Athiest Holiday Ad Angers Christians

...and what else is new, right? But anyway, I thought this story was interesting considering the bickering that went on LAST year that went on about what types of decorations could be displayed on public property in Washington D.C. Basically people said that if there is a nativity scene on public property, then others want to be able to put up displays as well, but Christians there were against it.

Now, the American Humanist Association runs an ad that questions god and says "Just be good for goodness' sake." Conservative Christians in that area, forgetting that they do not have a patent on the generic term "god", feel like it is an attack and don't want it to be allowed.

full story

What do you think? Is the ad in good taste? Do any Christians out there feel like this ad is actually targetting Christians? Do any athiests or agnostics like it as a refreshing change?

"It's a stupid ad," he said. "How do we define 'good' if we don't believe in God? God in his word, the Bible, tells us what's good and bad and right and wrong. If we are each ourselves defining what's good, it's going to be a crazy world."

^ This.

I think this is a stupid issue and I think The American Humanist Association is trying to pick a stupid fight.

I think if we were ALL a little more open-minded we'd recognize there's room for ALL Beliefs. :p

my thoughts: first, i don't think it's offensive, but i'm an atheist; second, it's too bad that such a simple question causes such controversy; and third, i wonder what they think they can accomplish with such a campaign.

I think the supreme court is about to rule on a case regarding religious displays on public property that might resolve some of the ambiguity about what is permitted and what is not.

But this is a paid advertisement.  I don't have a problem with it.  They have as much right to advertise as a church does (and I see their billboards all the time).

Some people must enjoy having their panties in a wad, ya know?

I think it's kind of funny that very few christians realize that Christ was not born on December 25.

December 25 popularized

In Rome December 25 was made popular by Pope Liberius in 354 and became the rule in the West in 435 when the first "Christ mass" was officiated by Pope Sixtus III. This coincided with the date of a celebration by the Romans to their primary god, the Sun, and to Mithras, a popular Persian sun god supposedly born on the same day. The Roman Catholic writer Mario Righetti candidly admits that, "to facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, the Church of Rome found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the birth of Christ to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honor of the 'Invincible Sun' Mithras, the conqueror of darkness" (Manual of Liturgical History, 1955, Vol. 2, p. 67).

hey - who doesn't need an excuse to party in the dead of winter?

The sign didn't bother me but then, I don't believe in God.  What made me mad was the comments to the article. People saying if you don't believe in God then people will be lawless and murdering, etc... Give me a break.  Oh, and I'm not lonely during the holidays and even though I don't believe I LOVE Christmas decorations!  Bring on the nativity! 

The pagans were already partying in the dead of winter. The christians needed to find a way to incorporate said parties into their religion so they could convert the pagans more easily.

Christmas is nothing but propaganda and always has been.

i don't find this offensive, but i know a lot of people who would be really upset by this, but i guess i'm agnostic now.

i almost like this ad- in a way, it's saying the same thing i have been the whole time i've questioned religion. many of the Christians i know are not good people. they honestly aren't. they're selfish, greedy, and aren't involved in any sort of charity work. also, they ridicule me often for not going to church.
on the other hand, a group of my friends and i volunteer several places and donate other time and money to humanitarian organizations.

maybe this ad is to combat the ridicule that atheists get from religious people for not believing. the "just be good for goodness' sake" implies to me that people who are not religious can be good people.

i know, mooni.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, Christmas is the time the the sun stops dropping away to the southern horizon and starts coming back up into the sky.  Easter is the time when the plants rise up from the dead and start growing again.

It's appears to be a good way for the Washington D.C.'s buslines to incite a riot.  I do find the ad offensive and I am quite surprised at the apparent lack of forethought that went into the plan.  I feel sorry for all the parents who are going to have to try to explain that ad to their 5 or 6 year old children.

I knew it wasn't December 25, it was probably the spring judging from the fact that shepherds were out in the field when Jesus was born according to the Bible.  But whatever.  I agree that it is a paid advertisement and freedom of speech is permitted, but it's still stupid.  It can be legal and perfectly fine to have it, but it's still stupid.  Without a system of beliefs of some sort (generally God because a belief in something defines moral standards) there is no good and bad.  The good and bad are each defined individually to each person.  The general rule for good and bad that I have established among my athiest/agnostic friends is that if it isn't hurting anyone it's fine.  I don't think that's necessarily true, though.  That IS personal belief, but in my opinion you can't tell people to be good when they don't even believe in good and evil.  I know my best friend doesn't.  She just goes by the rule that if no one gets hurt, it's fine.  I still believe she is a genuinely good person, but I also think she is lucky she is, considering she has to define right and wrong every day - it's not set out for her to believe in.  Now, I don't think that most atheists and agnostics are bad people, I'm just saying that I personally think it would be a lot easier to do bad if you didn't have a reason not to (other than the law).

