Sometimes it’s difficult to know how to react to atheist campaigns. Concern, that atheism seems to be on the rise? Offence, that those who don’t believe in God should attack the concept of God? Incredulity, that the movement which says it isn’t a movement orchestrates event after event, campaign after campaign? Or just confusion?
It’s the latter I feel this time.
There’s a new American Atheist billboard campaign in the United States of America… just in time for Christmas, here it is:
Among other things, in the Press Releases they write:
Millions of American children are forced to go to church under the threat of being denied meals, losing household privileges, having their college tuition cut off, or being kicked out of their homes. Many atheist adults are forced to go to church under threat of divorce or lose custody of their children. We must ask the question, who are the real bullies? Those who are unafraid to stand up for our views on billboards, or those who destroy families from the inside out?”
I’ll assume they have evidence for their assertions…but that is not the reason for my confusion.
Let’s ignore the use of children in the advert (even though the involvement of children in faith is something atheist groups have long criticised Christians for), and let’s ignore the idea that any grown adult needs anyone’s permission to “Skip Church” – I’ve skipped church a lot in my time needing neither anyone’s permission to do so, nor feeling any guilt because of it – and let’s just read the text and try to follow the argument.
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is to skip church! I’m too old for fairy tales.”
One can see the connection: “Church? That’s where I hear fairy tales!” And there’s even quite a nice play on the idea that we all know Santa is a fairy tale too… except…
The logical consequences of the ad are these:
According to American Atheists, the children of Atheists will have to skip Santa too – they don’t do fairy tales.
“Many Atheist adults are being forced to dress up as some guy in a red suit…”
And all this naughty and nice business?
“Millions of American children are are forced to [behave decently/ follow the rules of the house] under the threat of being denied meals, losing household privileges, having their college tuition cut off, or being kicked out of their homes…”
You get the idea.
In short the ad campaign seems like Atheists all over – contradictory and entirely dependent on the very thing they say doesn’t exist.
It seems to me that, sooner or later, our Atheist friends must face the fact that whatever they do, for better or for worse, atheists in the West have been left with the legacy of Christendom.
And with that in mind, we are more than happy to wish everyone Happy Holy-Days this Christmas.