Catholic League president Bill Donohue launched the campaign in response to a suggestion made by David Silverman, president of American Atheists. In an effort to motivate his tiny minority of professed atheists, Silverman is suggesting that members pay closer attention to family members who celebrate Christmas because many of them may be atheists but not realize it.
"We think there is some merit in David’s idea, even if he has things backwards, as usual," Donohue writes. "Today we are launching our 'Adopt An Atheist' campaign, the predicate of which is, 'We want atheists to realize that there may be Christians in their community, even if those Christians don’t even know they are Christian'."
The campaign involves contacting the local American Atheist affiliate in their area and letting them know of their interest to adopt an atheist. A list is provided here. "Let them know of your sincere interest in working with them to uncover their inner self," Donohue writes. "They may be resistant at first, but eventually they may come to understand that they were Christian all along."
American Atheists have cause to worry about any effort to impinge on their already tiny minority. According to polls, approximately 80 percent of Americans are Christian, and 96 percent celebrate Christmas. Of the 20 percent of the population who identify themselves as non-Christian, only a fraction list themselves as atheists.
"If we hurry, these closeted Christians can celebrate Christmas like the rest of us. As an added bonus, they will no longer be looked upon as people who 'believe in nothing, stand for nothing and are good for nothing'.”
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