Oh shit... this probably won't go well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B_vbHiUVQV0

So American Atheists put up this billboard, that says "Slaves, obey your masters" in Pennsylvania.  It is a Bible quote from Colossians 3:22, and designed to get attention, point out the immorality of the Bible, and show how ridiculous it is that the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives declared 2012 the "Year of the Bible ".  Clearly, some residents are up in arms over this.

What do I think of it?  I think it does a good job of getting attention and shocking people, which is a good thing, but I think it goes too far in shocking people in that readers will not see the point, or even look for a point.  They will see "slavery" and no matter what, it will be deemed offensive.  In an argument, this example might work well.  It turns the very book that a person follows around on the followers, and shows them how immoral and inconsistent it can be.  On a billboard, however, I don't think the reasoning will get past the "I'm offended" stage for most viewers of the billboard.  Using a different immoral or inane passage would have worked better.  Especially one that doesn't target a specific race.

Do I think the billboard is offensive?  I think the idea of owning slaves is obviously offensive, and for the Bible to condone that automatically makes it immoral to me.  I think the idea of "offensive" must never stand in the way of the truth.  The truth is, the Bible condones slavery.  Pointing that out, in itself, should not be offensive to anyone. However, the goal should be foster understanding of the Atheists' position.  The shock value of this billboard will not foster much understanding from the Christians who pass by it.