Atheists’ ads ride TriMet buses

Non-believers use transit agency to promote ‘Good Without God’ campaign and new book

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Nov 17, 2009, Updated Nov 17, 2009 (60 Reader comments)

Courtesy photo

King size ads like this one are scheduled to appear on 10 TriMet buses for a month to promote a new book by Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain at Harvard University. The United Coalition of Reason paid $5,900 for the ads.

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Advertisements intended to raise awareness about people who do not believe in God are appearing in TriMet buses.

They feature the words “Are You Good without God? Millions Are” superimposed on an image of a blue sky and clouds.

The king size ads are scheduled to appear on 10 buses for a month. They are also intended to promote a new book, "Good without God, What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe," by Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain at Harvard University.

“The point of this ‘Good without God’ campaign is to reach out to the millions of humanists, atheists and agnostics living in the United States,” says Fred Edwords, national director of the United Coalition of Reason, which paid $5,900 for the ads. “Nontheists sometimes don't realize there's a community out there for them because they're inundated with religious messages at every turn. So we hope this will serve as a beacon and let them know they aren't alone.”

Contacted by the Portland Tribune, the Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon declined to comment on the ads.

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