Winston-Salem Groups Sponsor Billboard Celebrating Separation of Church and State

Others Blanket North Carolina

Click HERE for a hi res image.

For Immediate Release

(North Carolina, June 22, 2010) "One Nation Indivisible"

These words, superimposed over an image of the American flag, are appearing on billboards across North Carolina--from the mountains to the sea--in advance of the Independence Day week-long celebration. The billboards, scheduled to run for four weeks, are located in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.

The billboard in Winston Salem, on I-40 Business 0.1 mile East of Rt. 150, is co-sponsored by the Forsyth Area Critical Thinkers (FACT) and the Forsyth County Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. This billboard is part of a $15,000 state-wide awareness campaign sponsored by the North Carolina Secular Association (NCSecular.org), a coalition of local secular, humanist, freethought and skeptical groups throughout North Carolina, with additional funds provided by FreeThoughtAction, a national organization whose mission is to "encourage the continuing growth, open engagement, and public acceptance of a freethought community in American society."

"This is a positive message of unity and inclusion for all Americans," said Joseph McDaniel Stewart, vice president of FreeThoughtAction. "It is designed to bring nontheists and theists together as patriots in a shared society."

Stewart further explained that in 1954 when the words "under God" were inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance between "one nation" and "indivisible," they cheapened the original message of a united people by inserting the notion that only those who worship God are included. But, you cannot have an indivisible nation if you draw a line between believers and non-believers.

"As innocuous as this billboard is, it was rejected by one of the three largest billboard companies in North Carolina as 'too controversial,'" Stewart said further. "This just goes to show how real our concerns are and how necessary our message is."

"This issue is especially concerning for North Carolinians," said Jim Moury of Forsyth Area Critical Thinkers (FACT). "It is written into the North Carolina Constitution that one must believe in God to hold public office. Even if this requirement can't be enforced because it violates the U.S. Constitution, it's still there. Imagine how people would feel if the state constitution required office holders to be white or male."

During the last election, nontheist Cecil Bothwell, a duly elected councilperson in Asheville, had his right to hold office challenged because of the state constitution's religious restriction. Article VI, Section 8 disqualifies from office "any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God." It is listed first, ahead of the prohibition of anyone convicted of a felony or anyone convicted of treason.

The billboard in Asheville is sponsored by the Western North Carolina Atheists, the billboard in Greensboro by the Greensboro Atheists Organization and the UNCG Atheists/Agnostics/Skeptics, the billboard in Raleigh by the Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle, the billboard in Charlotte by the Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics and the billboard in Wilmington by the Humanists and Freethinkers of Cape Fear.

The billboard in Asheville is located on I-26, .3 mile east of Pond Rd. That in Winston-Salem is on business I-40, .1 mile east of Rt. 150. That in Greensboro is located on I-40, .4 mile west of exit 126. That in Charlotte is located on the Billy Graham Parkway near the Boyer intersection. That in Raleigh is located on Capitol Blvd. 0.1 mile North of Trewick Rd. And the billboard in Wilmington is located on at approx. 5939 Carolina Beach Road.

Other groups in the North Carolina Secular Association who are sympathetic, though not participating directly with the campaign, are the Atheists & Agnostics of Brevard/Transylvania County; the Triangle Atheist, Agnostic, Freethinker, and Humanist Meetup Group and the Triangle Freethought Society.

For more details on the North Carolina Secular campaign, click HERE.

For a hi-res images of the billboard artwork, free for media use, click HERE.

For more information contact:

Jim Moury
Forsyth Area Critical Thinkers (FACT)
336-403-3548
www.meetup.com/f-a-c-t

Steve Weston
President
Forsyth County Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State 336-655-2059
ncnative1@earthlink.net
www.au.org/take-action/get-local/chapters/chapters/winston-salem.html

Joseph McDaniel Stewart
Founder
North Carolina Secular Association
joseph-stewart@live.com
www.NCSecular.org