Ethics

Those Evil Atheist Bus Ads Again

By Ed Brayton

The Des Moines, Iowa transit authority reversed its initial decision and allowed an atheist group to purchase ad space on city buses with the entirely innocuous statement "Don't believe in God? You are not alone" on them. Now one of the bus drivers is refusing to drive a bus with that sign on them, saying it conflicts with her Christian faith.

On Monday, the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority suspended bus operator Angela Shiel after she refused to drive a bus with an Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers ad on its side. Shiel, 41, said the ad's message, "Don't believe in God? You are not alone," went against her Christian faith...

Shiel, a DART bus driver for four years, now could be fired because of her refusal to drive the bus.

DART policy states that drivers cannot choose which buses they drive, DART General Manager Brad Miller said.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on August 24, 2009 (boomark / email).