A new billboard wishing drivers “happy holidays” will run through January 2020
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There’s a new billboard running for the upcoming holiday season, and it’s wishing everyone happy holidays from their friendly Kansas City atheists. Running in rotation on a digital billboard near the Armour Road exit from I-35 south, it’s here to convey season’s greetings to drivers on their travels along I-35. The billboard is running for three months, from Nov. 1, 2019, through Jan. 31, 2020.
“The holidays, for many people, are steeped in religious tradition,” Jordan McKinney, president of the Kansas City Atheist Coalition, explains, “and, for many atheists, that means they don’t really have a place they feel like they fit in during these winter months. That’s part of our message here – that there’s a community where they can make friends and build families of their choosing during this holiday season.”
Mr. McKinney acknowledges that some may see the billboard as an attack on those religious traditions, but that is not the intent. “It’s quite the opposite, in fact. We’re trying to raise awareness that atheists also enjoy spending time with friends and family over hot drinks and tasty food.”
He also pointed to the Kansas City Atheist Coalition’s tradition of collecting gifts each year for a family adopted through local charity programs. “We’re not only trying to break the misconception that atheists are steeped in a Scrooge-esque resentment of the holidays,” Mr. McKinney explained, “but also providing opportunities for atheists to give back to their local community and participate in that ‘season of giving’ that everyone enjoys this time of year.”
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