The Freedom From Religion Foundation is celebrating Winter Solstice in the New York Times with a tongue-in-cheek play on perhaps the most famous editorial in newspaper history. Click here to view full sized ad.
“Yes Virginia … there is no God,” begins its ad (riffing on the famous advice about Santa Claus tendered to a 8 year old), to be published tomorrow. “That’s what tens of millions of nonreligious Americans believe.”
The ad then explains why we should celebrate the holidays.
“The Winter Solstice, the shortest, darkest day of the year, occurring this year on December 21, is the real reason for the season,” it states. “This celestial event heralds the symbolic rebirth of the sun, the lengthening of days and the natural New Year.”
The full-page write-up then goes on to emphasize some truths — and FFRF’s concerns about this time of the year.
“The Winter Solstice — a natural holiday — has been celebrated long before Christians crashed the party,” it continues. “For millennia, our ancestors in the Northern Hemisphere have greeted this seasonal event with festivals of light, gift exchanges, feasting and gatherings with friends and family. We nonbelievers are quite willing to celebrate the fun parts of anybody’s holidays. Just spare us the state/church entanglements.”
The ad concludes by asking people to be part of FFRF’s endeavors:
“Join the Freedom From Religion Foundation in celebrating reality, and in working to keep religion in its place — out of our laws and social policy. Help FFRF combat the increasing assaults by judicial activism and Christian nationalism against our godless and entirely secular U.S. Constitution.”
“This is our way of paying tribute to the most beloved opinion piece in American history,” says FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “At the same time, we’re educating New York Times readers about our mission — and the necessity of secular-minded folks to team up with us in our efforts.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a state/church watchdog, is the country’s largest freethought organization, with 38,000 nonreligious members and 23 chapters all across the country.
