According to a local ABC news affiliate, the Greater Sacramento Chapter of the
Madison, WI based Freedom
From Religion Foundation is erecting 55-billboards just as the Christmas season gets
into full swing. The campaign … part of
an ongoing endeavor titled, “Out of the Closet” … hopes to let atheists know
that having God in your life is not a necessity.
“It’s because atheists are starting to
speak up and they’re beginning to identify each other and find out they’re not
alone,” said Judy Saint, president of the atheists’ group chapter. “There are a lot of non-believers and this
time of year, they feel like they’re all alone.” Saint said the movement is not about being
anti-God, but that it’s acceptable not to embrace a god. Happiness and goodness, she said, are not
exclusive to having a higher being in your life. “You don’t have to have a god in your life,”
Saint said.
Some of the billboard quotes include:
“A life of love, no gods required;” “No gods, no devils, no worries;” “Live for
now, not for after;” and “I believe in people, not gods.”
Fox
News
reported that Roman Catholic Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said of the
billboard campaign, “While I’m not happy about these billboards, I am certain
people still, when they look deep down in their soul and in their heart, find a
spark. They believe in a higher power.”
Annie Laurie Gaylor, who is associated
with the atheists’ organization, stressed that the billboard campaign is not meant
to insult Christmas but, instead, to urge people to ignore the religious
messages behind it. “The whole month of
December is taken over in a celebration of the religious beliefs, in particular
Christianity, and it’s just as if the whole month turns non-believers into
outsiders,” Gaylor said. Gaylor would
not disclose the cost of the billboard campaign, but said it would run
throughout the holiday season.
I certainly have no objection to the
‘freedom of speech’ rendered by these atheists who want to spend their
resources (I think rather foolishly) on these billboards. God forbid that our society should have a
season (the month of December) with such words as love, joy, hope and peace …
all of which the Christ Child brought to our fallen race. Only God is love … as demonstrated when He became human and dwelt among us to
teach us of brotherly love toward one another and of self-sacrificing love on
Calvary’s cross. Jesus taught us not to be anxious for anything, but to seek
His kingdom and righteousness … and everything else that really matters will be
provided by the Heavenly Father. The
gift of God is an inner peace that’s
beyond human comprehension, and a hope
that is beyond the limits of this earthly existence. And all of this gives me great joy!
This is truth in advertising
… not the message of these billboards.
Rev.
Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor,
Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
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