War on Christmas 08

[Kerberoz]

People like this make all atheists look bad. Way to alienate moderates over a circle jerk.

Christmas is hardly a religious holiday anymore for the vast majority... it's a time to be with family and friends and be happy and spend money at the giant retailers. Pull the rod out of your ass and be a jolly consumer.

[Obev]

No, but nice try.

I am actually offended when people say "merry christmas" to me, as it makes an assumption about my religious standing based on the fact that I'm a) white and b) middle class. If they were to meet a friend who was obviously of an unrelated religion (i.e. of south/middle/east/southeast asian descent), they wouldn't immediately wish them to join in the happy celebration of a two-thousand-year-old Jewish heretic's birth. "Merry Christmas," for its assumptions of a common ground which I simply don't share, offends the living daylights out of me.

That said, Happy Yule; I'll be enjoying my mead and trying to buy a longboat on eBay.

[Kiro]

Oh you viking you.

[Lurking Badger]

I don't think the christmas tree was the viking's invention either, I think they imported it from the germans (I mean it's a germanic pagan tradition) to fit in with Midvinterblot.

[Eratosthenes]

December 25th is actually this guy's birthday.

[Kiro]

Yeah, along with the 10-20-30 other "Gods" who have the exact same birthday / virgin mother / etc etc.

[Bingbong]

Incase you missed it the winter solstice WAS a religious holiday, so your point is moot, and his point still stands.

Still IS.

[melbufrauma]

Actually the Christmas tree came about because of the Native Americans, since native americans thought trees were special or something, they used Christmas trees to try and make it more appealing to them when they were trying to convert them to christiantiy

[Neosutra]

People like this make all atheists look bad. Way to alienate moderates over a circle jerk.

Christmas is hardly a religious holiday anymore for the vast majority... it's a time to be with family and friends and be happy and spend money at the giant retailers. Pull the rod out of your ass and be a jolly consumer.

Why should atheists walk on egg shells and accept an atmosphere of prejudice and theocracy to appease people that dont want to hear something they disagree with?

Having a nativity scene at a publicly funded facility is just as offensive to atheists as a sign against religion is to theists. The only difference is theists get to play the victim card regardless of the fact that they are the majority.

How do you think it feels to see constant displays of public validation for a religion that specifically says YOU should be tortured and ripped apart for all eternity? How would you feel as a black male to see burning crosses at your local court house?

[HAcoreRD]

i mostly celebrate xmas for the fact that it's one day a year you bond with family and friends, and just say "fuck all my problems".

just for one day.

lets go kill some british like g. washington did.

[Senoska]

How did I miss this thread? I have a crazy republican bush-supprting bible thumping pol.sci teacher who was talking about this shit today and was going on about how "Our country has founded on the 10 commandments" and shit and how this was "though legal, was morally detestable," so I decided to fuck with him, raised my hand, asked him how many commandments he knew, shockingly, he knew all 10, I asked him how many were law, and he could only list 2. Everyone laughed :<

[Parshias]

Some people need to grow some balls. I know that the last time I saw a minorah, I flew into a highly offended, frothy rage. Hell, someone posted a picture of an R2-D2 dreidel in the random image thread and I nearly put my fist through the screen.

I guess there are some people out there who just can't hear or see anything remotely like anything they don't like without pooping a lung. Sucks to be them.

[Tristam]

How did I miss this thread? I have a crazy republican bush-supprting bible thumping pol.sci teacher who was talking about this shit today and was going on about how "Our country has founded on the 10 commandments" and shit and how this was "though legal, was morally detestable," so I decided to fuck with him, raised my hand, asked him how many commandments he knew, shockingly, he knew all 10, I asked him how many were law, and he could only list 2. Everyone laughed :<

welcome to America, everyone is their own pope.

[Enkidu]

I guess this is why I'm happy to call myself an Agnostic rather then an Atheist, most Atheists are so fucking grumpy and pathetic... They don't help their cause doing stuff like this. They get so caught up in hating Christianity that they forget the best way to free people from dogmatic beliefs is to discuss it in a secular manner. Belittling someones belief does exactly the opposite. If, for instance, the sign said something along the lines of "We at the <whatever org> hope everyone, religious and non-religious, have a wonderful holiday season." along with a link to their website, then it's a different ball game if the sign is removed. There's absolutely no reason for Atheists to feel as if they need to tear down others religious beliefs. Rather what they do need to do is show the religious that they function in society just fine and can even enjoy the holiday season as a time to be friendly to others and give gifts to loved ones. Their sign certainly did not portray that.

Oh and I do disagree with having a nativity scene in a building like that, but I really wouldn't care about it enough to throw a hissy fit. Is it really that big of a deal?

