If you don't believe in God you're not alone

Washington, D.C. – May 1, 2008
These words are being seen on Interstate 95 north of Philadelphia. Greeting
outbound drivers near the Westmorland turnoff, they are part of a highway
billboard that features an image of blue sky and clouds with the words
superimposed over. The striking message raises a question . . . and maybe
some eyebrows.

The billboard was placed by a coalition of local and national humanist and
freethought organizations, including the American Humanist Association and
it's independent marketing adjunct FreeThoughtAction, Atheist Alliance
International, the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, the Humanist
Association of Greater Philadelphia, and Temple University Secular Students.

This billboard was timed to coincide with the National Day of Reason,
celebrated by humanists each year on the same date as the National Day of
Prayer--which this year falls on May 1, the 75th anniversary of the first
Humanist Manifesto.

Speaking at a press conference held this morning at the Ethical Humanist
Society of Greater Philadelphia, Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the
American Humanist Association, said: "Traditional religious billboards have
abounded in the past. Something nontraditional like this is therefore needed
to stimulate thinking."

Joe Fox, president of the Humanist Association of Greater Philadelphia,
added: "The point of the billboard is to make nontheistic people, such as
atheists and agnostics, aware that they aren't alone."

At the same press conference, Margaret Downey of Pocopson, president of
Atheist Alliance International, highlighted the positive results that occur
when nontheists find each other and become involved with other like-minded
individuals.

Sally J. Cramer, president of the Freethought Society of Greater
Philadelphia, declared: "Atheist and agnostic Americans have been made to
feel marginalized. It's time to change that. We're here and we have a place
at the table."

"We want people to know there's a serious and meaningful alternative to the
religious right that has been dominating American religious discussion," Fox
added. "After all, a lot of people are frustrated with the power that
traditional faiths have wielded, and they don't know where to turn to find
others who share that frustration. Now they will."

The billboard will be up for three months and is one of a series that will
appear around the country, raising the public profile of humanists and
freethinkers. The billboard is backed by an active Web site at
www.PhillyCOR.org that sets forth the larger mission of the effort and
offers ways that individuals can get involved. An image of the billboard
appears on the site, but people can also phone 1-800-NEW- REASON. Either way
they will be able to learn more about the national and Philadelphia
organizations behind the effort.

"Once people have phoned or logged on, they can go further to learn more or
just stop right there," Cramer said. "No door-to-door evangelist will ever
visit, and there are no pop-ups on the Web page. Our only aim is to reach
those who really want to learn more."

The billboard is large and clear--20 feet tall by 60 feet wide--and
strikingly easy to see on the right side of the roadway.

"You can't miss it," Speckhardt concluded.

* * *

PhillyCOR, the Greater Philadelphia Coalition of Reason, is a joint effort
to help connect local freethinkers and providing them with a sense of
community and a way to combine their voices with others who are ready to
move society forward.