So Let's Start the Dialogue

So how do you feel about a heated debate on a lovely Thursday like today?

Get ready for it. I just overheard the news that the TTC has given media approval for a few interesting ads to run. See the ads below and you'll understand the idea of a heated debate.

The ads are for the Toronto-based Freethought Association of Canada. They'll be on busses and in subway cars. I'm not sure I really know where to begin. I think it's something that definitely sparks interest from the get go. It's attention grabbing and it's quite in your face like a lot of advertising is these days. Strategy plays a large part in ads and a lot of times ads say one thing only to get a rise out of you so you might actually get into the real meat wherever the ad tells you to look for. It's just like those ads mocking big number mega universities with slogans like "you're just a number at colossal U" and when you look deeper at the site it's for a college that represents anything but. Media definitely works in strange ways. So that aside, where do I file this most recent run of ads given my somewhat renewal to church and committed visitations to Freedomize on Sundays? We'll come to that.

The first thing I think about is how others will react to the ads. I wonder how my peers at Freedomize will take them. It's quite a blatant message to say that God probably doesn't exist. Send this message out to a group of people devoted to living their life in the way of Christ and it might not go over so well. How it's ingested really will depend on the level of understanding each person takes from the ad. I think some will look at the ad and be disturbed by it's disruptive message. Speaking to one or two people from Freedomize I asked the question if it was at all difficult to be a Christian in this day and age. Though I could tell the answer wasn't exactly what they'd like to say, they did confirm that it wasn't the easiest thing. I do concur. Even coming from a religious upbringing myself I feel the overall societies impression of Christians is quite misinterpreted. By saying I feel it meaning I was a little hesitant at first about meeting present day practitioners of the Christian faith. The ordinary non-religious person at that might file a Christian straight in the Jesus Freaks pile of society, the type that stand on corners and shout about eternal damnation, fire and brimstone. Isn't that what movies do? Is it so hard to see why it's all like this. I was definitely refreshed to be introduced to the community of Freedomize and meet people there that this way off stereotype did not apply to one bit. Faith isn't forced on anyone and you do have to have your own journey through it all. It's a good way to look at it for sure.

Coming back to my point from the beginning of that paragraph. It's almost like kicking someone when they're down. Religion isn't really high in popularity these days as much of the Catholic church has fallen away like I did and our cynical world doesn't help a bit either. These ads stick it to someone who might already feel like it's not the easiest to be a Christian in this day and age. Of course, a Christian isn't that way because it's easy. Whatever may happen, the whole idea is that you would endure through it all. This is where the emotions may get mixed in with it all. It should be interesting.

So for those who don't know what the Freethought Association is, it's a non profit organization that promotes worldviews of the secular nature. http://freethoughtassociation.ca/n2ew/

It is related to the Secular Alliance. http://secularalliance.ca

Secular

Apple Dictionary describes this as

"denoting attitudes, activities, or things that have no religious or spiritual basis"

Being new to going to church again and having a large portion of my growth as a person without that constant thought of God in my life I can't entirely be against the secular world. It wouldn't make any sense. I am who I am today after living a quite secular life these past 8 years. In this time I've been a good human I think. I've learned about sustainability, love and loss, work, passion, responsibility and many other life values just by trying to be me and a decent, happy and optimistic person. I have also reinforced many Christian values that I had learned in grade-school (catholic) by living them not with God in mind. That being said I'm sure the values were initially learned via religion. So how do I feel about the ads? I think though the message is really going to get under the skin of older generations, perhaps fundamentalists etc. that aren't used to this type of media and might see it as antireligious, it will spark good things. Some bad also. It might actually get youth to talk more about their beliefs not only within the circles of those that believe the same thing. It might the religious and non-religious talking to one another. It might get alternate religions talking about their beliefs. In my mind, the more we know about other religions throughout the world the better we are equipped to believe what we believe. No one should believe something out of default. I did for years and wasn't happy at all. It's just like the way we live. We live typical North American lifestyles but the better we're educated about other cultures the more we'll appreciate what we have here. Just like we're different from the Japanese in culture and the vast amount of space we have for everything. It's an eye opener. Simple dialogue can be amazing. Think about me, if I wasn't open to talking about religion in the first place I would have never ever found myself at Freedomize.

So really at the outset, though the ad campaign comes from a secular organization, it could start cross pollination and could actually spark people who haven't been to church or just haven't been in a while to go and experience something a little newer. Pretty crazy eh?

I know that I've written this already but simply by going to church again and it being a new thing in my life, it has sparked a lot of conversations with my siblings (whom I've never talked to about religion) and friends who are completely non religious to people who hated church when they were in school and all of that.

I think the fact that I've written so much on this already shows just how effective the ads are and the type of advertising is. Again, it's strategy. I'm sure this is only the first I'll hear of this.

The most noteworthy site is the following. It's a site and blog about the ad campaign that started in the UK, has worked it's way through the US and is now coming to Toronto.

http://atheistbus.ca 

On that site it explains the purpose of the campaign. Though it comes from a secular association it speaks truth about the importance of open dialogue and doesn't outwardly say the ideal outcome is to have people non-religious. Perhaps that's just so they're covering their backs but I really thing this will start some interesting debate. The media coverage it's already got will definitely help. Watch out around that water heater this and next week. Could be interesting.

Wow, that was a long one. Thanks so much for your attention.

Peace, love and rock!