Someone has made off with an atheist sign put up in the Illinois state capitol, according to the (Springfield, IL) State Journal-Register.

The same thing happened recently in Olympia early one morning, although the sign -- apparently bent in half by the thief -- was recovered by state troopers later that day. The signs were virtually identical, erected by Wisconsin's Freedom from Religion Foundation.

From the Journal-Register's story:

The sign was securely taped to an easel.

“It had to take an effort (to remove it),” (Annie Laurie) Gaylor said. “Atheists never engage in vandalism. We don’t go around stealing the Baby Jesus. They don’t follow their own commandments.”

Gaylor said the group hopes to have a replacement sign in place by today. “We’ll put a ‘Thou Shall Not Steal’ sign with it,” Gaylor said.

---

---