A simple question is sparking plenty of controversy. The question "Are you good without God?" is appearing on billboards across Baltimore.
CBS

Kelly McPherson

The billboards are reaching out to people who don't or aren't sure if they believe in God. Of course, it's got the Christian community talking.

"I don't think anybody can really be good without having a part of the God component inside of them," said Christian Life Church Senior Pastor Dr. Hugh Bair.

"And we believe clearly that one does not necessarily have to have God to have good," said First Unitarian Church Minister Rev. David Carl Olson.

The billboards are not just here in Baltimore.  They're in select states across the country.  Though they're already stirring up controversy, the real point is to get the conversation started.

"They might feel they're in a minority and this billboard is a way of saying if you're good without God, then you're not alone.  There are a lot of people like you, and we're trying to reach out to them," said Emil Volcheck, Baltimore Coalition of Reason.

The United Coalition of Reason paid for the campaign.  The local chapter, consisting of atheists, agnostics and humanists, says being vocal about not needing or believing in God can ostracize people in a society surrounded by churches and religion.

"I've only recently told my family and I decided to take a more active role and to help others who may feel afraid to speak up," said Gabriel Lockett, part of the Secular Student Alliance at UMBC.

Traditional churches take offense.

"A church is basically a visible presence that says we need God and what they are saying is they're undermining what church is really all about," Bair said.

The First Unitarian Church supports the billboard and is hosting the group's national speaker this weekend to preach about "good without God" and how it can play into even a churchgoer's beliefs.

"And even in a way of being religious that doesn't necessarily have God in it that we can still live ethical, moral, good lives," Olson said.

The non-theists say they're not trying to recruit people.  The traditional church says they've survived these sort of promotions before.

The campaign coincides with a book tour titled "Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe."  The tour stops in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon.

LINK TO VIDEO

http://wjz.com/seenon/billboards.controversy.2.1346662.html