Atheist ad goes up on Billy Graham Parkway

[Big Don]

Atheist ad goes up on Billy Graham Parkway

Published: June 24, 2010 at 4:09 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 24 (UPI EXCERPT) -- An atheists organization says it rented a billboard on a Charlotte, N.C., street named after the most famous U.S. evangelist strictly for economic reasons.

The Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics ad appeared over Billy Graham Parkway Monday and will be up for four weeks, The Charlotte Observer said. William Warren, a spokesman for the group, said the location was chosen because two other possibilities near the interstate were too expensive and a third billboard would have been seen by fewer people in the heart of the Bible Belt.

"We got more bang for our buck there," Warren said of the parkway.

The billboard and others going up around the state are part of a July 4 campaign by the N.C. Secular Association
END EXCERPT
Have your opinion. Just don't be an *** about it.

 

[girlbug2]

Eh. Is this supposed to be controversial?

 

[MBuzzy]

Yeah, I don't see the problem. What does the street name have to do with anything? Does Billy Graham get approval of all the buildings too?

 

[Omar B]

I'm sure someone will complain. I don't see a problem.

 

[Marginal]

Have your opinion. Just don't be an *** about it.

So they'd have to act better than Billy Graham?

 

[geezer]

So they'd have to act better than Billy Graham?

Wait a minute, Marginal... of all the tele-evangelists, ol' Billy was about as respectable as it gets. He even apologized for his hawkish position on the Vietnam War. Agree or disagree, that indicates integrity, que no? Anyway, other than being mildly ironic, I see no issue in the location of the billboard.

 

[Marginal]

Wait a minute, Marginal... of all the tele-evangelists, ol' Billy was about as respectable as it gets. He even apologized for his hawkish position on the Vietnam War. Agree or disagree, that indicates integrity, que no? Anyway, other than being mildly ironic, I see no issue in the location of the billboard.

I dunno... His Nixon tape comments don't paint him in the best light.

 

[MBuzzy]

It's still just a road name....are they going to complain about EVERYTHING that they don't agree with on that road?

 

[Andrew Green]

Placement is everything, this got them a lot of additional free coverage by news agencies. Smart marketing.

 

[David43515]

It's still just a road name....are they going to complain about EVERYTHING that they don't agree with on that road?

As far as I can tell, nobody has complained about anything. I think a local news agency just noted the irony of it and the UPI picked it up. Unfortunately, we "religious nuts" aren`t nearly as thin-skinned and intolerant as people often assume. Must have been a slow news day.

Of course having looked at a photo of the billboard in the article, I would never have thought that the message was any kind of pro-athiest theme. It`s a large American flag with the words "One Nation, Indevisable" on it. (The pledge of allegance w/o the words "under God"). Isn`t that the way everyone says it now?

 

[RandomPhantom700]

Much ado about nothing. Don't really see how the spokesman was being an ***, either. "Bang for our buck" is, by now, a pretty standard phrase for most worth it.

 

[Tez3]

Much ado about nothing. Don't really see how the spokesman was being an ***, either. "Bang for our buck" is, by now, a pretty standard phrase for most worth it.

We've even heard of that expression though it causes laughs as 'bang' has a different connotation here for example a gangbang is an orgy, gangbangers isn't a phrase used here for gang members either

If anyone was expecting an aethiest v religious types argument here, I'm thinking it's not going to happen

 

[RandomPhantom700]

We've even heard of that expression though it causes laughs as 'bang' has a different connotation here for example a gangbang is an orgy, gangbangers isn't a phrase used here for gang members either

If anyone was expecting an aethiest v religious types argument here, I'm thinking it's not going to happen

Well yeah, the literal meaning of "bang" in the phrase is obvious. I just meant that the phrase itself has become so commonly used as to lose all disrespect or shock value.

And I agree, I've always been a bit confused about our using the term "gang banger" for gang members.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Well yeah, the literal meaning of "bang" in the phrase is obvious. I just meant that the phrase itself has become so commonly used as to lose all disrespect or shock value.

And I agree, I've always been a bit confused about our using the term "gang banger" for gang members.

It may be 'obvious' but according to the late William Safire, it was not what many people think it is:

http://micurl.com/DGmzzt

He said Defense Secretary Charles Wilson used it first in the 1950's with reference to the Defense budget as producing literally a bigger 'bang' for the buck, meaning value for money spent.

If it was based on a historical reference to something less polite, it might be phrased 'more bangs for the buck', as that would make more sense grammatically.

 

[crushing]

I think more bangs v. more bang is the different between quantity and quality.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I think more bangs v. more bang is the different between quantity and quality.

Then it would be 'better bang for the buck', not 'more bang'. More is quantitative, better is qualitative.

 

[Tez3]

Well, exactly what I was thinking nudge nudge wink wink.

Continuing the double entendres we don't have 'bucks' in the same manner as you so the phrase more bang for your buck doesn't mean much here, doesn't stop the City types using the expression though it sounds silly when they say it. We just say 'you get more for your money'.

 

[Nomad]

Atheist ad goes up on Billy Graham Parkway

Published: June 24, 2010 at 4:09 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 24 (UPI EXCERPT) -- An atheists organization says it rented a billboard on a Charlotte, N.C., street named after the most famous U.S. evangelist strictly for economic reasons.

The Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics ad appeared over Billy Graham Parkway Monday and will be up for four weeks, The Charlotte Observer said. William Warren, a spokesman for the group, said the location was chosen because two other possibilities near the interstate were too expensive and a third billboard would have been seen by fewer people in the heart of the Bible Belt.

"We got more bang for our buck there," Warren said of the parkway.

The billboard and others going up around the state are part of a July 4 campaign by the N.C. Secular Association
END EXCERPT
Have your opinion. Just don't be an *** about it.

I'm all in favor of irony, and think this is a nice example of it (atheist ad on Billy Graham parkway). Controversy? Not so much here. Being an *** about it? Don't really see that either.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Now why can't we hear this....

Baptist/Luthern/Catholic congreation goes up to the American Athiest organization and puts giant ad right beside their building!

Now that would be something.

Hey, and ... Muslim congreation goes up to the American Athiest organization and puts giant ad right beside their building!

Now THAT would really scare them!

Deaf

 

[David43515]

Now why can't we hear this....

Baptist/Luthern/Catholic congreation goes up to the American Athiest organization and puts giant ad right beside their building!

Now that would be something.

Hey, and ... Muslim congreation goes up to the American Athiest organization and puts giant ad right beside their building!

Now THAT would really scare them!

Deaf

It WOULD be funny, but people already see anyone with a religious point of view as being pushy and overbearing.