Atheists Erect 'Anti-Christmas' Billboard In Milwaukee, Upset Locals
An atheist group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has reportedly posted an anti-Christmas billboard in a highly-traveled area, encouraging closeted atheists to shun the festive holiday season.
The billboard, erected by the national American Atheists group and the local Southeast Wisconsin Freethinkers, sits south of the I-94 in Milwaukee and reads: "All I want for Christmas is to skip church. I'm too old for fairytales."
The billboard includes an image of a child wearing a classic red and white Santa hat and staring sideways.
Dave Silverman of the American Atheists told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the purpose of the billboard is not to offend Christians during the holidays, but rather to get closeted nonbelievers to speak out during Christmas.
"You're not going to change a Christian's mind from a billboard. That would be a foolhardy effort," Silverman told the local newspaper.
"What we're trying to do is get the atheists out of the church," Silverman said. "What we're saying is if you don't want to do it, don't do it. You shouldn't feel obliged to pretend to believe the lies if you don't believe it."
The billboard has received plenty of criticism from local believers offended by the anti-Christmas slogan. One evangelical, Chelsen Vicari, the evangelical program director of the Institute of Religion and Democracy, told One News Now that the goal of Christians who see the billboards should be to pray for the atheists who are sponsoring the anti-Christmas message.
"Pray specifically that they will abandon the tired and unbelievable arguments that they've been fed, that they'll put aside their resentment and callousness and instead come alongside of us as the body of believers. Many of us have been where they have been with questions and confusion. Pray that they recognize the reason for this Christmas season," Vicari told One News Now.
