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Atheist bus signs appearing around Seattle
Posted by Letters Editor
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ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Lorraine Ideus, of Spokane, photographs a billboard in downtown Olympia. She's a member of Inland Northwest Freethought Society, an affiliate of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Advertisements a waste of time, money
Editor, The Times:
I was deeply offended and disturbed when I recently spotted several Metro buses displaying a paid advertisement sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation [“Atheist group to meet in Seattle,” NWWednesday, Nov. 4].
A blaming Santa Claus attracts the eye, and the banner reads, “Yes, Virginia...there is no God.”
This is a perversion of the original 1897 newspaper reply by Francis P. Church to 8-year-old Virginia, who inquired as to the reality of Santa. Part of that original essay read, “No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives!”
How ironic the FFRF is choosing to cite a cherished article actually referring to God.
I don’t know how many thousand dollars have been spent on this senseless advertising plastered on more than 100 buses.
If FFRF valued humans, that money could have been used to serve less-fortunate members of our community. Only $1.92 supplies a Thanksgiving dinner at Union Gospel Mission, and $2 provides a pair of new socks for a street kid at New Horizons Ministries.
Oh wait, those agencies I mentioned that care about and help people are Christian organizations.
I feel sorry for the FFRF selfishly deciding to waste money and provoke discord by sponsoring this completely unnecessary, cruel advertisement campaign.
— Carol J. Lundemo, Seattle
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