Just for fun, let's all pray for these folks

This week, the American Humanist Association launched an advertising campaign in Washington, DC playing on the Christmas song, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The ad, placed exclusively on the sides of DC buses, says, "why believe in a god...just be good for goodness sake."

If you missed the news story, see it here.

This ad, and the organization behind it, reflect bold new efforts on the part of athiests to impose their agenda on American culture. By usurping a traditional Christmas song and image (cool dude in Santa suit), the AHA isn't just promoting their humanist ideas; they're taking a swipe at Christians.

We parents who are working to instill a vibrant faith life in our children need to be wary of folks who would undermine our efforts with simplistic -- seemingly inconsequential -- messages like this one. Everyone can get behind the message of "being good for goodness sake." But a media literate person knows this ad campaign is intended to do much more than promote goodness.

It's troubling, but of course, the same freedom that grants us the right to practice our respective faiths grants humanists the right to express their non-faith. So what can we do?

Two things: first, let's use this ad campaign to teach some media literacy skills to our kids. Tell them who's behind this ad and what their intentions are -- make sure they know that advertisements are always intended to pursuade and make a point. See if they can imagine what the point of this ad is.

Second, let's pray for these folks. Seriously. If they're so committed to godlessness that they're spending $40,000 to spread their beliefs, I'm thinking they can use all the help they can get.