An angry atheist kicked off a religious skirmish outside a Florida city hall.
After seeing a nativity and menorah put up in front of city hall during the holidays, an atheist decided to put up his own symbol in front of Hallandale Beach City Hall. Chaz Stevens put up an upside down cross in front of city hall that reads, “In Chaz We Trust, All Others Pay Cash.” The sign, which lights up in red after dark, has drawn outrage and already been answered by a Christian putting up a regular cross next to it, CBS Miami reports.
“Government has no right to be in the business of religion,” Stevens told the Sun-Sentinel. “Keep church out of state.”
Chaz, who admits the sign is tacky, said he plans to take it down Friday. He just wanted to make a statement.
“It’s not like I practice evil,” Stevens told CBS Miami. “We do not believe in Satan. We are atheists. However, we’ll believe in Satan, in Jesus, we’ll believe in whatever if it furthers our cause of Satanology which is promotion of our civic activism to further a discussion of our civil rights, of separation of church and state. And how we’re doing that is we’re using the hobgoblins of Christianity against themselves.”
The city put up a sign next to the Satanic cross that reads, “This display has been privately installed as an expression of religious freedom. The views expressed do not represent the city’s administration.”
Hubert Jackson, a deacon at the local Higher Vision Ministries, decided to set up a Christian cross next to the Satanic one.
“I did not want people to think the city where I live is endorsing Satan,” Jackson told the Sun-Sentinel. “I was given permission to put up a cross and I will do it in the morning to counter this satanic thing.”
Stevens plans to put up the crosses in other towns as well.
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