Contrary to what the writer of the following article states, the freedoms of
speech and expression have their limits. For example, you cannot run into a
movie theatre and shout "Fire!". If you do, you'll get into plenty of
trouble, and rather quickly!

Neither can you stand in front of the White House and shout expletives at
the president all day long. You will soon find yourself removed, and
possibly incarcerated for disturbing the peace.

We must all act responsibly with the freedoms that are bestowed upon us.
Putting anti-God slogans on the sides of buses is extremely inflammatory,
offensive, divisive, irresponsible, and does nothing to serve the common
good; particularly in a nation or community where the vast majority of
people embrace a belief in God.

Borrowing a phrase from the Star Trek franchise, "The needs of the many
outweigh the needs of the few". In this case, in the USA, "the
few" are the
atheists; who, according to online statistics, only represent 3% of the
total American population. This stubborn, vociferous minority should NOT be
allowed to disturb the public peace with their offensive,
intentionally-provocative rhetoric.


Faithful, atheists fight with bus ads

By Charles C. Haynes

September 8, 2009


Atheists are on the bus in Des Moines, Iowa -- and that's good news for
freedom of speech in America.

Earlier this month, transit-authority officials in Des Moines removed bus
advertisements paid for by Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers after receiving
calls from people offended by the message: "Don't believe in God? You are
not alone."

But now the controversial signs are back on the sides of 20 buses, thanks to
a nudge from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Not only has the city dodged an unwinnable and costly lawsuit, but the
outcome also appears to have benefited both sides. According to the Des
Moines Register, membership in the atheist group has spiked and the transit
authority is getting calls from potential new advertisers.

To their credit, some Des Moines clergy have spoken out in support of the
right of atheists to advertise on city buses. As a Lutheran pastor explained
to a local television reporter, people should have "environments where they
can seek the truth about whether or not there is a God."

Meanwhile, in Chicago, one church decided to fight ad with ad. Earlier this
year atheists ran posters on Chicago buses stating, "In the beginning, man
created God." This month the New Life Covenant Church has responded with
"God is still God whether you believe it or not ... just believe."

Other cities haven't been as receptive as Chicago to the marketplace of
ideas. Transit officials in Bloomington, Ind., initially barred "You can be
good without God" ads produced by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign. But
after the ACLU filed a lawsuit, the city agreed last month to let the
atheists buy space on as many buses as they chose.

When I first heard about the bus campaign, dueling ads for and against the
existence of God struck me as an "only in America" phenomenon. But as it
happens, the current tit-for-tat started in the United Kingdom.

In 2008, a Christian group placed ads on buses in London and elsewhere with
quotations from Christian Scripture. What really riled nonbelievers,
however, was the Web site mentioned in the ads that informs nonbelievers
that they will "spend all eternity in torment in hell" unless they accept
Christ.

Not to be outdone, British atheists and humanists pushed back earlier this
year with bus ads proclaiming, "There's probably no God. So stop worrying
and enjoy your life."

The bus campaign quickly jumped the pond, landing on 20 Manhattan buses with
the message, "You don't have to believe in God to be a moral and ethical
person." Similar ads have now appeared in other American cities and towns,
not to mention Canada, Germany, Finland, Italy and other countries.

Beyond the theological debate, the legal victories for the atheist ads in
places like Bloomington and Des Moines advance the cause of free speech. It
does God no favors when government officials take sides in religion,
allowing churches to advertise on buses, for example, while censoring
atheist groups out of fear of offending people.

The prospect of competing on a level playing field -- which is mandated by
the First Amendment in principle, but rarely lived up to in practice --
frightens and angers some religious leaders. One pastor from Bloomington
recently appeared on Fox News to denounce the atheist ads as a "mockery" of
free speech.

Fortunately, other ministers understand what's at stake. When asked by a
reporter about the atheist ads in his town, the Rev. Steve Beeman of the Des
Moines First Assembly of God said it all: "People died for that kind of free
speech and we don't want to deny that."



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