OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in front of the Washington state Capitol Sunday, outraged over an atheist display inside.

The display stands next to a nativity scene. It has a sign that says "there are no Gods" and that religion is but a myth and superstition.

Outside, the protest included an opposing sign that portrays Governor Christine Gregoire as the Grinch. It also shows a balloon featuring Bill O’Reilly punching the governor.

When asked what the poster was supposed to mean, the protester carrying it said Jesus Christ was “spiritually” knocking the sense of God into the governor.

The display inside the Capitol, which went up last Monday has sparked nationwide attention.

A spokesman at the Capitol said they were getting calls from across the country at a rate of about 200 an hour.

Many were upset the the governor allowed such a sign in the Capitol. But state officials said the group that sponsored the display went through the proper legal submission process, just like the group that sponsored the Nativity scene and holiday tree.

“We're not in a position where we're endorsing any point of view. We have to be careful not to do that,” said Jim Erskine, with the Washington State General Administration Office.

"It's not a religious display; it is an attack on religion,” Freedom From Religion co-president Dan Barker said. His group was behind the atheist display.

As news of the controversial display circulated across the U.S., c onservative TV personality O'Reilly called the display "political correctness gone mad" and urged viewers to call Gov. Chris Gregoire's office to complain.

“Washington state is ground zero for just about every nutty secular cause on Earth,” O’Reilly said. “She is a weak and confused leader who allows a fanatical group parody in Christmas displays. I mean, how crazy is this?”

Gregoire and the state’s attorney general responded to criticism by citing the First Amendment and releasing this joint statement:

“Once government admits one religious display or viewpoint onto public property, it may not discriminate against the content of other displays, including the viewpoints of non-believers."