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A mock up of the CNY Humanists billboard that will be installed Monday on North West Street in Syracuse.

(Lamar Advertising for CNY Humani)

Syracuse, NY - The billboard going up Monday on North West Street at first glance looks like a church advertising for new members.

The background is a heavenly blue sky with wispy clouds and the words "Don't believe in God?" A pair of hands on one side holds a sign "You're not alone!" It directs people to the website cnyhumanists.org.

The billboard is an outreach to the community, said Corrina Allen, president of the CNY Humanist Association.

"We want to let people in the area to know that if they're not religious, and they don't believe in God, they are not alone and there is a community available to them," she said.

The billboard by Lamar Advertising is going up at a prominent spot at 231 N. West St.

Humanists are not religious, Allen explained. The organization is a mix of people who are atheists and don't believe in a god or gods; others who are agnostic, who claim neither faith nor disbelief in God: and some who just say they are not religious, she said.

"We believe that humans are responsible for solving problems. We should lead ethical, meaningful lives, adding to the greater good of humanity," Allen said. "Essentially it's doing good without God."

The organization founded in April 2014, is a safe spot for people who don't believe in religion to be themselves in a religiously dominated society, said Allen. She was a Catholic who eventually became an atheist, Allen said.

"In a society where people's community is often tied to their religion, those with no belief in God can feel alone. We want them to know there is a local community free from supernatural beliefs and religious dogma," Allen said.

The organization's 20 to 30 members usually meet on the first Sunday of the month at the North Syracuse Public Library, she said. (The meetings are on hiatus during the summer and will resume in the fall.)

Another 122 people attend the Secular and Social CNY Families group associated with the organization. An additional 487 are members of the meetup group, Allen said.

The group hosts speakers and holds discussions about various topics. There is a book club and a variety of community service opportunities, such as working for the Food Bank, giving blood or donating toys to patients at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital. There are also social activities, she said.

"Everyone is welcome, even the religious who are curious about what we do," Allen said.