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 The group American Atheists has placed this billboard in New York City's Times Square.
December 21st, 2013
10:22 AM ET
Why atheists should quit the 'War on Christmas’Opinion by Chris Stedman, special to CNN
In recent years, one organization, American Atheists, has claimed the mantle of prime atheist promoter of the tired “War on Christmas” narrative. This year, they ushered in the season with an electronic billboard in New York City’s Times Square carrying the message: “Who needs Christ during Christmas? Nobody.” The word "Christ" is crossed out, just in case their message wasn't clear enough. The American Atheists maintain that their latest entry in the annual “War on Christmas” saga is a message to other atheists that they are not alone. In a recent Fox News appearance, American Atheists President Dave Silverman said, “The point that we’re trying to make is that there’s a whole bunch of people out there for whom religion is the worst part of Christmas, but they go to church anyways, and we’re here to tell them they don’t have to.” While that intention is important and admirable, very few people—atheist or theist—seem to interpret the message as welcoming to anyone. Many of the responses I’ve seen have been vitriolic and disturbingly anti-atheist. Which raises the question: If the goal truly is to reach isolated atheists, why does the advertisement read as a dig at Christians? A better billboard for American Atheists’s stated aim might read: “Don’t celebrate Christmas? You’re not alone.” As atheists become more visible in our society, the entire “War on Christmas” back-and-forth feels ugly and unnecessary. Worse still, it seems to do little more than offer ammunition to those claiming atheists are just mean-spirited grinches. Bill O’Reilly—one of the major “War on Christmas” soldiers—made that clear when he and I discussed the “War on Christmas” a couple of weeks ago. Let’s not kid ourselves: There is no war on Christmas. We live in a culture that privileges stories of conflict, so it’s understandable that this narrative would gain traction—with or without billboards. Much of this narrative is a manifestation of religious fears about our increasingly secular society, and it reflects widespread anxieties about atheists and religious differences. But it doesn’t reflect reality. Rather, as religious diversity in the U.S. has become more recognizable, Americans have largely broadened their approach to this time of year. According to new data from the Public Religion Research Institute, the percentage of Americans who prefer the inclusive “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” has now exceeded the percentage that prefers “Merry Christmas.” It’s not that Christmas is under attack; instead, our society is becoming better at embracing its religious diversity and challenging the notion that a single majority religion should dominate public expressions of belief. So why does the “War on Christmas” narrative persist? Based on how much play they give it each December, the “War on Christmas” narrative seems to be good for Fox News ratings. And American Atheists has openly admitted that it is good for their pocketbooks, as their talk show appearances bring in a swell of donations. Consider this from a recent profile of Silverman: “Silverman’s notorious anti-Christmas billboards and subsequent TV appearances have breathed new life into American Atheists and are often followed by an uptick in subscribers and donations. ... According to Silverman, the primary objective of the billboards is to get invitations to talk shows.” In other words: American Atheists and Fox News - alongside conservatives like Sarah Palin - seem to have discovered a mutually beneficial relationship. But does this relationship benefit atheists more broadly? Does it accurately represent the sentiments of nontheists in this country? Does it improve atheist-theist relations? Does it lessen the widespread stigma and distrust that exists between atheists and theists, which enables atheist marginalization across the U.S.? Does it invite Christians to think critically about religious privilege? Many atheists, myself included, suspect that there are more effective approaches to tackling these important issues. To start, atheists can build positive relationships with believers to humanize our communities and educate one another about our differences. That’s something that billboards, for all of their flash and fundraising capabilities, likely won’t accomplish. Atheists face real marginalization in the U.S., and it should be robustly challenged. But we also have good tidings and great joy to offer—important contributions to the public square that are currently being drowned out by attention-grabbing billboards claiming “nobody” needs Christ in Christmas. In the spirit of generosity, compassion, and kindness so often associated with this time of year, let’s ditch the billboards and build relationships of goodwill. Chris Stedman is the Assistant Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, Coordinator of Humanist Life for the Yale Humanist Community, and author of "Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious." You can follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDStedman. The views expressed in this column belong to Stedman. soundoff (5,210 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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(CNN) - The “War on Christmas:” what — or who—is it good for?
