Atheists' Billboard Calls Nativity a 'Myth'

So what are your views about the ads?

Party Poopers!

I don't protest when they're celebrating April Fool's Day.

 I wasn't aware that there was a "myth that Christianity owns the solstice season." Atheist arguments sometimes range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Are they against Christmas itself? "... the sign is designed to encourage existing atheists who are going through the motions of celebrating Christmas to stop." Or are they just against the religious symbolism of Christmas? I mean, even I sometimes criticize (or at least correct) nativity scenes in church as being inconsistent with the Gospel story - the magi never appeared at the manger to see a baby; they came to a house and saw a child.

So, I guess I'm not entirely sure what message the billboard is trying to send. It's not to convert theists to atheism, they say, but to encourage atheists not to celebrate Christmas. What do they mean by Christmas? My memory is that even our resident aggressive atheist chansen once had an avatar featuring his daughter in front of a decorated Christmas tree - are they telling chansen to "STOP THAT!"

Of course saying something is a myth and saying the same thing is real are not automatically exclusive.....

It is a myth that the Wise Men approached the creche and a newborn baby Jesus. The 25th of December was a date /selected picked. And we get mad about it being said?

Does that mean Christmas is not real? No.

Heck,  there are pagan roots, winter solstice, Saturnalia, yule, and a difference between a religious and secular Christmas. I mean if people are getting Jesus and Santa confused- Jesus was skinnier and did not have reindeer.

Decorations, greeting cards, Christmas tree, poinsettas, holly, mistletoes, candy canes, stockings,  puddings, mince pies, fruitcakes, gift giving, the gift bringers from all those cultures Santa Clause, Pere Noel, Babbo Natale, Father Frost ... those have what to do with Jesus?

I get tired of the church lifting its leg to mark Christmas as exclusively theirs and tired of atheists lifting their legs to say nobody should do it because of the Christians.

I half expect atheists who are pissed off and angry at all religions to hit others when they take a crap on Christians about Christmas.

I get sad about Christians feeling the need to hurl the crap back because of covering all kinds of other people in the dung.

Many aspects of Christmas are celebrated by many non-religious people. Many have been since before the late 300's CE when Christianity started even marking Jesus birth.  Their traditions were taken. Heck, with the Reformation we banned most the stuff we now claim as our own. Dicken's wrote A Christmas Carol because Christmas was dying out.

We want it - it is ours. We don't - it is yours. We want it - it is ours again. Darn, Christians! Now wonder people of other faiths and of no faith sometimes don't like us.

Christmas (Christian, agnostic, atheist or  another belief system or secular) whether it is called Saturnalia or Yule or some other name....If you say it is for you, it is for you.

Ahh, the rise of Spirituality...

Ahh, the boons of Freedom of Expression...

Ahh, that wacky group certainly has a big haul ahead of them:  their message will be working askance 3 different 'groups':

o  the Christians

o  the society in general who have lived with Christmas for so long

o  and Christmas being a corporate-created holiday (and corporations have a lot invested).

Who knows what will be next?  A scratch-n-sniff nativity scene?  The Passion with Paul Gross?  Voltaire being cloned?

I say Merry Christmas

Of course the Three Wise Men and the Nativity are a "myth," short for "mythology," and the reason for the season is celebrating this most profound Christian mythology and its deeper meanings.

There is a good reason for the season.

Question for the board,  if you agree that atheists are attempting to position themselves as champions of freedom, free choice or free speech,

than why should atheists suppress the rights of those who wish to celebrate their Christian feasts openly and freely? Why ridicule Christian beliefs in advertising and speech and certain debates?

Actually, I rather like this part.  Speaks to all, IMHO.

LB

Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven, and you are answerable for, not the rightness, but the uprightness of the decision.     

     Thomas Jefferson