Two Christmas-themed billboards go up in Tulsa to advertise the 2018 American Atheists national convention in Oklahoma City.
"Just like Santa Claus, the atheists are comin’ to town" are the words on the billboards. One is at I-44 and Memorial, and and one is at the Creek Turnpike and 129th East Avenue.
The American Atheists national convention is March 29 through April 1. The group put up two identical billboards in OKC.
"There are already a lot of atheists in Tulsa and in Oklahoma City and in every state across the country, and we want to raise awareness about that fact, and so that's why we typically put up these billboards all across the country," said American Atheists National Program Director Nick Fish.
Fish said the the convention will include social events, a food drive and raising money for local charities.
"We want to show people that there's this really great, vibrant community out there if you choose to leave religion, and that if you no longer believe in the things that you're being told in church, you don't need to stick around for the community and the support because it exists in other places," Fish said.
About 21 percent of Oklahomans identify as religiously unaffiliated. The largest single religious affiliation claimed is white evangelical Protestants, with 30 percent of Oklahomans identifying as such.
Billboards in Albuquerque and Dallas are more provocative than those in Oklahoma, reading, “Just skip church. It’s all fake news.” Fish said billboard owners in Tulsa and Oklahoma City wouldn’t allow anything that could be perceived as attacking religion.
"We couldn't even put up a billboard that said, 'Go ahead and skip church. Just be good for goodness' sake,' because that was viewed as an attack," Fish said. "And that was a billboard that we ran two years ago, featuring Santa Claus."
