CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A billboard in Charlotte is one of six across North Carolina that omits the phrase "under God" when quoting the Pledge of Allegiance.
The billboards, sponsored by the North Carolina Secular Association, have the phrase "One Nation Indivisible" written over an American flag background.
The billboards were posted in a celebration of Independence Day, according to a news release.
"This is a positive message of unity and inclusion for all Americans," said Joseph McDaniel Stewart, vice president of FreeThoughtAction and founder of the North Carolina Secular Association. "It is designed to bring nontheists and theists together as patriots in a shared society."
The billboards cost a total of $15,000 and will be displayed for four weeks in Charlotte, Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.
"When the words 'under God' were inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance between 'one nation' and 'indivisible,' they made a lie out of both those ideals because you can't have an indivisible nation if you draw a line between the godly and godless," Stewart said in the news release. "We all belong here."
The billboard in Charlotte is located on the Billy Graham Parkway near the Boyer Street intersection -- not far from Wilkinson Boulevard.
Stewart said one billboard company refused to accept the ad, calling it "too controversial."
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