The Dallas–Fort Worth Coalition of Reason is about to embark on a new advertising campaign called “Our Families Are Great Without Religion” that will highlight how “family” is not synonymous with “Christian”.

Here are the images that will be cycling through on the billboard along I-30 in Grand Prairie (Tom Landry Freeway) beginning Easter weekend — each image will be up for one week:

The following ad will also appear during pre-show ads at the Green Oaks Movie Tavern in Arlington (***Update***: Zach Moore writes: “After this early publicity, the Green Oaks Movie Tavern has decided to disallow our ads at the last minute. Our money is being refunded, and we’re currently pursuing other theater opportunities):

DFWCoR Coordinator Zachary Moore explained that “too often in our culture, the word ‘family’ is code for ‘religion.’ Organizations like ‘Focus on the Family’ and the ‘Family Research Council’ profit from the assumption that families need religion.” In contrast to those religious groups, Moore said that families in the DFWCoR “raise their kids to examine religion critically, not just to be dogmatic atheists. Our parents want to inspire their kids to love knowledge rather than faith.” Photographs of families from the organization will be shown on the campaign billboard and on the movie theater advertisements.

Beautiful, no? 🙂

Not only that — the DFWCoR is prepared to help any families that join their member groups:

… several member organizations within the DFWCoR specifically cater to families with kids, offering secular “Sunday School” programs and Camp Quest Texas, a week-long residential summer camp for the children of local atheists. “It’s never been easier to be an atheist parent in Texas,” Moore boasted.

So this should go over pretty smoothly, right?

Of course not.

The local FOX affiliate says the ads are “targeting kids” (?!?!):

Umm… targeting them with the knowledge that both religious and non-religious families can be equally happy? Blasphemy, I know…

The best part of the video happens at the 2:33 mark when the host asks the reporter which movies’ previews will show the ads — you know, so parents can prepare their children for the heresy that will inevitably ensue.

After finding out the ad will play twice before all movies in April, the host stares blankly into the camera, visibly disturbed, and says, “So, parents… keep that in mind.”

On a brighter note, the same station invited one of the couples to speak with them in-studio. Will and Angel Crowley did a fantastic job.

And that’s not all! A FOX station out of Austin did another segment on the ads, calling them “anti-religious.”

That’s news to me. I don’t see any anti-anything statements in those ads… what did I miss?



