The city of Olympia, Washington wants to be known as an equal opportunity town. This year, they are allowing a sign, by Atheists to be placed next to a Nativity display at the Legislative Building. The sign says:

“At this season of THE WINTER SOLSTICE may reason prevail.

There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is buy a myth and a superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

The sign was put there by the Freedom from Religion Foundation and was stolen shortly after being placed there. The sign was recently recovered and will be replaced.

I don’t think that people were offended that a sign celebrating the Winter Solstice was placed, however, the sign went further to actually attack religion. Dan Barker, a member of the Freedom from Religion group said:

“It’s not that we are trying to coerce anyone; in a way our sign is a signal of protest. If there can be a Nativity scene saying that we are all going to hell if we don’t bow down to Jesus, we should be at the table to share our views.”

Where does it say on the Nativity that atheists are going to hell if they don’t bow down to Jesus. It doesn’t. And, there are a number of Christian religions that believe that no one is going to hell. To put up a sign that is so offensive to another group is totally off base and wrong.