Packages sealed with "atheist" tape 10 times more likely to disappear

[Ansciess]

I'm really tired of religious folk.

Do employees of the United States Postal Service have a bone to pick with atheists? A study by a German company that crafts atheist-branded footwear claims they do — and that the USPS is “losing” packages outright.

Atheist Shoes calls itself ”a cadre of shoemakers & artists in Berlin, Germany” that hand-make artsy shoes for “people who don’t believe in god(s).” The company describes its shoes as “Bauhaus-inspired,” referring to a German crafts and arts school that operated in the early 20th century, eschewing ornamentation and emphasizing harmony between an object’s function and design. The company also claims to have “lots of customers” in the United States.

And yet it says shipments to U.S. customers sometimes “take longer than they should to arrive” and “even go missing.” When U.S. customers began requesting that Atheist Shoes not box shipments with packing tape trumpeting the company’s name and ideology — the word “atheist” displayed repeatedly — Atheist Shoes wondered if the USPS, or at least some of its employees, might be up to no good.

Thus the ad hoc study: The company says it sent two packages each to 89 people (178 packages total) canvassing nearly every U.S. state — one package with the Atheist-branded tape, one without. And this is where the results suggest something fishy: According to Atheist Shoes, company-branded packages took on average three days longer to reach their destination and were 10 times more likely to disappear outright. An Atheist-branded package sent to Michigan arrived 37 days later than its non-branded companion. What’s more, the company ran a series of “control” tests in Europe which it claims “demonstrate no such bias."

What’s up with the USPS? Who knows, but Atheist Shoes says it’s no longer using Atheist-branded packing tape, that delivery times are already improving and to “please order with confidence, our godless American friends!"

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/03/28/study-packages-sealed-with-atheist-tape-10-times-more-likely-to-disappear/#ixzz2P9Soozku

 

[mlp]

It's unfortunately not surprising at all.

 

[yally]

What is the point of atheist shoes?

 

[Ansciess]

What is the point of atheist shoes?

same as any other label, logo, or phrase on clothing...

 

[yally]

same as any other label, logo, or phrase on clothing...

Nope, still don't get it. But then I'm not a huge fan of clothes that say something anyway (even band merch).

If it were tough to buy secular shoes in a world where all shoes have religious slogans on them, I'd get that.

 

[Ansciess]

Nope, still don't get it. But then I'm not a huge fan of clothes that say something anyway (even band merch).

If it were tough to buy secular shoes in a world where all shoes have religious slogans on them, I'd get that.

people don't buy clothing with logos and phrases on them because they can't find clothing without logos and phrases on them, but because they like what that item represents.

Do you have the same issue understanding why someone would buy an item that says "Jesus" on it?

 

[yally]

people don't buy clothing with logos and phrases on them because they can't find clothing without logos and phrases on them, but because they like what that item represents.

Do you have the same issue understanding why someone would buy an item that says "Jesus" on it?

Yes because like I say, I don't get slogan clothing that much in the first place.

I particularly don't get why people would feel the need to advertise their lack of belief. But I guess I don't live in a country where atheist post goes missing so I'm lucky there

 

[Ansciess]

I particularly don't get why people would feel the need to advertise their lack of belief.

It's the same reason they want to advertise their beliefs about anything.

I personally like animal rights and vegan items. I've actually made friends because I've worn an AR t-shirt or button - it helps people identify your values - and I think it's a good idea to promote the vegan message in a society that is so anti-animal. One fairly prominent AR activist said in a lecture that he thinks it's easy activism for people to use AR bumper stickers, shirts, buttons - whatever sparks a second of recognition for animals.

 

[yally]

That speaks more to me

 

[Ansciess]

I think in U.S. society - which is hyper religious in some areas - people probably want to spark some recognition and to find like-minded people too. If I were in some parts of the south I'd probably be happy to see someone wearing something that said "atheist" on it...

 

[mlp]

I think in U.S. society - which is hyper religious in some areas - people probably want to spark some recognition and to find like-minded people too. If I were in some parts of the south I'd probably be happy to see someone wearing something that said "atheist" on it...

Exactly. In the leadup to the 2008 election, I was practically embraced around here by the few semi-liberal voters when they saw the "Women for Obama" button on my purse strap. (In the local and county elections the Republicans run unopposed - there are so few people who vote Democratic that no one ever bothers to run on the Democratic ticket.)

The same thing for my veg*n button, although that's even rarer.

 

[yally]

Fair does

 

[Freesia]

My father is an atheist and he said that while working he had to keep his atheism a secret or certain colleagues/clients would be extremely offended and upset. It can actually cause great friction between you and some religious people if you say you are an atheist, to them it is almost like you are insulting what they revere the most, if that makes any sense.

I have to keep my tarot card collection a secret from my grandmother, and I am careful not to mention horoscopes around her because she thinks they are evil etc.

I think that England has enjoyed irreverence for quite a long time if you ever watch British comedies, but some countries are a bit more toey about it.

 

[Pickle Juice]

My father is an atheist and he said that while working he had to keep his atheism a secret or certain colleagues/clients would be extremely offended and upset. It can actually cause great friction between you and some religious people if you say you are an atheist, to them it is almost like you are insulting what they revere the most, if that makes any sense.

I have to keep my tarot card collection a secret from my grandmother, and I am careful not to mention horoscopes around her because she thinks they are evil etc.

I think that England has enjoyed irreverence for quite a long time if you ever watch British comedies, but some countries are a bit more toey about it.

Yes indeed. If I saw someone wearing an atheist t-shirt I'd be afraid for their safety, and I live in California.

 

[Moll Flanders]

My father is an atheist and he said that while working he had to keep his atheism a secret or certain colleagues/clients would be extremely offended and upset. It can actually cause great friction between you and some religious people if you say you are an atheist, to them it is almost like you are insulting what they revere the most, if that makes any sense.

That seems so weird to me. I did work in a place where quite a few of the staff and clients were religious but I didn't ever feel like I had to hide my own views about religion.

 

[Amy SF]

Yes indeed. If I saw someone wearing an atheist t-shirt I'd be afraid for their safety, and I live in California.

Same here. If somebody asks me about my religion, which isn't often, I'm more likely to tell them I'm Jewish than atheist. Being Jewish is a little exotic, but acceptable.

 

[SummerRain]

That seems so weird to me. I did work in a place where quite a few of the staff and clients were religious but I didn't ever feel like I had to hide my own views about religion.

If anything... I'd say it was probably the opposite in the UK. I've known a few children at my school (when I was at school that is) that got bullied badly for being Christian, there were only a handful of children who identified as "christian" (although lots of people still believe in god) and now that I think about it, nearly all of them got bullied for it at some point. Even at university I think peoples attitudes really change towards people if they find out that they are a Christian, although I'm in the physics department so it's probably a bit bias.

Either way I think if I went around with an atheist t-shirt I'd not encounter a single problem. Then again, I went around with a tshirt that said "HOW ABOUT I EAT YOU FUCKERS?" and an angry looking cow and I didn't get any problems either when I was a teenager.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I went around with a tshirt that said "HOW ABOUT I EAT YOU ****ERS?" and an angry looking cow and I didn't get any problems either when I was a teenager.