Atheist Bus Ads Win Approval From Federal Judge

By Kimberly Winston
c. 2011 Religion News Service

(RNS) A federal judge ruled Thursday (Aug. 11) that the public transit system in Little Rock, Ark., violated the free speech of local atheists by refusing to run their advertisements on city buses.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that the Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA) and its advertising agency were wrong to reject the atheists' ads that read, "Are you good without God? Millions are."

"Nontheistic bus ads will now be able to roll in Little Rock," said Fred Edwords, national director of the United Coalition of Reason, an umbrella group of nontheists that filed suit on behalf of a local affiliate last year.

The lawsuit maintained that denying the atheists' ads was denying their constitutional right to free speech.

"CATA is a government agency and it has made advertising space available to churches," said J.G. Schulze, an attorney for the coalition. "Yet when we tried to get the same treatment as those customers, we were told we would have to make a deposit against vandalism and terrorism, which is a requirement no one else had imposed on them."

CATA's advertising agency, On The Move Advertising, required a $36,000 deposit to run the $5,200 ad campaign. It then required a $3 million insurance policy.

In her ruling, Webber required the coalition to place a $15,000 bond with the court in case of any damage to city buses.

Jess Sweere, an attorney for the transit agency, maintains that the transit agency never refused to run the ads. "The lawsuit is a publicity stunt and is without merit," Sweere wrote in an email. "(The) plaintiff never made a deal with the advertising company that has leased the ad space from CATA."

Similar ads have run in 36 markets in New York, Illinois, California and Oklahoma. According to the coalition, only four experienced vandalism.

Rejected ads from private media companies are not unusual for atheist groups. But atheists contend that government-owned entities, like CATA, are different.

"Transit companies, being owned by local governments, can't engage in viewpoint discrimination in the way billboard and airplane banner companies can," Edwords said. "As a result, we can threaten litigation if we run up against resistance."

Comments

[TimJones]

09:38 PM on 09/19/2011

I love how Atheist always talk about someone they claim does not exist.

[Damon Coburn]

12:09 PM on 08/22/2011

Actually Secular Humanism was initially headed in the route of considering their beliefs a religion. They even had their own form of clergy early in the last century. There were a number of advantages for going that route in the past. Only after some pivotal court decisions that seemed to ban religion from public education by invoking seperation of church and state, did they begin moving away from that trend. By focusing on their secular nature, they have gained an advantage in shaping government and education, merely because their belief system is non-theistic. It can hardly be denied that Secular Humanist philosophy is most prominent in education and government particularly the judicial branch. These are extremely important parts of our culture that have the ability to shape our future and society as a whole. I'm all for the Bus ads in either case, because at least they are being honest about their convictions. Secular Humanism in education and government pretends neutrality while being actively hostile to other belief systems, particularly Christianity because it is the largest threat.

[sweetlilthing]

05:23 AM on 09/22/2011

Can you also say that Christianity is hostile to Atheism because it is a threat? Atheism is not a religion. As a secular nation it is our right and duty to to make sure our country remains secular. Just as it is our right to worship and also our right to reject religion. We as Atheists, must be more vocal and stand up to statements such as the one made by the Vice President Bush who said " "I don't know that Atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor should they be regarded as patriotic." We are here and we are going to be an important part of life in America.

[Damon Coburn]

11:46 AM on 08/22/2011

Wow, this is great. Atheist evangelism. I love this. Not because I agree with their sentiments, but because it will without doubt get people talking about God and thinking about God. And that is a very good thing.

[quinns2962]

12:26 AM on 08/19/2011

I personally support these ads. I don't need to be threatened with eternal damnation in order to be a good person and treat others well. I believe that if the Christians are correct, and their is a loving god, then as long as i am a good person i will be fine. What loving god would send a man to hell, even though he was a good person and led a generous life, just because he had doubts and wanted some proof in order to go to church?

[SimonDeNavarro]

09:25 AM on 08/25/2011

Because He is a jealous God.

[Toutlaguerre]

10:56 PM on 08/17/2011

It's absolutely amazing that atheists are pushing their beliefs so vehemently on others.The beauty of it all is that they are in effect advocating God and the stronger their movement grows, the more believers and non believers will hear about God. Imagine thinking about someone that you consider nonexistent so much that you post it on a billboard or on a bus? That is some great publicity. I presume that the anticipated effect is that the more you say God does not exist the more people will believe he doesn't? On the contrary it means everyone is talking about God now including atheists. Hitler tried to stamp out the believers by imprisonments and concentration camps. The outcome was marvelous, the Word of God spread throughout parts of Germany and Russia like gangrene. Now atheists are trying to stamp out God himself by screaming to the world that he does not exist. Effect?.. true believers continue to bolster and defend their faith, which is a great thing. Case in point: for the first time I decided to really research all the arguments atheists use to defend their beliefs or lack thereof. Result? after several smh and "say whats?" I thank God daily that He gave me the privilege and honor of believing in Him. Even if He was imaginary, He would be the best imaginary friend any true believer ever had the way he cares for those who do or do not serve Him.

