NO GOD...No Problem ads

[Nozomi Ai]

Perhaps the moral to this story is, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

After years of waging the so-called "Christmas wars" -- on the side opposing religious displays in public spaces -- it seems non-believers are getting into the spirit of the season.

The American Humanist Association unveiled its holiday ads on Monday, and they feature a bunch of smiling revelers wearing Santa caps in a pitch that looks like just about every other holiday come-on, complete with red-and-green color scheme. But the giveaway is the jolly message broadcast in capital letters:

"NO GOD?. . . NO PROBLEM!"

The slogan is followed by a more traditional Christmas sentiment, "Be good for goodness' sake," but with this kicker: "Humanism is the idea that you can be good without a belief in God."

That statement seems true enough, though there is certainly no end to the argument between believers and non-believers as to whether you can be good without God, or whether God is in fact the reason for everything that is bad or good.

But apart from issues of trademark infringement -- matters best left to Santa's lawyers -- the latest ad campaign from the AHA raises the question of whether you can be good without Christmas, or something like it.

The AHA is billing the ad campaign as "a new kind of holiday tradition" and says the ads will run on trains and buses in Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The "Godless Holiday" pitch kicks off in Washington over the Thanksgiving weekend with banners inside 200 buses and on the outside of 20 more, and in 50 metro cars. It will then ramp up in early December, along with the rest of the holiday rush.

The ad campaign is aimed not at soliciting donations -- it does not point you to any charity, though if you like it you can join the AHA -- but rather to letting non-believers know they are not alone at the holidays. "We . . . want nontheists to know there is a community of like-minded individuals out there they can connect with," says AHA head Roy Speckhardt.

But the campaign is also in keeping with the trend of atheists, agnostics, secularists, humanists and the range of unaffiliated Americans known to sociologists as the "Nones" (a growing category of perhaps 15 percent of respondents who choose "no religion" when asked by pollsters) to hop a ride on the polar express that is the Christmas holiday.

In recent years, for example, non-believers have been demanding equal time in holiday displays (to declare there is no reason for the season) or celebrating the solstice (stealing a march on the pagans) or, with increasing frequency, celebrating what is known as Human Light Day, a festival begun in 2001 that usually coincides with the solstice (Dec. 23 this year) and features special seasonal music, readings, a candle-lighting ceremony, a big family meal -- well, you get the idea.

Maybe Christians should be flattered. Or maybe they'll want to pick a fight. Or maybe it's already a lost cause.

After all, the United States Supreme Court, through a series of fragmented rulings on holiday displays on public property, has pretty much settled on one thing -- that Santa Claus (and his eight tiny reindeer, nine if you include Rudolph) counts as secular, and that the Christmastime themes that the AHA (and every retailer since Macy's) exploit have moved so far beyond the manger scene of Christ's birth that they don't have an explicitly religious content.

Still angry? Try getting into the holiday spirit, like Speckhardt. In unveiling the "good without God" holiday ads, the AHA president avoids the usual atheistic broadsides against religious belief and offers a sentiment of goodwill toward the season:

"We understand our message may seem controversial to some, but it certainly isn't our purpose to offend anyone," Speckhardt says. "Of course, it's obvious that many people are also good with a belief in God, so I hope we can all find common ground."

So yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Believe it or not.

Source:
Ho, Ho . . . Whoa! Secularists Get the Holiday Spirit -- Politics Daily

Discuss!

 

[Tenyas]

I was kinda expecting this to happen at some point, believe it or not. Pff... What next? A retaliation of jesus vs santa ads? Oh, wait. Haven't they already done that?

 

[Trag]

Being a Humanist, I support them.

 

[Shamdeo]

Being a human, I support Humanists.

 

[Nozomi Ai]

Although i am Christian i think everyone is entitled to their opinions. The ad is still a little offensive, but im not trippin over it. Seen it already. Aint nothing new

 

[Gildragon]

I really really hate the whole idea of this.


