X-Mas

The American Humanist Association has launched a $40,000 ad campaign by plastering Washington, D.C.’s public buses with a billboard that says, “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.” This is probably a little less condescending than the “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” bus ads the British Humanist Association launched last month. Still, it’s a little ludicrous to try and shoehorn your atheism into Christmas, the least religious of all religious holidays. Until the New Testament is rewritten to include door-buster sales and increased suicide rates, that is. Also, one of the things that sets the faithless apart from the faithful should be the lack of evangelization, which is the opposite intent of these ads. Atheists shouldn’t be shoving their critical thinking down people’s throats unsolicited. Instead, we should simply criticize irrational beliefs when the opportunity arises. Case in point: this outraged quote from American Family Association president Tim Wildmon, responding to the ads: “It’s a stupid ad. How do we define ‘good’ if we don’t believe in God? God in his word, the Bible, tells us what’s good and bad and right and wrong.” Which, of course, is why the Hebrews barely made it to Mt. Sinai before God told them to stop stealing, murdering, and coveting each other’s asses. More details here.