Fore Note: These are the same people who demanded to hold the invocation at the Lenoir City Council meeting then complained that others were allowed to pray at the meeting. Even worse, the Ledendeckers operate a private school for young children. Think about that.
A billboard that drew criticism is back up in a new location in Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- A billboard that was put up with a message about questioning God received a lot of criticism, but the group behind it said all they want is to be a support group.
The sign was originally placed on Kingston Pike in the Bearden Hill area, and also just across the street from Central Baptist Church of Bearden. After only being up for a few days, the group behind the message, a non-profit atheistic group called Rationalists of East Tennessee, said public pressure forced the owner of the billboard to take the message down.
"It is a sad day for any group of people who simply has a sign out that says we're here to support you... that someone feels compelled to discriminate against that," Aleta Ledendecker of Rationalists of East Tennessee said.
Ledendecker explained the message is as simple as the words say; that anyone who questions the existence of God has a group to turn to for support.
The message has now been moved to a new location on Kingston Pike, only about a mile west of the original spot and just outside where Darryl Butler works.
"I'm one of the Bible that says there's only one God. When I see that sign....I'm confused. I'd like to sit down with the person that put that sign up and ask, what god are you talking about," Butler said.
Butler said he doesn't believe the atheist's message, but would like to have a discussion about why they believe what they believe.
"I think it's important that we find out, instead of hearsay, what this person is really thinking. What's in his heart about putting up that sign? And then he can hear another side of what we believe and why we believe," Butler explained.
Ledendecker said people criticized their message and said the Rationalists of East Tennessee were trying to convert people from their religious beliefs. Ledendecker said that isn't true.
"Many of them (atheists) feel alone and we just wanted to let them know that there is a support group for them," she said.