This is a new atheist inspired billboard reportedly hitting Calgary streets.
I for one think it’s not as clever or thought provoking as this one on buses from 5 years ago. It’s tough to figure out what the billboard is trying to say exactly, the messaging isn’t clear (or maybe it’s supposed to be that way).
For one, if the issue at hand is ‘doing’, the action of doing ‘good’ then there’s no contest: faith based groups dominate when it comes to good works.
At the top of my head, let’s pick relief organizations in our city that operate for impact and not to proselytize: The Mustard Seed, Inn from the Cold, Salvation Army, Servants Anonymous, MCC. That’s just off the top of my head. These are Christian organizations to their core, who pray, and do.
So I disagree, without God we’re not ‘all good’. Or maybe we are, but the most vulnerable wouldn’t be doing so well.
Some have suggested the billboard is about how those who do not believe in any god are in fact good people. It’s take a bit of mental gymnastics to see that through the ad, but assuming that’s true, then again, the proof is in the proverbial pudding–how much are you doing? Purely by activity alone as a whole I don’t think people are necessarily ‘good’ regardless of religion or not. It seems our actions are predominantly selfish with pieces of ‘good’ along the way. (If we were ‘good’ wouldn’t poverty be eliminated? Or maybe there are different levels of ‘good’?)
What’s your take on the billboard?
As an aside, the notion that prayer doesn’t help curiously ignores some trends in scripture where the theme seems to be pray silently on your own, but then go out and as you are going pray as well.