Banners Promoting Atheist Event Offend Fort Worth Residents
by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – City officials in Forth Worth, Texas received around 100 complaints from residents after banners with the phrase “In No God We Trust” were hung along Main Street promoting an atheist event.
The banners, which the city issued a statement defending, advertise a speaking event slated to be held at the Forth Worth botanical gardens by the Metroplex Atheists July 14th, a Texas-based atheist advocacy group.
“The City of Fort Worth Banner Policy and Procedures allows a non/not-for-profit to place banners within the public right-of-way for the purpose of promoting the organization or special event held by the organization,” a statement issued by the City of Forth Worth July 2nd read.
Mayor Betsy Price said that although she too disagreed with the content of the messages, the signs met city legal standards—which it said applied equally to religious messaging, with a Kenneth Copeland event due to be advertised shortly after the “In No God We Trust” banners are taken down—and illustrated the religious freedoms hard-won by patriots.
“We must respect freedom of speech. As we approach the Fourth of July, we must remember that many Americans have fought and died for the freedoms we cherish today,” Price tweeted.
The July 14th event will be headlined by Aron Ra, Texas regional director of American Atheists, and will attempt to garner support for a campaign seeking to change the national motto from “In God We Trust” to “E Pluribus Unum.”
