Ancient Christian Witness

"WASHINGTON, D.C. — You better watch out. There is a new
combatant in the Christmas wars.

Ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god?
Just be good for goodness' sake," will appear on Washington, D.C., buses
starting next week and running through December. The American Humanist
Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday.

In lifting lyrics from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," the
Washington-based group is wading into what has become a perennial 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."

To that end, the ads and posters will include a link to a Web
site that will seek to connect and organize like-minded thinkers in the D.C.
area, Edwords said.

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."

Last month, 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."