This provocative twist on the Bible’s opening line was plastered on the
side of 25 Chicago buses this week as part of an advertising crusade by
the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign.

The ads have been cruising between downtown and the city’s North and
South sides, including the No. 56 Milwaukee route, since the beginning
of the week and will run through June.

"The intent of the campaign is to stimulate discussion of religion and
its place in our society," said Charlie Sitzes, a spokesman for the
Indiana group who with help from the American Humanist Association has
collected more than $10,000 in private donations to buy the ad space in
Indiana and Illinois.

The group brought its message to Chicago after a similar campaign in
Indiana – to post the slogan "You can be good without God" – was
rejected by transit authorities in Bloomington and stalled by officials
in South Bend, who didn’t want the ads posted in time for President
Barack Obama’s speech at Notre Dame.

Indiana's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has sued the
Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation on the atheist group's
behalf. Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan has denounced his own transit
system, saying he does not condone government censorship.

"It would appear that where there is more opposition to the message that
maybe that would be the place where we needed dialogue more," Sitzes
said, maintaining that the slogan is a simple fact.

"All non-believers believe God is a creation of man," he said. "We used
to have thousands of gods. Now we’re down to one. We’re getting closer
to the true number."

Among the guidelines for determining if an advertisement can run on the
CTA is a requirement that the ad be truthful and is "not directed at
inciting imminent lawless action."

Last year, eight religious organizations advertised on the city’s mass
transit including Muslims, Roman Catholics, Christian Scientists and
Seventh Day Adventists. Trinity Christian College is the only religious
organization currently advertising on CTA.

Sitzes regrets that the ad campaign– inspired by similar signs in
Europe– has encountered so much opposition in his home state. British
ads sarcastically consoled passengers with the message: "There’s
probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Last November, the American Humanist Association plastered buses in the
nation’s capital with pictures of a man in a Santa suit asking: "Why
believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake."

"[Chicago’s] slogan makes the point that religion is a social, man-made
creation – like literature, art, politics, and science – and as such, it
should be subject to debate like everything else," Sitzes said. He said
the perspective of atheists, agnostics and secular humanists are often
ignored in the public square

"Atheists, agnostics and secular humanists have a unique perspective on
the topic that usually gets ignored in public discussion, and we’d like
to make ourselves heard," he said. "The ads aren’t an attack on
religious people but an affirmation of a different point of view."

What do you think? Conversation starter or attack ad?

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