STARKE, Fla. (AP) – A monument to atheism now sits near a granite slab that lists the Ten Commandments outside a courthouse in a conservative north Florida town.
The New Jersey-based group American Atheists unveiled the 1,500-bound granite bench Saturday as a counter to the religious monument in what’s called a free speech zone.
Group leaders say they believe it’s the first such atheist monument on government property.
About 200 people attended the event. Most were atheists, but a few protesters attended as well, including a group with signs that said, “Yankees Go Home.”
The atheists sued to try to have the Ten Commandments removed but dropped the case when they were told they could have a similar monument.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
