Satan Billboards and Church Marketing | Friendly Atheist by Hemant Mehta


Satan Billboards and Church Marketing


Remember the God billboards…? Here’s one example:

GodBillboard

Victory Family Church in Decatur, Texas is now marketing services with Satan billboards:

Satan

The Star-Telegram newspaper adds this:

Associate pastor Chris Bates said the Web site has had more than 1,100 hits since the billboard went up.

“That’s huge for a small church like us,” he said.

Other churches are also using Satan in their ad campaigns, including CedarCreek Church in Ohio, which says, “CedarCreek Church Sucks — Satan.”

Bates said his church isn’t done yet; the next billboard will read: “Victory Family Church stole my kids — Satan.”

One member of Fark.com suggested another Satan billboard (one I wouldn’t mind seeing):

RealSatan

(via Fark)


[tags]atheist, atheism, God, Victory Family Church, Satan, Star-Telegram, Chris Bates, CedarCreek Church[/tags]



16 Responses

  1. avatar Satan Billboards and Church Marketing Says:

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  2. avatar Darryl Says:

    I guess these churches don’t realize how much comedy I find in these billboards. Can you think of a more market-tested name for a church than “Victory Family?” It’s positive, successful, even may imply a military victory, and it’s all about the family and family values. It’s a conservative, pro-military, pro-family, pro-childrearing (a.k.a. home schooling, or Christian school), anti-abortionist, anti-gay, Christian-dominionist’s dream! Ah, so much communicated in so few words. My congratulations to the marketer. This is what evangelical Christianity has become in America: all superficiality, no substance. This would be a good thing if the evangelicals embraced this and didn’t take themselves seriously, but they actually believe this crap.

    Yes, Texas just keeps giving and giving and giving . . .

  3. avatar Mriana Says:

    :lol: I like the last one the best. Just goes to show that humans are putting up those billboards, not some supernatural deity. I wonder if people think about these things?

  4. avatar Mike C Says:

    That “Love Thy Neighbor” one isn’t too bad actually…

  5. avatar Mike C Says:

    Can you think of a more market-tested name for a church than “Victory Family?” It’s positive, successful, even may imply a military victory, and it’s all about the family and family values. It’s a conservative, pro-military, pro-family, pro-childrearing (a.k.a. home schooling, or Christian school), anti-abortionist, anti-gay, Christian-dominionist’s dream!

    Everything I can’t stand about evangelical Christianity…

  6. avatar Jen Says:

    Drat, I thought this was going to be some awesme prank by the local atheist group. Hell, if I were a rich girl, I would put up that Fark billboard near one of those stupid god billboards. I really hate those god billboards; the one at the top of this post isn’t so bad, but I remember when they first came out, I read them all and most of them seemed smug and obnoxious.

  7. avatar vjack Says:

    I suppose there is nothing like instilling some fear to win converts to their superstitious lunacy. Can we blame them given how well it worked for Bush & Cheney?

  8. avatar Darryl Says:

    The fact that these dubiously-effective messages are placed on billboards should tell foreign cultural observers everything they need to know about America and its Christians.

  9. avatar Miko Says:

    That “Love Thy Neighbor” one isn’t too bad actually…

    Yeah, I see nothing wrong with it (although I question whether it’s going to get anyone to change their behaviors in any way). But is it by the same group? The second one pictured has a web link on it; the neighbor one is anonymous. Plus the tone is completely different from the rest.

  10. avatar Tom E. Snyder Says:

    I believe the origin of these Satan billboards is http://satanhateslife.com/.

  11. avatar Maria Says:

    This would be a good thing if the evangelicals embraced this and didn’t take themselves seriously, but they actually believe this crap.

    I agree!

  12. avatar Jane Shevtsov Says:

    When I lived in LA, I often passed a billboard that said, “Keep using my name in vain. I’ll make rush hour longer.” –God

  13. avatar Brendon Lake Says:

    When I lived in LA, I often passed a billboard that said, “Keep using my name in vain. I’ll make rush hour longer.” –God

    I love that one :) , I had A slide show with the original ones and they are really good and thought provoking.

  14. avatar Rasputin Says:

    “When I lived in LA, I often passed a billboard that said, “Keep using my name in vain. I’ll make rush hour longer.” –God “

    I love it when they make testable claims.

    Were I a spoiled rich girl, I’d make a billboard out of Luke 14:26

    If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children,and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

  15. avatar Lyle Says:

    not surprised though at this church.

    this is BTW the same church that is offering prizes if you go to their church on Easter Sunday March 23 2008.

    (see) http://www.victoryfamilychurch.net/index.cfm?i=1799&mid=5&id=38479

    http://www.alittleleaven.com

  16. avatar Satan Hates Church Billboards Says:

    [...] other perspectives see Friendly Atheists and Marketing The [...]

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