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Kids who advertise UK atheist campaign are Christians

Two children, chosen to help advertise British atheist Richard Dawkins’s latest assault on God, are actually from one of the UK's most devout Christian families, reports Michael Ireland, chief correspondent, ASSIST News Service.

Gledhill states: "With the slogan 'Please don’t label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself,' the youngsters 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 the country's most devout Christian families," says Gledhill.

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

Gledhill says that now a web designer and photographer, Mason has been supplementing his income for years by providing photographs to agencies who sell them on to newspapers and advertising campaigns.

Mason said: "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.

"Obviously there is something in their faces which is different. So they judged that they were happy and free without knowing that they are Christians. That is quite a compliment. I reckon it shows we have brought up our children in a good way and that they are happy."

Gerald Coates, the leader of the Pioneer network of churches, which Mason and his family used to attend before they moved to Dorset, said: "I think it is hilarious that the happy and liberated children on the atheist poster are in fact Christian."

The British Humanist Association said that it did not matter whether the children were Christians.

"That’s one of the points of our campaign," said Andrew Copson, the association’s education director.

"People who criticize us for saying that children raised in religious families won’t be happy, or that no child should have any contact with religion, should take the time to read the adverts," Copson said.

"The message is that the labeling of children by their parents’ religion fails to respect the rights of the child and their autonomy. We are saying that religions and philosophies -- and 'humanist' is one of the labels we use on our poster -- should not be foisted on or assumed of young children."

Gledhill reports the images of the children were sourced from www.istockphoto.com , on which photographers upload images for sale to designers, in return receiving a portion of each download fee.

She adds that those who have welcomed the campaign include the magician and illusionist Derren Brown and the author Philip Pullman, who said: "It is absolutely right that we shouldn’t label children until they are old enough to decide for themselves."

TAGS: United Kingdom Richard Dawkins atheist campaign Brad Mason Noel Richards Gerald Coates Andrew Copson Philip Pullman Derren Brown

[12/01/2009]

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