Is this picture tasteless?

[Earfetish]

I am an atheist and I think this is a terrible public image to promote, and despite that I laugh at tasteless jokes, I don't think it's appropriate to make them into demotivational posters if you're trying to promote something you believe in

A 'friend' (irl) has this on their Facebook and made it themself, I'll copypaste our discussion about it if this thread is really exciting and alive, or perhaps conversely if it dies

[comicretard]

At 1/27/11 01:25 PM, Earfetish wrote: I am an atheist and I think this is a terrible public image to promote.

What a great way to start the thread.

Do atheists have hopes and dreams?

[Earfetish]

worth saying this isn't the first one he's made with the 'loving God pun / dying child' juxtaposition

[Piggler]

It's all about geographic luck, my boy.

[Earfetish]

At 1/27/11 01:29 PM, Impolite wrote: It's insensitive but I think it's a pretty minor and insignificant thing to get upset about. It gets the point across.

What I said to him was, you can get the same point across in one sentence without using a picture of human suffering and a joke.

ergo:

If God is responsible for your success, then surely he is responsible for the indiscriminate misery of starving African children?

It's because it's set up like a joke and the punchline is starving Africans. And they're not even starving because of religion - there isn't even a tenuous link between the two. It's like 'hahaha they've nothing to thank God about'.

[Catoblepas]

By christian logic; if god is the cause of everything, he gave the African babies AIDS. Didn't give western kids AIDS, so he must love da westeners more WHAT

[GenocidalTendencies]

I've seen a picture exactly like this in the past, needless to say it makes me laugh.

[Earfetish]

Kevin (me):
do you not think it's seriously tasteless to use endless images of human suffering to illustrate the point that God doesn't care

just cos I don't feel when atheists look at these pictures they actually appreciate that they're using an image ...of human suffering for something unrelated to the actual cause of suffering, and therefore don't actually care about the issues that caused this child to starve

and it's not going to convince anyone religious at all, they've all come to terms with the loving God / human suffering dichotomy

anyway yeah I think it's tasteless to throw pictures of starving children about for ideological reasons, unless the ideological reasons relate directly to the child starving

God doesn't care (or exist) but I never feel like the person who creates these 'demotivational photos' cares either, and the juxtaposition between real human misery and what is alleged to be a funny poster with a pun feels really tasteless and a bad public image for atheism

God's not real tho

Ewan
No, I don't think its tasteless. I think its despicable to believe in an all-loving all-powerful god who is supposed to take an interest in human well-being, and yet fails to act again and again, or even to credit such a god for the achieve...ments that mankind has made instead.

"and it's not going to convince anyone religious at all, they've all come to terms with the loving God / human suffering dichotomy" -- you mean, they've come to terms with their hypocrisy rather? But they're still hypocrites. And as long as they spew bullshit from their mouths, I will force them eat it back up from the floor.

And this poster makes a fucking good point. If its tasteless showing images of starving children, then I find it 10 times more insulting to humanity in believing that an all-loving god loves us.

Its wish-thinking. I find religion to be a dis...ease, a plague, a slime that (seemingly only infects human beings.

(more posts, mutual friend who is more religiously-tolerant agreeing with me, Ewan claiming they're missing the point)

Kevin:
What do you think a religious person would think about atheists if they saw this picture? Do you think it might enhance their view of us as people with no defined moral compass, for instance?

The issue is not about whether you view the disc...ordant thinking of Britney Spears as more tasteless as this. The fact is, this is set up like a joke and is supposed to be at least mildly funny, but is pointing and laughing at human misery. The punchline to this 'joke' is that children are starving in Africa, and the person in the last picture - that's an actual person, y'know. Perhaps currently dead and with a very distressed family, and certainly someone who felt a lot of pain and upset at some point.

The issue, I'm afraid, that myself and Child are pushing, is not that a personal God exists, or that God doesn't help Britney just like he doesn't help starving Africans (and doesn't exist), it's that this is a tasteless joke about human suffering, set up as a 'demotivational poster', with the added effect of making an argument against religion that could be made with two lines of text. The consequence of this picture is 'laugh at the starving kid'.

It's fuck all to do with a loving God.

"No, I don't think its tasteless. I think its despicable to believe in an all-loving all-powerful god who is supposed to take an interest in human well-being...."

And this poster makes a fucking good point. If its tasteless showing images of starving children, then I find it 10 times more insulting to humanity in believing that an all-loving god loves us...."

see you're not addressing the point. I'm talking about this being tasteless, I'm not talking about whether thanking God without considering starving Africans is similarly tasteless in the eyes of an atheist. It's like 'no, I don't think my firebombing of the church is violent, and even if it is, it's 10 times more tasteless to go on a crusade." That's not the point. The point is that it was tasteless and making this joke is tasteless, and atheists shouldn't have a tasteless public image.

