People find god in some weird places. Now they can, um, find atheism in a weird place too — the base of Capitol Hill. Neighborhood shutterbug xaotica shares this shot of the latest update to the billboard on the slope where Denny magically transforms into Olive.
Economic downturns, war, climate change — too many people turning to a higher power these days. Makes you miss the good old days when nobody needed god.
denny never magically turns into olive. its actually denny starting from the top of the hill all the way down. it intersects with olive, bellevue, melrose, stewart, fairview, then westlake, then eventually dexter, then eventually spills out onto western, which turns into elliot ave, etc. this bill board is actually at the intersection of Stewart and Denny, next to that neon green “youth” building.
I know this because I live at the top of Denny, and work on Nickerson, hence coasting down Denny day in and day out.
I’d totally say something snarky about the stained glass theme and how institutionalized religion fostered the arts through the Middle Ages and how imagining no religion is difficult with stained glass billboard themes staring you in the face as proof that religion does and did, in fact, exist. But this is a snark-free zone (Hi Wesa) so I’ll just leave this Passive/Aggressive comment instead :)
Re: Olive/Denny, I always tell my out-of-town visitors that Denny “turns into” Olive because that’s the way the major arterial runs, and it’s simpler to describe. But indeed, Anal Meg is correct about Denny not technically becoming Olive
it is irony.
They get a giant FAIL from me, irony or no. What, they think hundreds of dedicated Christians are walking down Denny every day? Seattle is already one of the most un-religious cities in America. They’re preaching to the choir on this one, so to speak. I don’t expect billboards to add much to the community’s conversation, but I’m not going to praise one (or pass up a chance to comment on it) for making a weak attempt at cleverness…
I have been dismissive of the billboard and sad that they wasted their money that way. Of course, as a born again Episcopalian it is impossible for me to be offended. But I took the bait and went to their website and here is part of their statement of purpose:
Our national association of nontheists has been working since 1978 to promote freethought and defend the constitutional principle of the separation of state and church.
What a muddle. Church and state separation, done. Thanks Thomas Jefferson. As someone mentioned we are the most non churched part of the country.
Non-theists? Buddhists and a lot of other people of faith don’t think there is a God either.
Freethought? I guess that means I get their thoughts for free via their big billboard.
They had one chance to grab me with their website but it just seems like misdirected energy. What’s the problem. Religion, God or the lack of free thought?
the point is to raise money for the org, not to change people’s minds via billboard.
separation of church and state? allegedly.
Using the words of Imagine to sell anything including religion or non-religion is one of my top turnoffs. And I’m trying not to think about all of the Beatles songs now being used for ads – All You Need is Luvs – makes me want to hurt somebody.
Disclaimer: I actually loved the 1st use of Revolution in the old Nike ads.
Wasn’t that from a John Lennon song? I think ol’ Paul McCartney has been freer with the promotional use of his/Beatles songs than Yoko has been with John’s stuff. But I’m just guessing. Anyway, this billboard is just preaching to the converted (hehehe), but as an agnostic I wish ’em well. If someday we’re living in a more secular country, I sure wouldn’t mind, but I kinda think big stained-glass billboards aren’t going to get us there.
http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/jackson.asp
Hi Uncle Vinny,
Imagine is a John Lennon solo song (Yoko seems to control John’s solo work but I couldn’t find confirmation on the all-knowing internet).
I know that members of the Beatles and their survivors have no control over how Beatles songs are sold and used.
The Beatles catalog was bought by Michael Jackson in the mid-80s (Paul missed the chance and has been regretting it ever since). Jackson has fallen on hard times financially (you may have heard) and has been selling song usage to get cash as well as selling part of the catalog to Sony (snopes link at top of comment gives fuller details). So Paul McCartney has no control over how songs are used although he does make $$ on these sales/usage.