Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Dog Delusion

I was probably watching a football game the other day, when a commercial for the local news shows a bus with an advertisement on the side of it which reads, "50 Million Americans are good without God". Of course that is something that is likely to cause a stir in the buckle of the Bible belt. I never actually saw what the news spot was about, but it was easy to surmise it's general content. Well, there have been more commercials about this same topic. I guess it was popular.
I never watched any of the local news pieces on atheism marketing efforts, but it did peak my interest to look into the world wide web to examine this. So I went to Google and put in the search term: "atheist billboards". In typical Google fashion, 90,600 links were found containing some form of this topic. Here is one links that I found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YHbSx7NE2U

Now, I don't have any issues with any individual group marketing their beliefs (I truly believe that most all marketing is devious in it's own way - but that is an opinion for another time), but it seems to me that their marketing angle is a bit harsh. Most of the times I here something from atheists about religion, I get this sense that they believe they are intellectually superior to the religious populous. Anyway, who made this the paragon of humanity. To make such a generalization is much like making other generalizations, worthless - because they cannot apply to everyone. Many of the greatest scientists believed in some form of a God. Perhaps their marketing efforts should focus on the benefits of atheism rather than bullying others. If they are marketing to the religious group, then they are simply creating a gap. For those in the gray area between, their marketing may be effective. When you see a good commercial, it is not generally because one company belittles another that you decide to buy a product. Effective marketing taps into a person's basic needs and shows how 'this product' can help meet those needs.
While some religions can help provide a sense of purpose, I don't know how atheism will market that. "Have you been feeling empty...searching for that sense of purpose? The answer is atheism. Take an anti-depressant, there is no purpose." But really, why not tell of what atheism has to offer me as an individual. "Being free from oppressive control" is not something I think too many people really care about. That angle places the 'religious' in the position of being the ineffective dolt who follows others blindly, and is unable to make rational decisions. And it has already been mentioned that this generalization is hollow. While many may follow what their parents taught them, many have come from various walks of life and labored long and hard on making purposeful decisions about choosing to follow a 'religion'. That is what I think many atheists have done as well. The world does not make sense with a God for some. To others it doesn't make sense without one.