The famous "Don't believe in God?" billboard has now reached the other side of the country, going up in Los Angeles on "the 5" - heavily travelled Interstate 5 between downtown L.A and Anaheim. This sign is tagged with AtheistAlliance.org, in support of the Atheist Alliance International led by the irrepressible Margaret Downey. We expect tremendous support from the large and growing nontheist community of Southern California.
The ad provides an opportunity for AAI to promote their upcoming "Unsinkable Atheism" convention to be held September 25-28 on the beautiful and historic Queen Mary permanently docked in Long Beach, CA just a few miles from the billboard. We were at Margaret's 2007 convention in the Washington, D.C. area and it was positively amazing and inspiring. If you're in the L.A. area or willing to travel for a smorgasbord of top speakers and discussions in a fun social setting you should really consider attending. You won't be disappointed.
PHILLY PHEEDBACK
Meanwhile... our most recent billboard on I-95 near downtown Philadelphia in association with PhillyCoR, the Greater Philadelphia Coalition of Reason has just come down. The roadside ad generated print stories in the Philadelphia Inquirer and several area suburban papers. Martha Knox of PhillyCoR had an extensive interview on local talk radio. It was the lead story for a day at Philly.com accompanied by a very unscientific poll in which over 73% of 11,000 respondents said they did not believe in God.
Our favorite coverage, though, was the comical hatchet job by Fox News Channel. To hear Fox tell it, you would think Philadelphians, up in arms over this blaphemous billboard, were roaming the streets with pitchforks and torches. As the graphic said: "Believers outraged over 'Don't Believe in God' Billboard." Meanwhile, back on planet Earth, virtually all the response to the billboard has been positive. We especially love that Fox had a mouthpiece for God, Inc. all made up and ready to go on camera while Steve Rade, a driving force behind PhillyCoR, was interviewed via phone technology that made it seem as though Mr. Rade was calling from his cell in Gitmo. The talking head from Family Research Council felt that this one little billboard was somehow infringing on the rights of religious people to say their peace as opposed to a statement of our right to express ourselves too. Thank you Fox for caring enough about what we do to give us the full "Fair and Balanced" treatment!
Of lasting importance to the success of the cause is the development of PhillyCoR, which came together to run the ad and has shown an ability to work together in an admirable spirit of cooperation. Many members of PhillyCoR have stepped forward and proven themselves worthy spokespersons for the project in a wide range of media settings. We know that similar organizations exist or are forming in other markets and encourage them to look at how quickly PhillyCoR was able to make a big splash by joining forces to promote freethought.
ON THE COVER OF THE...
No, we haven't made the cover of the Rolling Stone yet, but our billboard was just featured on the cover of Secular Nation magazine.
You can also find a clever reference to our signature ad in a popular web comic strip at cectic.com.
We are deeply honored.
STICK IT!
That's right. Stick it... right on your car. We've had several requests and they are finally here - "Don't believe" bumper stickers are now available at our online store. You don't have to wait for our billboard to come to town to bring a message of support to freethinking motorists in your area. Only $3.99 each. Or buy a ten-pack, pass them around to your friends and start a movement!
COMING ATTRACTIONS
More billboards around the country are in the works. Stay tuned for more developments! And if you are part of a local group that is interested in working with us, we can help and may even be able to share some costs.
Thank you for your support!
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