City: OK to Denigrate God, but NOT OK to Advocate God

A dispute about bus advertisements seeking to publicize atheist views has touched off a free speech debate after the signs were torn down—then posted again—on the sides of Des Moines city buses.

-- From "Athiest bus ads create free speech debate in Iowa" by Michael J. Crumb, Associated Press Writer 8/14/09

The ads, sponsored by the Iowa Atheists & Freethinkers, pictured white puffy clouds against a blue sky and read: "Don't believe in God? You are not alone." The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority stripped the signs after receiving complaints, then after meeting with the atheist group, reversed course and put the ads back up.

The ad campaign is part of an expanding national effort by Washington D.C.-based United Coalition for Reason, which has placed ads on buses or billboards in several cities, including Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, Phoenix, New Orleans, Charleston, S.C., Philadelphia, Kansas City, Mo., Denver, Boulder, Colo., Long Beach, Calif., and Moscow, Idaho.

The issue with the ads in Des Moines was with the word God, said Elizabeth Prusetti, chief development officer for the bus agency.

"We have never allowed that word in our advertising, promoting a religion," she said. "We've never used the word God in any advertising to maintain some autonomy. We've had churches advertise but it's been for their church and not a belief."

The United Coalition of Reason, which works to raise the visibility of nontheists and to improve the way they are perceived by average Americans, said the ad campaign is fueled in part by the prevalence of mainstream discussion of religious beliefs. Fred Edwords, the spokesman for United Coalition of Reason, said the environment in the country has begun to shift, in part because of President Barack Obama's acknowledgment of nonreligious people during his inaugural address, when he said "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus—and nonbelievers."

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Gay Anti-Discrimination Legislation Forces YMCA to Redefine the Family

Does the C in YMCA stand for anything anymore? The Des Moines Y has learned the hard way that it doesn't pay to surrender to homosexual bullies.

From "Lesbians reject YMCA agreement" by Melissa Walker, posted 8/7/07 at Desmoinesregister.com
An agreement that was supposed to end a five-year fight between the Des Moines YMCA and a lesbian couple who wanted a family membership only intensified the debate Monday.

Greater Des Moines YMCA officials had agreed to settle a human rights complaint and expand their definition of "family" to include M and Sandra Patton-Imani, a Des Moines lesbian couple joined in a civil union in Vermont in 2000. But the couple refused to sign the document when they found out it contained a confidentiality clause.

"We can't honor that," Sandra Patton-Imani said. "We're not going to be gagged on this."

YMCA president Vernon Delpesce said the local branch would rewrite its rules to include adults who share a household. Couples would qualify for family status if they meet criteria on length of co-habitation, joint property purchases, and other areas addressed in "common-law" marriages.

The move was made after the Des Moines Human Rights Commission ruled that the nonprofit's policy, which recognized only traditional families, might violate a city law that prohibits discrimination in public accommodations based on sexual orientation, race, religion or disability.

Since the Patton-Imanis declined to sign the agreement, YMCA officials will wait for more direction from the human rights commission before the policy change is official, spokeswoman Jackie Feddersen Matt said.

M Patton-Imani said the agreement Monday also left out key demands: $5,000 to establish two legal aid funds to handle legal issues related to gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual families; and a free lifetime family membership.

Someone has got to start standing up to them or there will be no end to their demands...

Scott Beattie, attorney for the YMCA, said the organization does not give away memberships. The couple could apply for financial assistance if they cannot afford one, he said.

When an agreement goes unsigned, commissioners must decide whether the ruling has been followed, human rights director Rudy Simms said.

The Patton-Imanis nonetheless claimed victory Monday.

"What we wanted to do primarily was change the definition of family to be more inclusive," M Patton-Imani said.

They have, in fact, defined it right out of existence...

The advancement of homosexuality as a civil right (particularly in anti-discrimination law) is something that Christians MUST wake up and take seriously.

It is destroying the freedom to even operate our ministries according to Biblical beliefs...