If you visit Christ Way Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, you’ll see a new mural they painted on the side of the building. It’s very colorful, with buildings and flowers and a diverse group of hands hoisting a globe. Reader Scott noticed it last week and was immediately moved to take a picture.

Mostly because he saw the inspirational quotation they included: “We rise by lifting others.”

It’s not the line itself that stood out — they probably found it by Googling “inspirational quotations” and seeing what came up — but Scott noticed the name of the man who said it because it’s written there in small print: Robert Ingersoll, a.k.a. “The Great Agnostic.” One of the most fierce critics of religion in his time.

Did this church have any clue that they were quoting someone who would almost certainly never step foot inside the building?

A few days ago, I emailed the church to let them know about Ingersoll and to ask if they knew about him and/or regretted the decision. I figured it would be easy for them to just laugh it off and say the words mattered far more than the person who said it.

I still haven’t heard back.

