'Good Without God' Ad Campaign in Subway

MYFOXNY.COM - A monthlong ad campaign has begun in New York City's subway system to promote a coalition of groups that advocate secularism and atheism.

The printed posters, which feature the tagline "A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?" as well as the Web site BigAppleCoR.org , have gone up in more than a dozen stations in Manhattan. The Big Apple Coalition of Reason is a collection of groups working to increase awareness of secular-minded groups, according to its Web site.

Although reports and comments about the campaign have referred to the posters as "atheist," the group points out that atheism is just a lack of belief in religion or God whereas the the scope of the ads is bigger than that.

"These ads inform New Yorkers that a million or more of their neighbors are good without God," said Michael De Dora Jr., the executive director for the New York branch of the Center for Inquiry. "That is, a million of us have found or created natural morality, and lead good, productive, and meaningful lives without appeal to religious dogma or God. The ads also invite interested New Yorkers to learn more about who we are and what we're doing, and to get involved in the growing secular community and secular movement."

The ad campaign, which cost $25,000, was paid for by an anonymous donor, according to the New York Times.