Ok, so first we had a car dealership giving out guns with a car purchase. That I could certainly handle. This I definitely cannot abide. Now, in the interest of disclosure, I will say that I am spiritual but not religious. I also have no tolerance for bigots of any stripe. Does that make me intolerant? Maybe, maybe not, but I don't think that ignorant nuts should be tolerated in the first place, especially when they are trying to impose their ignorant beliefs on the rest of us who still use our brains. Case in point.
This car dealership in California is advertising on the basis of telling a segment of the population to shut up. Let's be honest, if you advertised a product telling an ethnic group or better yet a Christian group to shut up, you would probably not stay in business long. But since it is just atheists, apparently it is alright for them to tell them to shut up. Is it Freedom of Speech for them? It sure is; they have the right to say it, but they should also live with the consequences like getting denounced for their ignorance and bigotry. No, I am not giving the car dealer any link, but if you follow the link to the story, you can find other links there if so moved.
By the way, the advertisement is throwing out the following number: "But did you know that 86% of Americans say they believe in God?" The number probably comes from this old Gallup Poll (only reason I used that link is it has an actual document facsimile.). Other similar polls from Fox News and Harris I found on a quick search. Of course, the arrogant assumption on the part of people like that car dealer is that the 86% all believe in his brand of "God." I am sure that Jews, Catholics, and even Muslims may have questions about the number given their belief in God as well (in case anyone wonders, "Allah" is the Arabic word for, you guessed it, "God," and yes it is the same "God of Abraham, Isaac. . ." etc.). Now personally, I am very much live and let live, but this kind of b.s. is the stuff that gives organized religion a bad name. And then those people have the gall to complain that some more intelligent people look down on them. Maybe if you stopped acting like bigoted idiots and had a clue, not to mention stopped using alienating advertising, some of us might hold a more charitable view. The scary thing? That the ad may actually be effective for them and a lot of people will go buy their car on that basis. I don't know who is worse: the dealer for promoting his jingoistic arrogance or the people who enable it.
Found via Pharyngula. By the way, this comment by SC over at Pharyngula's says a lot of what I am thinking nicely: "Ah, the courage to speak out on behalf of the overwhelming majority to seek to silence the minority. . . ." Well, at least for now, this minority is not staying silent. And I am sure others won't either. Sure, I understand it is a private business, the whole "they can do what they want." I am sure a lot of other people can do what they want as well and buy their cars someplace else too.
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