Stand on a corner in this city and you might get a case of theological whiplash.
A public bus rolls by with an atheist message on its side: “Millions of people are good without God.” Seconds later, a van follows bearing a riposte: “I still love you. ”” God,” with another line that says, “2.1 billion Christians are good with God.”
A clash of beliefs has rattled this city ever since atheists bought ad space on four city buses to reach out to nonbelievers who might feel isolated during the Christmas season. After all, Fort Worth is a place where residents commonly ask people they have just met where they worship and many encounters end with, “Have a blessed day.”
Perhaps there needs to be a third bus:
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
I’m not quite sure that a battle of wits between atheists and Pelagians does the Christian cause much good (last word intentional).
Is there some reason that those who feel isolated and otherwise unhappy about Christmas, cannot simply set up and celebrate their own festival, of whatever it is they prefer to believe around this time ?
Chris Baker – Durham UK
It is all First protected to be sure. But for the sheer aggressiveness we may thank the Dawkinses. But why so aggressive? Because this atheism is a religion and now the atheists have become proselytizers, evangelicals, findamentalists (in the old literalist sense old the word.) I hope those seeing these ads see the desperate irony of the situation. A NEW set of preachers, selling the salvation of no salvation. How come these people are not in California?
Well it’s a good thing it’s Christmas because there is no shortage of fruitcakes. Larry
#1–4th bus–Happy Festivus
William Witt is exactly right.
I think I disagree. I rather like it and I don’t think it does any harm either way.
I don’t take the ripostes seriously — it’s all in good fun. Why can’t both sides have a bit of fun?
I don’t think it looks bad for either side to advertise as they will on buses. Not *my* preferred mode of advertising, but there’s no reason to let the faithless have an entire medium for themselves.
Nothing changes hearts and minds like sloganism.
Here’s how to celebrate the Christmas season in a humanist world:
http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2010/12/nine-lessons-and-carols-for-godless.html
Since I’m in Texas, this issue was raised in our local newspaper many days ago and inspired a vigorous debate. The irony, of course, is that the atheist organization spent what money they had collected to publicly boast that they’re “good without God.” Meanwhile, religious organizations are spending their money on ministering to the less fortunate who don’t have much with which to celebrate Christmas.
I think their point might have been better made if they spent their money on food baskets for the needy, on behalf of organized atheism, rather than advertising. The fact that they didn’t is telling.
Here’s one more community response that the Times missed. A group of Fort Worth ALPHA leaders has [url=http://www.fwepiscopal.org/news/busads.html]bought spots[/url] on the backs of 18 buses for 30 days.