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"Christ"mas Dinner

Thanks for all the comments - both useful ones and funny ones (well, I assume the "hide the turkey" suggestion was a joke).

The best idea was to offer to say something myself in place of the grace. I can tailor it to allow the Christians and other religious types their opportunity to thank their Gods.

I certainly didn't want to disrupt the prayer while in progress, no matter how much I fantasise about loudly expressing my love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but rather do something pre-emptive without being seen to be a trouble-maker. While I disagree with their views, I still need to be able to get along with my team-mates.

Just standing and putting up with it is an option, but not the best one - last year I found it difficult not to let out a big sigh when I was told to stand up, and got a few evil looks. Even if I kept that to myself, I would feel awkward, and feel that I was betraying my rational-thinking principles.

Keep the ideas (and jokes) coming!

Fritzdorf.
 
In school, weddings, funerals, don’t ever remember making the decision not to pray, just remember not feeling comfortable and quite rebellious. Reached a stage, a bit older where I thought I would put my foot down and just not attend weddings and funerals but the pressure from family and friends was too much for this little rebel, so now I just do the token appearance then disappear about an hour later. Anyone else find it tough to stick to their own principles and beliefs?
 
Erin said:
In school, weddings, funerals, don’t ever remember making the decision not to pray, just remember not feeling comfortable and quite rebellious. Reached a stage, a bit older where I thought I would put my foot down and just not attend weddings and funerals but the pressure from family and friends was too much for this little rebel, so now I just do the token appearance then disappear about an hour later. Anyone else find it tough to stick to their own principles and beliefs?
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Not really, when someone invites me to a wedding I have a fair idea how much religion is likely to be involved - I either choose to endure it quietly or skip the churchy bit and go along for the party. Same with funerals, while some religious type who rarely knows the person witters on about heaven etc, I use the time to remember the person whose funeral I have chosen to attend.

Only time I ever felt uncomfortable was at a funeral when one of the hymns was "All things bright and beautiful" when they got to the line "the Lord God made them all" and I thought how much better it would sound with this boards more succinct "Goddidit!" inserted instead. Managed (just) not to laugh out loud.
 
Jaggy Bunnet,

Glaswegian? I like your usser name.
Glad someone agreed with me about funerals and weddings.
Never realised just how many of these things we feel obligated to attended.
 
Erin said:
Jaggy Bunnet,

Glaswegian? I like your usser name.
Glad someone agreed with me about funerals and weddings.
Never realised just how many of these things we feel obligated to attended.
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Kind of Glaswegian, but haven't lived there for a very long time. Username stolen from a comedy clip by Billy Connolly mainly because of the reference to my football club.

I don't mind attending - the party is usually good enough to make up for an hour of dozing while the religious get their fix.
 
Billy Connolly - the first time I ever really laughed at anything.
Me? Glasgow born but live down south long time.
 
Jaggy Bunnet said:
Only time I ever felt uncomfortable was at a funeral when one of the hymns was "All things bright and beautiful" when they got to the line "the Lord God made them all" and I thought how much better it would sound with this boards more succinct "Goddidit!" inserted instead. Managed (just) not to laugh out loud.
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I always think of the Monty Python version- "All things dank and dangerous, all creatures short and squat, All things dark and gangrenous, the Lord God made the lot."

Or something like that: http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/ps/104.html
 
While I sympathize with those who don't want to "make a fuss," I feel pretty strongly about making a stand as an atheist. As long as we all remain quiet, nobody realizes how many of us there are, or knows that we can be good and decent people, too, or even thinks that their behavior might just possibly be offensive to us.

That stand, however, doesn't have to be rude. I would simply say that I - and possibly other non-xians - don't feel comfortable with the prayer thing and think that the speeches or whatever should be kept religion-free.

I'm reminded of how our really religious friends used to send out super-religious cards at xmas every year. Then one year, we sent out Solstice cards. Those friends were offended. They never thought twice about sending their beliefs to us in the form of a card, but somehow getting ours was traumatic!

The longer we continue not wanting to make a fuss or rock the boat, the longer we will remain an underclass. The only reason we don't have rights is that not enough of us are willing to stand up and demand them.
 
How true. I'm sick of not being able to vote and having to ride at the back of the bus just because I don't believe in God!

Oh... wait...
 
wolfgirl said:
While I sympathize with those who don't want to "make a fuss," I feel pretty strongly about making a stand as an atheist. As long as we all remain quiet, nobody realizes how many of us there are, or knows that we can be good and decent people, too, or even thinks that their behavior might just possibly be offensive to us.

That stand, however, doesn't have to be rude. I would simply say that I - and possibly other non-xians - don't feel comfortable with the prayer thing and think that the speeches or whatever should be kept religion-free.

I'm reminded of how our really religious friends used to send out super-religious cards at xmas every year. Then one year, we sent out Solstice cards. Those friends were offended. They never thought twice about sending their beliefs to us in the form of a card, but somehow getting ours was traumatic!

The longer we continue not wanting to make a fuss or rock the boat, the longer we will remain an underclass. The only reason we don't have rights is that not enough of us are willing to stand up and demand them.
Click to expand...


:clap:
 
Some more great comments to thank everyone for since I last posted.

Of course, this does apply to weddings and funerals as well, although it's usually more difficult to persuade the master of ceremonies to leave out the god bit, and at a wedding quite difficult to duck out during the prayers but still be there for the touching parts.

Sometimes we perhaps do have to put up with it, so let's seize every chance we get to ditch the obligatory praying.
 
Fritzdorf said:
Some more great comments to thank everyone for since I last posted.

Of course, this does apply to weddings and funerals as well, although it's usually more difficult to persuade the master of ceremonies to leave out the god bit, and at a wedding quite difficult to duck out during the prayers but still be there for the touching parts.

Sometimes we perhaps do have to put up with it, so let's seize every chance we get to ditch the obligatory praying.
Click to expand...

Weddings and funerals are different IMO. It is perfectly reasonable that they reflect whatever religious beliefs the participants have/had - if you are invited to attend then you can choose to do so (and that means not making a fuss about the religious bits) or you can choose not to.

It would be no more appropriate to ask the master of ceremonies to leave out the religious bits of a wedding/funeral that you were attending as a guest than it would be for a religious person to ask for them to be included at such an event they were attending as a guest.
 
Don't do anything, just remain quietly seated. You could be Jewish for all they know....
 
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