Here is another article I found about this issue in the FOCUS by the NYC atheist that was posted today on the MFA list serve.
stemcell *** Billboard promoting atheism will be removed **** 10:00 PM PST on Thursday, November 20, 2008 By DAVID OLSON The Press-Enterprise An Ontario billboard company is removing a controversial Rancho Cucamonga billboard promoting atheism after receiving complaints, according to the group that paid for the advertisement. The billboard, at the busy corner of Archibald Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, says "Imagine No Religion" in large letters on a stained- glass background. Underneath is the name of the group, "Freedom From Religion Foundation," and the group's Web address. Representatives of the company, General Outdoor Advertising, did not return repeated phone calls Thursday. Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of Freedom From Religion, which calls itself the nation's largest association of atheists and agnostics, said an advertising representative at the company called her Thursday to notify her the billboard would be coming down. "We're being censored," Gaylor said. The billboard was the group's first in California. Nine others had previously gone up in other cities. Gaylor said advertising companies in four cities refused to display the ad, but General was the first to take down an existing billboard in the middle of a contract. The billboard went up last week and was scheduled to run through January, she said. The company agreed to refund the $1,379 fee, she said. Gaylor said the billboard was put up to recruit new members and provoke discussion. "It's asking people to think," she said. "We want people to realize you don't need religion to do good, and that if we didn't have religion, the world would be less divisive. . . . Think of how many people have been killed in the name of a supernatural being that there has never been any evidence for." The inspiration for the billboard was John Lennon's song "Imagine." Judy Rooze, administrator of First Baptist Church of Rancho Cucamonga, which is two blocks from the billboard, was relieved it was coming down. Rooze said it was unsettling. "I understand people have freedom of speech, but this is taking it too far," she said. "It's very jarring." Gaylor said Freedom From Religion, based in Madison, Wis., is looking for another Southern California location for a billboard. Religious viewpoints are constantly aired, but people rarely hear from atheists and agnostics, she said. "There should be some balance," she said. "We're supposed to have a marketplace of ideas in this country." Reach David Olson at 951-368-9462 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Nov 25, 4:33 pm, CrossBow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Controversial 'Imagine No Religion' billboard removed in Rancho Cucamonga By > Joe Smilor on November 20, 2008 10:01 PM > > A billboard with the message "Imagine No Religion" is no more. > > Sign company General Outdoor removed the sign by the Freedom From Religion > Foundation on Thursday after it received a request by Rancho Cucamonga to do > so. > > According to Redevelopment Director Linda Daniels, City Hall had received 90 > calls of complaint since Wednesday. > > "We contacted the sign company and asked if there was a way to get it > removed," Daniels said. > > The billboard -- which went up last week on the southwest corner of > Archibald Avenue and Foothill Boulevard -- is part of a national billboard > campaign by the Wisconsin-based group advocating the separation of church > and state. > > The foundation's co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, said the billboard is > meant to encourage a debate on religion by using the John Lennon-inspired > message. > > Gaylor was shocked over the city's role in the billboard's demise. > > "The city has no business suggesting our billboard be censored," Gaylor > said. "They're not allowed to interfere over religious controversy." > > It was the second billboard to come down following city request. > > In September, the city asked a different sign company to take down an > advertisement on Foothill Boulevard advertising a vagina rejuvenation > procedure. > > Daniels said the city did not demand General Outdoor take down the "Imagine > No Religion" sign. > > "We didn't say they had to (take it down), but they respected the concerns > of residents," Daniels said. > > The sign was the first in California for the foundation, whose members are > atheists and agnostics. > > Gaylor said sign companies have declined business before, but no company has > taken down a sign after it went up. > > The group currently has signs in Atlanta, Phoenix and Seattle. > > "My gosh, we have a billboard in Colorado Springs right now, about a mile > from Focus on the Family," said Gaylor, referring to the evangelical > organization headquartered in Colorado Springs. "If we can have it in > Colorado Springs, why not in Rancho Cucamonga? It doesn't speak well for the > state of tolerance if you have to stifle your critics." > > Peter Scheer, executive director of the California First Amendment > Coalition, said the city's actions are "dangerously close" to censorship and > a violation of the First Amendment. > > "A city government has no business trying to dictate or influence the > content of an advertising image, particularly one that's political and > controversial as this is simply because some people don't like it and > complained about it," Scheer said. "The whole point of the First Amendment > is to protect speech that is unpopular, to protect the views that are in the > political minority, as long as they don't cross the line and use the speech > for some seriously unlawful purpose, which clearly did not happen here." > > Scheer said the city may not have forced General Outdoor to take down the > sign, but it's obvious the company did not act independently. > > "It's pretty clear that if the city didn't pick up the phone, the image > would still be there," Scheer said. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
