Allowing atheists to place bus ads in Indiana

You'd think bus ads were available for anyone who had a message to spread and cash to spend. But apparently, that was not so for the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign, who were forbidden to place their messages on Bloomington, Indiana city buses. And why (other than the obvious)?

The transit corporation previously said the proposed ads violated its advertising policy, which bans statements for or against "controversial public issues."

Right, heaven forbid someone come up and claim there is no God. Riots'll break out. Christians' faces will melt off.

And the message they want to spread in the first place? "You can be good without God". Oh, so horrible and inflammatory.

Well, good news for supporters of the First Amendment: they've caved in and allowed atheists the same bus-ad-placing rights as anyone else.

An agreement announced Monday evening at the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation's building ends a federal lawsuit filed in May by the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign.

The Herald-Times of Bloomington says the agreement allows the group to pay standard rate for the ads, which they can post as often, and on as many buses, as they choose.

The transit corporation also agreed to reimburse the ACLU-Indiana for a significant portion of their legal expenses.

Again, the First Amendment allows you to spread whatever message you have to offer, regardless of how offensive or disruptive it may be. Only what is truly downright illegal (purely slanderous or dangerous) doesn't fit under the First Amendment. Asserting that you don't need God in your life to be a good person – hardly.

(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)