Religion Kills Free Speech

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 the city 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
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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.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/6b5stc

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• atheist
• atheism
• advertisements
• billboard
• freedom
• speech
• cucamonga

[Michael500ca]

The ones that are offended are the ones with the problem. The christians just whine and whine like little children. Watch for many more of these billboards to go up. Already I see them on buses in Canada and have seen some in the US and they are increasing. You christians out there better rethink yourselves. Eliminating free speech is what got Hitler started.

[ixnay66]

@IcedCoffee81 The word God was ADDED to the pledge of allegiance in 1953 due to people being scared of communism. In God We Trust wasn't put on paper money until 1956. Christianity was never what this country was based on. There was ALWAYS a separation of church and state. What do you think our forefathers were getting away from? A king that was "appointed" by god. So like you, the forefathers of this country left THEIR country because they didn't like the norms.

[37butterflyprincess]

so if atheists and agnostics bitched every time a religious billboard went up would they take it down? of course not.

[Bubblesatx]

Freedom From Religion

[tuuky]

@TheRainMustFall It's not amazing at all. For a government to rule with the power the US government has on its people (I live here, btw), you have to rely on their ignorance and under-education. But it's not everybody and our (free thinkers) numbers are growing. I think things will get better... eventually.

[civwarfan]

@Pinage Well duh! The US has the worlds highest hypocrite population.

[civwarfan]

@KlaykidReal So you will believe anything no matter what? And no argument would sway you?

A very dangerous mindset indeed. A applaud your indoctrinator for such a wonderful job.

[civwarfan]

No one has the right NOT to be offended.

Fuck all you theists. You're all God damned children.

[Thomaspegful]

just a line from john lennon, hicks leave it alone

[rottweilerplaypen]

All those ladies interviewed are fat gluttons, and will go to their own hell as punishment for being fat gluttonous cunts!!

[TheRainMustFall]

This is a perfect example of how religious fervor has a direct correlation with political and social ignorance. Somehow I doubt the portly white women in the car would support a "bow to Allah" billboard. It's amazing how the United States can maintain dominance while it's rank and file citizens are among the modern world's most ignorant.

[quaternio]

No one has the right to not be offended. Freedom of speech is more important than your hurt feelings.