Here comes Santa Claus…with another attack on Christmas.
On November 12, the Associated Press revealed that ads demanding
"Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake?" will
begin appearing on Washington, D.C. area Metro buses starting
next week and running through December (naturally). The ads
feature a strange Santa-garbed person with Rastafarian braids.
They also include the admonition from the familiar Christmas song
"Here Comes Santa Claus" to be "good for goodness' sake," rather
than because any sort of Divine being provides the impetus and
the power to be good.
The American Humanist Association, AHA for the sake of
expediency, is responsible for the ad campaign. AHA purports to
have two reasons for the seasonal siege.
First, "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," according
to AHA spokesman Fred Edwards.
The "holidays," that vague, innocuous, politically correct and
cojones-less term, has no association with traditional religion,
Fred. The "holidays" are the perfect purview of that "awful lot"
of agnostics, atheists, and other associated non-theists. In
fact, they should be quite exhilarated in their celebration of
the holidays, since it represents a stage in the victory over
religious expression in the public square.
It is Christmas, the holiday that dares not speak its name (since
it includes the name of the Christian Lord that seems to be so
inexplicably offensive to some), that may alienate AHA and those
for whom it is an advocate. But somehow, thousands upon thousands
of ordinary citizens who are not Christians, and may or may not
have their own exclusive holidays to celebrate, manage to slog
through the Christmas season with their feelings unscathed.
AHA's second reason to deck the Metro buses with posters of
apostasy is to declare that "humanists have always understood
that you don't need a god to be good."
According to Roy Speckhardt, executive director of AHA, "Morality
doesn't come from religion. It's a set of values embraced by
individuals and society based on empathy, fairness, and
experience."
Have to agree with you there, Roy. Morality definitely does not
come from religion. In fact, sometimes immorality comes from
religion. It all depends upon the object of worship. The Swiss
philosopher/poet Henri Frederic Amiel confirmed this when he
said, "The test of every religious, political, or educational
system is the man which it forms. If a system injures the
intelligence it is bad. If it injures the character it is
vicious. If it injures the conscience it is criminal."
Oh yes, conscience! Mr. Speckhardt says that morality is a set of
values based on empathy, fairness, and experience. But he doesn't
explain from where the empathy and fairness originate. What is
the source of that sense of fairness, the sense of right and
wrong? Does it spring from nowhere like Athena from the head of
Zeus? Perhaps some theist associated with traditional religion
will provide Mr. Speckhardt with a copy of C.S. Lewis's Mere
Christianity. It begins with a brilliant exposition on "Right and
Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe."
So what would Santa think of AHA's attempt to identify him with
their Advent attack? Even the Santa portrayed in the lyrics of
Gene Autry, who is not exactly remembered for his theological
prowess, is said to "know that we are all God's children."
But would the real Santa Claus have a stronger reaction to AHA?
(Yes, Fred and Roy, there is a Santa Claus.) St. Nicholas was the
Bishop of Myra, in 4th century Asia Minor, now Turkey. In
addition to being remembered for his generosity and compassion to
the poor and to children, Bishop Nicholas was the kind of
"muscular Christian" that makes the folks at the National Council
of Churches shudder. He was a staunch defender of Christian
orthodoxy and would not be too pleased with the "Why believe in a
god?" mentality.
During his tenure at bishop, he attended the first ecumenical
council of the Church, which had been called to deal with the
growing heresy of Arianism. Arianism, named after Arius, a North
African priest who was its key proponent, denied the full deity
of Jesus Christ and said that he was a created being. Nicholas
struck a blow for orthodoxy, slapping Arius in the face after he
spoke.
Nicholas might well deal with the American Humanist Association
in the same manner in which he dispatched poor Arius, but
probably, being older and wiser, and "good, for goodness sake,"
he would refrain from physical violence and just urge those who
believe in God to assert their right to believe, and to flaunt
their belief as publicly as AHA flaunts its unbelief.
topics:
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