Today, an atheist group launched a new campaign in Bible Belt cities with billboards featuring a young girl writing a letter to Santa nearby a Christmas tree.
The letter reads,
“Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is to skip church!
I’m too old for fairy tales.”
Keeping with its tradition of “firebrand-style” billboards at Christmastime, the organization American Atheists seeks to utilize the campaign as a means to “encourage closet atheists to ‘come out’ and celebrate their atheism.”
On their official website, the self-proclaimed civil liberties advocates explain,
“The billboards are aimed at in-the-closet atheists who are pressured to observe religious traditions during the holidays, and who might also want to attend the annual American Atheists National Convention in Memphis in April.”
On display from Dec. 1-24, the billboards are located in Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, Fort Smith, and Milwaukee. While previous billboards have been located in urban settings such as New York's Times Square, these billboards have been placed in more residential areas, near schools and churches.
“Even children know churches spew absurdity, which is why they don’t want to attend services," said American Atheists President David Silverman. "Enjoy the time with your family and friends instead.”
He continued,
“Today’s adults have no obligation to pretend to believe the lies their parents believed. It’s OK to admit that your parents were wrong about God, and it’s definitely OK to tell your children the truth.”
It’s also OK to believe in God and to want to share that with your children. If American Atheists is so concerned about people hampering on others’ civil liberties, the organization should take a hard look in the mirror.