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." this is a direct quote from Fox news http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,450445,00.html

If you guys are so interested in living "ethical lives of value" I know you could have come up with a better way to advertise your company. This ad is incredibly insulting! Do you think you could get away with saying something like, "Why believe in Allah?..." Absolutely not! So why is it ok to attack Christian beliefs at one of the most important holidays for us? I think it is despicable show of character on your part.

Fred Edwords (...

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." this is a direct quote from Fox news http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,450445,00.html

If you guys are so interested in living "ethical lives of value" I know you could have come up with a better way to advertise your company. This ad is incredibly insulting! Do you think you could get away with saying something like, "Why believe in Allah?..." Absolutely not! So why is it ok to attack Christian beliefs at one of the most important holidays for us? I think it is despicable show of character on your part.

Fred Edwords (spokesman for the humanist group) stated, “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…” They feel alone because they do not have a relationship with the Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. So if any of you agnostics, atheists or any other non-theists are feeling alone over the “holidays” I suggest you pick up the Good Book and turn to John 3:16…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, ‘that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

But isn't that then just a choice to believe?

The random chance thing is a bit of a strawman fallacy. Everything that happens results as an effect of very strict universal laws. Even the realm of sub-atomic particles have rules and laws that matter and energy follows - although some of it seems random and chaotic to our still understanding minds.

For example, the progression of life through evolution is not random, as many theists will try and argue. It is a progression of adaptations.

The universe, as best we currently understand, began with a violent expansion, which many label the "Big Bang". The initial elements that existed in the universe was mostly Hydrogen, some Helium, and a tou...

But isn't that then just a choice to believe?

The random chance thing is a bit of a strawman fallacy. Everything that happens results as an effect of very strict universal laws. Even the realm of sub-atomic particles have rules and laws that matter and energy follows - although some of it seems random and chaotic to our still understanding minds.

For example, the progression of life through evolution is not random, as many theists will try and argue. It is a progression of adaptations.

The universe, as best we currently understand, began with a violent expansion, which many label the "Big Bang". The initial elements that existed in the universe was mostly Hydrogen, some Helium, and a touch of Lithium, but because of natural stellar mechanics heavier elements were created in the fires of stars that died, that later coalesced into us.

Because of the nature of universal laws hydrogen attaches to Oxygen to form water. Some argue that so many things have to be perfect in order for life to exist here on Earth, but in a universe that has billions to trillions of stars in billions to trillions of galaxies the possibilities of those "unique" occurrences becomes almost common.

That we are here shows they naturally exist, not that they were created.

When I hear believers of various religions say "because it makes sense" I always find that kind of thinking actually makes the LEAST sense. From the absence of any reliable proof, to vast differing beliefs, to the very nature of humanity to create gods and dieties to explain the unknown - the idea that a higher power should "just exist" is defied by the very existence around us.

Don't get me wrong WT - I'm not meaning to speak out against your beliefs - its just the idea of believing in something simply because the idea of it brings comfort. That is a common theme in all religions. The common antithesis of that belief is thinking that you would have to accept random and chaos as an alternate. That's just not true.

From the absence of any reliable proof, to vast differing beliefs, to
the very nature of humanity to create gods and dieties to explain the
unknown - the idea that a higher power should "just exist" is defied by
the very existence around us.

That was kind of my point. I have perfectly reliable proof - all of creation, science, physics. Religion is my way of putting into a ritual context the Divine part of that.

Don't get me wrong WT - I'm not
meaning to speak out against your beliefs - its just the idea of
believing in something simply because the idea of it brings comfort.
That is a common theme in all religions. The common antithesis of that
belief is thinking that y...

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From the absence of any reliable proof, to vast differing beliefs, to
the very nature of humanity to create gods and dieties to explain the
unknown - the idea that a higher power should "just exist" is defied by
the very existence around us.

That was kind of my point. I have perfectly reliable proof - all of creation, science, physics. Religion is my way of putting into a ritual context the Divine part of that.

Don't get me wrong WT - I'm not
meaning to speak out against your beliefs - its just the idea of
believing in something simply because the idea of it brings comfort.
That is a common theme in all religions. The common antithesis of that
belief is thinking that you would have to accept random and chaos as an
alternate. That's just not true.

I don't believe simply because it brings comfort. That's the side benefit. And I don't feel that picking apart a point of view is speaking out against my beliefs - my Wiccan Tradition is based on just that; tearing away the illusion to find the core. So feel free to ask for clarification, and state your own opinion.

Without christ, there would be no christmas!

Actually, the present day Christmas bears little resemblance to the older versions which Christians have practiced and when the season became more of a commercial endeavor there was great controversy over the appropriateness of celebration. And as Oort has rightly pointed out, the end of December was celebrated from ancient times for the beginning of winter. The solstice probably first was noticed by early agricultural communities since they were the first to develop accurate calendars which they needed to successfully plant crops. They, in all likelihood, practiced a religion that worshiped the sun and the solstice became increa...

Without christ, there would be no christmas!

Actually, the present day Christmas bears little resemblance to the older versions which Christians have practiced and when the season became more of a commercial endeavor there was great controversy over the appropriateness of celebration. And as Oort has rightly pointed out, the end of December was celebrated from ancient times for the beginning of winter. The solstice probably first was noticed by early agricultural communities since they were the first to develop accurate calendars which they needed to successfully plant crops. They, in all likelihood, practiced a religion that worshiped the sun and the solstice became increasingly important because it heralded the lengthening of days and the return from longer nights. The darkness would not devour the sun so they celebrated this event. Christians, being quite adept at "borrowing" from other religions to acquire followers, did so with the solstice.

those attacking the day of the birth of christ claim that they are doing it because they feel left out during this holiday.

First, get over this idea that anyone is being attacked. Perhaps some day this idea will be given a name as a minor neurosis (I'd suggest something along the lines of oreillyphobia).

Christmas is an awsome holiday, but its more than just candy canes and gum drops.

Quite true. The consumer market depends heavily on this time of year to keep it in the black. Some merchants would go under without the Yuletide season.

I don't expect this will have any effect on you Jack. But maybe some other people will read this and it will get them thinking.