'Non-Theist' Group Puts Up Billboards

12:21 PM, Apr 16, 2011   |    comments
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Billboards are popping up all over Central Florida that have many Christians outraged.

The billboards read, "Don't believe in God? You're not alone."

Milton Smith said he was slightly offended when he saw the sign on Corrine Drive in Winter Park.

"I'm a Christian. I'm a strong believer in God. That's just wild; it blew me away when I saw that," Smith said.

Lucy Morrisette stopped to snap a picture of the billboard.

"It's kind of nice to have the other side represented," Morrisette said. "I think it's fabulous. I'm actually sending it to my friend Doug, because we're both atheists and we talk about it all the time."

Six billboards with the same message have gone up in the Orlando area. They were paid for by the Orlando Coalition of Reason, a group that prefers the term non-theist to atheist.

The coordinator, Jack Maurice, said the signs are about awareness and uniting non-believers.

Maurice said it is just a coincidence that the signs went up before Easter. He said the goal is not to offend anyone, but to bring awareness to the organization.

"I think it's great that people who maybe aren't religious are getting their beliefs on billboards, too," non-theist John Tucker said.

"It's just sad that the world has come to that. It's pretty bold," Smith said.

The organization paid more than $6,000 for the billboards in Orlando, which will stay up through May.