Grand Junction Atheist billboards sparking controversy

An Atheist group put up a billboard near the Rimrock shopping center in Grand Junction following a trend of holiday atheist messages going up in other areas of our state.

Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers (WCAF) said it is celebrating the 2015 winter solstice season with a unique holiday digital billboard on I-70 Business Loop, near the Rimrock Marketplace on the west side of Grand Junction. The board faces traffic entering town, and is located right near Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby.

"Axial tilt is the reason for the season," proclaims the board, and it displays the group's website, WesternColoradoAtheists.org, at the bottom.

"We're trying to reach out to our fellow secularists and let them know they don't need to feel alone this holiday season, they can enjoy the Winter Solstice with fellow secularists and humanists," said Aleksandr Kolpakov, WCAF president.

The sign will be up for one week.

"The friendly members of Grand Junction's growing secular community enjoy the winter solstice season without the encumbrance of gods or reliance on religious mythology," said Kolpakov. "The billboard tells secular people in our area that if they don't believe in a God or gods, it's just fine, and that WCAF is here for them to provide them with fellowship and community without the dogma of organized religion."