She doesn’t have a Christmas tree in her living room and she refuses to battle
crowds of people shopping for gifts.

In fact, for the past 35 years, Lorie Polansky hasn’t felt pressured to put up
any decorations or exchange presents. As a longtime atheist, she doesn’t feel
the need because for her, and the millions of others like her, Christmas isn’t
coming.

Polansky, however, can’t help showing some concern this time of year when bell
ringers stand at post office entrances or religious holiday displays crop up
on tax-supported property. As some religious groups cry out for Christmas
displays in courthouses, Polansky and others who do not adhere to religious
convictions want people to realize that there are plenty who hold different
beliefs, beliefs just as worthy of respect.

“Government buildings and grounds belong to all of us, and they must be kept
religion-neutral. Churches and private homes are the appropriate venues for
Nativity sets and other religious symbolism,” said Polansky, who lives in
Altoona, but assists atheists across the state.

As Pennsylvania’s director of the American Atheists group, an organization of
nonbelievers who work to defend civil rights for atheists, Polansky fights for
what she believes. And until the holidays end, she and other atheists will
work to keep some legroom between themselves and religious zealots.

An estimated 9 percent of American adults are atheist and agnostic, according
to Barna Research, a California-based marketing research firm.

For atheist Pat Gunn, a Carnegie Mellon University researcher, much of the
Christmas hullabaloo goes unnoticed. Gunn said he surrounds himself with
people who share his beliefs, although on the rare occasion that he ventures
to the supermarket, he does find the bell ringing “intensely irritating.”

“They bother me, but I try not to get too worked up over these things. There
are a lot of things one can be offended at,” said Gunn, who pushed nearly
three years ago to start the student group PUSH, Pittsburgh Universities
Skeptics and Humanists, a gathering of students from Pitt, CMU and Chatham
College.

Gunn came from a Christian background, but says a book on comparative religion
was his eye opener. Polansky, too, came from a Christian background. She grew
up in an Irish-Catholic home during the 1950s and mid-1960s, which meant
weekly confession, Mass every Sunday and holy day, family rosary recitation on
Friday nights and attendance to local missions and retreats. She calls the
split from her religious past a tremendous relief, akin to a slave breaking
from his shackles. She doesn’t believe there is an afterlife, or a God, or for
that matter a Satan.

“The biggest misconception about atheists seems to be that they are devil
worshippers,” Polansky said. “Believers can’t seem to grasp that if we do not
accept a ‘good’ supreme being, we also do not swallow the nonsense of an
‘evil’ supreme being.

“We accept the real world as it presents itself. Science answers our
questions.”

Although she doesn’t put up a Christmas tree, Polansky likes to keep a year
round ficus plant festooned with lights, which she says symbolize “the real
reason for the season.” Polansky also sends “Happy Solstice” cards to people
she calls fellow “freethinkers” or simple “Happy Holiday” greetings to
religious friends.

She believes Christmas is based on pagan traditions, and that secular symbols
like reindeer, Santa and elves have ancient roots.

Atheists cite the lighting of candles, or fires, as an ancient ritual.
Ceremonies, they say, centered on evergreens, which were considered symbols of
life and rebirth because they keep their foliage year round. They also note
the similarity with stories conveyed in other cultures of an infant born of a
virgin who led a laborious life – Krishna for the Hindus, Osiris for the
Egyptians, Dionysus for the Greeks, Mithras for the Persians.

“Later,” Polansky said, “when man began to invent gods to explain the
mysteries of existence, this holiday was appropriated as the birthday for the
savior gods.”

Atheists and other nonbelievers typically celebrate the Winter solstice, or
Yule, the day of the year with the least sunlight that restarts the cycle of
seasons. It begins Dec. 21 this year, but was Dec. 25 on ancient calendars.

Because of pagan or “worldly” underpinnings, some contemporary Christian
religions, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, don’t celebrate Christmas, although
most mainstream Christian religions see the holiday as a cornerstone of their
faith.

“Atheists are an enigma to so many people. I think we are feared because we
lack faith and perhaps – if believers associate with us – maybe they will lose
faith also,” Polansky said.

So when it comes to those squabbles, such as the debate over Merry Christmas
versus Happy Holidays, atheists like Polansky aren’t fazed. She considers the
debate an attempt by religious fundamentalists to stir “a simmering pot of
cultural tension” in a country that she says is already forgetting its secular
roots and heading toward theocracy.

“It makes no difference to me what words are used,” Polansky said. “If I’m
asked ‘are you ready for Christmas?’ I usually respond that I do not celebrate
that holiday and seize the opportunity to present a different viewpoint.”

http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15778805&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478569&rfi=6

I ask due to the fact that you have yet to understand one post that I have sent over the last three days.

I will make this one clear. THESE ARE YOUR WORDS:

“Why are you in support of censoring debate?”

THESE ARE MY WORDS:

“spanders:
I teach 8th grade Social Studies (Native Americans to 1877)

Every Friday, we have a debate in my room. Students are given the topic on Monday, and they gain points by bringing in facts (not opinions) and presenting them to the class. We have debated issues such as Cindy Sheehan, violent video games, and single gender classes (which we have at our school).”

Just so you are aware, we have also discussed ID vs. evolution, under god in the pledge, and the ten commandments case; all of which boths sides were presented.

I have yet to see your “facts” or an apology for your bashing earlier displaying YOUR ignorance.

And seriously, I could go back about a month on this site and repost all of my evidence against your homeschool and union crap. But, that would be a waste of my time. In general, I learn from the first time that I hear or read something. I don’t have to rehash it.

You have nothing to offer this site.

Could it be because the word “dinosaur” didn’t come into existence until the early 1800′s?
Do some research and you’ll find the words behemoth or dragon were the popular words of choice. Both are mentioned in the book of “Job”, which incidentally is one of the oldest books known to man.

That may very well be, but there’s no mention of profilicacy (sp?) of said creatures in the HB, that they ruled the earth, etc.
Of course, we could just pull something out of context, say, the mention of ‘giants in those days’ (genesis, if I’m not mistaken), or even get ridiculous, & say that the Nephelim (Book of Enoch) were dinosaurs?
There’s all sorts of (mostly amusing) variations to be played here.
Leviathan = Apatosaurus? Might explain (very poorly) why Jonah wasn’t digested.
Stay tuned for another episode of ‘Let’s Have Fun w/Scripture!’

phreedm: once again, you assume. did i mention anything about not allowing religious debate. man, you can’t get anything right. face it, you have no clue what goes on in my classroom, so shut up about what you “think” goes on.

Actually you did. Since everyone on this board claims teaching ID is a veiled attempt of bringing religion back into the classroom…

Also, keep teaching ID at home and out of the classroom. Let the professionals deal with the rest.

Seem’s I’m not the only one that can’t keep the facts straight.

Why are you in support of censoring debate? You actually prove my point that started this debate between us.

And no the stats weren’t pulled out of my backside. Facts are facts.

It’s been my experience that teachers in general are the most hostile towards homeschoolers. Are they threatened? Maybe thats why they’re so supportive of unions and tenure. Something to protect the incompetent???