[colah]

07:43 AM on 08/18/2011

LOL
"Even if He was imaginary, He would be the best imaginary friend any true believer ever had the way he cares for those who do or do not serve Him."

[quinns2962]

12:20 AM on 08/19/2011

You speak as if Christians have never tried to push their beliefs on others before either?

[Toutlaguerre]

12:40 AM on 08/19/2011

quinns- Perhaps that's your perception but not my intended message. You are right about christians pushing their beliefs but this seems to be a novelty for atheists.Have you seen such blatant declaration of atheism before? In the past people kept it to themselves that they were atheists. In fact I cannot say I've met two atheists in person in my life!! Now it's a movement and I find their reasons very insightful. They actually help to reinforce my faith. Capisce?

[Papa Tightwad]

06:35 PM on 08/16/2011

good decision.

My observation about atheists is they believe devoutly......in lawyers.

[catsanon]

07:17 PM on 08/18/2011

Perhaps you hadn't noticed but generally speaking, lawyers work for whoever pays them. Theist, atheist, corporations, criminals and/or the innocent...........

[carnivaluv]

04:35 PM on 08/15/2011

Religion...Bleh!! I've been let down, cut down, betrayed, humiliated, lied about and mostly by *christians*. I believe in Love and it's a shame what this bus company did.

[MmeFlutterbye]

07:20 PM on 08/14/2011

I am an Atheist. Why are people trying to make a religion out of Atheism? That is what happens when people huddle together and play the victims. That is called religion. I simply don't understand those who call themselves Atheist and then try to advertise it all over the place. They are acting like all the other abhorrent, in-you-face religions. I would never want to be associated with any philosophical group..even Atheists. My philosophy is my own and belongs to no one else.

[Chockolate]

10:15 PM on 08/14/2011

It is indeed a fairly recent phenomenon that atheists are actually banding together, but I wouldn't consider it a religion.

Really it's just a bunch of people who are sick of all this stone age rubbish and the very real effect it has on our day to day lives. Isn't it time we put an end to this rubbish? It certainly doesn't seem to be dying out by simply ignoring it!

[syntax facit saltum]

01:29 AM on 08/15/2011

As long as one heart burns with love for God you will never be able to eradicate Christianity. (and btw most Christians believe that each individual is responsible for his/her own choices)

[kokonutgurl]

08:21 PM on 08/15/2011

A Federal Appeals Court ruled Atheistism is a Religion..
The ruling states that one does not have to believe in a Supreme Being in order for it to be a Religion.
Thus it violatled his 1 admendment rights by not allowing for him to have a study group in prison.

[profane77]

10:33 PM on 08/14/2011

If you don't want to make a "religion" out of it, don't make it a proper noun (e.g., would you say "I am a Stamp Collector"?).

[Chockolate]

02:21 AM on 08/15/2011

I noticed that too.

Here's a tip: Next time a religious person asserts that 'Atheism' is a religion, ask them if atheists should be allowed to operate free of taxes.

[MmeFlutterbye]

06:47 PM on 08/15/2011

Excellent point. My bad! I should know better.

[Hermann Vivier]

05:21 PM on 08/14/2011

There are a million fundamentalist Christians and almost as many Atheists... neither group will EVER convince the other group to change their mindset... neither group can be absolutely correct. i propose that both groups stop arguing because nobody really knows what the hell is going on. Isn't that the beauty of it all? the more we learn, the more we figure out just how little we really know. the more we discover the less arrogant we become. I'd say hold your horses, and just wait a bit, before you jump into either camp, God vs No God... hold your horses because science may just give us an all new perspective that lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.. we have yet to explain the most fundamental of scientific questions into the nature of reality, especially when it comes to reconciling Newtonian Physics with Quantum Physics... but each to his own. if you want to 'believe' go for it, if you feel no need to 'believe' why should you? each to his own... personally i just wouldn't be so quick to decide :-)

[Lucy0808]

10:39 PM on 08/15/2011

So?
What is your point?

We have a public commons. Let it be vibrant and diverse. Let the atheists speak and speak loud. Bravo that they can. They are profoundly outnumbered by the evangelical Christians by over an order of magnitude. Worse, near 90% of people are Christian to some degree. That is an overrepresentation. This isn't like the majority are agnostic. They aren't.

Praise be to all of the diverse opinions. Praise be to the atheists. Praise be to the agnostics. Praise be to the Hindus. Praise be to the Muslim. Praise be to the Buddhists. Praise be to the Christians. Let the diverse population of citizens have their access to the public commons. If we did not hear the voice of those we disagree with, I'd worry that we no longer have a democracy and free speech. Praise be to the atheists and may their voice be loud, controversial, articulate, and disagreeable to some. Praise be to our public commons.

