A billboard in Southern California is drawing quite a bit of controversy. Many upset residents are so upset that they’re demanding the sign be taken down. The sign reads “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.”
Many people of faith find it offensive for a variety of reasons. One man, speaking to reporters, mentioned that it was offensive and he wants it taken down to the his firm conviction that God is real. Another woman told press that she feels the billboard is telling people what to think, and that she’s not OK with that fact.
The billboard was commissioned by the Inland Empire Coalition of Reason. The membership includes people with a variety of different beliefs. The group includes atheists, agnostics, skeptics and humanists. However, all of these people have come together under the general message they feel is presented by the banner.
A member of the group mentioned that the billboard was intended to show that people who share that belief aren’t alone in the world. The woman mentioned that people who don’t believe in a deity are often afraid to be open about it. She also mentioned that when one does come out in the open with a lack of theistic belief, that the result is often vilification by others.
Representatives of the Coalition have stated that their intent isn’t and has never been to make fun of religion. Instead, they claim to simply want to educate people that there’s others like them out there who don’t have any particular belief in a God or Gods. The billboard will stay in place for another month.