Godless advertise their goodness in Chicago

[n2doc]

October 21, 2009



Those familiar with Twitter trends may have noticed on Tuesday that the favorite search terms of the day went from "No God" to "Know God."

The Chicago Coalition for Reason wants to harness both concepts. As part of a Chicago campaign also launched on Tuesday, they erected a billboard in the Loop promoting the ethical principles of people who know no God.

Emblazoned across a cloudy sky looming above the corner of LaSalle and Grand avenues is the message: "Are you good without God? Millions are."

Hemant Mehta, coordinator of the Chicago Coalition of Reason, a group of nine diverse but similarly secular organizations in the city and suburbs, said the billboard aims to encourage humanists, atheists and agnostics to come out of the closet and join a growing community of people who seek alternatives to religious world views or care for other humans simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Members include Wheaton Atheists, Humanists of West Suburban Chicagoland, Chicago’s Center for Inquiry, Secular Students Association of Elmhurst College, two local chapters of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Chicago Secular Singles, Chicago Brights, North Suburban Chicago Freethinkers and Kol Hadash, a Humanistic Jewish congregation in Deerfield.

"Despite the fact that our groups cater to different populations, all of us don’t believe in God," Mehta said. "We share that in common ... We’re all in this together."

more:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/religion_theseeker/2009/10/atheist-billboard.html

[panader0]

1. I was in Chicago two weeks ago for a job

and I saw that sign.

[astral]

2. Well, that looks to me

like a plea to help these millions of God-less people find God.

[lunatica]

3. yawn

Everyone to their own.

[Ian David]

4. See also: Humanist Billboard Vandalized in Moscow, Idaho

Humanist Billboard Vandalized in Moscow, Idaho
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=222941&mesg_id=222941

[Soylent Brice]

5. careful,

this topic attracts shitstorms:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6825895

[AngryAmish]

6. Willie hears ya, Willie don't care

[spoony]

7. Pretty innocuous

I appreciate the fact that they went low-key, rather than taking potshots at religion in their campaign.

[surrealAmerican]

8. These are just like the ones in New York.

Is it part of a more widespread national ad campaign?