You, Ewan, are the one who is not addressing the point.

Ewan:
Thank you, Kevin for your constructive criticism

I see what you're saying, but the 'point' that you're making isn't the original point of this poster. You can accuse me of not responding to your point (about it being tasteless), but MY point... precedes yours.

What comedians do you find funny? I bet you that you have laughed at something a comedian said that jokes about the misery of others. If you haven't you're a liar. Wherever you like to draw the line, is trivial.

I know that I can't feed starving children in Africa. I'm not all-powerful, as religious idiots say God is and yet still think somehow that God is not responsible at all for any of it.

maybe unworking link

the thing is though I think Ewan is also bad at arguing his point and keeps bringing it back to the same tired 'religion is bad' argument

[JaY11]

It raises a good point, and sometimes to get a point across, you have to shock people.

[Jon]

I laughed.

[Earfetish]

At 1/27/11 02:12 PM, JaY11 wrote: It raises a good point, and sometimes to get a point across, you have to shock people.

cartoons are different

look as well the thing is I am one of the most tasteless-joke-making people ever but I wouldn't be like 'looool here's a picture of Maddy McCann / Jon-Benet Ramsay (USA-audience-appropriate reference), she prob died young and horribly, no God', I would argue God on the facts and only make jokes about dead children as jokes.

[Cootie]

Hmmm, I don't think it is that offensive but nothing offends me to be honest. I guess it a effective at getting the point across because it is funny and sticks with you. You're friend should get into the marketing business.

[DP]

I don't think it's tasteless, I think this image is making a very valid point.

[thatbennyguy]

It's the rich man's fault, I say.

[RubberTrucky]

It' not like the Church doesn't treat the subject on suffering in the world. they've got libraries full of the theological exposition of suffering.

[111122223138]

At 1/27/11 01:28 PM, comicretard wrote:

At 1/27/11 01:25 PM, Earfetish wrote: I am an atheist and I think this is a terrible public image to promote.

What a great way to start the thread.

Do atheists have hopes and dreams?

We're people too...

[Lagerkapo]

Tastes insightful.

[TheSporkLord]

I think that people are idiots and have very stereotyped ideas of God.

I think it just has more to do with how people claim every seemingly insignificant thing was caused by God.

[Ryanson]

Oh man. That is indeed tasteless.

[yonokowhat]

I think its good

I just wanna slap that in some peoples faces every now and again to shut their fucking mouths and do something useful

[Scarface]

At 1/27/11 01:27 PM, Otto wrote: I think looking harder it's criticizing the American way of believing so truly in their manifest destiny, that when they have success that God was on their side.

This is so true. If anything good happens, God is on your side, but if something bad happens, then it was the devil or some shit like that. Fucking stupid people piss me off.

[InnerChild548]

it's fine.

[Light]

It's not really tasteless to me. It just teaches that it is ironic to thank God for bestowing you with certain abilities, when He has not mitigated the hunger that those kids have...Or that God answered your relatively insignificant prayers for being bestowed with such abilities, when God has not answered the prayers of the emaciated who simply want food.

[paradigmvulpes]

even though im on facebook atleast once a day, newgrounds has the advantage of less , oh my god, i cant beleive you said that, or oh, thats rascist. so if someone posted ha at that pic, theyed catch shit on like three levels.

[k6ka]

It isn't tasteless. It just shows how developed countries thank God for silly stuff like winning an award or scoring a touchdown, or beating a game, while people on the other side of the world are hungry, starving, but thanking God that they were still alive. And you will value your life greatly. So while most people are off celebrating, the other side of the world is praying to God, "Keep me alive, for one more day."

[McGangbang]

this is funny to me

[tmots12]

this is a strong topic to talk about, but i dont think this pic make any sense?

[KemCab]

It's just not funny, so by virtue of that it is tasteless.

[gamejunkie]

My personal opinion is that the picture is, not tasteless. But hey, thats just me. Its just trying to make a point, which it does. Anyway its called advertising and there's plenty worse than that out there. And it obvious had an effect on you, albeit not a good one.

[Ryanson]

At 1/27/11 09:55 PM, k6ka wrote: It isn't tasteless. It just shows how developed countries thank God for silly stuff like winning an award or scoring a touchdown, or beating a game, while people on the other side of the world are hungry, starving, but thanking God that they were still alive. And you will value your life greatly. So while most people are off celebrating, the other side of the world is praying to God, "Keep me alive, for one more day."

I try to thank God for my life. Even if I'm super sad, I know I have it way too good.

You're right. It's not tasteless. It's just harsh truth. I still don't like it, but it exists.