Originally posted: May 22, 2009
Atheists roll out ad campaign
"In the Beginning, Man Created God."
This provocative twist on the Bible’s opening line was plastered on the side of 25 Chicago buses this week as part of an advertising crusade by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign.
The ads have been cruising around downtown and the city’s North and South sides, including the No. 56 Milwaukee route, since the beginning of the week and will run through June.
"The intent of the campaign is to stimulate discussion of religion and its place in our society," said Charlie Sitzes, a spokesman for the Indiana group who crossed the state line to buy ad space. The slogan "You can be good without God" was rejected by transit authoritiesin Bloomington and stalled by officials in South Bend.
Indiana’s ACLU has sued the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation on the atheist group’s behalf. Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan has denounced his own transit system, saying he does not condone government censorship.
In South Bend, the transit authority prevented the ads from being posted in time for President Barack Obama’s controversial commencement address at Notre Dame.
"It would appear that where there is more opposition to the message that maybe that would be the place where we needed dialogue more," Sitzes said, adding that the slogan is a simple fact.
"All non believers believe God is a creation of man," he said. "We used to have thousands of gods. Now we’re down to one. We’re getting closer to the true number."
Sitzes regrets that the ad drive – inspired by a similar campaign on 800 buses in Great Britain – has encountered so much opposition in his home state. Those ads sarcastically consoled passengers with the message: "There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
The American Humanist Association launched its U.S. campaign in Washington in November, featuring a picture of a man in a Santa suit asking: "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake."
"[Chicago’s] slogan makes the point that religion is a social, man-made creation--like literature, art, politics, and science--and as such, it should be subject to debate like everything else," Sitzes said. "Atheists, agnostics and secular humanists have a unique perspective on the topic that usually gets ignored in public discussion, and we’d like to make ourselves heard."
The campaign is funded by prviate donations of more than $10,000.
"The ads aren’t an attack on religious people," Sitzes insisted, "but an affirmation of a different point of view."
What do you think? Conversation starter or attack ad?
Atheists roll out ad campaign
"In the Beginning, Man Created God."
This provocative twist on the Bible’s opening line was plastered on the side of 25 Chicago buses this week as part of an advertising crusade by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign.
The ads have been cruising around downtown and the city’s North and South sides, including the No. 56 Milwaukee route, since the beginning of the week and will run through June.
"The intent of the campaign is to stimulate discussion of religion and its place in our society," said Charlie Sitzes, a spokesman for the Indiana group who crossed the state line to buy ad space. The slogan "You can be good without God" was rejected by transit authoritiesin Bloomington and stalled by officials in South Bend.
Indiana’s ACLU has sued the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation on the atheist group’s behalf. Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan has denounced his own transit system, saying he does not condone government censorship.
In South Bend, the transit authority prevented the ads from being posted in time for President Barack Obama’s controversial commencement address at Notre Dame.
"It would appear that where there is more opposition to the message that maybe that would be the place where we needed dialogue more," Sitzes said, adding that the slogan is a simple fact.
"All non believers believe God is a creation of man," he said. "We used to have thousands of gods. Now we’re down to one. We’re getting closer to the true number."
Sitzes regrets that the ad drive – inspired by a similar campaign on 800 buses in Great Britain – has encountered so much opposition in his home state. Those ads sarcastically consoled passengers with the message: "There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
The American Humanist Association launched its U.S. campaign in Washington in November, featuring a picture of a man in a Santa suit asking: "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake."
"[Chicago’s] slogan makes the point that religion is a social, man-made creation--like literature, art, politics, and science--and as such, it should be subject to debate like everything else," Sitzes said. "Atheists, agnostics and secular humanists have a unique perspective on the topic that usually gets ignored in public discussion, and we’d like to make ourselves heard."
The campaign is funded by prviate donations of more than $10,000.
"The ads aren’t an attack on religious people," Sitzes insisted, "but an affirmation of a different point of view."
What do you think? Conversation starter or attack ad?
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