The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its chapter, FFRF Metropolitan Chicago Chapter, has just placed three additional bulletin-sized billboards in the Chicago area, as an encore to the 11 thought-provoking billboards it put up in December featuring area freethinkers.
“Your atheist neighbors” include Allen Cosnow, Rick Schuch, Maryann Anderson, Rich Pope and Kathi Wise, who describe themselves as “Moral, loving and generous — without religion.” View this billboard on Dundee southwest of Quentin.
Chicago Black Skeptics and freethinkers, represented by Cheryl Purnell, Frank Anderson, Kimberly Veal and Deb Barnes, proclaim on boards on Pulaski at Southwest Highway: “No gods, no masters.”
Board members of the Chicago chapter, Bob Elmore, Jane Winter, Melinda Dunker, Tom Cara and Evan Kane, are pictured with this message inviting viewers to visit their website, ffrfmcc.org: “Atheist? Freethinker? Humanist? Good WITHOUT god? Join us!” The 14 x 48 foot billboard is on Mannheim east of Lake.
FFRF and its chapter put up 11 billboards in December, some of which are still up. View last month’s billboards. Among the original billboards still up as of today is one featuring FFRF member Kathi Wise, of Palatine, pictured on a lavender billboard affirming “Life is good for this life-long atheist.”
FFRF, a state/church watchdog based in Madison, Wis., is the nation’s largest association of atheists and agnostics with more than 21,500 members, including more than 800 members in Illinois. FFRF debuted the “Out of the Closet” campaign in Madison in 2010, and has taken the personalized campaign to Columbus, Tulsa, Raleigh, Phoenix, Nashville, Portland, Spokane, Sacramento, Cleveland and Akron.
“Stay tuned,” says Tom Cara, who directs FFRF Metropolitan Chicago. “Round III, featuring more committed area nonbelievers, is coming soon.” The chapter has been very active countering religious signs on public property, including in Daley Plaza in December and Eastertime.
“Nonbelievers are often openly stigmatized,” comments Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “We are proud to introduce the vibrant freethought community to Chicagoland, to let other atheists and agnostics know they’re not alone, and to educate about freethought — the intellectually respectable position of using reason when forming an opinion about religion.”
Make your own “virtual billboard” or upload a short freethought video statement.
