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gezzam
SFN Regular
Australia
751 Posts |
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PruplePanther
Skeptic Friend
USA
79 Posts |
 Posted - 12/20/2003 : 11:35:23 [Permalink]
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What meaning can christmas have to those of us who don't really beleive in it? Y, what else but
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"If I don't know where we are, I can't plot a course home." Major Carter, SG-1 |
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Woody D
Skeptic Friend
Thailand
285 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2003 : 21:46:43 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by gezzam
Bah humbug.......I now see what I am missing out on when I am at work getting double time and a half.
Xmas has a lot of meaning to me. I love it. The bright flashing lights, the spicy smells in the air, the cheerie people, decorating the house, it's all fun.
The gifts, not sure where that came from, could guess! But it's not getting them as much as giving. It's a time for me to 'repay' others for their kindnesses in the past, remembering happy times and sharing friendships when one doesn't make time the rest of the year.
Perhaps some of you saw the program on PBS recently about Christianity. It stated, after the 1st 300 years of being under the wing of the Jews, they started being harrased and more outcast. At that point they started picking up more of the pagen traditions and going away from Jewish ones. Don't you think the jokes on them, those who think it's something speical to celebrate with a tree and all.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm 'worshiping' nature when I put up a tree and the spritualism of a Christ has nothing to do with it.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Bah humbug, indeed! Just have fun.
Snake  |
www.Carabao.net
As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll.
Mick Shrimpton
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Woody D
Skeptic Friend
Thailand
285 Posts |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2003 : 04:59:00 [Permalink]
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| Christmas celebrates superstition. Christmas is a statement that life is wrong, that only superstition makes life worthwhile. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2003 : 05:36:56 [Permalink]
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| (0: But me like food. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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ConsequentAtheist
SFN Regular
641 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2003 : 11:55:27 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Gorgo
Christmas celebrates superstition. Christmas is a statement that life is wrong, that only superstition makes life worthwhile.
Bullpuckie. Christmas is a statement that decorated trees are pretty, family is valuable, and buying gifts for grandkids is fun. |
For the philosophical naturalist, the rejection of supernaturalism is a case of "death by a thousand cuts." -- Barbara Forrest, Ph.D. |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2003 : 17:57:30 [Permalink]
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Family is valuable all the time, decorations are nice all the time and buying gifts for the grandkids is fun all the time. I don't need the birthday of some non-existent suicide victim to tell me that.
quote:
Originally posted by ConsequentAtheist
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gorgo
Christmas celebrates superstition. Christmas is a statement that life is wrong, that only superstition makes life worthwhile.
Bullpuckie. Christmas is a statement that decorated trees are pretty, family is valuable, and buying gifts for grandkids is fun.
[/quote] |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Woody D
Skeptic Friend
Thailand
285 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2003 : 18:59:21 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by ConsequentAtheist
quote:
Originally posted by Gorgo
Christmas celebrates superstition. Christmas is a statement that life is wrong, that only superstition makes life worthwhile.
Bullpuckie. Christmas is a statement that decorated trees are pretty, family is valuable, and buying gifts for grandkids is fun.
Excellent CA. I wouldn't have used the word Bullpuckie though.
Gorgo:
quote:
Family is valuable all the time, decorations are nice all the time and buying gifts for the grandkids is fun all the time. I don't need the birthday of some non-existent suicide victim to tell me that.
CA if I might speak for that statement, is not saying it isn't nice to do those things all the time but setting aside a day to remember what we might forget during the year is not so worng. Everyone seems so busy all the time. This gives us an excuse to get together. Hey!, if you want to set your own date with your family, go for it. Someone recently made up a holiday for one race of people, kwanzi or whatever you call it, you can do the same. Ron Hubbard did it too, and look where that's gotten.
In fact, I think you've hit on something! If everyone made up their own day of celebration, the airlines wouldn't be so crowded at any one time. Gorgo, you are a genius.
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www.Carabao.net
As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll.
Mick Shrimpton
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Cold in here
New Member
Canada
48 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 00:36:15 [Permalink]
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| Atheists suck: what can it mean to have no faith in anything? To be truly lost in a world of disbelief in magic is my worst nightmare. Life is only whatever you make of it. No God nor man of science can alter the path you're on, so make the most of it and enjoy what you've got while you've got it. There will never be peace as long as people think it's impossible. So sit, chillax and pray that there's something else out there -- otherwise we're all screwed |
Toronto is the capital of Canada, and I live in a giant igloo. Blubber anyone? |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 04:12:51 [Permalink]
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Cold, I'm afraid we're all pretty much screwed anyway.
I enjoy Christams. I love the charity food and toy runs my motorcycle club does, and the greed of my younger grandmonsters when they hit the loot under the tree. By this time of year, my three, big bird feeders have become a riot of color and hatred as birds of many species squabble over a great abundance of sunflower seeds, and the squirrels perform the most amazing acrobatics as they manuver for the best places on the trays.
