Atheists surprisingly won the sign war taking place during the week preceding the Republican National Convention (RNC), as conservatives can expect to see an anti-religion sign posted — to the exclusion of a billboard for the DVD release of a Christian film.

After the Orange Barrel Media billboard company fought the distributor of God’s Not Dead 2 for two months, it concluded that the sign would not be posted for all to see who attend the GOP Convention in Cleveland, Ohio … because of its “needlessly provocative” Christian-sounding messaging, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

However, the atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) had little trouble purchasing a giant anti-religion billboard that will greet RNC attendees arriving in Cleveland by plane. The anti-religion organization’s sign is complete with an image of former President Ronald Reagan and emblazoned with his quote, “We establish no religion in this country.”

The pro-religion message was evidently deemed as more offensive to the residents and visitors of the Ohio city than an anti-religion one … because it touched on the subject of judgment.

“The sign, which would have measured 32 feet by 60 feet, would have draped down one side of a large building in downtown Cleveland and was to feature a picture of Melissa Joan Hart, who plays a teacher in trouble for invoking Scripture in the classroom,” The Hollywood Reporter’s Paul Bond explained. “Alongside the image of the actress was the text: ‘I’d rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God.’”

Aversion to Christianity?

Emails obtained by the Southern California entertainment media outlet indicate that Orange Barrel informed the Christian film’s distributor, Pure Flix, that it did not like the “judged by God” message, which it said was “too political” and “way too incendiary.”

In addition to the aforementioned complaints, Orange Barrel reportedly expressed that it even had a qualm with the movie’s title, insisting that it was problematic, according to insiders.

Because Pure Flix already had indications that it was already on board with the RNC and its platform, the final verdict about its movie billboard came as a shock.

“Early on, Orange Barrel cited Republican National Committee rules barring ‘scandalous’ signage, though Pure Flix argued that the RNC would have no problem with their message, especially since former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is in the movie,” Bond reported. “In fact, the GOP has partnered with Pure Flix for a worship service the night prior to the start of the convention, followed by a screening of the movie (with food provided by Chick-fil-A).”

Despite Pure Flix’s positive Republican associations, Orange Barrel went on to warn that the city of Cleveland might have a problem with the message given through the God’s Not Dead 2 ad.

Pure Flix CEO Steve Fedyski conceded that city officials expressed their issue with the sign’s size and placement, which was witnessed when they suggested different steps for Orange Barrel to take if it wanted to get the sign approved. However, Fedyski maintained that by this time, the damage was already done because he had already agreed to pay the billboard company $64,100 to create the movie sign.

“I’m perplexed,” the head of Pure Flix shared about the situation. “They dragged us along for weeks. Now, right up against the convention date, they say we aren’t approved, and they give us no logical rationale.”

Fedyski notes the irony that his ad was accepted by Leftist media outlets, but rejected in the venue of this year’s convention for America’s conservative party.

“My speculation is that someone, somewhere didn’t want our message out,” he posed. “It’s hard to understand, considering we’ve used the same marketing on CNN and other national networks.”

Still not making sense

Even though some in Cleveland appear to be challenging the conservative ideals held by many in the Republican Party, officials planning the RNC are said to be actively working to fight off detractors.

“The Cleveland Host Committee is, in fact, working with the RNC to guarantee that anti-Republican groups don’t spoil the convention venue with provocative signage (the Democratic National Convention is working in concert with Philadelphia for similar assurances for their convention),” Bond pointed out. “It's unclear, though — even from the multiple emails sent to Pure Flix — who actually deemed the God's Not Dead 2 sign inappropriate.”

Adding to the confusion, a spokesman for the mayor of Cleveland stated that no objections regarding the content of the sign were made by the city.

Orange Barrel, however, did not acknowledge the city’s neutral take on the sign.

"This would not be approved,” the sign maker wrote Pure Flix in an email. “Way too incendiary."

The mix-up still has Fedyski up-in-arms, as the sign company does not appear to be straightforward about the ordeal.

“Orange Barrel CEO Pete Scantland told THR that there was ‘no bias’ intended, and said his company never actually obtained permission from the city to put any sign on the building in question,” The Hollywood Reporter explained.

Fedyski says that this explanation is quite odd.

“They picked the building and the size, and advertised that it was available," Pure Flix’s CEO asserted. "They gave us a budget and deadlines and we met all of it, then they put us on hold. We missed a primary promotional opportunity."

On the other side of the issue, FFRF Spokesperson Annie Laurie Gaylor is pleased that her group’s pro-atheism sign using Reagan’s quote has been uncontested and will be seen by all conservatives arriving at Cleveland by plane for the RNC.

“It’s near the airport, right after the ‘Welcome to Cleveland’ sign,” Gaylor informed about FFRF’s anti-religion sign posted on a Clear Channel billboard. “The idea was that people flying in to the convention couldn’t miss it.”