Catholic League launches “Adopt-an-Atheist” campaign

This year’s anti-Christmas billboard may have touched a nerve — but at least they’re responding creatively.

The Catholic League’s press release:

Catholic League president Bill Donohue explains why the Catholic League is starting a new initiative aimed at atheists:

Approximately 80 percent of Americans are Christian, and 96 percent celebrate Christmas. Of the 20 percent who are not Christian, non-believers make up the largest segment, though the number of self-identified atheists is tiny. David Silverman, president of American Atheists, knows this to be true, which is why he is frantically trying to inflate his base. “We want people to realize that there may be atheists in their family,” he told the New York Times, “even if those atheists don’t even know they are atheists.”

We think there is some merit in David’s idea, even if he has things backwards, as usual. Today we are launching our “Adopt An Atheist” campaign, the predicate of which is, “We want atheists to realize that there may be Christians in their community, even if those Christians don’t even know they are Christian.”

Here’s what our campaign entails. We are asking everyone to contact the American Atheist affiliate in his area [click here], letting them know of your interest in “adopting” one of them. All it takes is an e-mail. Let them know of your sincere interest in working with them to uncover their inner self. They may be resistant at first, but eventually they may come to understand that they were Christian all along.

If we hurry, these closeted Christians can celebrate Christmas like the rest of us. As an added bonus, they will no longer be looked upon as people who “believe in nothing, stand for nothing and are good for nothing.”

Atheists, naturally, are unimpressed:

Donohue provides a link in his news release that lists a number of American Atheist state directors in addition to President David Silverman and Director of State Operations Ken Loukinen. Also included on this list is the former Texas state director, Joe Zamecki, who finds Donohue’s campaign to be “bizarre on twelve different levels” mainly because “saying that state directors may by Christians is ridiculous because these are some of the most active atheists.” Zamecki says, “It sounds like The Onion wrote this.”

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