You don't have to have a war on Christmas. I am not especially religious but I enjoy spending the holidays with family and friends cooking and eating. You don't have to be religious to enjoy the holidays. Enjoy some time off and do things you like without all of the religious stuff getting in the way.
THEN IF THAT'S THE CASE ...SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY...WHY NOT PICK A FAMILY DAY....something that means something special to JUST your family during some month and day of your choosing where its not so commercial and rushed and crowded everywhere.....people can do that if they really wanted....it's just that they aren't imaginative or smart enough to figure it out. I NEVER celebrate religious holidays.... or thanksgiving....and rarely go out on weekends....I dine out during the weekdays when fewer people get in my way .
"I NEVER celebrate religious holidays.... or thanksgiving....and rarely go out on weekends....I dine out during the weekdays when fewer people get in my way."
Oh what happy life it must be! I've read a number of your comments on this article–you are a very very very very sad person indeed. If you're not going to accept the gift Christ offers you, might I suggest a warm puppy?
Simple, stop the war on atheists, you get ti both ways. You can't decry atheists from the pulpit and expect them to not respond, and don't get confused, Christians started that war.
Wow. You are just insane, aren't you?
Gorsh
Nothing to add, just ad hominem?
The christians did start the war on atheists. They hijacked the Pledge of allegience, hijacked the national motto and put that LIE on OUR money, passed blue laws, passed laws restricting the rights of atheists...there is still a law in Arkansas that says an atheist isn't even allowed to testify in court. They continue to try to change educational ciriculum to their creation story, which is clearly false.
The christians need to stop readin their book, and try reading the Const!tution.
Have shed a fair bit of blood in the waging of that war.
That's is the really great thing about God. He made us all with a free will to think whatever we want.
Zeus?
No, Thor.
You are both wrong. It was Cthulhu.
Nogomain is more powerful. Not only did he create everything, but also created himself out of nothing....impressive.
Do you mean to think things without having any prior causes influencing our thinking?
And apparently this deity will beat the crap out of you for using free will.
Yes, I'm glad Flying Spaghetti Monster gave me that ability.
Which beliefs do athesists hold, specifically?
The only thing that makes a person an atheist is the lack of a belief in a deity. You might as well ask what beliefs do women hold.
Saying I lack belief is like saying I lack cancer.
I do not have faith...I do not lack it.
Well, at least you are comparing religious belief with cancer. Something we both agree on!
Yeah...which specific beliefs are you asking about? I have many beliefs. None include a god.
I believe I am going to watch a game with friends later and have a couple of beers.
I believe I will surprise them with some of the cookies I am making.
Perhaps a more specific question would yeild better results.
Some people believe in ghosts, some don't. So why do athiests spend so much time and money on something they don't believe in or can't see? They spend all their time in trying to make a religious belief a political one. If you don't like it, walk away from it or ignore it. If you don't like a certain TV program, don't you just change the channel? Why do you have to put up a great big sign that says you don't like Christ? We already know that.
I don't agree with their choice or tone, but it is their choice.
People that believe they have seen ghosts are not trying to make ridiculous laws, nor are they saying that people that don't believe in ghosts are going to some eternal punishment for not having seen ghosts, or, more horrendous, seeing the wrong ghost.
So, yes, while I can ignore ghost believers, I can't necessarily ignore what their belief in ghosts might make them do.
If we had "In ghosts we trust" on our currency and "one nation under ghosts" in the pledge that public school children recite then you would have a point.
People's religious beliefs influence who they vote for and the laws that are made. Religious beliefs greatly complicated my life for years by laws Christians voted for to keep my marriage illegal. Women who are ra.ped have to carry pregnancies because of restrictions voted on due to people's religions. Schools fail to teach proper science because of religiously inspired policies. religions differ greatly on whether they do these things, and many religions have benefits, too, bit what one believes is not irrelevant and trying to influence others is a valid method for social change.
