http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts2936

A perfect example of the fundamentalist issue in America.

Really? Someone felt the need to spray-paint "under God" in there? "One Nation Indivisible" isn't enough, we MUST make sure that God's mentioned?

And I am NO Christian, but I'm pretty sure Paul and Jesus weren't for defacement of property...

If that's a perfect example then things are going quite well. There are four other signs in North Carolina that haven't been touched. Add to that this sign was left alone for quite a few days in North Carolina, so lots of fundamentalists drove right past it and shook their heads but didn't deface it.

Not to mention that it's on Billy Graham Parkway - but right it wasn't intended as an affront or anything, the atheist organization probably didn't even know that street was named after a famous North Carolina evangelist. It's regrettable that a couple of nimrod's took the bait and made sure that the sign was seen worldwide rather than just by those people who happenend to drive past it. I agree, Paul and Jesus weren't for public defacement. They were smarter than that.

The point, an atheist organization wants to get the widest possible audience for their website's advertisement. How best to do that? Oh yeah, right. make sure that your billboard is inflammatory and wait for a couple of teenagers to deface it. Call the local news and be martyrs, and bingo your website's URL just went worldwide (not to mention it went worldwide before that if you look at the article, it just took defacement for anyone to care)

Crazy Anglican, of course they want to be provocative. Call it inflammatory if you want. I'd still say it's less inflammatory than billboard ads or radio commercials informing me that I will burn for centuries on the basis of what I do and what I (don't) believe in.

Personally, I don't really see the point of the billboard, and I wouldn't use my money that way myself, but I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with it. Hehe.

Equally, I appreciate fundamentalist Christians from the south would using their time vandalizing atheist billboards rather than other, less savoury actions. :)

I don't think that there was anyhting fundamentally wrong with it either. It was smart. Personally the best response would be to put up three billboards with "Under God" on them around each of the signs advertizing a Christian organization. Unfortunately that opportunity was lost.

As to using the billboard, how else would you gain regional or nationwide attention for your organization on a local budget? After all if nobody vandalizes your billboard you could always do it yourself.

What less savory activities are fundamentalist Christians from the South habitually committing by the way?

Do it yourself, hey now that's an idea. Notice the URL for the website wasn't blotted out.

A) Keep in mind always that even in the American South, true fundamentalist Christians are very small in number; much smaller than the influence or their more powerful members would suggest.

B) I don't know, I guess I was thinking of more stupid violent shit like breaking up peace rallies or gay pride marches, telling children of non-Christian denominations that they will burn horribly for an eternity, voting for laws restricting other people's rights, etc. etc.

I mean, and this goes for everyone (Christians and non-Christians) there are tons of way more destructive shit you could be doing instead of minor acts of vandalism.

But hey, I'm sure there are fundamentalist Christians who do nice things and are nice to everyone, and don't want to dictate how I ought to live my life, and how exactly my eternal burning will transpire. I just don't hear about them.

It's like there is a war of words, but it is the media which is putting the spotlight on them and not facilitating some reasonable debate.

I mean it all sounds very much like a school-yard prank. Who gives a shit?
who bothered putting 'Under God' into the pledge of allegiance, in 1954? i'm bored now. Good luck America!

It's the "I just don't hear about them" thing that's important. Who exactly decides what is an isn't newsworthy? Why would you not hear about good fundamentalists? it is a bit of a stereotype to think that fundamentalists (southern ones) want to do any of the things that you've suggested. More than anything else it's bad PR. Certainly not suggestive of a group that wants people to join and one can hardly accuse evangelists of not wanting people to join. So where does the stereotype originate? A few people are idiots not question, but as orathaic says the media shines the spotlight on them and they become representative of a greater group. I mean think about it Martin Luther King Junior was in many ways a fundmentalist baptist preacher. But you haven't heard of him?

**are idiots, no question**