Should this sign have been banned?

Should the sign posted below have been banned?

  • Yes

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DailyBlessings

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This sign:



was recently turned down by a bus company in Pennsylvania.

Is it right to ban a bus sign that promotes atheism, when it just says the word "atheism" on it?

Personally, I was a bit put out by this; it doesn't seem like very good Christian ministry to look like rabid authoritarians out to quash free speech even when it is not offensive. But what do you guys think?
 

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Personally, I was a bit put out by this; it doesn't seem like very good Christian ministry to look like rabid authoritarians out to quash free speech even when it is not offensive. But what do you guys think?

This is in no way a quashing of free speech rights. Our first amendment rights only stop the government from dictating what things we can and cannot say it does not provide for us a platform on which to say them. Assuming that the bus company is privately run they get to approve or disapprove any ad for any reason.

I applaud the bus company and would like to thank them for offering us atheists more free publicity as well as pointing out just how unreasonable many of the religious are towards us.
 
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wanderingone

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I *think* this is the ad that was rejected by COLTS? My understanding is that COLTS is a designated municipal authority and provides the public transportation in the area. I'm not sure if that means that its a publicly funded service or if its a private service contracting to provide a public service.

Basically if they are the provider of public services I don't think they should have turned it down, unless the rules include refusing all advertising by religious organizations. Atheism shouldn't be considered any more controversial than ads for Catholic, Methodist etc.. churches/religions.
 
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drjean

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This will be interesting to follow imo.

It could be that the bus company does not allow any religious type advertising, and in that case, they have every right to reject atheism ads as well.

It could be they are putting it to the max on the "separation of church and state"... once again I would applaud that because it continues to grow out of control and bites them back.
 
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DailyBlessings

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Well, the same bus company apparently flashes "God Bless America" periodically on their tickerboard, so I assume it's not a church-and-state thing. It may have just been a bad decision though, as it were, not meant as a philosophical statement. Still makes us look bad, though, in the press and what.
 
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This sign:



was recently turned down by a bus company in Pennsylvania.

Is it right to ban a bus sign that promotes atheism, when it just says the word "atheism" on it?

Personally, I was a bit put out by this; it doesn't seem like very good Christian ministry to look like rabid authoritarians out to quash free speech even when it is not offensive. But what do you guys think?
was it a privately owned bus company, or was it public transportation?

if the latter, what are their particular regulations regarding such advertisements?
 
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Wayte

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If it's privately owned, they can deny whatever they want. If it's public, they shouldn't have any religious anything on them. So no, I can't really think of any situation where this sign would be wrong to turn down for bus adverts.
 
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Billnew

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I don't find a link to the story, so we don't have enough information to go on.

Is my computer messed up or is there no link?

As someone else said:
if privately owned they can refuse advertisement for any reason they choose.
If public then there is alot of hassle in placing a religously oriented sign, no matter which theist or atheist.
 
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Paulos23

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keith99

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Nothing controversial. Sounds OK....

As long as they ban ads from fast food places, any film that anyone could dislike or is up for an award, any Christian message. Any ad for a sports team or event.

Hmm, I guess the only thing that is safe is "This spot for rent".
 
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DaisyDay

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Atheist group challenges COLTS ad ban - News - The Times-Tribune
An atheist organization is accusing the County of Lackawanna Transit System of violating its free-speech rights by rejecting an advertisement it wanted to place on the side of COLTS buses.

COLTS officials said Wednesday the ad proposed by the NEPA Freethought Society runs counter to the agency's policy against allowing its property to become a forum for the debate of public issues.

<snip>

In a letter to COLTS, the group's Pennsylvania state director, Ernest Perce V, called the agency's position illegal and discriminatory, and asked it to reconsider its rejection of the ad.

"All the people of Lackawanna County are granted equal protection and privilege by the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions, both of which also mandate government refrain from endorsing religion. ... The government does not have the right to deny free speech in or on a public forum," Mr. Perce wrote.
 
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essentialsaltes

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Just seven years later, we have an answer

An atheist group has won its fight against COLTS, the County of Lackawanna Transit System.

a federal court ruled the ban on religious and non-religious messaging violates the First Amendment.

"I'm glad we can finally run bus ads telling people who we are. Our message is simple: atheists exist. If you are an atheist, you are not alone."
 
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Ana the Ist

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This sign:



was recently turned down by a bus company in Pennsylvania.

Is it right to ban a bus sign that promotes atheism, when it just says the word "atheism" on it?

Personally, I was a bit put out by this; it doesn't seem like very good Christian ministry to look like rabid authoritarians out to quash free speech even when it is not offensive. But what do you guys think?

I'm curious if they refuse any sign of a religious nature.

If so....well I don't really agree with it but I don't have a problem with it. If it's just atheists though....then they're discriminating against different religious beliefs, which I think is wrong.
 
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keith99

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I'm curious if they refuse any sign of a religious nature.

If so....well I don't really agree with it but I don't have a problem with it. If it's just atheists though....then they're discriminating against different religious beliefs, which I think is wrong.

If I recall correctly they started not accepting signs related to religion only after the atheist group wanted their say. Explicitly religious signs were fine up until that point.
 
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Nithavela

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If I recall correctly they started not accepting signs related to religion only after the atheist group wanted their say. Explicitly religious signs were fine up until that point.
For many religious people, freedom of religion means freedom of their religion and their religion only.
 
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