Controversy
The American Atheists organization is known for its controversial antireligious billboards, intended by the organization to draw out closeted atheists within religious groups. A billboard on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway displaying the Hebrew Tetragrammaton erected after the celebration of the Jewish holy day of Purim caused outrage from many Jews. The same billboard was rejected by a landowner in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood which drew a reaction from American Atheists' president David Silverman, who stated that this was a case of religious bigotry. A satirical billboard depicting the Nativity during the Christmas season was also erected in 2010, causing a reaction from many American Christians, including the construction of a counter-billboard by the Catholic League. A billboard in Paterson, New Jersey with the name of Allah in Arabic and the words "You know it’s a myth and you have a choice" drew criticism from local Muslims who "felt it was disrespectful and insulting but they agreed that the American Atheists have the right to put up their billboards where they want."
Read more about this topic: American Atheists
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