People's religious beliefs influence who they vote for and the laws that are made. Religious beliefs greatly complicated my life for years by laws Christians voted for to keep my marriage illegal. Women who are ra. ped have to carry pregnancies because of restrictions voted on due to people's religions. Schools fail to teach proper science because of religiously inspired policies. religions differ greatly on whether they do these things, and many religions have benefits, too, bit what one believes is not irrelevant and trying to influence others is a valid method for social change.
The "War On Christmas" rhetoric is especially jarring this year, as republicans in Congress move to take away health care from the uninsured, to take away food stamps from hungry children, to take away unemployment payments from the jobless (at a time when there are 3 job seekers for every job), and refuse to increase the minimum wage for the underpaid, all of this right at Christmas time!
And Fox news has to make of stories about the dangers of atheism to cover up all the nasty things their dear Republicans are trying to do to people.
Really? GOP is only expecting personal responsibility. The people I have seen that cant afford health care have the latest(newest) cellphones, electronics, houses they cant afford, new cars etc.
Which is why people have to be required to pay their share of healthcare costs before they buy luxuries.
No better way to bring out the jack booted bully Christians than to poke the hornets nest. Don't know why they think that minorities simply requesting the same liberties they enjoy is a threat to theirs.
I agree. Why is 75% of the population (Christians) threatened by 2% (atheists)?
I dare say you are the "jack-booted" bully "JJ". You and your ilk seem to want to shove your ignorant beliefs on the rest of the world. there is a reason you are a minority, and as much as you try YOU and your kind will never take Christ out of Christmas jackwad.
Lol...You couldn't have given us a better example. Thanks for coming through.
Hey fellow atheists, don't fret. According to the pop, we get a free pass into heaven anyway! Sweet, I get to sleep in Sunday mornings and blaspheme as much as I like without consequence. Christians are suckers, far better to be an atheist.
pope*
I prefer Valhalla.
I think you needs
to go to a funny farm youre just plain NUT!!~
The American Atheist organization is not very good at marketing.
They need a message along the lines of "you can have a good life without sacrificing your freedom of thought to a church gang.
It depends what their goal is. They come off like idiots, and many probably are, but if the leaderships goal is to redifine the middle they may well be succeeding.
Why is Christmas still celebrated in late December, anyway? The commonly-accepted birthdate of Jesus is late September. Christmas was only put next to the Winter Solstice to co-opt the Pagan festivals.
Where do you get your information from? Christmas has been celebrated in December as far back as I can remember.
Brian is right. The date was assigned a few years before you were born (like about 1700 years). That's why you don't remember it.
We know for a fact that Jesus couldn't have been born in December because shepherds were in the fields with their flocks. Shepherds don't take their flocks into the fields in December. Of course that's only if you believe anything in the Bible is based on some kind of truth. If you don't believe that, then sure, he could have been born in December. But then if you believe that then you don't really believe anything in the Bible is accurate and you wouldn't be celebrating a pagan festival in honor of a Christian deity.
Hello?! The reason Christmas has been celebrated in December for as long as you can remember is that the first Council of Nicaea in 325 CE assigned that date, intending to co-opt the pagan festival of "dies natalis solis invicti (birth of the invincible sun god)" and which has been observed by most Christian denominations ever since.
calendars used to be based on the moon cycles and position of the sun.
Counting days – and therefore celebrating specific birthdays – is only a recent thing from a history point of view.
So, you don't believe in things you can't see, hmmm. Because I can't see your brain that means it doesn't exist. What about the order in the universe. I could say an item, say a watch, came to be by itself. You certainly won't believe that! And for good reason. However, you find it less likely for all the order and design on earth and in the universe to have a Creator? Interesting...
*groan*...I hope you're only 12 for at least you have somewhat of an excuse.
Did this watchmaker make cars? Trees? Kids? At best, this rather tired argument argues for a rabbit deity, a dog deity, a truck deity, etc.
Yes, let us look at nature. There are two trees growing near your home, one is strong, healthy and flourishing. The other tree, trying to grow in the shadow of the former, is pale, sickly and stunted. Tell me, which tree do you admire?
