Two new billboards around Colorado Springs show Santa Claus saying it's OK to skip church this holiday season.
The billboards are paid for by the American Atheists organization.
"We want people to know that going to church has absolutely nothing to do with being a good person," said David Silverman, president of American Atheists. "The things that are most important during the holiday season—spending time with loved ones, charity, and being merry—have nothing to do with religion."
"There are tens of millions of atheists in this country. We’re everywhere. And we don’t need church or gods to tell us how to be good people," said Nick Fish, national program director of American Atheists.
Not surprisingly, some people who live in the area say the billboards are offensive.
"It's terrible. Especially this time of year. I don't think everyone has to go to church but I'm a believer and I just don't like that whole message," Bonnie Miller told our partners at KRDO-TV.
"I think it's really terrible, personally my family is strictly Catholic, I was raised like that. I like the happy holidays part, that's OK, but we should keep Christ in Christmas," KRDO quoted Vanessa Holdridge as saying.
The billboards will be up through the end of the month.