‘Anti-Christian’ bus ads appear in major cities

What if….?

A group called ‘Stop Christianization of America’ is promoting ads on major city public transportation that urge people to leave the Christian faith. The anti-Christian campaign is sparking thought about the religion’s place in American society.

Several groups are engaging in something of a religious ad war over the merits and misconceptions of Christianity, a religion that remains a mystery to many Americans.

Ads by a group calling itself Stop the Christianization of America, which aims to provide refuge for former Christians, read: “Hell on your mind? Is your family or community threatening others? Leaving Christianiy? Got questions? Get answers!”

Those ads, appearing on dozens of buses in the San Francisco Bay Area, Miami, and New York, are a response to ones from an interfaith  group that say, “The way of life of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Islam. Got questions? Get answers.”

In New York, the Christian Ecumenical  Community sponsored this campaign: ” Christians  for Peace. Love for All – Hatred for None.”

The ads are part of a larger conversation over Christianity’s image, which Christian organizations say has been hurt by extremists both at home and abroad. But many conservative groups say that concern about the spread of Christianity isn’t alarmist, pointing to evidence of preachers and televangelists  in this country inciting militancy and a growing number of American Christians being arrested for hate crimes and sexual deviancy.

A self-described “anti-crusader,” Mustafa el Amin  is the conservative blogger and executive director of “Stop the Christianization  of America”  who conceived of the “Leaving Christianity” ad campaign.  His campaign was inspired by the hate filled and violence provoking actions of the Westboro Baptist church and the Southern Street Preachers Association.

Mr. Amin  described his campaign as “a defense of religious freedom,” in an e-mail response to questions. The goal, he says, is mainly “to help ex-Christians who are in trouble” and also “to raise awareness of the threat that apostates live under even in the West.”

But some religious rights organizations contend that the real intent is to incite fear about a faith that, according to recent studies, remains misunderstood. A 2009 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 38 percent believe Christianity  is more likely to encourage violence than other religions.

But… that’s not how it really went down. For the rest of (and the real) story go to the Christian Science Monitor.