DC Hates God And I Couldn’t Be Happier
Yesterday I was riding the bus and I noticed this ad:
Is this what Santa really looks like?
When I first saw it, I said to myself “WTF?” Maybe I’m just an idiot but I was confused, mostly because I’ve never seen an ad questioning Christmas/Christianity/organized religion in such a way. But my confusion was cleared up this morning when I picked up a copy of The Examiner. Front page: RAISING HELL OVER BUS AD-Complaints pour in about atheists’ campaign.
The ads, created by the American Humanist Association, have apparently caused a commotion. People are sending in complaints such as this “That ad is obscene to me! I wouldn’t want my children reading that.”
Also…”May all your atheist buses break down!”
Wow. Harsh.
Christians are probably the most pissed…with one person going as far as to say “This organization is offensive to me and most of the American people…Your acceptance of this advertisement is offensive to me as a Christian and I strongly urge you to take them down.” I didn’t realize that all groups not associated with Christianity are offensive. Huh. Good to know.
The offensiveness has even extended beyond the city. Someone complained and then admitted that they had “never had the privilege to actually visit DC” This is probably due to the fact that FOX also had an article about the ads.
I just have to say…I LOVE THIS. First of all, I hate what Christmas has become, regardless of religious aspects. Family gatherings have really showed me the ugliness of the holiday.For example,every year, my mom puts A LOT of effort into people’s gifts. She’ll travel any distance, and spend any amount of money to make sure she gets the most thoughtful gifts possible. Then she spends about 12 hours wrapping them to perfection. When presented with these beautiful gifts, a lot of my relatives have been pretty ungrateful. I specifically remember one adult saying “WELL, WHERE IS THE OTHER THING I ASKED FOR?” Also, I remember someone shouting “WHY DIDN’T YOU GET ME THAT, GAIL?”
The car rides home from these functions are usually filled with my mom’s tears.
Did I mention all of my relatives are apparently Christian and attend church on the regular?
So, basically I just hate the gift-giving process. People ask you what you want, and chances are either a) they will get you something completely unrelated and awful or b) they’ll get you what you asked for and you’ll hate it. Ok…so that is not always true. But honestly, I usually really enjoy just hanging out with my family. They are fun and make great food and that is better than any present. God, I’m cheesy but 100% serious.
To get back to the point, I agree with what the ad is outwardly saying. Why do you have to believe in a god to do good things/be a good person? But also, why does “the Christmas season” have any impact on this goodness, whatsoever? Shouldn’t you be good all the time?
On a side note, Christians have gone totally bonkers over this whole Christmas thing. The Liberty Counsel put out a “Naughty and Nice” list, urging Christians to boycott companies that don’t say “Merry Christmas.” Even though I love my mom (GAIL, YOU’RE THE BEST!) she’s often told me that she hates it when people say “Happy Holidays.” What about Jews mom? They are God’s chosen people and they don’t celebrate Christmas. WHAT ABOUT THEM? I prefer to celebrate a secular Christmas (sorry mom!) and I will continue to say Happy Holidays. Can’t we all be a little tolerant this HOLIDAY SEASON?
—Kal
Oh yeah, and Christmas already killed someone this year. Oh wait…there’s more.
