City of Des Moines Removes Atheist Ad.

[michael]

OK, my blood is BOILING.  Governor Culver actually could not answer a question about whether atheists should get the same free-speech rights as christians?  The signs were REMOVED?

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/ ... offensive/

Gov. Chet Culver weighed in on the controversial Des Moines bus ad that has been yanked after multiple complaints.

“I was disturbed, personally, by the advertisement and I can understand why other Iowans were also disturbed by the message that it sent,” Culver said.

The question will likely become a legal battle, Culver said. He deferred questions of whether the group deserves the same free speech rights as Christian organizations to advertise on the buses to the Iowa Attorney General.

Culver also declined to answer if he would also have gotten off the bus had he been a rider, but noted that he would have been offended by the ad’s message.

The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority, better known, as DART, began running the ad on the side of some buses this week. It read, “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone,” and was sponsored by the Iowa Atheists & Freethinkers group.

DART Advertising Director Kirsten Baer-Harding said the agency’s board never approved the signs and that they were put up by mistake.

The ads were removed Tuesday.

[shanster]

as if this isn't surprising to anyone *rolls eyes*
If those signs had said "Do you believe in God? You're not alone." they would have stayed up and nobody would have cared if they offended atheists, but god forbid (no pun intended) somebody of religious nature gets offended.

[skurry]

That atheist group just received a small donation from me for their legal issues ahead.

[rlrose328]

I am incensed... it's disgraceful that this has happened, but no, I'm not surprised.  And the comments... ARGH!!!!  SO condescending by the Christians...

It is too bad you feel insulted by people genuinely concerned for your eternal future. You views are, and have been respected, and to be so offended that any insinuation that God has a plan for you indicates you have some issues with God. That you reject God is not in dispute. A true Atheist should not be upset in the least since God is supposedly irrelevant right? Instead, since you are insulted and possibly angry on occasion it indicates anti-God issues beyond Atheism.

Yup... we don't like that we're being silenced and it's because we have issues with god.  That first sentence alone is insulting.

[SSY]

Wow, a message of togetherness and support is offensive now. It does not even assert anything other than #1 atheists in Iowa>1. Are they disputing that fact? Does the existence of 2 whole atheists in Iowa offend people?

To think, these people are actually in charge of important issue, they write laws and the public budgets, they have to organise complex logistic operations! How do these people even avoid drowning in the shower?

[michael]

Yeah, and I'm really glad to see that though atheist ads on buses are running in other cities, Des Moines is the first one to take one down.  What an honor.

[Sheeplauncher]

looks like they are going back up: http://www.woi-tv.com/Global/story.asp? ... 8&nav=1LFX

[skurry]

Confirmed by IAF; http://www.iowaatheists.org/drupal/node/153
Lets thank the mayor for bring this issue more attention, free advertising for IAF through the media.