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Public faces of Richard Dawkins' Atheism Campaign Were ... Devout Christian Children
London Times ^ | November 20th, 2009

Posted on 11/20/2009 3:43:10 PM PST by Steelfish

November 20, 2009

Public faces of Richard Dawkins' Atheism Campaign Were ... Devout Christian Children [Pics in URL]

Exclusive: Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

The two children chosen to front Richard Dawkins’ latest assault on God could not look more free of the misery with which he associates religious baggage.

With the slogan “Please don’t label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself”, the two children, their hair flying and with broad grins, seem to be the perfect advertisement for the new atheism being promoted by Professor Dawkins and the British Humanist Association.

Except that they are about as far from atheism as it is possible to be. The Times can reveal that Charlotte, 8, and Ollie, 7, are from one of Britain’s most devout Christian families.

Their father, Brad Mason, is something of a celebrity within evangelical circles as the drummer for the popular Christian musician Noel Richards.

Mr Mason has been supplementing his income for years by giving photographs to agencies who sell them on to newspapers and advertising campaigns.

“It is quite funny because obviously they were searching for images of children that looked happy and free. They happened to choose children who are Christian. It is ironic. The humanists obviously did not know the background of these children.”

He said that the children’s Christianity had shone through on their expressions.

Gerald Coates, the leader of the Pioneer network of churches, which Mr Mason and his family used to attend before they moved to Dorset, said: “How do you put laughter in a quote? I think it is hilarious that the happy and liberated children on the atheist poster are in fact Christian.”

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: agitprop; antichristian; atheistsupremacist; christopherhitchens; fauxtography; liberalbigot; photography; propaganda; richarddawkins; richirony

1 posted on 11/20/2009 3:43:11 PM PST by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

ROFL! I hope Dawkins gets this news.....LOLOLOL.


2 posted on 11/20/2009 3:47:50 PM PST by Freedom'sWorthIt (Obama's Deathcare ---- many will suffer and/or die unnecessarily.)
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To: Steelfish

“Please don’t label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself”

As if Dawkins wouldn’t bother indoctrinating his kids to believe science is the truth (as well he should).


3 posted on 11/20/2009 3:49:47 PM PST by Tublecane
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To: Steelfish

Perhaps he should have looked for photos of depressed Goth kids, or at least for those wearing “yes we can” t-shirts!


4 posted on 11/20/2009 3:49:50 PM PST by sthguard (The DNC theme song: "All You Need is Guv")
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To: Steelfish
“..Let me grow up and choose for myself...”

If a child grows up only taught the ways of the world in school, home, friends, etc, then

1. are what point are they asked to make a decision, and

2. if all they know is the way of the world and never learned about the Kingdom of God,

then, what will the choice be??

A parent to produce a well balanced child growing up be a good citizen, should help the child become well trained in mind, body and soul.

5 posted on 11/20/2009 3:57:58 PM PST by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda" and its allies.)
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To: Steelfish

God has a sense of humor.


6 posted on 11/20/2009 3:58:39 PM PST by donna (Synonyms: Feminism, Marxism, Communism, Socialism, Fascism)
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To: Steelfish

“It is quite funny because obviously they were searching for images of children that looked happy and free. They happened to choose children who are Christian. It is ironic. The humanists obviously did not know the background of these children.”

He said that the children’s Christianity had shone through on their expressions.

God has a sense of humor, and will not be mocked, but at least He is using for GOOD what Satan meant for evil! And it makes Dawkins look quite little.


7 posted on 11/20/2009 4:13:22 PM PST by JSDude1 (www.wethepeopleindiana.org (Tea Party Member-Proud), www.travishankins.com (R- IN 09 2010!))
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To: elpadre

I think these blessed children have headed Christ’s call to “let the little children come to me”, and have indeed chosen God’s Mercy! Amen.


8 posted on 11/20/2009 4:14:43 PM PST by JSDude1 (www.wethepeopleindiana.org (Tea Party Member-Proud), www.travishankins.com (R- IN 09 2010!))
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To: Steelfish
Cute kids...no doubt filled with the Holy Spirit too...
9 posted on 11/20/2009 4:18:20 PM PST by AnalogReigns
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To: AnalogReigns

Thanks for the pic post.


10 posted on 11/20/2009 4:20:31 PM PST by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish; Freedom'sWorthIt

They need to relax more.


11 posted on 11/20/2009 4:36:43 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: ATolstoyan
This is one of those slogans that seems nice and pro-freedom and non-judgmental . . . until you think about it.

Would you say, "I'm not going to force my children to learn math or science - let them grow up and choose for themselves!"? When children aren't given some sort of proper foundation upon which to consider a choice, they will be unable to make a reasoned choice because they are uneducated. Whether it's math or theology. And it will be a hard slog for them to catch up in either case, because they won't have the framework which is really best learned in ones youth.

Also -- the only people who ever say this are nonbelievers, fallen-away (and feeling a wee bit guilty), or atheists. If you really believe in whatever your particular brand of religion is, whether Christian or Buddhist or Judaism or whatever, then you believe that that is the path to eternal life and what God wants you to do. Why on earth would you not teach your children that? Might as well not teach them to read, or brush their teeth.

Finally -- when you don't give your kids any religious instruction, they do VERY weird stuff when they reach their rebellious teenage years. Example: I know two families who do not know each other, have never met, and live in different parts of the country. In each case the parents were nonbelievers -- in one case actual atheists, in the other lukewarm Unitarian/Universalists (if there can be such a thing - but they hardly ever went to church). In BOTH cases the child became a Wiccan Priestess.

13 posted on 11/20/2009 5:14:24 PM PST by AnAmericanMother (Ministrix of ye Chasse, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment))
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To: ATolstoyan
It would be interesting to know, in specific examples, in what way he thinks believing Christians are having a negative impact on his life. Safe bet is he would have a much tougher time in Iran or Saudi Arabia.
14 posted on 11/20/2009 5:46:49 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: AnAmericanMother

What he’s really after is to convert your children to HIS faith in atheism.

Some atheists are supremacist in their advocacy and will declare that all (other) religion should be abandoned (and even prohibited).


15 posted on 11/24/2009 10:58:33 AM PST by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity

There are some people who think that the Islamists have gotten so violent lately because OTHER religions in this world are agitating them.

If ONLY we’d cease to exist, some atheists believe that they could peacefully co-exist with the Islamists.


16 posted on 11/24/2009 11:10:04 AM PST by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
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To: JSDude1

This is indeed SO rich... I’m glad to have found it.


17 posted on 12/27/2009 9:24:21 PM PST by cyn (Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. ~Mark Twain)
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