[Hermann Vivier]

08:14 AM on 08/16/2011

that's precisely my point. praise be to all and let each express their opinion freely without hindrance. however, your opinion need not ALSO be your ultimate and most sacred belief. your opinion could, and should, be able to change. otherwise what's the point of everybody expressing their point of view? i think that's the main problem with fundamentalists, be they of whatever kind... they hold their own opinions as sacred and ultimate truth. I guess my point is, don't become a fundamentalist, even if it's being a fundamentalist-atheist... there are other interpretations of the word 'God', interpretations that are non-religious and sometimes actually quite scientific. Just because some people are fundamentalist in their opinion about 'God', doesn't mean that there aren't other people who are trying to find 'God' in a very different way, sometimes at the cutting edge of science. their opinions may also be of interest to you... but like the fundamentalist Christian you probably won't be able to listen to those opinions if your opinion is ALSO sacred truth...

[xnewyorkerx2011]

12:41 PM on 08/14/2011

This is a great Bus add! i'm atheist, and it's true. i think i can be a good person, without having being threatned by some eternal hell or punishment. i can be a good person, without any encouragement or fear or punishment. i am guarented free speech by the bill of rights, and anyone who violates my rights ought to be corrected. this is america. But, change does take some getting used to. But it happens, even if its slowly.

[kokonutgurl]

08:27 PM on 08/15/2011

What is a good person?
Where did these Values of a good person come from?
If there is a good is there not a evil?, and if so where does this come from?

[Lucy0808]

10:43 PM on 08/15/2011

What is your point?

Ethics. Ethics. Ethics. Ethics.

There are ethical philosophies and practices that go back thousands of years.

It isn't from the Judeo-Christian sources, but predates it.

[eric14]

06:48 AM on 08/14/2011

I would argue that believers in deity, being in a state of obedience are amoral. They are merely obedient or disobedient. Believers exchange morality for submission to codes of conduct imposed by external authority.

To be a good person you must acknowledge that you yourself are the source of your rules of ethics and that your actions are freely chosen.

Any time a believer does this, they implicitly reject supremacy of deity by making themselves the decision-maker and not their deity.

[Gary Dorrington]

01:25 AM on 08/14/2011

And who's going to vandalise the buses? Those morally and ethically sound christians, that's who.
LOL

[DevonTexas]

09:25 AM on 08/14/2011

I had the same question! Those fine Xians? It doesn't make sense to force them to provide a bond. They have insurance don't they? And if someone destroys public property, I believe that's a crime in most places.

[MmeFlutterbye]

07:25 PM on 08/14/2011

With any luck, the bus company will do the right thing and refuse to post ads that advertise any philosophy. That would be nice. In-your-face religious as well as Atheist advertising is unseemly and sickening.

[Lucy0808]

10:46 PM on 08/15/2011

Huh?

Why?

We have a public commons. It is alright to sell Viagra or guns or drugs or anything any place and any time. Yet, a simple ad saying that atheist are good and ethical people is not acceptable? That is a very curious value system.

[syntax facit saltum]

10:09 PM on 08/13/2011

I think it is interesting that atheists feel the need to market atheism. I think the renaming of atheism as "nontheism" is a step towards a winning campaign.

[KrautMan]

09:15 AM on 08/14/2011

I think it's interesting that atheistic public messages obviously need special protection against vandalism, while religious ones obviously don't.

[syntax facit saltum]

01:40 AM on 08/15/2011

Maybe not in certain arenas in the U.S. but elsewhere in the world they have and they do (depending on the country) and in certain arenas in the U.S. religious speech needs protection against vandalism as well.

[Cole 33]

01:52 PM on 08/15/2011

I think it is interesting that christians feel the need to market christianity.

[syntax facit saltum]

06:49 PM on 08/15/2011

Most Christians do not and find it just as inappropriate as you do.

[TheSecularist]

08:56 PM on 08/13/2011

The atheist shouldn't have to post any kind of bond that is not also required of the religious. Why should the atheists have to pay for bad behavior by the religious? Should black people have paid for possible damage caused by the racists who were incited to violence at the mere sight of them? Judge Webber should not have required the $15k bond.

[bintheham]

07:33 PM on 08/13/2011

I think its terrible that this atheist group was denied their first amendment right to express their views. All ideas and beliefs should be allowed and welcome in the public sphere. And I say this as a Catholic by the way.

[ChicagoKev]

08:09 PM on 08/13/2011

Completely agree. I don't want the government shutting down my viewpoint, so I don't want them shutting down viewpoints of others.

[Protocolor]

08:19 PM on 08/13/2011

Sweet. How magnanimous of you.

What do you think about the reason given by the city? The concern about vandalism? Extra insurance is not needed to run religious ads, so the city and ad agency are clearly not worried about atheist vandals. To run an atheist ad, however, insurance against vandalism is required. What does that say about you religious folks?

[bintheham]

08:32 PM on 08/13/2011

Are you hitting on me? ;) In all seriousness, its not about being magnanimous. Its out of a sense of justice and fairness. I think there are a lot of sick and confused people that feel entitled to say and do what they want as long as they believe they are right, and that is a problem in the United States. And I don't blame religion for vandalism of an atheist ad any more than I blame atheism for the confiscation of churches and synagogues in the Soviet Union. I just blame the worst in human nature for these things.