Georgia High School Removes Bible Verses From Football Monument Following Atheist Complaint

A Georgia high school has agreed to remove Bible verses on a monument marking the entrance to its football stadium following a complaint from an atheist group.

The school board for Madison County High School in Danielsville, Georgia agreed this week to remove the Bible verses that adorn a large marble monument outside of the school's football stadium. One verse reads "If God be for us, who can be against us?" from Romans 8:31, while the other one says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," from Philippians 4:13.

The five-member board voted unanimously to remove the Bible verses this week after receiving complaint letters from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the American Humanist Association. The monument has been a source of great contention for the community since it was erected back in August.

According to the Madison Journal Review, over 150 people showed up to a board meeting for the school district where it was announced that the Bible verses were to be covered up or removed. The local media outlet reports that about 16 ministers attended the meeting, and several people stood up to say why they felt the monument should remain the way it is.

"We are not here as haters, we are here to love all," Theresa Gordon, a resident invited to speak at the closed session meeting, reportedly told those in attendance. "It seems as if these [atheist] groups are here as haters, willing to spend millions to remove God from [our society], which means they are antichrists by definition – they must have hatred in their hearts to fight so hard to remove him from this small object that was placed for others to enjoy."