Wa PO: Let the publicity war begin: Atheists roll out new holiday ad

[Synnical]

First, I take exception to the headline. Xians have been touting for years that "Christ" has been taken out of "Christmas". But, apparently the reporter was so bored, he had to write something! More at link below.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/23/AR2009112302165.html

By John Kelly
Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Television lights burned brightly Monday in the room at the National Press Club where the Consumer Federation of America was holding a news conference on holiday spending. Outside, where something called the 2010 Hunger Report was about to be released, the juice-and-muffin table was swarmed.

Things were a little quieter in the Zenger Room. As of 9:30, I was the only journalist covering the announcement that the American Humanist Association was sticking it to religion again this season. Then Matt Ackland from Fox 5 showed up, and we could get started.

You remember the American Humanist Association -- the atheistical folks who last year caused such a fuss when they plastered Metrobuses with ads that read: "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake."

This irritated some believers, who took out their own pro-God ads. Metro received a bunch of complaints. The American Humanist Association received a bunch of publicity. The head of the Catholic League lumped secular humanists in with such figures as Jeffrey Dahmer and Hitler. Even the publisher of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" complained.

This year's ads say: "No god? . . . No problem! Be good for goodness' sake." At the peak, 220 ads will run on Metro buses and 50 ads will run on Metro trains. With a $40,000 budget, the campaign has also bought ads on buses in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles -- plus a billboard in Idaho.

"We're not trying to put down people's religious faith," AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt said Monday. "We just don't see the evidence necessary to support such faith."

The ads are sure to rile some religious folk. The wording echoes a bumper sticker you might have seen: "No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace."

Roy said the ads aren't intended to make religious people feel bad but to make nonreligious people feel good. "We want to remove the tabooness from being non-theistic," said Steve Lowe, head of a group called Washington Area Secular Humanists.

[PVnRT]

1. You should post this in GD

Then we could hear all the poor, persecuted Christians whine about how offensive this is.

[Soylent Brice]

2. i second that vote.

[Warpy]

3. Atheists always feel a bit left out at Xmas

although we do the tree and Santa Claus for the kids and even exchange gifts with each other as a way to chase the doldrums away at the darkest time of the year.

Still, being this out of step with the larger culture is depressing.

I welcome those signs. The red and green and Santa hats are a nice touch.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. Not all of us.

[Synnical]

4. Humanists launch 1st-ever Godless holiday campaign

http://www.examiner.com/x-8947-LA-Atheism-Examiner~y2009m11d23-Humanists-launch-1stever-Godless-holiday-campaign

November 23, 2009 11:44 AM

Move over atheist bus campaign. The American Humanist Association has entered the godless advertising field with a vengeance! This weekend, 200 buses and 50 rail cars in the Washington DC area will begin featuring smiling individuals in Santa hats on interior ads, along with the words, "NO GOD? NO PROBLEM!" 20 buses will have similar ads on their sides or tails. In early December, transit system vehicles with these ads will appear in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. It's all part of AHA's first-ever nation-wide humanist holiday campaign.

The purpose of the ads is to raise awareness of the idea that you can be good without God. This is supported in some of the interior bus ads with the addition of a smaller print message, "Be Good for Goodness' Sake. Humanism is the idea that you can be good without a belief in God," below the larger one.

As Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, explains, "Humanists have always understood that striving to make the world a better place is one of humanity's most important responsibilities. Religion does not have a monopoly on morality--millions of people are good without believing in God."

"We're hoping this campaign will build awareness about the humanist movement and our ethical life philosophy--particularly among the 'nones:' the rapidly growing percentage of people who claim no religion," added Speckhardt.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale