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BEYOND BELIEF MEDIA DECLARES WAR ON CHRISTMAS
RNS ^ | December 5, 2005

Posted on 12/06/2005 8:23:25 AM PST by NYer

Los Angeles, December 5, 2005 -- Beyond Belief Media has formally 
declared war on Christmas, the December 25 holiday in which 
Christians celebrate the birth of the mythical figure Jesus Christ, 
the company announced today.

“Christian conservatives complain nonstop about the ‘War on 
Christmas,’ but there really isn’t any such war,” said Beyond 
Belief Media president Brian Flemming, a former fundamentalist 
Christian who is now an atheist activist. “So we have decided to 
wage one, to demonstrate what it would look like if Jesus’ birthday 
were truly attacked.”

As its opening salvo, Beyond Belief Media has purchased 
advertisements this week in the New York Times, USA Today and the New 
Yorker magazine. The company’s 300-member volunteer “street 
team” is also descending on Christmas-themed public events with 
random “guerilla giveaways” of Beyond Belief’s acclaimed 
documentary THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE.

“No Christmas pageant or Nativity display is safe from our 
troops,” said Flemming. “Wherever the mythical figure Jesus is 
celebrated as if he were real, we will be there with an information 
barrage. We will undercut the idea that there is any point at all to 
celebrating the ‘birth’ of a character in a fairy tale.”

THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE is a taboo-shattering documentary that 
Newsweek says “irreverently lays out the case that Jesus Christ 
never existed.” The film includes interviews with some of the top 
religion experts in the world. Directed by Flemming, the movie is 
also highly critical of the modern Christian right and explores the 
dangers that religious belief poses to society. The movie has been 
praised by critics but condemned by pro-theocracy groups such as 
James Dobson’s Focus on the Family.

“Obviously our ‘War on Christmas’ is a bit tongue-in-cheek,” 
said Flemming. “But the Christian myth does dominate U.S. culture, 
and there’s no time better than Christmas to take a fresh look at 
that myth and see it for what it is.”

The print ads, which encourage giving THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE as 
"the perfect holiday gift," may be viewed at http://www.thegodmovie.com. The New Yorker magazine ad appears in the Dec. 
12 issue, going on sale today. The New York Times ad appears on Dec. 
6, the USA Today ad on Dec. 9. The “guerilla giveaway” raids on 
Christmas pageants and mall Santa locations begin today and continue 
through Christmas.

ABOUT BRIAN FLEMMING


Brian Flemming’s fictional work has been called "a parallel 
universe" by the BBC, "jaggedly imaginative" by the New York Times, 
and "immensely satisfying" by USA Today. The Fox News Channel dubbed 
him "a young Oliver Stone." He wrote and directed the independent 
feature NOTHING SO STRANGE, which won the 2002 New York Times 
Claiborne Pell Award for Original Vision. A playwright as well as a 
filmmaker, Flemming is the co-author of the hit play BAT BOY: THE 
MUSICAL, which played eight months in New York in 2001 (Lucille 
Lortel Award for Best Musical). John Landis (BLUES BROTHERS) will 
direct the film version of BAT BOY, expected in 2007. Flemming’s 
previous nonfiction work, including many segments for the magazine-
style show “Split Screen,” has aired on Bravo, the Independent 
Film Channel, ABC.com and Beliefnet.com.

ABOUT THE GOD WHO WASN’T THERE


“Provocative -- to put it mildly,” said the Los Angeles Times 
about THE GOD WHO WASN’T THERE. Since its world premiere in May 
2005, the film has had theatrical exposure in New York, Los Angeles, 
San Francisco and dozens of other cities. THE GOD WHO WASN’T THERE 
won the 2005 Best Documentary prize at the Grassroots Cinema Festival.

Partial cast list:

--Sam Harris won the 2005 PEN Award for his uncompromising book The 
End of Faith, which argues that religious faith poses great dangers 
to the human race.
--Robert M. Price is Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center 
for Inquiry Institute and a fellow of the Jesus Seminar.
--Richard Dawkins, possibly the world’s most famous atheist, is an 
evolutionary biologist and author of several best-selling books.
--Alan Dundes was Professor of Folklore and Anthropology at the 
University of California, Berkeley.


ABOUT BEYOND BELIEF MEDIA


The mission of Beyond Belief Media is to provoke conversation about 
the dangers of religious belief.

CONTACT:

Zoe Lee
Beyond Belief Media
7510 Sunset Blvd. #504
Hollywood, CA  90046
(323) 874-1517

publicity@thegodmovie.com

http://www.thegodmovie.com


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 1millionsunblock; antichristian; antichristmas; atheism; atheist; atheists; bigot; bigotry; christian; christianbashing; christianity; christians; christmas; convertbeforedying; culturalmarxism; defamingchrist; grinchstolechristmas; hopegodismerciful; intolerance; liberalbigot; mdm; media; merrychristmas; nogod; pc; politicalcorrectness; politicallycorrect; relgion; religion; religiousintolerance; waronchristmas
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1 posted on 12/06/2005 8:23:26 AM PST by NYer
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To: american colleen; Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; ...
Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list


2 posted on 12/06/2005 8:23:56 AM PST by NYer (“Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion")
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To: NYer

It's not so much a war on Christmas as it is a war on Christ.


3 posted on 12/06/2005 8:25:46 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: NYer
Brian Flemming, a former fundamentalist Christian who is now an atheist activist....

Hey ho, is he going to be in for a shock come that Judgment Day!

As I once said to an atheist ... If you're right I'll never know. If I'm right you sure will!

Have a Blessed Christmas!
4 posted on 12/06/2005 8:27:04 AM PST by vimto (Life isn't a dry run)
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To: NYer
"the dangers that religious belief poses to society.

Good grief! God forbid that people would stay married to one another and not murder their own children! [SARCASM/IRONY ALERT]

5 posted on 12/06/2005 8:27:48 AM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: All

What is wrong with those folks is no small thing.


6 posted on 12/06/2005 8:28:33 AM PST by AZ_Cowboy ("Merry Christmas!")
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To: Brilliant

Why ain't they mad at halloween?


7 posted on 12/06/2005 8:28:34 AM PST by norraad ("What light!">Blues Brothers)
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To: NYer

The "mythical figure Jesus Christ"? Boy, do they have a surprise waiting for them.


8 posted on 12/06/2005 8:29:01 AM PST by Rocky (Air America: Robbing the poor to feed the Left)
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To: NYer

Guess this group hasn't heard: "Be careful what you ask for".


9 posted on 12/06/2005 8:29:07 AM PST by BenLurkin (O beautiful for patriot dream - that sees beyond the years)
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To: NYer

Sheesh! What went wrong in 300 people's lives that compels them to behave like this? I know most of the article is fictional, but why would you even *think* of doing this?!?!?!?

Some people are pretty sad...


10 posted on 12/06/2005 8:29:11 AM PST by edh
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To: NYer

I've also been getting tired of the overheated complaints about Wal Mart greeters and Walgreen's cashiers refusing to scream "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" at everyone who walks in or out. Seems a bit extreme to actually go out and start canvassing Christmas events with Atheist literature though.


11 posted on 12/06/2005 8:29:29 AM PST by Zeroisanumber
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To: NYer
The Fox News Channel dubbed him "a young Oliver Stone."

I doubt that was meant as a compliment!

12 posted on 12/06/2005 8:29:35 AM PST by mwyounce
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To: NYer

THEY WILL BE JUDGED!


13 posted on 12/06/2005 8:29:48 AM PST by westmichman (I vote Republican for the children and the poor!)
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To: NYer
Boy, these "anti-Christs" are screaming louder and louder these days, aren't they?

If Jesus were so "mythical" then why are they going to such extreme lengths to say he is?

14 posted on 12/06/2005 8:31:44 AM PST by kstewskis ("Thank you ladies and gentlemen, you've been a wonderful audience" ...Rocky Rhodes)
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To: NYer
The movie has been praised by critics but condemned by pro-theocracy groups such as James Dobson’s Focus on the Family.

Gee - do you suppose this reporter is just a wee bit prejudiced???

15 posted on 12/06/2005 8:32:40 AM PST by mollynme (cogito, ergo freepum)
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
40 million with Aids.... It could all be avoided if people obeyed His commandment - Do not commit adultery... These people let people die and complain against God and Grinch Christmas.

The Fool in his heart says there is no God.
16 posted on 12/06/2005 8:32:47 AM PST by vimto (Life isn't a dry run)
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To: NYer

If we can get 20% of America to boycott the idiots doing this we'd win.

The homosexuals have 2-3% (dispite claims of 10), the liberals probably have less when it comes down to actual supporters. Corporations know this, and will change course when their gold comes into question.


17 posted on 12/06/2005 8:33:33 AM PST by x5452
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To: NYer

Christmas used to be a time of Good News, love, giving and sharing. Now it's become a time of political conflict caused by buttheads who can't keep their noses out of other people's business.


18 posted on 12/06/2005 8:33:46 AM PST by popdonnelly
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To: kstewskis

If he is so mythical, why do Roman (aka non-Christian) historians mention him?


19 posted on 12/06/2005 8:34:07 AM PST by xusafflyer (Mexifornian by birth, Hoosier by choice)
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To: mwyounce

I'm still trying to figure out what "jaggedly imaginative" is supposed to mean.


20 posted on 12/06/2005 8:34:48 AM PST by thulldud (The Democratic military vote is the REAL "Army of One".)
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