I’ve commented on this topic before, but this time there is a little different twist. Over the last several years, certain Atheist groups have put up billboards to promote their Atheist religion. Sadly, what they do most of the time is not to tout the merits of what they believe to be true. Rather, most of their efforts are aimed at trying to discredit and tear down belief in God.
This Christmas, the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) is rolling out a billboard campaign in Sacramento, California to encourage non-believers to “come out of the closet” by ignoring the religious undertones of the holiday. FFRF co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, told FoxNews.com, “The whole month of December is taken over in celebration of the religious beliefs, in particular Christianity, and it’s just as if the whole month turns non-believers into outsiders.” So, FFRF’s solution is to try to destroy the religious nature of the season to the highest degree possible.
Each of these billboards has the picture of a person (or persons) with a quote, along with the person’s name and occupation. Some of the billboard captions include:
* believe in humanity, not god.
* I’m an atheist and never been happier.
* God free, happy, and inspired by wonder.
* Just follow the golden rule (Religion not required).
* A life of love. No gods required.
* Science is my sacred.
Of course, it’s their constitutional right, in America, to express their belief – even if it is not true. What is really sad, though, is that they feel compelled to do it the way they have. They are so insecure about their faith that they feel they have to put down other people’s faith during a time of special celebration.
Unfortunately, the commercialization of the Christmas season makes it easier for them to try and make the point that this is just a holiday season, not a religious celebration. The truth is, the real reason for the season is that God came to earth as a human being for the express purpose of providing a way for us to have the stain of sin removed from our lives. He did this in order to provide a way for us to know a personal relationship with him. When we truly apprehend this truth and make it the central part of our celebration, the spirit of Christmas will explode in the world in a way which brings glory to the one who has given us life – in spite of any attempt by nay sayers to dampen the spirit.