Florida atheists are using a billboard to spread the word

By Jaweed Kaleem - McClatchy Newspapers

MIAMI — There's nothing unusual about churches advertising Sunday services, but some atheists are turning that idea on its head: Why not promote the belief that there is no God?

"Most people are under the impression that atheists lack morals and ethics. We are trying to dispel that myth," said Ken Loukinen, founder of the 400-member Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists, which is sponsoring a controversial billboard in Broward County, Fla.

"Being a good person doesn't require God," the sign declares. "Don't believe in God? You're not alone!"

Put up for $2,200 in early July in Fort Lauderdale, where it quickly drew protests from residents, the message has a new home on a billboard in Oakland Park, Fla.

The first of its kind in the state, the sign directs passersby to www.freethoughtflorida.com, where they can donate toward putting up similar signs throughout Florida. During the past six months, atheists in a dozen other states also have launched advertising campaigns.

In a bid for greater acceptance and visibility, atheists are also undertaking community service projects, organizing children's camps and engaging in other activities often associated with religious groups.

According the American Religious Identification Survey, a major study released this year, 15 percent of Americans claim no religion, making them the only group to grow in every state since 1990, when the "nones" made up 8 percent of the U.S. population. Atheists make up a smaller portion — 2 percent — but they've almost doubled their numbers in the past two decades.

"Many people would admit to not knowing the answers, but fewer would say they're atheist," says Lesley Northup, a professor at Florida International University who studies religious trends.

"People often say, 'I'm spiritual, but not religious.' There is a growth of people who say, 'I don't need to be religious to be a good person.'"