My biggest cultural shock when I moved to Allendale in my freshman year was not the amount of people, the farm country or even the Snowpocolapse, it was being a non-religious person in the very religious bible belt of Western Michigan.

Now before everyone stops reading let me inform you I was raised Christian and went to church on Sundays, so I am semi-knowledgeable on both ends of the religious belief system. So for those responding to the Center for Inquiry billboard on US.131, let me say kindly, it is just an opinion.

The fact that people are feeling offended and want to talk about it is perfectly fine, but protesting the billboard just stating another religious opinion and wanting it taken down is another thing. I do not comment every time I see a What Would Jesus Do bracelet, Vacation Bible School T-shirt, or even the highly offensive, “It is your choice, Heaven or Hell” billboard.

In the article, Luke Galen even stated, “‘there are all types of billboards that say if you [do not] know Jesus you are going to Hell.’”

I also do not ask people to stop praying in front of me before they eat, stop creating clubs to partake in what you believe, or stop going to church. So how dare people be offended by one opinionated billboard inviting people to join the club based on what they believe.

I walk to class and see signs and chalking for religious clubs all over campus. I took major offense to those that took offense to the CFI billboard. I understand their perspective and know it might be against what the commenters believed, but it is still an opinion. As CFI says on their website, “without the free exchange of ideas progress is impossible.”

All religions are opinions, though when I say this many will tell me their religion speaks the truth, it is still an opinion.

Sherri Anderson

GVSU student