'Jesus' bus bench ads by Colorado pastor could be removed for including the name 'Jesus'

A pastor's advertisement contract on transit benches in Colorado Springs may no longer be renewed because they contain the name "Jesus."

The Mountain Metro Transit, which carries the bus bench ads, informed Pastor Lawson Perdue that he can no longer put up ads with the name "Jesus" because a person complained to the company about it.

Photo showing bench ad | Wikimedia Commons/Orin Zebest

"I asked the city person, 'Why are you not allowing me to advertise the name of Jesus?' She said, 'Because if you use name of Jesus in ads, then we must allow hate messaging,'" Perdue said, according to Charisma News.

Perdue, who heads Charis Christian Center, told the city officer that Jesus' name does not in any way represent hate speech. On the contrary, he said, Jesus' name "is a very positive message of faith."

He considered the officials' move as an attack on his First Amendment Rights and an attack against those who profess Jesus as their Savior.

Perdue has been advertising on transit benches for three years in a row, and all his ads have the name of Jesus in them. Last year, the ads read "Experience Jesus," and two years ago, they read "Celebrate Jesus."

This year, Perdue had the words "Jesus is Lord" in the ads, which are painted on 20 benches scattered all over the city. His contract will expire on July 10.

When Mountain Metro Transit refused to renew his advertising contract, Perdue approached the city officials.

The city's official statement released Monday said that it is "carefully reviewing the advertising policies of Mountain Metro Transit" to check if they comply with the law and to determine if Perdue's ads need to be changed.

The statement also said that Mountain Metro Transit acknowledged that it acted "hastily" on the complaint regarding the ads.

"During this review, no action will be taken and Mountain Metro Transit will continue Pastor Perdue's advertisement as they currently appear," city officials said. They also said they take violations of the First Amendment "very seriously."

Perdue has enlisted the help of an attorney from the organization Alliance Defending Freedom, but he has filed no lawsuit so far.