Many people start to get their holiday cheer on right after Thanksgiving. You will find every store in the city decorated, everyone looks forward to the: lights, decorations, stores, churches, festivals, parties, snow, museums, and other special events. The children are especially excited because they know this is the time of year that they get gifts and toys galore. They have no idea how the economic affects the price of the toys they receive this year, nor that new billboards are being posted to sabotage their Christmas.
Atheist billboards are popping up all over America mocking religion. They recently installed one near the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey which is causing major controversies. Sponsored by the American Atheist Alliance, this billboard is just one of many. In fact several atheist and agonist groups have been posting holiday ads, and airing commercials on national television. Atheists are thought to be closed-minded about the existence of God; they deny the existence of all gods, while the agnostics appear to be open minded, yet they are unsure whether any gods exist. Atheists complain that religion is oppressive. American humanist Association/non believers in god spending 200,000 dollars on TV and print adds to promote atheism and counter Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. The billboards were made to mock religion and to encourage other atheist to come out of the closet. They say that they have been treated worst then the gay and homos*xual population and that they aren’t accepted socially because of their disbelief. Several religious groups have expressed frustration and anger with the atheist billboards, saying that they are un-American. The First Amendment right gives them the freedom to voice their opinion, the atheist billboards has as much right to be posted as any other Christmas billboard.
In Madison Wisconsin billboards read “I have faith in people, not in god” “OMG there is no god” “Sleep on Sundays”. A billboard in Seattle last Christmas billboard said “Yes, Virginia…There is no God”. Billboards have been posted in Manhattan main highway from Jersey to Manhattan saying, “You KNOW it’s a MYTH! This Season, Celebrate REASON”. The New York based Catholic’s decide to post their own billboard to counteract the atheist stating, “You Know it’s Real. This Season, Celebrate Jesus.” “They have to use our season to make their point, because they have no season for themselves to celebrate” said by Bill Donohue, President of the catholic league. A billboard in Cincinnati Ohio had to be relocated after the owner of the property, where an atheist billboard was erected, received multiple threats to their life and property.
Religious people around the world are angered by what atheists are doing. Some think that around the holiday season is not the right time for disharmony because it would ruin a lot of peoples holidays. Atheists think it is the perfect time to discuss this issue and or recruit new members. Atheists in Oklahoma City have erected a billboard seeking fellow non-believers. Similar billboards were recently put up in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Texas and Washington.
Posted By: Helen Lofton
Thursday, December 9th 2010 at 5:43PM
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