American Atheists fired the proverbial first shot with this billboard along the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey.
It labels Christmas a "myth" and calls for "reason this season."
"The Christian community needs to understand that demanding that people say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays is not only rude, it's factually incorrect," said David Silverman, President of American Atheists.
Now, The Catholic League is firing back with a billboard of its own, right outside the tunnel on the New York side.
"You know it's real" it reads, "Celebrate Jesus".
"Talk about a myth. They believe in nothing. They stand for nothing. They think we came from nothing. They're the ones who really are living in some other hollow world," said Bill Donohue, President of The Catholic League.
Though this ideological battle is certainly not new, it is the first time the two sides have faced-off with dueling billboards in a kind of public showdown.
Atheists accuse Christians of stealing the season. They point to non-religious holiday symbols like the tree as true examples of what they say this time of year is really all about: The Winter Solstice.
"This season is more than Jesus. Jesus is just the latest in a slew of gods that live on the winter solstice," Silverman said.
"We all know that they have a particular hostility toward Christianity and especially Catholicism, and that's why they chose our religious season to get their message across," Donohue said.
"My own personal opinion is not whether it's reasonable or not. But, is it reasonable to you? Does it make you feel good to put it up? Are you harming anybody putting it up? If the answer is no, put it up. More power to you," Mark Chanti said.
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