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The REASON of the Season


atheist.JPGLast fall, I scribbled a quick blog concerning an atheist advertising campaign in the New York City subway system that raised questions about belief in God. Several of you tossed in your opinions on the subject, including a couple atheists who found us on the www. And although it may feel like I’m beating an already limping horse, I can’t help but bring up a new atheist fist-shake that was launched this year.

A group called the American Atheists plopped down a cool 20 grand so they could erect a billboard in New Jersey that depicts a Three Wise Men at the Manger scene with the caption, “You KNOW it’s a Myth. This Season, Celebrate REASON.”

When pressed about this new anti-Christmas campaign, Dave Silverman, the atheist group’s spokesman, said that their reasons were threefold:

• To address those atheists who “go along to get along”, and to encourage them to come out of their closets

• To attack the myth that Christianity owns the solstice season

• To raise awareness of their organization and its movement.

Silverman was also quoted on northjersey.com as saying that some Christians blame atheists every year for having a war on Christmas, even if they don’t do anything. “If they want a war on Christmas, we’re going to make sure they know what one looks like.”

Now I can understand, to a certain degree, an atheist’s point of view on the whole Christmas thing. There are constant reminders in the form of holiday movies, TV shows, gift-giving specials and shock-and-awe advertising playing 24-7 during this season. And even though the media blitz usually has very little to do with spirituality, I can see how a non-celebrator might feel a little left out. When do we ever celebrate I Don’t Believe in Anything Day?

However, I think Silverman’s “war on Christmas” comment was particularly telling. For all of atheism’s reasoned reasoning, their efforts always seem to come down to a red-faced, “Oh yeah? Well, you’re stupid!” nose thumbing at those who choose to have faith.

I mean, nobody’s forcing Mr. Silverman or anybody else to celebrate any aspect of the upcoming holiday. If someone wants to reject church going, twinkle lights and gift giving and chooses to sit in their darkened room contemplating “reason” this Christmas, well, I say go for it. But why try and spoil it for anybody else?

I just find the whole thing laughably Scrooge-like. It’s all a myth, they say. Bah, humbug! Or as Scrooge himself can be heard to say in many a Christmas Carol airing this holiday: “If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”

That grizzled declaration is at least eloquent and thought provoking. Maybe atheists ought to put that line on a billboard. All they’d have to do is work an all caps “REASON” in there someplace.