The agenda-driven media is alive and well at the local level in Redmond, Washington. A local television station, KOMO, is suggesting that atheists put up their own signs that say “Merry Spaghetti Monster Day” to counter the “It’s Ok to Say Merry Christmas” signs.
What does the reporter mean by “Merry Spaghetti Monster Day”? He’s talking about militant atheists who mock the religious through a character they call the Spaghetti monster. Pastafarians are members of the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster”, a fictional, light-hearted attempt to make fun of those in a god who cannot be seen. Those who claim non-belief through Pastafarianism will place colanders on their heads and even some voted into political office have gone so far to wear them while being sworn in.
What’s the problem with suggesting Pastafarians put up signs? Most Pastafarians celebrate Christmas.
The campaign-style signs, which are put up and taken down anonymously every Christmas, are placed in public access areas. KOMO seems to want to make an issue of the fact that the signs are near the city library and city hall. But the mayor says there is nothing illegal about the signs.
Why would the media want to see “Merry Spaghetti Monster Day” signs up? Do you think that some atheist organizations out there haven’t thought of that? Are there not big national organizations that could help with this?
Of course. But these signs are of a different variety. Someone has to handle them. Someone has to put them up and take them down. That would require something more than money. That would require effort. That would require someone who actually cared. That would require someone with some core conviction in the campaign.
And they really aren’t out there, folks. The Merry Spaghetti Monster is an invention of anti-religious activists. There really aren’t regular everyday atheists who are anti-Christmas. In fact, most garden variety atheists celebrate Christmas and gladly say “Merry Christmas”.
For the media to assume that most atheists feel offended by saying “Merry Christmas” to the point of launching a counter campaign to the Merry Christmas sign campaign in Redmond is to label them. That’s wrong. It’s almost as if KOMO wants the controversy.