The American Humanist Association has a simple message to send out to people this year with their No God No Problem campaign. It advertises the need to be good for the sake of goodness and includes Humanist contact numbers for interested people. From CNSNews.com about this:
“People of faith should view the Humanist displays at this special — even holy — time of year, with compassion,” said Kristi Hamrick, president of the Campaign for Working Families and spokeswoman for Gary Bauer’s American Values.
“Because of the blessings of liberty we enjoy as Americans, they certainly have the right to their strident displays of antagonism to faith. But at this time of year when so many of us are thanking God for our blessings, especially the blessing of his only Son come to earth for us, we need to pray for them.”
I don’t look at the ads as antagonizing anyone. It’s by no means a hostile message. It’s a reminder to anyone who doesn’t believe in god to still be good and includes the American Humanist Association site for more information.
Hamrick pointed out that the “eternal truths” of Christianity do not require validation by atheists and Christians especially should feel “empowered” to celebrate the Christmas holiday openly and proudly.
Celebrate it. We don’t care. Most of us will be celebrating a Christmas of our own design, too. I have Santa and elves and snowmen for my tree every year and Mom wants to pass out handmade gifts which means I have to think of something I can make in the time I have left that she’ll actually like enough to show off to friends and neighbours.
“I hope people will take a moment to pray for others when they see the (Humanist) displays,” Hamrick said. “Eternal truths are not dependent on the permission of the Humanists to be (true.) And I hope that people of faith will feel equally empowered at this time of year to express their own beliefs.”
Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, should be a joyous time of year for religious Americans, she said, even if the Humanists don’t want to join in.
Everyone of any faith can express whatever they like in December. Christians don’t own it. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, whatever you’ve got going on, celebrate it. Christmas is also a secular celebration to cherish loved ones, hand out gifts and eat too much. I should find out if Mom’s hosting Christmas again this year or if an aunt or someone else is taking it on.
“Christians are often told to hide their Merry Christmas greetings behind the blander ‘Happy Holidays.’ But a Merry Christmas it truly is, even without the Humanists joining in our celebration.”
Christians don’t have to hide “Merry Christmas.” They can say it all they like. I say it, too, but “Happy holidays” is more inclusive, as is “Season’s greetings” which has been in use since the late 1800s.
Off topic, but I’m putting it in while I’m thinking of it:
Ellen Clapsaddle is a favourite artist of mine. She made gorgeous art for postcards, especially Christmas related cards in the mid 1800s. There’s also an artist by the name of Louis Prang from around the same time who’s also well known.
I have no idea why frogs feature in this picture but I like the fact that only Santa gets the mention for why December 25th needs remembering. Enjoy the season however you see fit.
One Minion's Opinion 
Amen, brother.
sister. I’z a grrl.
i’ve always liked ‘season’s greetings’. christmas is for family and friends to get together and eat. all that warm and fuzzy stuff. i love frogs. cool illustration. you’d probably like the illustrations here: http://tothewire.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/the-pied-piper-of-hamelin/
Oooooh! Mia culpa! Quel dommage! I sincerely apologize, sister!
The ads are mere propaganda that answers to an argument that no one has made. The claim is not that atheists lack of morals but lack of moral premise, lack of ethos.
It is also a reprinting of their ads from last year: http://atheismisdead.blogspot.com/2008/11/another-atheist-charity-huge-success.html
Yet again, during a time of the year when people are generally more inclined towards charity—peace on earth and good will towards non-gender specific personages—atheists are busily collecting hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars during a time of recession not in order to help anyone in real material need but in order to purchase bill boards and bus ads whereby they seek to demonstrate, to themselves, just how clever they are—need any more be said?
Well, true, they could be doing this in July instead or giving the money to feed the homeless, or donating the cash to charities. My freethinker club has been raising money for signs here in town (before I joined) but Saskatoon isn’t a hotbed of religious debates. Barely anyone bothered to vote for the Mayor. Apathy is what we live on over here, I guess.
But if we don’t advertise, how else will anyone know we exist? We don’t have giant churches on every street corner and calendars marked with our very special days (whatever those might be). The only way to get the word out that we exist is through advertising. Are you going to say we shouldn’t advertise that we exist? Hopefully not. We probably could figure out a cheaper way to get the word out, though.
yes, mariano, but do christians really need to spend all that money on nativity scenes?
that money could be going to help the poor.
Oh, so THAT explains why atheists represent 15% of the general population and represent a massive 0.1% of prision inmates. If that is the result of a ‘lack of ethos’, I suggest Christians throw theirs away as if it carried ebola.
Thanks for sharing on T|A!
Gladly. Feel free to wander around in here and suggest other posts, too.