A Fort Lauderdale billboard promoting atheism gave its religious neighbors a headache -- an unintented but probably unavoidable consequence, the sign's sponsors say.

The billboard at Sunrise Boulevard and Northwest 27th Avenue -- which read, ``being a good person doesn't require God'' -- ``should be in no part of the community,'' activist Essie ``Big Mama'' Reed said. Soon after it went up, Reed picketed against the sign for about a week with students from Team of Life, a neighborhood camp she runs for underprivileged children.

``If those people so enjoy that sign, they should put it in their front yard,'' she said.

Pastor James Ray of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, one of several houses of worship in the vicinity, said congregants complained about the 10-by-40-foot billboard.

``Everybody has their freedom of speech, but most of us know this universe is not here by a bang,'' Ray said.

Ken Loukinen, founder of Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists, said his group picked the location because, at $2,200 a month, it was the most affordable one available.

A month-long lease expired this week, and the atheists' message is being resized for a 10-by-36-foot billboard at Commercial Boulevard at Northeast Fourth Avenue in Oakland Park, which will go up Monday. Loukinen said he won't be surprised if there are objections there, too.

``We could have made that billboard with kittens and hugging puppies, but as long as it says `atheist,' they'll protest,'' he said, adding that the new sign will be slightly revised. On the first one, he said, ``We accidentally capitalized `God.' ''

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