I'm failing to see the purpose in this.


most of these People talk about tolerance, acceptance of other or NoN religions or whatever have no fairness when dealing with people that do. To me the whole idea is ridiculous

 

[Shamdeo]

This is a product of religion and a lackthereof clashing in a capitalist country.

I don't find any problem with it because if any person of religious faith is going to be dissuaded by an ad on the side of a bus, they need to re-examine how strong their faith really is.

 

[New2Ya]

When will people realize that there's no such thing as good or bad? It's all a matter of opinions. Religion does not have a copyright on morality either, mankind has.

We decide ourselves what is morally wrong and what is morally right. And we disagree on those issues. For example abortion, euthanesia, etc.
But also murder, stealing, etc. Thankfully, most people, both religous and non-religious, agree that these things (murder/stealing) are morally wrong.

This ad pretty much continues with the idea that something is good or bad. Until that stops, this is going nowhere.

 

[Gildragon]

you miss my point


If I want to put an ad saying Jesus is the reason for the season an atheist could be easily offended. etc. and various other connections.

however. am I supposed to feel an equal when people do away witht he connection to the holiday that I adore because of God? this is ridiculous but for some reason people expect Christians to go along like nothing is happening.

 

[Alaude Drenxta]

I say go for it, it won't really bother me, as it doesn't affect me. It's just another big push to make Christmas non-religious, which I do think is wrong. Not that I plan to bother caring. =O

 

[Shamdeo]

If you're an atheist and you're offended by an ad that says "Jesus is the reason for the seasons" then you aren't a good atheist. People have a reason why they believe in what they do, and it's not up to you to be the arbiter of others' faith.

 

[Tenyas]

I stopped caring about religion in Christmas ages ago. Now, it's just family time and a good rest from stresses. I get to see relatives I hardly ever see and hang out with good friends of mine. It just gets all too chaotic when you try to decide why you do it. I just do it because it's nice, I was raised with it, and I loved to get things when I was little.

Conflict over why you should or shouldn't do it... Is just annoying to be honest.

 

[Alaude Drenxta]

If I want to put an ad saying Jesus is the reason for the season an atheist could be easily offended.

Real talk here man. Why should anyone care what offends other people? Every single thing you ever do is going to offend SOMEBODY. Be happy, and don't sweat the small shit.

 

[Trag]

Jesus isn't the reason for the season. This was always a time to celebrate, even before him.

 

[gelandporn]

Christmas is becoming more of a commercial holiday anyway, I don't see what the big deal is.
There are people who celebrate it in a religious sense, and those who use it purely as a time for togetherness.

and a good rest from stresses.

uh, lol.

 

[Nozomi Ai]

I dont understand how you can take religion out of Christmas when they origin of Christmas is religious? Sure, people celebrate it as a non religious thing which is fine by the way, but i dont see the point in trying to take away religion in something religious. Its like taking away the jewish in hannakah(sp?)

 

[Trag]

The origin of Christmas is that the date was stolen from an older holiday. People have been celebrating that day for a long ass time.

 

[Johnny Stooge]

Christmas is becoming more of a commercial holiday anyway, I don't see what the big deal is.
There are people who celebrate it in a religious sense, and those who use it purely as a time for togetherness.



uh, lol.

don't say "commercial holiday". makes you sound like a fag. say secular instead since that's what it is. you can't accuse children of solely enjoying christmas for commercial reasons.

 

[Forever Atlas]

The origin of Christmas is that the date was stolen from an older holiday. People have been celebrating that day for a long ass time.

It was still taken from religion, just pagan.

 

[Johnny Stooge]

I dont understand how you can take religion out of Christmas when they origin of Christmas is religious? Sure, people celebrate it as a non religious thing which is fine by the way, but i dont see the point in trying to take away religion in something religious. Its like taking away the jewish in hannakah(sp?)

hannukah isn't celebrated as widely to the degree christmas is. you don't go to shopping centres and see huge menorah displays. to say that it's strictly a christian event and then shove it in peoples faces like that is a bit assholish.
it's been practiced as a secular holiday for a while now, might as well make it official.

it's not like christmas trees and santa claus had anything to do with the birth of jesus anyway.