Christmas as we know it has little to do with any religious faith however those that have mistakenly identified the holiday with their religion should be free to do so without discrimination or harassment as should those that don't associate it with religion. Those that try and push their beliefs upon the others should simply be ignored as they are the ones whom simply can't accept ideas other than their own.
It's not that atheists don't believe what they can't see. Obviously most believe in countries they have never been to and a history they will never experience. What most atheists don't believe in is things for which they believe there is inadequate evidence. This is the same for most people, but different people have different standards for evidence.
'“Don’t celebrate Christmas? You’re not alone.”'
That would be a nonsensical sign, since most atheists in the USA celebrate Christmas in a non religious way. Sort of like Thanksgiving or New Years, in which there is no religious content but there is still a gathering with family members and gift exchanges.
In addition, it would be targeting Jews, Muslims, and other religious groups who don't celebrate Christmas not because they lack religion, but because they celebrate entirely different religious holidays.
The slogan of celebrating Christmas without Jesus is exactly how most atheists in the USA treat the holiday, which apparently reveals the author's lack of knowledge about a subject he decided to write an opinion piece on.
It wouldn't be nonsensical; it would just be targeting a minority group of atheists.
Pew survey on CBS this morning .
if I remember the numbers went like this NO mention of how many where going to mass !
86 % celebrating with family.
76 % bought a tree .
206 BILLION in sales !
Meh – who cares?
This whole thing is silly on both sides.
AGREE !!!
It is clear from comments posted here, that very few of you people actually know any atheists. Or rather, they probably do, but don't realize it because most atheists are simply not vocal about it. Religion is a non-issue for them. So many of you judge all atheists by the vocal minority that puts up billboards and gets in the news. Those people just do not reflect the average atheist.
You could say the same about knowing Christians.
The ones in your face are not very Christian.
True.
Except that there are a lot more Christians so it's harder not to meet them.
If Christmas is not about Christ then what is it about? Please atheists, enlighten us! Maybe the atheists, secularists, ACLU and democratic party can push for a secular holiday where everyone gets a few weeks off from work, school, families exchange gifts, but we'll call it something else so as to not offend a small minority. What a joke.... get a life losers!
Nice inflammatory comment. You aren't helping your cause.
Re Christians going to stop celebrating "Easter" and rename The days of the weeks so as not to offend those who worship those gods?
Right, because Christianity invented winter solstice gatherings. LOL.
Atheists and Christians celebrate christmas .. A former Pagan Holiday .. And originally the celebration of the deity Saturnalina, with the tree, ornaments, wreath, Yule Log, etc having Pagan roots. The holiday does not belong to one group. Time to rename it something without the word Christ in it.
Pagan is not the same thing as atheist.
Actually atheists could be called pagan. Pagan was originally and I believe still is a general term referring to those whom don't adhere to the Christian faith..
No!
Pagan refers to a set of traditional classic religions. The term is used broadly by many. But it is does refer to religious people.
You're simply an idiot. The good news is that it will not be renamed. Christmas has been about Jesus since it's been celebrated and will continue that way. If you don't believe that's ok... but I know you'll still celebrate which is a victory for Christianity.
Sorry McBob, but your comments just made you look like the idiot. Try reading some historical literature, you know, the kind based on fact. And then you will see it's true that what we call "christmas" was celebrated a long time before Jesus was born.
My my but aren't we filled with the Christmas holiday spirit. Notice, although I don't believe, I still capitalize Christ out of respect for your religion and opinions. Hint, hint!
Yeah, good luck getting anyone to follow your stupidity of renaming Christmas.
Silly liberal.
Having Easter as a Christian holiday hasn't caused much trouble, and no one thinks they are being offensive naming the days of the week after gods in which they don't believe. Language changes. The Christians I know don't worry about non-Christians calling a national day off Christmas any more than euro-pagans care who uses the word Easter.
I love how so many "christians" are quick to attack Atheists but never say anything about ending the materialist, super-commercialized retail frenzy that Christmas now is instead of what it should be. Helping people and gifting them with what they need to move on, not with what they want that probably won't last long.
