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Atheist Billboard Features Christian Women

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - A billboard is encouraging people to skip church this Christmas.

The ad is located off Venetucci near the B Street bridge on the south side of Colorado Springs.

It shows a teen girl on the phone, texting, with a shocked mother looking over her shoulder.

The message "Atheist Christmas. The more, the merrier!" is on the other side.

A text exchange between the girl and a third person is typed out, asking if she's "going to church this Xmas," with the teen responding, "no way. I don't believe in that stuff anymore."

colorado-springs-atheist-billboard
(credit: CBS)

But while the billboard sends one message, it turns out the women featured in it believe quite the opposite.

"I just think it's funny that you have two Christian women as your spokesperson and you don't love God but I do," said Candy Burns, who's featured on the ad with her daughter.

Years ago they posed for a stock photo shoot, helping out a friend, knowing their picture could be used anywhere, but never imagined seeing it promoting atheism.

The billboard is paid for by the group "American Atheists."

Burns asked them to take her images off the billboard, but no luck.

"I can't get mad about it because I know who I am in Christ, I know that I'm a child of God. I know I'm not an atheist."

She says she's now learned her lesson about taking stock photos.

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