That being said, the ad is still pretty useless.  I'm not sure what they were trying to achieve.  I hesitate to say that they were trying to better society with it, considering I figure they probably knew what Christians would think of it... seems more like it's aimed at irritating them.  If I believed it was from the standpoint to be directed at athiests and agnostics and let them know that despite their beliefs they can feel not left out at Christmas, I'd be alright, but the first part just gets me.  "Why believe in a god."  It's as though they're aiming it at those of us who do believe in a god, saying that it doesn't matter as long as we're all good people.  What they are missing is that Christians don't believe in God just because doing so makes us be good people (it definitely doesn't), we simply believe in him because he is our path to salvation and he created us.  That is the reason we believe in God, so to ask such a question is pretty inflammatory.  I'm surprised that none of you have looked at it from a Christian perspective.  I can see it through yours, and I agree that it looks good on the premise that it was aimed at including atheists/agnostics during a religious holiday season.  However, I doubt it was, and therein lies my problem.

(Please despute, not attack.)

Original Post by 4theloss:

What do you think?

What do you think? 

Free speech and all that, but I really don't see the point.  The ad will not do what the AHA thinks it will do.

Is the ad in good taste? 

It seems in good enough taste, IMO, but then, I'm an atheist.  I can see how it would ruffle others' feathers, though.

Do any Christians out there feel like this ad is actually targetting Christians? 

Not a Christian, so I won't make assumptions here.

Do any athiests or agnostics like it as a refreshing change? 

I honestly don't care.  I don't feel alone during the holidays, I don't have questions as to whether or not "godless" people can be good, so it really doesn't do anything for me except get me thinking about how $40,000 could have provided a lot of meals and coats for homeless people.

(edited to clarify last paragraph)

Original Post by anneemish:

It's appears to be a good way for the Washington D.C.'s buslines to incite a riot.  I do find the ad offensive and I am quite surprised at the apparent lack of forethought that went into the plan.  I feel sorry for all the parents who are going to have to try to explain that ad to their 5 or 6 year old children.

what's offensive about it? 

and what's wrong with saying to a 5 or 6 year old, "Not everyone believes what we believe"?

I wish we could just have a holiday WITHOUT this kind of crap spreading around.

I think Atheists are being rather close minded. While on one hand,there are a LOT of hypocritical Christians out there, but there are even MORE hypocritical Atheists out there as well.

I am not christian, or naything really, but for the love of the baby Jee, just let the holidays be holidays! So WHAT if they're overly commercialised! People tend to be NICER this time of year than nay other time, why try to ruin that by stirring up crap (c'mon, christians are EASILLY stirred, so why do this near their one big holiday??)

If you don't believe in Christianity, Don't celebrate Christmas! Try Channuka or Ramadan for once. Don't like those religions for some reason? Then SHUT UP! Don't be the massive Grinch to people's holidays because you believe in only the tangible, don't rain on other religion's parade.

Original Post by santonacci:

I honestly don't care.  I don't feel alone during the holidays, so it really wouldn't do anything to me except get me thinking about how $40,000 could have provided a lot of meals and coats for homeless people.

I think this is what I was getting at.

I mean.. what's the POINT of this ad? To educate others about what it means to be an atheist? To bother other Christians? What?

It just seems to me it was worded specifically to upset Christians, which means that there may have been thought here, but little wisdom. They'd have done better providing relief to people who need it. Not taking pot shots at Christmas, an ad which WILL infuriate many people.

Original Post by direwolf689:

I wish we could just have a holiday WITHOUT this kind of crap spreading around.

I think Atheists are being rather close minded. While on one hand,there are a LOT of hypocritical Christians out there, but there are even MORE hypocritical Atheists out there as well.

For the love of the baby Jee, just let the holidays be holidays! If you don't believe in Christianity, Don't celebrate Christmas! Try Channuka or Ramadan for once. Don't like those religions for some reason? Then SHUT UP! Don't be the massive Grinch to people's holidays because you believe in only the tangible, don't rain on other religion's parade.

wow - really?  more hypocritical atheists than christians?  based on what?  and what makes you think we believe only in the tangible? 

Original Post by direwolf689:
While on one hand,there are a LOT of hypocritical Christians out there, but there are even MORE hypocritical Atheists out there as well.

I wonder if you can actually back this statement up, in terms of real numbers? Or is this just your personal beliefs?

PS.. it's my belief and my experience that there's plenty of hypocriticism to go around.

on the other hand, to ask Why believe in a god? could provide a Christian (or other religious adherent) with a wonderful opportunity to reflect on why they believe in their God while riding the bus.

It's just a question.  It's not an insult.

It doesn't change my belief in God.  Sometimes a question that provokes self-reflection is a good thing, regardless of the intentions of the questioner.