Resources > Ask Jeff There is a marketing campaign against God...and a war on Christmas? Posted by Rev. Jeff Dixon, Senior Equipping Minister, CCC Ministries on Nov 13, 2008, 15:32

Hey there Jeff,

Did you hear about the group who has started a marketing campaign against God over the Christmas Holidays? What is going on with that?

Watching Out...Not Crying...Just Wondering

 

The ads ask the question...why believe?

 You Better Watch Out! You Better Not...

You have heard...ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake," began to appear on Washington, D.C., buses in November of 2008 and running through December. The American Humanist Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign early in November.

In lifting lyrics from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," the Washington-based group is wading into what has become an annual debate over commercialism, religion in the public square and the meaning of Christmas.

"We are trying to reach our audience, and sometimes in order to reach an audience, everybody has to hear you," said Fred Edwords, spokesman for the humanist group. "Our reason for doing it during the holidays is there are an awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of non-theists who feel a little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion."

Now what you need to see in this report right at the outset is the false statement made by Mr. Edwords. When he says, "there are an awful lot of agnostics, atheists, and other types of non-theists who feel along during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion."

He is making a statement that is just not true.

The truth is that very  few Americans describe themselves as atheist or agnostic; a Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life poll from earlier this year found 92 percent of Americans believe in God. Beyond that it also found that 21 percent of those who call themselves atheists believe in God. (Yes, I know what you are thinking...then...they  aren't really atheists...and you would be correct)

Ignoring that confusing statistic, the conclusion would be that 8 percent of Americans fall within their self described category of atheist.

It is also fairly safe to conclude that all 8 percent aren't passionately engaged in this battle. (Based upon the 21 percent of atheists who struggle with their atheism)

Another truth to remember is that when the bulk of Americans see something, hear something, or read something they don't agree with or that offends them they tend to realize that freedom of expression is part of the fabric and fiber of America.

As a result...there is nothing wrong with the expression of the ads. There is nothing offensive about them to me as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Yet, the fact the bulk of Americans are fine with the expression and celebration of Christmas is also a freedom that a minority does not have the right to change or surpress because they are "offended." They are free to express disagreement and even try to influence others to a different point of view. But freedom does not grant the right to take away the freedom of another because they disagree.

Edwords said the purpose isn't to argue that God doesn't exist or change minds about a deity, although "we are trying to plant a seed of rational thought and critical thinking and questioning in people's minds." The group defines humanism as "a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity."

The rational thought and critical thinking argument is old and somewhat perplexing. Here is why... It is not rational or critical...

Now if you don't want to read the rest because you have figured out this is getting ready to be another discussion on if there is proof out there that God is God..I understand, you don't have to keep reading.

Buses in Washington are part of the ad campaign

If you want to dig deeper though...then lets keep going

If I found a wristwatch in the middle of a field, I would not assume that it just “appeared” out of nowhere or that it had always existed. (That would not be rational!) Based on the watch’s design, I would assume it had a designer. But I see far greater design and precision in the world around us. (That is a rational thought) Our measurement of time is not based on wristwatches, but on God’s handiwork—the regular rotation of the earth (and the radioactive properties of the cesium-133 atom). The universe displays great design, and this argues for a Great Designer.

If I found an encoded message, I would seek out a cryptographer to help break the code. My assumption would be that there is an intelligent sender of the message, someone who created the code. To have a code there is a code creator. (This is also critical thinking) How complex is the DNA “code” that we carry in every cell of our bodies? Does not the complexity and purpose of DNA argue for an Intelligent Writer of the code?

Not only has God made an intricate and finely tuned physical world; He has also instilled a sense of eternity in the heart of every person (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Mankind has an innate perception that there is more to life than meets the eye, that there is an existence higher than this earthly routine. Our sense of eternity manifests itself in at least two ways: law-making and worship.

Every civilization throughout history has valued certain moral laws, which are surprisingly similar from culture to culture. For example, the ideal of love is universally esteemed, while the act of lying is universally condemned. This common morality—this global understanding of right and wrong—points to a Supreme Moral Being who gave us such scruples.

In the same way, people all over the world, regardless of culture, have always cultivated a system of worship. The object of worship may vary, but the sense of a “higher power” is an undeniable part of being human. Our propensity to worship accords with the fact that God created us “in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). This is not only rational and critical, it is practical and understandable.

In October of 2008,  the British Humanist Association caused a ruckus announcing a similar campaign on London buses with the message: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

So during any given year there will be a variety of groups that offer up their constant, "There is no god" campaigns...but usually the only people who get overly excited about it are those who live life under the fear of political correctness or politicians who are prone to paralysis based on special interests and popularity polling driven by vocal interests groups who yell loudly and represent very few.

However it is also easy to fall into the trap as a believer as one who thinks there is a "war on Christmas."

This is also driven by those who have the need to defend and create headlines with cries of oppression and suppression. They are free to do so, for the same reasons stated above, however these cries are also not something that any believer needs to be fearful of. The reason...Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ has survived through these thousands of years and will continue to survive. God does not worry about it and doesn't really panic over these "non-Christmas wars" at all. If His followers and His people would simply be what they were created to be and live life like He destined them to live...then Christmas celebrations become never ending parts of their existence.

God has also revealed Himself to us through His Word, the Bible. Throughout Scripture, the existence of God is treated as a self-evident fact (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14). When someone writes their biography they do not waste time trying to prove their own existence. Likewise, God does not spend much time proving His existence in His book.

The life-changing nature of the Bible, its integrity, and the miracles which accompanied its writing should be enough to warrant a closer look.

Another way in which God revealed Himself is through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6-11). “In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Colossians 2:9).

In Jesus’ amazing life, He kept the entire Old Testament law perfectly and fulfilled the prophecies concerning the Messiah (Matthew 5:17). He performed countless acts of compassion and public miracles to authenticate His message and bear witness to His deity (John 21:24-25). Then, three days after His crucifixion, He rose from the dead, a fact affirmed by hundreds of eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6). The historical record abounds with “proof” of who Jesus is. As the Apostle Paul said, “This thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). This historical record is also captured and retold by non-Christian historians from the same era who had no reason to fabricate or falsify their historical records.

We realize that there will always be skeptics who have their own ideas concerning God and will read the evidence accordingly. And there will be some whom no amount of proof will convince (Psalm 14:1). It all comes down to faith (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith is not impacted by billboards, ad campaigns, news pundits, or headlines...it is impacted by the real people who have experienced and trusted God...finding Him real.

Notes: Resources used for this article come from a variety of resources....
FOX News, Pew Research Poll, Christianity Today, various apologetics websites, various skeptics forums, and a smattering of atheist blog sites.