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[penguin110]

[QUOTE]Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera won't officially welcome the Atheist Alliance to Colorado Springs. And some atheists say they're mad as, well, heck.

"I feel slighted. I feel offended," said Rebecca Hale, a member of Freethinkers of Colorado Springs. "I'm disappointed that the state of Colorado has this kind of leadership that is looking to exclude people."

The annual convention of the Atheist Alliance, a collection of atheist and free-thought groups with about 4,000 members, will be held Friday through Sunday at the Wyndham Hotel. It expects to draw 150-200 people.

The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs is a member of the Atheist Alliance and helped bring the conference to the Springs. The Freethinkers requested a letter of welcome from the governor in February. They got word Tuesday that Owens would not sign a letter.

"Just because an organization sends in a request to have a letter from the governor, that doesn't mean a governor has to endorse a particular organization," said Kristen Hubbell, the governor's deputy press secretary.

Terry Sullivan, president and Chief Executive of the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau, said it's rare that groups don't receive requested welcome letters from the governor. He said he doesn't know how many others, if any, the governor has refused to sign.

When organizers learned of the rejection, they asked the mayor's office for a letter.

Rivera also said no. The fact that the Atheist Alliance scheduled its conference opposite Easter and during Passover was an important factor in Rivera's decision.

"Anybody in the United States is welcome to express their beliefs and opinions," Rivera said. "I just think it's bad timing."

He said he thinks it is the only time he's refused to sign such a letter in his 11 months in office.