“Fake news” was around long before Kellyanne Conway used it to justify the Trump administration’s lies, and American Atheists is now using the phrase in its latest advertising campaign, noting that people might as well skip church since that’s all they’re going to hear inside.

The billboards, now up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and soon to go up in Dallas, Texas, feature an image of a Nativity scene with the words, “Just Skip Church… It’s All Fake News!” It also includes a “Happy Holidays” greeting from the organization.

“Everyone knows that the stories we’re told in church aren’t the truth,” said David Silverman, president of American Atheists. “People ignore that fact because they enjoy the community, the friendship, and the traditions that go along with religion. But we’re here to tell them that churches doesn’t have a monopoly on any of that. There’s a fantastic and vibrant community of atheists all across the country creating their own traditions and lifelong friendships.” “Spend time with with your friends and family, give gifts, do charitable work, and enjoy the season. You can do all of that while also celebrating the truth,” added Silverman. … “People are rightly skeptical about some of the news they see on Facebook, hear from their family, or are told by elected officials,” said Nick Fish, national program director for American Atheists. “But too often, they don’t extend that skepticism to their religious views and what their religious leaders are telling them.”

The group is also putting up billboards in Tulsa and Oklahoma City advertising their upcoming conference at the end of March.

There’s something ironic about celebrating Santa’s arrival in the same campaign denouncing “fake news,” but it’s all in good fun. All the billboards will be up through the month of December.

American Atheists has been running holiday ad campaigns for several years now, urging people to skip church, saying Christ is unnecessary for Christmas, urging people to come out as atheists over the holidays, and claiming that everyone knows the Nativity story is a myth.

(Thanks to Juliandra for the link)

