , local especially , but in culture's expanded dimensions as well . Personally , I generally see religions as psychological , personal and political predation
and I think that this is scientifically provable , as much as these sorts of things are provable through common sense , historical data , expert analysis , etc . Well beyond any reasonable doubt ! What's the solution ? I think there's likely not one except to vent about it occasionally, because of people being what modern people generally are ...selfish , shallow , busy , compromised . Are these millions of signs , hanging there everyday , of consequence ? I think that certainly they are influential and coercive to vulnerable minds , to persons being inclined to assimilate into what they are being sold as ' social norms ' . The imposed signs attempt to subliminally and directly plant thoughts of familiarity of cult values , dogma , doctrine , to lure socially deprived persons to seek real-world socialising in the most advertised social clubs in the community ... otherwise , options are few in the cult controlled community ! Churchian road signs are just one aspect of the cult's psychological impositions , yes , there are other methods , local radio , tv , press , etc . One can ignore that fine print and tune out those stations but one can't ' not know ' that these millions of large print roadway signs are 30 feet from involuntary traffic are attempts at proselytizing vulnerable human beings into a massive , destructive cult that ultimately combines to wage barbarous wars on other cults all over the world just as a matter of territorialism determined solely by their imaginary deity . Of course individuals should have our rights to free speech but these institutions are ' not ' individuals !

0

They are only preaching to the converted. I don’t even notice them.

0

The small signs and marquee signs give me something to laugh/scoff at while I'm driving. The insanely oversized crosses like the one next to I70 near the Illinois-Indiana border that annoy me.

Alas they are all protected by the 1st amendment here in the U.S. and we're all free to annoy or make fools of ourselves thanks to it.

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