I want to elaborate on what I think about the whole Xmas season. Despite my efforts to enjoy myself, and beyond the 10 things I like about the season about which I wrote a few days ago, I dislike the season.I don’t celebrate life during Xmas, I tolerate it. I can’t go anywhere or do anything without Xmas being involved. I see Jews, Muslims, and Atheists with Xmas trees, pretending they are “Chanukah bushes” (nonexistent) or “Solstice trees” (outdated and also religious), which they do JUST to fit in. It should not be.Chanukah, the Jewish holiday that is so small and insignificant that even Orthodox Jews work during it’s full course, has become major just to be the Jewish version of Xmas. Since my wife is Jewish-by-religion, we light candles and give way-too-many presents to my daughter, just so she doesn’t feel left out. It should not be.Don’t get me wrong, I love the parties and I love the eggnog (especially with Capt Morgans), I just feel like it’s required. It’s mandatory, coerced celebration. Forced fun. I guess there are worse things in life. See you at the solstice party… and the Chinese restaurant.
AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.http://www.atheists.orghttp://www.americanatheist.orgFor more information, please contact:Ellen Johnson, President (908) 276-7300Dave Silverman, Communications Director (732) 648-9333′TIS THE SEASON, EVEN FOR THE GODLESS ~ MANY ATHEISTS AND OTHERNONBELIEVERS CELEBRATE WINTER SOLSTICEJust what is an Atheist to do during the “Christmas” time? Nonbelievers– a segment of the American demographic landscape which comprises up to13% of the population (that’s nearly 30 million people!) — face thisdilemma during the so-called Christmas season. Among their ranks arethose who use terms like Atheist, Freethinker, Humanist, Bright,Rationalist or other appellations to describe lack of dogmatic religiousfaith.Yet at a time when the majoritarian Christian religion — and evengroups like the Jews who celebrate Hanukkah — see this time of year asa celebratory period, many Atheists and other nonbelievers look to theWinter Solstice to mark this time of year. Many give (and receive)gifts, host dinners, and in general have a good time partying withfriends and family. Why?Decades ago, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the famous Atheist who founded ourorganization and won an important Supreme Court battle to end mandatoryprayer and bible verse recitation in the public schools, called for thecelebration of four “natural holidays,” the Winter and Summer Equinoxesand Solstices. These ancient holidays were acknowledged by almost allof our ancestors. The Winter Solstice, which occurs this year onSaturday, December 22, 2007 at 1:08 AM, marks the time of year when thesun is at its lowest point in its annual journey across our sky. ManyAtheist-Freethought and other nonbeliever groups will host parties onthat day (See http://www.atheists.org/wintersolstice.html).Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists, said that the celebrationof the Solstice is a growing phenomenon in the United States. “More andmore non-religious people are joining in, because there are more of us,”said Johnson.”This is a time of year when everyone, both religious and non-religious,can celebrate life,” said Dave Silverman, Communications Director forAmerican Atheists. “What we don’t appreciate, though, is governmentpromotion of particular religion, or religion in general in the form ofnativity displays and other religious symbols on public property.”If you would like comment and background on the growing celebration ofWinter Solstice, please contact us.AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights forAtheists; works for the total separation of church and state; andaddresses issues of First Amendment public policy.American Atheists, Inc.P. O. Box 5733Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733Tel.: (908) 276-7300Fax: (908) 276-7402
It didn’t. There’s simply no escaping you and your ilk. Babies are not born with an innate desire to believe in an afterlife. Unless you live on an island of atheists with no contact with the outside world we’ll be exposed to the idea eventually.
Nearly every American child can sing a product jingle. Many immediately recognize product icons more readily than religious ones. Many children worldwide can point out Ronald McDonald and simultaneously have trouble identifying the prevailing deity in the area. Other stupid ideas spread universally like viruses – ironically including the prevailing assumption that antibiotics can cure viral diseases.
Have fun with the idea that McDonalds probably has more of your child’s attention than your church does.
What
that may be so, but apparently I know more than you.
VII RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS AND PERSONALITY
Newton also wrote on Judaeo-Christian prophecy, whose decipherment was essential, he thought, to the understanding of God. His book on the subject, which was reprinted well into the Victorian Age, represented lifelong study. Its message was that Christianity went astray in the 4th century AD, when the first Council of Nicaea propounded erroneous doctrines of the nature of Christ. The full extent of Newton’s unorthodoxy was recognized only in the present century: but although a critic of accepted Trinitarian dogmas and the Council of Nicaea, he possessed a deep religious sense, venerated the Bible and accepted its account of creation. In late editions of his scientific works he expressed a strong sense of God’s providential role in nature.
