An Easter Message Of Reason

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-30 10:49am

WFTV.com wrote:Business Owners, Customers Upset Over Controversial Billboard

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- It looked harmless enough, but the words on a billboard un-nerved so many people that a popular restaurant nearby actually lost business.

The billboard was on Colonial Drive near the Old Cheney Highway. Although the popular Straub's Seafood restaurant often advertises on it, this wasn't their billboard. The sign was taken down after Channel 9 started asking questions.

The billboard came down around 4:00 Friday afternoon and nearby business owners are relieved. Straub's restaurant can replace the sign with the night's specials.

At first glance the sign looked like a children's cartoon, but the message next to the fairy princess stirred emotions.

"When you condemn all religions and say they are a fairytale that is wrong," said Rich Stormes, a nearby business owner.

The billboard went up a week before Easter and business at the restaurant went down.

"Easter Sunday is usually a busy good day," said John Russel, an employee at Straub's. "Easter Sunday business was down by two thirds."

Since it's so close, John Russel's customers thought the restaurant paid for the billboard. To clear any confusion up, Russel put up a sign of his own and called MediaNet, the company who owns the billboard.

"It's been causing us some problem. I think it's causing a bit of controversy city wide. People have been contacting the media," Russel added.

MediaNet said it had no idea the sign was there and someone put it up illegally in the middle of the night.

Nearby business owners said they weren't buying it.

"They should have known what was going up on the billboard. He should proof it. He had to proof it," Stormes stated.

The billboard rents for $1,400 a month. If an anti-religious group paid to rent it legitimately there is not telling how long it would have been up.

Orange County does not regulate messages on billboards. They are protected by free speech.

Yeah. Theists are a tad insecure.

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-03-30 11:06am

How pathetic.

SilverWingedSeraph · Post by **SilverWingedSeraph** » 2008-03-30 11:11am

I fucking love that sign, and I want to put one up myself.

Yes, theists are incredibly insecure. I believe we've established this.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-30 11:14am

Zixinus wrote:How pathetic.

Why? Oh, that's right. We should only allow religious billboards to get off scot free.

Master of Cards · Post by **Master of Cards** » 2008-03-30 11:52am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Zixinus wrote:How pathetic.
Why? Oh, that's right. We should only allow religious billboards to get off scot free.

I think he means that all the theists (and Christians over Easter) getting so worked up over it.

cosmicalstorm · Post by **cosmicalstorm** » 2008-03-30 12:00pm

A better sign would have been:
Religions are fairytales for adults

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2008-03-30 12:09pm

That sign rocks. How were they able to remove that if it was legally paid for?

CaptJodan · Post by **CaptJodan** » 2008-03-30 12:26pm

Score one for SOMEONE in my area being intelligent. And then unscore for all the other asshats who got it taken down.

The irony, of course, is that when you drive the interstates around Orlando (Especially the Florida Turnpike), you get religious signs galore. No one speaks about taking those signs down as they promote one religion over another, but holy shit whoever puts up a sign claiming that religion is bullshit must hang.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2008-03-30 12:28pm

Stas Bush wrote:That sign rocks. How were they able to remove that if it was legally paid for?

It wasn't; the company that owns the billboard said it was put up overnight without their knowledge.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-30 12:28pm

Master of Cards wrote: I think he means that all the theists (and Christians over Easter) getting so worked up over it.

In that case, my bad.

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-03-30 12:29pm

I think he means that all the theists (and Christians over Easter) getting so worked up over it.

Exactly. Nobody bats an eye when a provocative or downright offensive religious massage is shown but when a slight anti-religious massage is, then its it stirs controversy.

That sign rocks. How were they able to remove that if it was legally paid for? Confused

Because politicians that want to feel useful for once ensured it. Or the business owner ensured it. Or whoever rents the billboard ensured it, shit on the law or fairness.

There is the off-hand chance that the billboard is genuinely illegally placed.

Buddha · Post by **Buddha** » 2008-03-30 12:32pm

Some people would want you to think that the story of Siddhartha Gotama was a fairy tale and the character was created from a number of Brahmins. In some ways they might have more reality in their statements than they know, as most of the story of his life is couched in mythic language. This sign is funny at the best.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2008-03-30 12:37pm

Rogue 9 wrote:
Stas Bush wrote:That sign rocks. How were they able to remove that if it was legally paid for?
It wasn't; the company that owns the billboard said it was put up overnight without their knowledge.

Either that or they just said this in order to placate angry business owners and residents in the area.

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-03-30 12:38pm

Some people would want you to think that the story of Siddhartha Gotama was a fairy tale and the character was created from a number of Brahmins.

To who and that what?

Tanasinn · Post by **Tanasinn** » 2008-03-30 12:40pm

Which, to be honest, seems more likely. How exactly could one covertly put up a billboard sign?

Tanasinn · Post by **Tanasinn** » 2008-03-30 12:41pm

Tanasinn wrote:Which, to be honest, seems more likely. How exactly could one covertly put up a billboard sign?

This post is, of course, referring to Darth Wong's post. I didn't expect to get a post caught between. =X

Buddha · Post by **Buddha** » 2008-03-30 12:45pm

Zixinus wrote: To who and that what?

They are saying that ALL RELIGIONS are fairy tales and that would mean ALL religions and not just Christianity.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2008-03-30 01:02pm

Buddha wrote:
Zixinus wrote: To who and that what?
They are saying that ALL RELIGIONS are fairy tales and that would mean ALL religions and not just Christianity.

The various inherited hindu teachings on reincarnation and hilarious birth narrative stuff are obviously fairy tales, to be fair.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-03-30 01:12pm

Buddha wrote:
Zixinus wrote: To who and that what?
They are saying that ALL RELIGIONS are fairy tales and that would mean ALL religions and not just Christianity.

You could have just been less obtuse and flat out said Christians throwing a fit over this sign were being hypocrites. . .

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-03-30 02:01pm

They are saying that ALL RELIGIONS are fairy tales and that would mean ALL religions and not just Christianity.

Yes, and? That was kind of the point.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2008-03-30 02:53pm

$1400 a month.

I'd almost be willing to shell out that much to keep it up for a month.

Stormin · Post by **Stormin** » 2008-03-30 03:24pm

Tanasinn wrote:Which, to be honest, seems more likely. How exactly could one covertly put up a billboard sign?

It's been done plenty of times. Have your sign printed on several rolls of paper and you paste them up during the night with a few friends.

The Vortex Empire · Post by **The Vortex Empire** » 2008-03-30 03:32pm

They should have left it up.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2008-03-30 03:49pm

This was in Florida?

I'm surprised there weren't riots over the thing.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2008-03-30 03:56pm

Frank Hipper wrote:This was in Florida?

I'm surprised there weren't riots over the thing.

Those require young people. Most bigots in Florida are also in their 70s.