DIGITAL BILLBOARD-ATHEISTS
Atheist group and church advertise on Arkansas billboard
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) β A digital billboard in northwest Arkansas is flashing alternating ads by a church and an atheist group.
The billboard along Interstate 49 in Springdale has been showing an ad sponsored by the group American Atheists. It shows a young girl writing Santa Claus that all she wants for the holidays is to miss church, because she’s too old for fairy tales.
The ad is part of a campaign to promote the atheist group’s national convention, which will be held over the Easter weekend in Memphis, Tennessee.
The atheist ad inspired a response by Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas. Executive Pastor Devon Walker says the congregation raised about $900 to pay for its own message to appear about 16 seconds later on the same digital billboard for the two weeks before Christmas.
The church’s ad reads, “Questions, Doubts, Curiosity? All Welcome at Grace Church, Alma.”
Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed)
248-w-34-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Devon White, executive pastor of Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas)–A digital billboard in northwest Arkansas is flashing alternating ads by a church and an atheist group. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (15 Dec 2014)
< 249-a-07-(Devon White, executive pastor of Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas, in AP interview)-“an open door”-Devon White, executive pastor of Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas, says the church’s ad was prompted by an atheist ad about skipping church on Christmas. (15 Dec 2014) < 250-a-05-(Devon White, executive pastor of Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas, in AP interview)-“have open ears”-Devon White, executive pastor of Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas, says the church’s ad invites atheists to come with their doubts and questions. (15 Dec 2014) < 251-a-11-(Devon White, executive pastor of Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas, in AP interview)-“of show respect”-Devon White, executive pastor of Grace Church in Alma, Arkansas, says the church’s ad has prompted a number of emails from atheists. 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