I am atheist. I do not, nor will I ever get offended by Christmas. PLEASE do not lump all atheist together, or assume people like those mentioned in the article are the majority, because they really are a very small minority. These are people that are just starving for attention and like to disrupt the "norm". They just want to be on the less popular side so they can feel like they're are "fighting" for something. THESE PEOPLE DO NO REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF ATHEISTS. I live in a country where more than 60% of the population classify themselves as "not belonging to a religion" and I have yet to meet one single person who is truly offended by Christmas.
No one is offended by Christmas – it has nothing to do with religion. We are offended by people like that Fox News idiot who want to define things like the fictional Santa Claus for the rest of us. Christians are welcome to believe whatever they want, just don't expect anyone else to.
That fox new 'idiot' was offended that a bigot would try to change a Christmas icon hundreds of years old into a penguin because she was offended at the thought of little black kids receiving gifts from a white man.
I hate to break it to you, but if you're on the side of that crazy woman, you don't possess the intellect to participate in a logical conversation.
Agree. I am also Atheist. I believe in everyone believing what they want...I just don't believe you should preach it to everyone else. Even I was offended by the school that took the reference to Christ out of the song Silent Night. Christmas is a religious holiday. If you don't like the reference, don't sing the song. Why can't everyone just have their own beliefs and respect those that are different?
I find your reply refreshing. It seems most, while decrying the tendency to stereotype, tend to do exactly that with the opposing viewpoint's group. I identify as a 'Christian', but I'd definitely prefer to not be lumped into a larger group based on their behaviors. I'd much rather that a person get to know me and make an assessment based on that personal one-on-one interface. Anyway, three cheers to you for your insight. I wouldn't have been able to articulate that half as well as you did.
I wish these athesit freaks would grow up. they think they're cool slandering Jesus Christ – but they benefit and are protected by the stonewall of our civilization based Christanity, and the salvation that Jesus died on the cross for them. I wish, they spoiled brats could go back to a time in human civilization, when there wasn't any faith or morality- and then report to us how wonderful it was.
Freaks? News flash: Our society isn't based on Christianity. Most of our founders were essentially atheists. You seem to be getting your history lessons from Sarah Palin or Fox News. Try reading a book.
I was being nice – refraining from describing what they really are.
You weren't being nice, you were being ignorant. Your entire post is based on false information that illustrate your lack of knowledge.
Im not interested in knowledge, of why people think slandering Jesus Christ is ok. I'm sorry you guys grew up in an environment without morals or truth or Christ, and now can't see anything besides your own personal wants and needs. Condolences
No, I grew up with morals. I was lucky not to grow up a victim of childhood brain-washing which may very well have permanently damaged my ability to think rationally, as it has for you.
The first five words of your post speak clearly.
I was raised knowing right from wrong and the value of truth. There was a little going to church, but it was by no means a large part of my life growing up one way or the other. There is no past religious scarring that makes me think the way I do. For me, it's just simple common sense.
This is where you can stop reading from "freaks" ~ "Im not interested in knowledge"
Based on your statement, you really don't have a great grasp on either history or the present day world as a whole. Do you fear for your eternal soul because you reject outright the tenets of Islam? Probably not, right? Because you don' believe that Islam is "true" or "accurate." That is the same way that an atheists feels about all religions. You view every religion BUT Christianity (all 3000+ deities throughout history) as silly and false. Atheists agree with you, except we find your religion and it's mythology to be just as silly and false. If you want to choose to believe it, that's fine. But you certainly don't have any moral "high ground" from which to speak. Indeed, on the issue of morality there is ZERO personal accountability for any immoral actions in life – so long as one repents and accepts Jesus. So murderers, rapists, pedophiles, arsonists, etc., all avoid moral accountability by simply accepting Christ. So, there is no morality in Christianity.
Thanks AJR for the enlightenment- very meaningful. God Bless
"It’s not that Christmas is under attack; instead, our society is becoming better at embracing its religious diversity and challenging the notion that a single majority religion should dominate public expressions of belief."
Some of the people in the majority are afraid of losing control.
We need a War Against Divisive Marketing.
God bless Phil. Quit A&E don't cave into them.