[Blarg]

This is just like how other minority groups blow things up to be bigger than they are because it's one of the only ways to get any attention towards their real cause. Do the albinos really think that The Da Vinci Code made the world think that albinos are all evil killers? No, but how else will the people who represent albinos get a chance to talk about what affects them and say what they need to say. Is the word christmas or Christmas trees really that big of a deal? Nope, but it allows the atheists to get some exposure and potentially talk about church state separation/whatever which is something that actually matters.

[Galkaeater]

Why should atheists walk on egg shells and accept an atmosphere of prejudice and theocracy to appease people that dont want to hear something they disagree with?

Having a nativity scene at a publicly funded facility is just as offensive to atheists as a sign against religion is to theists. The only difference is theists get to play the victim card regardless of the fact that they are the majority.

How do you think it feels to see constant displays of public validation for a religion that specifically says YOU should be tortured and ripped apart for all eternity? How would you feel as a black male to see burning crosses at your local court house?

A model of a baby/donkey/3wisemen ect is as offensive as a sign that berates all religion?

[Tomiko]

I guess this is why I'm happy to call myself an Agnostic rather then an Atheist, most Atheists are so fucking grumpy and pathetic... They don't help their cause doing stuff like this. They get so caught up in hating Christianity that they forget the best way to free people from dogmatic beliefs is to discuss it in a secular manner. Belittling someones belief does exactly the opposite. If, for instance, the sign said something along the lines of "We at the <whatever org> hope everyone, religious and non-religious, have a wonderful holiday season." along with a link to their website, then it's a different ball game if the sign is removed. There's absolutely no reason for Atheists to feel as if they need to tear down others religious beliefs. Rather what they do need to do is show the religious that they function in society just fine and can even enjoy the holiday season as a time to be friendly to others and give gifts to loved ones. Their sign certainly did not portray that.

You'd think that since most who aren't religious despise the propaganda that they'd avoid it themselves. I agree that it would have been much better if it was just wishing everyone well.

A model of a baby/donkey/3wisemen ect is as offensive as a sign that berates all religion?

It clearly promotes pedophilia and beastiality.

[oldoldman]

I consider myself to be a Christian, but I would not be the least bit offended if I saw an anti christian sign anywhere. I'm actually more offended when I see other "Christians" preaching condemnation. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. That is read EVERYONE, and everyone has the right to freedom of expression. The constitution distinctly demands freedom of religion, it says nothing about freedom from it. Religion is simply what you believe and everyone believes something.

[gandorf]

I remember like 7yrs ago around Xmas time a group of old people stood in front of my school and gave all the kids who passed by little bibles. Some of the kids who took a bible threw them into the street. As you can guess people were outraged by this and overacted a little too much by saying the school supported the devil lolz.

Most of my relatives are real big on religion. They are the type that when you are opening a gift they start to cry about how good it is that the lord gave you the present. I'm so happy most of my relatives live in different states and I don't need too see them.

[Senoska]

I guess this is why I'm happy to call myself an Agnostic rather then an Atheist, most Atheists are so fucking grumpy and pathetic... They don't help their cause doing stuff like this. They get so caught up in hating Christianity that they forget the best way to free people from dogmatic beliefs is to discuss it in a secular manner. Belittling someones belief does exactly the opposite. If, for instance, the sign said something along the lines of "We at the <whatever org> hope everyone, religious and non-religious, have a wonderful holiday season." along with a link to their website, then it's a different ball game if the sign is removed. There's absolutely no reason for Atheists to feel as if they need to tear down others religious beliefs. Rather what they do need to do is show the religious that they function in society just fine and can even enjoy the holiday season as a time to be friendly to others and give gifts to loved ones. Their sign certainly did not portray that.

Oh and I do disagree with having a nativity scene in a building like that, but I really wouldn't care about it enough to throw a hissy fit. Is it really that big of a deal?

I'll admit I didn't read this post because I couldn't get past the first line. Every time one of these threads pop up I feel I have to type this.

Agnostic is a statement of knowledge, not of belief. There is no such thing as "I'm an agnostic," and then ending it there. By definition, that says nothing about your belief. Agnostic is added to your statement of belief. For example, I don't believe in god, which makes me an Atheist. I also claim to not have full knowledge and am open to the fact there may in fact be a god, but for the time being, I choose not to believe.

Therefor. I am an AGNOSTIC ATHEIST

YAAY FOR RANTING ABOUT SHIT THAT IS WRONG, RIGHT ENKIDU?! Good job trying to take the moral high-ground and bashing on something that appears to be something you're part of.