Jack
Think again pea-brain. Newton was smart enough to know how the church would scrutinize his work and he knew what happened to other scientists (Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei, etc) before him that dared to stand up to the church’s ridiculous ideas. He played along.
Said it before, I’ll say it again: just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’re not stupid. Note that Watson (a Nobel prize winner) made that stupid analysis of black people.
Of course, his widowed mother married a church rector, & his mentor retired to study theology.
Note that parliament introduced a bill in 1666 against atheism & heresy.
Sign o’ the times: the atheist is always considered the odd man out, or even social pariah.
Toadie,
The reference to Newton’s birthday celebration was in regard to his being an actual person as opposed to the fantasy of jeezus, and his scientific work.
I also happen to like the work people like Spike Milligan, Jonathan Winters, Cat Stevens, etc. have given us. That doesn’t have anything to do with their religious beliefs.
Interestingly enough, they were all committed to mental institutions for being nuts (some more than once)
the understanding of God.
What’s to understand? He didn’t have the traditional, patented, married set of parents to raise him. So he grew up without a moral compass, and became a blood-lusting sociopath. If only some loving god-couple had adopted him, say Zeus and Hera, and given him a puppy to play with…
I am the only Atheist in my family. About 10 years ago I decided to stop participating in my families holiday festivities.This was not well received, especially from my daughter who was 14 at the time. I think the thing I dislike most about it all is the commercialization of the holiday. If it was celebrated in peoples homes and places of worship like it should be, I would really enjoy this time of year.
karen:
They did.
Problem was, it was Cerberus.
atomictesting:
?He stated with absolute authority and certainty?
Well, I suppose you and your ilk could try to pass a law banning the existence of the likes of me and my ilk?
So does that exposure come in the form of a mother telling her child something like, ?now this may sound silly, but if I don?t inculcate you with this really useless thing called a survival instinct, then our culture will. So, you might as well get it straight from me rather than picking up some wrong version of it on the bathroom wall at McDonalds.?
Sorry, my kids hate Happy Meals.
I think this is the thread we were talking football on.
So, congratulations Dave! The better team won today. I hope we get a chance at a rematch!
KA
Um, maybe Cerberus wouldn’t have been such a hellhound if not given to god as a puppy?
to Deepdiver i am sorry for your loss.she lives on in your memory.
i believe freemason and bishop albert pike said something like what we do for ourselves dies with us but what we do for others lives on.
What
the stuff you make up never ceases to amuse me. thank you sooo much.
I am new to this blog so forgive me if this post is in jest and I didn’t get it.
I am an atheist, but I have never seen anything wrong with having fun on Christmas… candy, presents, Santa, snow etc. It has never held any religious significance to me or my family. I am celebrating the season and the festive time of year. If others want to believe that its Jeus’ birthday (which is not even true according to the bible), a festival of lights, a pagan tree cerimony, so be it. As long as they let me celebrate what I want to celebrate, I have no quarrel with them.
Why does atheist have to be synonymous with boring and joyless. Just because we don’t believe in all the deistic foolishness does not mean that we have to be frumpy off in the corner missing out on the fun parts of life. On the contrary, since we don’t (or at least I don’t) believe in an after life, we should be getting the most out of the one we have.
I can enjoy a Christmas tree, sharing presents with my family, waiting for Santa Claus, and singing Christmas Carols (the non-hymnal ones anyway) and still be a godless atheist.
To me, that has always been the best part about being an athiest… you can have the fun, without all the crap.
alexatheist will probably like this BBC report on Lourdes where they interview an oh-so-not-gay priest, Father Jonathan Morris.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7130000/newsid_7131600/7131670.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1
The Church expects 8 million suckers– er, pilgrims-this year. More than the usual 6 million.
If we banned you we’d lose something valuable to us as a society: laughing stock.
Seriously, the “virgin Mary” on a pancake? Holy rollers, speaking in tongues, playing with snakes, babbling on about a book written 2000 years ago by obvious idiots that can’t even keep their story straight, closeted priests pretending at heterosexuality… There’s just so much shit for us to make fun of. If only none of you actually tried to force your faith into our government I’m quite certain most atheists would shut up about you altogether. I personally don’t give a shit whether you believe in the tooth fairy or not. The second you start putting your bullshit into politics (inflicting it on me through force of law) then we have a problem. Capice?