Residents Offended by Atheist Billboards Encouraging Christians to 'Skip Church' on Christmas

A nationwide billboard campaign targeting evangelical communities and encouraging Christians to "skip Church" this Christmas season has upset local residents.

The nationwide American Atheist group has reportedly set up billboards across the country in areas highly populated by evangelical Christians that encourage religious residents to "skip church" this year.

"Go ahead and skip church! Just be good for goodness' sake. Happy Holidays!" the billboards read.

"We want it to be either a little funny, or edgy, or provocative in some way, so when people see it, they stop and go, 'Hey, wait a second, what did that just say?'" American Atheist program director Nick Fish told WCNC.

The billboards have reportedly been erected in Raleigh, North Carolina and Colorado Springs, Colorado, with both areas having high evangelical Christian populations.

Some local residents have expressed their offense regarding the billboards.

Two residents near Raleigh, North Carolina recently told My Fox 8 that they find the billboards to be upsetting.

"It is beyond disrespectful to my community and disrespectful to my beliefs," resident Chris Judge told the media outlet.

"I think it's ridiculous that we are letting a few people take Christ out of everything," Pattie Cranfill added, saying she'd like to see the billboards taken down immediately.

Colorado Springs resident Bonnie Miller added to KRDO-TV that she thinks the billboards are "terrible."

"It's terrible. Especially this time of year. I don't think everyone has to go to church but I'm a believer and I just don't like that whole message,"  Miller said.