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Humanists Seek to Cheer Unbelievers at the Holidays

By Roy Edroso, Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 4:13PM
Comments (3)
Categories: Featured, Religion
godless250.jpg
​
You may recall the Big Apple Coalition of Reason "Good without God" subway ads, which suggested that one needn't have a deity to be an OK human being. Now a likeminded group is about to present New York with Chirstm -- er, holiday ads for unbelievers. The American Humanist Association is rolling out holiday-themed transit ads in time for the solstice in five Sodoms, including ours. New York should have them by early December, AHA's Roy Speckhardt tells us.

As you can see, the little Santa hats suggest that the winter carnival can also be fun for what AHA calls "the 'nones:' the rapidly growing percentage of people who claim no religion."

"It's a time of year when both the folks who are religious as well as secular are taking time off and spending time with their families," says Speckhardt. "It's chance to get out our message in a very upbeat way, almost lightearted, and add some holiday cheer to it."

AHA also hopes secular sorts who approve of the message might be motivated to get involved with their group, which seeks to be the "clear, democratic voice for Humanism in the United States." (Humanism, as they see it, is "nontheistic. By this, we don't mean to say that there is no God. Instead, we say that there is no proof for the existence of God, any gods, the supernatural or an afterlife.")

They and their colleagues also lobby against religious discrimination, and for other causes. AHA has worked in the past with the Coalition of Reason folks who cooked up the "Good without God" campaign (they're "under our wing," says Speckhardt) but the holiday ads are AHA's own.

We stopped being religious in part in order to get away from this kind of public holiday cheer, but if you've been feeling left out of the reindeer games on account of religious unaffiliation, this might brighten your ride. Alternately, you could hang out with this guy.

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More About:

  • American Humanist Association
  • Roy Speckhardt
  • Coalition of Reason
  • Religion

Comments (3)

Sharon McEachern says:

One reason for the increased "religious unaffiliation" we see today is discrimination by the religious -- ministers who show little love and understanding for their own parishioners who are mentally ill. Recent research finds that if you, or a member of your family, have a mental illness, don't count on getting support from your church pastor. A whopping 32 to 40 percent of Christian ministers will dismiss your problem and tell you that you do not really have a mental illness.

Ethic Soup blog, in a post "Demon or Disorder: Clergy Dismiss Mental Illness," (illustrated with a photo of empty church pews) says a study of 293 Christians who had a diagnosed, serious mental illness, 30 percent reported that their church either abandoned them, equated mental illness with the work of demons or suggested the mental disorder was because of personal sin. Read more at:

http://www.ethicsoup.com/2008/10/demon-or-disorder-clergy-dismiss-mental-illness.html

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 6:19PM
Melissa says:

Ok, so you can give presents and practice Humanism any day of the year...so why insist on making a day that is sacred to some people and trying to change it and spit on people like me? I believe in God, and I believe in the story of Jesus, which is the whole reasoning behind December 25th, so if you aren't into it, I don't understand why you just don't celebrate and do your own thing on another day. If I didn't believe in God, then there would be no point of Christmas. I don't really understand the trying to steal the thunder of a Christian holiday, but, I don't tell people how to live and I don't appreciate people trying to change the way I live to fit their needs. Work around us Christian people AHA, it's not all about you.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 24 2009 @ 1:14PM
scott says:

I believe in God, and I believe in the story of Jesus, which is the whole reasoning behind December 25th

um, I'm sure Santa Claus, the ancient Romans, and christmas trees beg to differ.

if you think Christmas is only about Jesus, I simply ask you to pay attention...

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 24 2009 @ 2:02PM

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