Christmas, falling so close to the Equinox, represents a renewal. The sun is beginning it's return and the days are very slightly longer. This just by itself is cause for celebration.
This year, I'm cooking the family's Christmas Turkey, which actually will be half of the backstrap of a hog that a friend raised and we're going to slaughter tomorrow (would'a done it yesterday or today, but my back is still acting up). With it will be an outside stuffing made with cornbread and laced with oysters and pecans. Will also have collards, homney, baked apples, and, I dunno yet, other, good stuff. We'll finish off with my younger daughter's sweet potato pie. Afterward, the kids will break out the instrments and play some music, whilst I get moderatly drunk.
Don't come around telling me that atheists don't see the joy of Christmas!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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ConsequentAtheist
SFN Regular
641 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 04:13:54 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Gorgo
Family is valuable all the time, decorations are nice all the time and buying gifts for the grandkids is fun all the time. I don't need the birthday of some non-existent suicide victim to tell me that.
Happy Hanukah, sourpuss.  |
For the philosophical naturalist, the rejection of supernaturalism is a case of "death by a thousand cuts." -- Barbara Forrest, Ph.D. |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 04:41:43 [Permalink]
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I just wonder why people hate life so much that they need to make up gods and fantasies in order to appreciate it. Want to appreciate a tree by cutting it down and putting pretty lights on it? Fine. Go ahead. A tree is cool just the way that it is, though. Why add plastic to something that's already beautiful? I don't get it.
Why feed into the commercial crap and the hype about the fantasy suicide king? Let's celebrate Jeffery Dahmer day! Whee!
Do I enjoy getting a couple of days off? Sure. Do I enjoy seeing my family? Sure. I do that all year round.
quote:
Originally posted by ConsequentAtheist
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gorgo
Family is valuable all the time, decorations are nice all the time and buying gifts for the grandkids is fun all the time. I don't need the birthday of some non-existent suicide victim to tell me that. Happy Hanukah, sourpuss.
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I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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| Edited by - Gorgo on 12/22/2003 04:49:18 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 07:58:11 [Permalink]
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"You're a mean one, Mister Grinch........"
About the tree and the rest of the nonsense, I'll agree. The kids have them, though. Their cats love the trees and the crap thereupon a little too much and are banished from their houses until New Years. It's fun to watch a cat work over a christmas tree.
But I think it's great to have certain days to party down for whatever reason. The religious and mythical aspects concern me not at all.
On Christmas, most folks around here are civil to each other if not downright friendly (disgustin', ain't it?  )
On Christmas, the children rule and we all follow their strange logic; so much more sensible than our own.
On Christmas, revenge can be had on a neighbor or relitive by buying his child a set of drums or anything that goes "CLANG!!!". 
On Christmas, I get to eat peppermint candy. 
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 08:09:20 [Permalink]
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Kids buy into what we tell them. They don't need Santa Claus any more than they need heroin. Sure it's fun and they get all worked up about heroin when they take it, but is it a good idea? Nope.
Well, in fact, at least heroin has an actual pleasant effect on people. Jesus never helped anyone.
While I'm crabbin' don't buy me friggin' gifts that I'm not going to use and I won't buy you gifts that you're not going to use. Got extra money? Give it to someone who can use it. Your grandkids are poor? Fine. Help them. They're not? What do they need another Play Station for? |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Maglev
Skeptic Friend
Canada
65 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 08:47:28 [Permalink]
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Reading this article, it became apparent to me how religious folks know nothing about atheists. They an speak as if we're in some sort of limbo... from the article:
quote:
Someone who does not believe in God cannot get much in the way of renewal through reflection at this time.
Most atheists/skeptics I know "reflect" (well, think) all year around, not just at Christmas time.
quote:
But Christmas for Christians is a special time of joy because of our belief that God is the source of that joy and goodwill, and that God shared his infinite love by becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ...
Odd isn't it? I feel that "joy and goodwill", even if I dont beleive in God or his son... I honestly beleived that that was because of the people involved (family, friends), but then I might just be naive...
And what will I do this Christmas? Eat good food (no turkey this year!), drink good wine (really, really good red French wine... A 1996 Chateau Clark (Lisrac-Medoc) amongst a few... yum yum!). And the deserts... Cigars... Music... Good friends... Yes, we will exchange gifts, because we like each other. No need of God to be nice to each other...
I my wrong in thinking that it's odd that we have to have an official religious holyday in order to be "nice" to one another? I like to think that as an atheist, I can be "nice" all year 'round, because I want to, not because the bible says so... but then again, I might be really, really naive...
Time for me to put on my Christmas colors; red eyes and greenish skin |
Maglev
"The awe it inspired in me made the awe that people talk about in respect of religious experience seem, frankly, silly beside it. I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day."
--Douglas Adams, on evolutionary biology. |
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