Billboard Promoting Holiday Atheism Irking Religious Revelers

nytimes.com:

Among the many advertisements lining I-495 in New Jersey en route to the Lincoln Tunnel is a new one promoting atheism for the holidays rather than another gift.

The billboard shows three crowned men riding camels toward a humble manger in which a man and woman kneel beside a straw-filled bassinet, all silhouetted beneath a prominent six-pointed star. The message -- "You know it's a myth. This season, celebrate reason!" -- is emblazoned in large white letters above the nativity scene.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[Sarah Louise]

10:32 AM on 12/17/2010

From Merriam-Webster- "myth- 1a : a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon"

Sounds pretty accurate to me.

[JeremiahA]

09:47 AM on 12/04/2010

"You know it's a myth."

What is? That Jesus Christ ever existed? That a woman named Mary had a baby named Jesus? That heavenly phenomena have ever appeared? That ancient scholars ever existed? Where's the myth?

And now there is a billboard supporting Christmas...so we have a choice. Let's see...follow Atheism (reason without ethics) or follow Christianity (reason plus ethics)...personally, I go with the latter.

[TheSojourner]

02:21 AM on 12/05/2010

Sorry to burst your bubble, atheism IS reason and logic PLUS ethics, Christianity is about as reasonable as 2+2=5. And by the way, how ethical were all the horrors perpetrated on non Christians in history in the name of the Christian God?

Also why is it that the percentage of atheists in jail is infinitesimal? You can check that if you like. Atheists do the right and ethical thing because it's right and ethical, not because we have to be told or because God says so, and we're afraid not to. Also I don't see ethical behavior regarding anyone who doesn't believe as you do. Gays, Muslims Jews, any others that are different from your narrow views all will go to hell, according to you. Some reason and ethics.

I hope this gets in. I get really tired of people who know nothing about atheism making erroneous assumptions about it. I could show you one of many places your myth came from, but you wouldn't bother checking it. However, you might try Googling Mithra. For a starter, if you dare, try here:

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/romanempire.html.

[TheSojourner]

04:45 PM on 12/06/2010

There's been some page changes, try this:

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/historyofpsych.htm

Ther's a link on the page about the Roman empire. Look there.

[TheSojourner]

04:48 PM on 12/06/2010

The other link won't work either. I'll see which is the best way. It's there, I promise.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but it's a very good reference page.

[DanSc]

06:27 PM on 12/03/2010

Come on guys, if you're going to be Athiest, put up billboard's saying Hanakkah is a myth and Ramadan is stupid

[UDKM2010]

03:55 PM on 12/03/2010

Well as long as they don't diss Santa on the sign I'm ok. You've got to stand for something.

[LiberalHick]

12:52 AM on 12/02/2010

"Truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the Lies you can invent."
William Blake

Atheists should take heed. Try a little kindness folks. Maybe try romancing the believers into becoming reasonable thinkers. That sign is stupid and offensive because they DO NOT actually know it's a myth.

[AZLibDem]

09:18 AM on 12/02/2010

No more stupid or offensive than the half-dozen signs within a mile of my house that tell my daughter she is worthless without a belief in god.

[LiberalHick]

01:01 PM on 12/02/2010

Exactly. The point shouldn't be that atheists should be allowed to be equally stupid.

[TylerDurdenSays]

03:00 PM on 12/03/2010

Sure they know it's a myth. What's truthful about it? What can you verify at all?

[LiberalHick]

10:31 PM on 12/04/2010

Do you know that the existence of your "self" is a myth? Can you "verify" it? Point me to it. (hint: your body is a body, that's all - the self is a fabrication of the body's brain and nervous system trying to make sense of all this sound, motion and light.)

[TheSojourner]

04:54 PM on 12/01/2010

Hooray for our side! The Christians have their billboards, signs, ads, etc. plastered all over everything. They have Christian, radio, TV channels, people prosyletizing at bus stops (I've been accosted by several at bus stops) and other public locations. It's about time we atheists had a chance to express ourselves. I hope this spreads like wildfire. More power to we atheists! We atheists are not going away, so just get used to it. We are growing in leaps and bounds, to which I say, finally, some truly modern logic and reason may creep in to our 21st century society.