

The atheist group American Atheists has raised enough money to start spreading the word — not to be confused with "The Word" — about atheism. Billboards declaring that God is "a myth" will go up in Muslim and Jewish communities in New York.

On its site, American Atheists says the billboards should appeal to atheists living in insular religious communities "designed to squelch individualism and religious criticism." As for the non-atheists seeing the billboards, the group anticipates some backlash but is hoping for the best.

These billboards are not meant to inflame or enrage, and while the comparison of how the Jewish and Muslim communities react will be interesting, we expect no violence nor vandalism. Although some in those communities might not appreciate our outreach, we have every right and every responsibility to advertise our organization and our movement as we see fit.

In particular, American Atheists is advertising the Reason Rally: a Celebration of Secular Values in Washington DC. Following that, there's the National Convention of American Atheists in Bethesda, Maryland — this year's theme is, "Come out, come out, wherever you are." Which begs the question: what religion were the munchkins in Oz?

[Image via Atheists.org]