Atheism on the bench

A group of activists opened the first monument to atheism in the United States in the city of Stark (Florida), writes RIA Novosti.

The group American Atheists erected a monument at the county courthouse next to a monument to the Ten Commandments that had previously been erected by the local Christian community. According to activists, this is the first monument to atheism in the United States erected on public land. The monument features a granite bench and pedestal engraved with quotes from the Founding Fathers of the United States and the founder of American Atheists, as well as a list of Old Testament punishments for violating the Ten Commandments, including death and stoning.

“When you look at the monument, the first thing you notice is that it has practical benefits. Atheists prefer the real and material, so we decided to install the monument in the form of a bench,” the head of the American Atheists movement said at the unveiling ceremony. David Silverman.

The ceremony, which was attended by about 200 people, was accompanied by a protest - a small group of citizens waved signs that read "Honk for Jesus," "Yankees Go Home" and listened to loud Christian country music.

As local media previously reported, American Atheists decided to erect a monument to atheism after they failed in court to ensure that the monument to the Ten Commandments disappeared from the court grounds.