TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Christians Fight Fire With Eternal Flame

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOYCE McKENZIE

jmckenzie@tampatrib.com

Published: December 17, 2008

THONOTOSASSA - At a time when many Americans were turning their thoughts toward celebrating Christmas, a Washington, D.C.-based group was busy unleashing its holiday message against accepting any supernatural belief as reality.

On Nov. 18, the American Humanist Association posted "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake" ads on more than 200 Washington buses. The organization - whose followers profess that people should live decently, but without any expectation of rewards or punishment after death - paid the $40,000 tab.

Employees at Dallas 1 Corp., a Christian-based construction and development company in Thonotosassa, got wind of the project through a Fox News story.

"We were sitting around our prayer table talking about it and we said 'Why don't we do something about it,'" said Alan Nelson, Dallas 1's technology specialist. "Christians for so long have gotten run over and we just kind of wanted to convey the truth."

Through several sizable staff contributions, and the generosity of company owner Bart Azzarelli and also of Digital Lightbridge, a New Port Richey marketing firm that created the art work for banners, Nelson said his company is ready to "get on the bus."

The message on the banners that are slated to be placed on buses in Washington this week is Psalm 14:1, which reads, "Truth: The fool says in his heart there is no God."

"It's been a huge group effort," said Nelson, who noted that all contributions have been funneled through the nonprofit Faith Tampa Bay organization. Azzarelli and Richard Hayes, Lightbridge's CEO, serve on the Faith Tampa Bay's board.

Azzarelli said he wants people to know the truth about God, rather than have them be deceived by the anti-Christian propaganda.

"If we follow the truth, things work out the way God plans. As Scripture tells us, the truth will set you free," he said. "It's people like these AHA who say there is no God that are causing the problems in the world today."

"A lot of people talk about doing things like this, but we've taken the initiative and we're looking forward to the dialogue that probably will follow," Hayes said. "God is real and being good is not good enough."

Nelson said Dallas 1 is also pursuing the idea of placing banners on buses used to transport Tampa visitors during the Super Bowl.

Visit www.godonthebus.org for information.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT