Atheist Group Puts Up Scarlet A Display in Arlington Heights (IL) Park to Counter Nativity Scene

For the fifth straight year, the Freedom From Religion Foundation chapter in Chicago has put up an atheist display at North School Park in the city of Arlington Heights to counter a Nativity scene also on the property. This year, the atheists put up a five-foot-tall Scarlet A:

The group’s display has been vandalized in the past. In 2013, when they put up a banner with an irreligious message, someone took a knife to it:

And in 2014, when the Chicago Coalition of Reason put up its own banner, the top of it was ripped out of its grommets while the eyehooks keeping the banner attached to its stand also went missing:

In addition, the disclaimer sign (that said the displays were put up by private groups and did not represent the views of the local park district) was literally bent out of shape:

Last year went without incident, but we’ll see what happens this year. In theory, though, there’s nothing offensive about this display. It merely represents a perspective that isn’t shared by Christians.

(Portions of this article were published earlier)